Printed circuit board system and method

A printed circuit board system comprising a printed circuit board with respect to which a plurality of electrical components may be mounted, electrically separated circuit traces on said printed circuit board for connecting with respective terminals of such respective electrical components, and electrical interconnection means for interconnecting leads of such electrical components via respective electrically conductive interconnection paths on said printed circuit board, said circuit traces being electrically connected to respective electrically conductive interconnection paths, said interconnection means including passive, integrated circuit bridging means for enabling at least some of said interconnection paths effectively to cross over one another, said electrically separated circuit traces on said printed circuit board connecting said bridging means to respective leads of such electrical components, said bridging means comprising a programmable integrated crosspoint switch, and wherein said electrically conductive interconnection paths of said programmable integrated crosspoint switch includes a matrix of first and second pluralities of electrically conductive paths and selectively permanently and affirmatively programmable means for completing passive conducive circuit paths between one or more conductive paths of such first and second pluralities thereof.

In an electrical circuit system including electrically conductive signal paths on a surface for electrically connecting with respective electrical components, the improvement comprising electrical interconnection means for interconnecting selected terminals of such electrical components via such electrically conductive signal paths thereby forming respective electrically conductive interconnection paths on such surface, said electrical interconnection means including bridging means for enabling at least some of said interconnection paths to cross over to another to effect electrical conductive interconnection of respective electrically conductive signal paths and of respective terminals of such electrical components, said bridging means comprising a passive, programmable integrated crosspoint switch programmable to be electrically conductive, and wherein said programmable integrated crosspoint switch includes a matrix of first and second pluralities of electrically conductive paths and selectively permanently and affirmatively programmable means for completing passive conductive circuit paths between one or more electrically conductive paths of such first and second pluralities thereof.