Method for populating printed circuit boards - by means of a pick-and-place line , - wherein set-up families having associated set-ups are provided; - wherein each set-up family is assigned at least one printed circuit board type , and each set-up is assigned at least one component type , - such that a printed circuit board of a printed circuit board type of a set-up family can be populated by means of components of the component types of the set-up assigned to the printed circuit board type on the pick-and-place line; - wherein a set-up can be implemented in the form of supplies of components of the component types , in order to be fitted on the pick-and-place line , wherein the method comprises the following steps: - acquiring jobs , in each case relating to the population of printed circuit boards of a printed circuit board type on the pick-and-place line ; - acquiring a predetermined future time period; - acquiring probabilities, respectively associated with the jobs , with which the associated job is to be executed in the predetermined time period; - wherein the time period lasts at least long enough that each of the acquired jobs can be processed within said time period; - wherein frequencies of previous jobs , knowledge of forthcoming jobs and/or jobs arising in a rotation are considered in the determination of the probabilities; - assigning printed circuit board types of the jobs to set-up families ; - determining, for each set-up family , a characteristic number which comprises the sum of probabilities of those jobs , the printed circuit board types of which are comprised by the set-up family ; - optimizing the assignment in such a way that the characteristic numbers of different set-up families are as different as possible; - providing a set-up from one of the determined set-up families on the pick-and-place line ; and - populating printed circuit boards on the pick-and-place line . - by means of a pick-and-place line , - wherein set-up families having associated set-ups are provided; - wherein each set-up family is assigned at least one printed circuit board type , and each set-up is assigned at least one component type , - such that a printed circuit board of a printed circuit board type of a set-up family can be populated by means of components of the component types of the set-up assigned to the printed circuit board type on the pick-and-place line; - wherein a set-up can be implemented in the form of supplies of components of the component types , in order to be fitted on the pick-and-place line , - acquiring jobs , in each case relating to the population of printed circuit boards of a printed circuit board type on the pick-and-place line ; - acquiring a predetermined future time period; - acquiring probabilities, respectively associated with the jobs , with which the associated job is to be executed in the predetermined time period; - wherein the time period lasts at least long enough that each of the acquired jobs can be processed within said time period; - wherein frequencies of previous jobs , knowledge of forthcoming jobs and/or jobs arising in a rotation are considered in the determination of the probabilities; - assigning printed circuit board types of the jobs to set-up families ; - determining, for each set-up family , a characteristic number which comprises the sum of probabilities of those jobs , the printed circuit board types of which are comprised by the set-up family ; - optimizing the assignment in such a way that the characteristic numbers of different set-up families are as different as possible; - providing a set-up from one of the determined set-up families on the pick-and-place line ; and - populating printed circuit boards on the pick-and-place line . <EOS>