Population of printed circuit boards

A method for populating printed circuit boards using a pick-and-place line,

• wherein multiple set-ups, each having associated set-up families, are provided;
• wherein a plurality of component types is associated with each set-up and a plurality of printed circuit board types is associated with each set-up family,
• such that a printed circuit board of a printed circuit board type in a set-up family is populated on the pick-and-place line using components of the plurality of component types in the set-up;
• wherein a set-up table comprising a stock of components of a component type in a set-up is provided on the pick-and place line, the method comprising:
• recording printed circuit board types, of which printed circuit boards are to be populated with components of associated component types;
• associating the recorded printed circuit board types with set-up families;
• determining a sequence in which the set-ups of the set-up families that have been formed are to be fitted on the pick-and-place line;
• optimizing of the sequence with respect to a predetermined criterion, and
• populating the printed circuit boards in the predetermined sequence, using set-ups.