Re: [PROTEL EDA USERS]: Copy & paste within PCB P99SE with NETS please.

[Jon Elson <jmelson@artsci.wustl.edu>]

Brian Guralnick wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
>     I created sorta a 'via funnell' to pass a buss over a group of SGRAM
> chips.  Annoyingly, my pasted copy was missing the net names.  Is there a
> simple way to transfer the nets so that my 2 via funnells may be joined
> without all the ERC?
>
> Illustration, 80Kb desktop screenshot:
> ftp://ftp.point-lab.com/quartus/Public/ProtelUsers/ptelcopy.png
>

Ohhhh!  I'm fighting this right now on an old board imported from Protel
2.8, where the net labels were removed in 2.8 (due to reloading
corrected netlist).  The update free primitives from component pads
function of the netlist manager makes a BIG mess.  I don't know if this
problem is specific, in some way, to my particular board.

But, one thing that will work, if the TRACKS have the correct net name,
is to just move the vias, and then put them back.  I think you could do
this en masse, by selecting them in a region, move them a little over
and then put them back in the correct place.  If the tracks have the net
name, the vias will pick up that net when placed over a track end!

If the tracks ALSO do not have the net name, they MAY pick it up
when placed such that their endpoint is exactly over a labeled track's
endpoint.  Electrical connection is not good enough, it has to be an exact
alignment of the two endpoints.  (You'll see the difference if you overlap
two endpoints and then try to use the move endpoint to move them.
If the endpoints are exactly the same, the two will select and move
together.  If not exactly the same, only one will be selected by the
click, and the connection will break when it is dragged.)

If this doesn't work, you can try the update free primitives, but be SURE
you have just saved, as the result may destroy all connectivity on the
whole board!

Jon