Re: [PROTEL EDA USERS]: No Net assignments on tracks & vias...

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

Brian Guralnick wrote:

> Ok,
>
>     That's it, now I'm really annoyed.
>
>     How come in Protel99SE PCB, vias & tracks who's nets are 'No Net' do NOT
> automatically change their net names to which ever other net'd items I
> connect them to?

Well, they DO -- Sometimes!  I'll be darned if I can completely describe the
rules under which this happens, though.  The first thing is that the endpoints
must be placed exactly at the endpoint of another track.  Electrical connection
is not good enough.  It must (apparently) be an exact match, down to the
...001 mil level.  Snap to center makes this work much more easily.

>
>     Example:  If I create a grid of vias or tracks, or multiple conected
> items which end up with the default 'No Net', why am I unable to just start
> routing from the via, or the track, or an existing item with a real net, and
> just join the 2?  The manual router should never consider 'No Net' items as
> obstacles with regard to any real net'd item.

Oh, now a no net obstacle is another matter.  If you join the no-net item
to a netted item, it should change to that net, then it won't be an obstacle
to the manual routing.

>  When a 'No Net' item is
> joined to an actual net'd item, the router should change all the physically
> connected 'No Net' items to the new actual net.

This could have some pretty dire consequences when done accidentally.

Jon