How To Delete An Orphaned Trace

On 15/06/2010 07:24, David Ingebretsen wrote:

I found when I make a small modification to a project with schematic and

PCB, I'll sometimes end up with an orphaned trace. That is, a short trace

which doesn't go anywhere anymore.

>

I don't see a setting in the DRC rules to catch this. Is there a way to

automatically find and tag these so i can delete them? Sometimes, they are

short enough that my tired eyes miss them. I'm loathe to rip up and redo

the board as these are typically minor changes to isolated parts.

>

Thanks

>

David

Hi,

Did you try applying the "Ratsnest" comand. Sometimes, it has helped me

when i have unrouted connections on the board. Usually, such connections

show up on the unrouted Layer 19. If you really want to check if there

are any such connections present then you can switch off all the layers

except Layer19.

-Jaya

Jaya wrote on Mon, 14 June 2010 21:00

On 15/06/2010 07:24, David Ingebretsen wrote:

I found when I make a small modification to a project with

schematic and

PCB, I'll sometimes end up with an orphaned trace. That is, a short

trace

which doesn't go anywhere anymore.

>

I don't see a setting in the DRC rules to catch this. Is there a

way to

automatically find and tag these so i can delete them? Sometimes,

they are

short enough that my tired eyes miss them. I'm loathe to rip up and

redo

the board as these are typically minor changes to isolated parts.

>

Thanks

>

David

Hi,

 

Did you try applying the "Ratsnest" comand. Sometimes, it has helped me

 

when i have unrouted connections on the board. Usually, such

connections

show up on the unrouted Layer 19. If you really want to check if there

 

are any such connections present then you can switch off all the layers

 

except Layer19.

 

-Jaya

Thanks Jaya. The problem is the traces are "routed" in a sense. For

example, it I delete a component, the traces to that component are not

ripped up. So, these orphaned traces are still connected to the proper net.

A Ratsnest command doesn't show them and they are still on the top or

bottom layer. It can also happen if I don't fully ripup a trace and miss a

small piece sticking out from a pad.

David

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

David Ingebretsen wrote:

Jaya wrote on Mon, 14 June 2010 21:00

>> On 15/06/2010 07:24, David Ingebretsen wrote:

>> > I found when I make a small modification to a project with

>> > schematic and

>> > PCB, I'll sometimes end up with an orphaned trace. That is, a short

>> > trace

>> > which doesn't go anywhere anymore.

>> >

>> > I don't see a setting in the DRC rules to catch this. Is there a

>> > way to

>> > automatically find and tag these so i can delete them? Sometimes,

>> > they are

>> > short enough that my tired eyes miss them. I'm loathe to rip up and

>> > redo

>> > the board as these are typically minor changes to isolated parts.

>> >

>> > Thanks

>> >

>> > David

>> Hi,

>>

>> Did you try applying the "Ratsnest" comand. Sometimes, it has helped me

>>

>> when i have unrouted connections on the board. Usually, such

>> connections show up on the unrouted Layer 19. If you really want to

>> check if there

>>

>> are any such connections present then you can switch off all the layers

>>

>> except Layer19.

>>

>> -Jaya

 

Thanks Jaya. The problem is the traces are "routed" in a sense. For

example, it I delete a component, the traces to that component are not

ripped up. So, these orphaned traces are still connected to the proper net.

A Ratsnest command doesn't show them and they are still on the top or

bottom layer. It can also happen if I don't fully ripup a trace and miss a

small piece sticking out from a pad.

 

David

What works for me is just dragging the end of the excess trace onto some

other part of the trace signal that you do want to keep, Eagle culls the

unnecessary length and the implied overlay or doubled segment and

removes the excess or duplicated portion of the trace... not automatic,

but it works fine for me.

Peter

Peter Wilson wrote on Tue, 15 June 2010 00:13

David Ingebretsen wrote:

Jaya wrote on Mon, 14 June 2010 21:00

>> On 15/06/2010 07:24, David Ingebretsen wrote:

>> > I found when I make a small modification to a project with

>> > schematic and

>> > PCB, I'll sometimes end up with an orphaned trace. That is, a

short

>> > trace

>> > which doesn't go anywhere anymore.

>> >

>> > I don't see a setting in the DRC rules to catch this. Is there a

>> > way to

>> > automatically find and tag these so i can delete them? Sometimes,

>> > they are

>> > short enough that my tired eyes miss them. I'm loathe to rip up

and

>> > redo

>> > the board as these are typically minor changes to isolated parts.

>> >

>> > Thanks

>> >

>> > David

>> Hi,

>>

>> Did you try applying the "Ratsnest" comand. Sometimes, it has helped

me

>>

>> when i have unrouted connections on the board. Usually, such

>> connections show up on the unrouted Layer 19. If you really want to

 

>> check if there

>>

>> are any such connections present then you can switch off all the

layers

>>

>> except Layer19.

>>

>> -Jaya

 

Thanks Jaya. The problem is the traces are "routed" in a sense.

For

example, it I delete a component, the traces to that component are

not

ripped up. So, these orphaned traces are still connected to the

proper net.

A Ratsnest command doesn't show them and they are still on the top

or

bottom layer. It can also happen if I don't fully ripup a trace and

miss a

small piece sticking out from a pad.

 

David

 

What works for me is just dragging the end of the excess trace onto

some

other part of the trace signal that you do want to keep, Eagle culls

the

unnecessary length and the implied overlay or doubled segment and

removes the excess or duplicated portion of the trace... not automatic,

 

but it works fine for me.

 

Peter

Thanks Peter. Is there an easy or straightforward way to find these

traces?

David

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

"David Ingebretsen" wrote...

The problem is the traces are "routed" in a sense.

For

example, it I delete a component, the traces to that component are

not

ripped up. So, these orphaned traces are still connected to the

proper net.

A Ratsnest command doesn't show them and they are still on the top

or

bottom layer. It can also happen if I don't fully ripup a trace and

miss a

small piece sticking out from a pad.

>

When there 'are' unrouted sections to detect it can be done with the ULP

ULP zoom-unrouted

ftp://ftp.cadsoft.de/eagle/userfiles/ulp/zoom-unrouted.ulp

It will zoom you to the first unrouted trace it finds on the board.

After removing a part, a ratsnest will likely create an unrouted trace so

you can detect the unattached  routed trace.

Another ULP to detect a single ended wire

find-single-ended-wire

ftp://ftp.cadsoft.de/eagle/userfiles/ulp/find-single-ended-wire.ulp

Warren

warrenbrayshaw wrote on Tue, 15 June 2010 01:49

"David Ingebretsen" wrote...

 

The problem is the traces are "routed" in a sense.

For

example, it I delete a component, the traces to that

component are

not

ripped up. So, these orphaned traces are still connected to

the

proper net.

A Ratsnest command doesn't show them and they are still on

the top

or

bottom layer. It can also happen if I don't fully ripup a

trace and

miss a

small piece sticking out from a pad.

>

 

When there 'are' unrouted sections to detect it can be done with the

ULP

ULP zoom-unrouted

ftp://ftp.cadsoft.de/eagle/userfiles/ulp/zoom-unrouted.ulp

 

It will zoom you to the first unrouted trace it finds on the board.

After removing a part, a ratsnest will likely create an unrouted trace

so

you can detect the unattached  routed trace.

 

Another ULP to detect a single ended wire

find-single-ended-wire

ftp://ftp.cadsoft.de/eagle/userfiles/ulp/find-single-ended-wire.ulp

 

Warren

Thank you Warren. Fin_Single_Ended_Wire is what I was looking for. I tried

many other key words, but not "single ended".

David

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.