The common rat (e.g. Rattus norvegicus) builds its nest out of any handy material such as twigs, grass, or leaves. The result has a chaotic, jumbled appearance. It is just another quirky Anglicism to say that something looks like a "rat's nest".
This all started back when printed circuits were done with tape and donuts on mylar sheets--the "rat's nest" was an actual pictorial drawing showing the placement and the connections drawn as straight lines between pins. The nickname and the idea stuck and carried over into CAD systems. > -----Original Message----- > From: J�rg Guttmann [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 05:07 > To: Protel EDA Forum > Subject: [PEDA] terminology: ratsnest > > > Why is the set of unrouted connections called "ratsnets"? > > I didn't find the word in the Langenscheidts english - german > dictionnary. > This seems to be one of the english words that everybody is > using and nobody knows the real meaning. > > > Dipl. Ing. J rg Guttmann > eMail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > =================================================== > Visit our Web Site: http://www.imar-navigation.de > =================================================== > iMAR GmbH > Gesellschaft f r inertiale Mess-, Automatisierungs- und Regelsysteme > Systems for Inertial Measuring, Automation and Control > Schlackenbergstrasse 41 > D-66386 St. Ingbert / Germany > > Tel.: +49-(0)6894-9657-34 > Fax : +49-(0)6894-9657-22 > > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
