Method for the population of printed circuit boards - using a pick-and-place line comprising an automatic pick-and-place unit having a pick-and-place head, - wherein multiple set-ups (165, 170), each having associated set-up families (175, 180), are provided; - wherein a number of component types is associated with each set-up (165, 170) and a number of printed circuit board types is associated with each set-up family (175, 180), - such that a printed circuit board of a printed circuit board type in a set-up family (175, 180) can be populated on the pick-and-place line using components of the component types in the set-up (165, 170); - wherein a set-up table comprising a stock of components of a component type in a set-up (165, 170) can be provided on the pick-and-place line; - wherein the pick-and-place head is configured to pick up a component from a set-up table; wherein the method comprises the following steps: - recording of printed circuit board types, of which printed circuit boards are to be populated with components of associated component types; - association of recorded printed circuit board types with set-up families (175, 180), - determination of a sequence in which the set-ups (165, 170) of the set-up families (175, 180) that have been formed are to be fitted on the pick-and-place line; - optimization of the sequence with respect to a predetermined criterion; - wherein, in the sequence, a first set-up (165, 170) is followed by a second set-up (165, 170), and the criterion comprises that a waiting time between the end of the population of printed circuit boards using the first set-up (165, 170) and the completed delivery of a set-up table with a stock of components of a component type for the second set-up (165, 170) is as short as possible; and - population of printed circuit boards in the predetermined sequence, using set-ups (165, 170), characterized in that - the optimization comprises repeated association of printed circuit board types with set-up families (175, 180) with at least one modified parameter, in order to optimize the criterion, such that the association, the determination of the sequence and the optimization of the sequence are carried out with variation of the parameter; - wherein the quantity of the recorded printed circuit board types is greater than the quantity of the associated printed circuit board types; - wherein the parameter comprises a selection of associated printed circuit board types from the quantity of the recorded printed circuit board types. - using a pick-and-place line comprising an automatic pick-and-place unit having a pick-and-place head, - wherein multiple set-ups (165, 170), each having associated set-up families (175, 180), are provided; - wherein a number of component types is associated with each set-up (165, 170) and a number of printed circuit board types is associated with each set-up family (175, 180), - such that a printed circuit board of a printed circuit board type in a set-up family (175, 180) can be populated on the pick-and-place line using components of the component types in the set-up (165, 170); - wherein a set-up table comprising a stock of components of a component type in a set-up (165, 170) can be provided on the pick-and-place line; - wherein the pick-and-place head is configured to pick up a component from a set-up table; - recording of printed circuit board types, of which printed circuit boards are to be populated with components of associated component types; - association of recorded printed circuit board types with set-up families (175, 180), - determination of a sequence in which the set-ups (165, 170) of the set-up families (175, 180) that have been formed are to be fitted on the pick-and-place line; - optimization of the sequence with respect to a predetermined criterion; - wherein, in the sequence, a first set-up (165, 170) is followed by a second set-up (165, 170), and the criterion comprises that a waiting time between the end of the population of printed circuit boards using the first set-up (165, 170) and the completed delivery of a set-up table with a stock of components of a component type for the second set-up (165, 170) is as short as possible; and - population of printed circuit boards in the predetermined sequence, using set-ups (165, 170), characterized in that - the optimization comprises repeated association of printed circuit board types with set-up families (175, 180) with at least one modified parameter, in order to optimize the criterion, such that the association, the determination of the sequence and the optimization of the sequence are carried out with variation of the parameter; - wherein the quantity of the recorded printed circuit board types is greater than the quantity of the associated printed circuit board types; - wherein the parameter comprises a selection of associated printed circuit board types from the quantity of the recorded printed circuit board types.