Simplifying complex and many connections

Logyx wrote:

I'm working on a schematic with several pairs of 40 pin connectors where

one PCB connector connects to a 40 pin IDC ribbon cable connector (i.e.

pin 1-1, in 2-2 etc.).

In other words, an awful mess when attaching wires between these pins.

 

I seem to recall a feature in Eagle which allows for attaching the wires

correctly as usual in the PCB layout but does away with the mess in the

schematic.

Also, is there a quick way to attach those wires between the same

numbered pins of two connectors? It takes an awful long time to do it

manually.

 

I'm using Eagle 7.2.0 on the Mac OSX platform. Thanks.

place your connector, create net stubs on all pins, place labels at

all open net ends (and name the nets appropriately).

you now can group and duplicate any number of nets and their

respective labels and place them near your second connector.

to connect the duplicated netstubs to your second connector, you need

to pick up the connector and drop its pins on top of the open ends of

the net stubs.

Droping the net ends onto a pin won't connect.

If you like you can also use buses. In that case read about the bus

command in the online help.

--

Lorenz

On 26/05/2015 11:11, Lorenz wrote:

Logyx wrote:

 

I'm working on a schematic with several pairs of 40 pin connectors where

one PCB connector connects to a 40 pin IDC ribbon cable connector (i.e.

pin 1-1, in 2-2 etc.).

In other words, an awful mess when attaching wires between these pins.

place your connector, create net stubs on all pins, place labels at

all open net ends (and name the nets appropriately).

 

you now can group and duplicate any number of nets and their

respective labels and place them near your second connector.

Thanks! Looks a whole lot better now.

I've completed one pair of connectors and have made another copy of the

entire group (two connectors), but of course all the label names are the

same as before. Short of renaming each label one by one, is there a

simpler way (e.g. renaming a whole series with J401-J440 to the new

connector pairs as J501-J550)?

to connect the duplicated netstubs to your second connector, you need

to pick up the connector and drop its pins on top of the open ends of

the net stubs.

Droping the net ends onto a pin won't connect.

I couldn't wait, so even if it was time consuming I used the "Name" tool

to click on each label and rename them, and each time I had an existing

name somewhere else I was asked if I wanted to connect them together.

Isn't this what you mean?

If you like you can also use buses. In that case read about the bus

command in the online help.

I couldn't get anything out of the built-in help feature, but found a

Youtube video and see how neat that feature is -having a single cable

with several strands on at each end. Seems more complicated than with

net ends but I suppose each has its own use depending on the circuit.

Thanks

Logyx wrote:

On 26/05/2015 11:11, Lorenz wrote:

Logyx wrote:

 

I'm working on a schematic with several pairs of 40 pin connectors where

one PCB connector connects to a 40 pin IDC ribbon cable connector (i.e.

pin 1-1, in 2-2 etc.).

In other words, an awful mess when attaching wires between these pins.

place your connector, create net stubs on all pins, place labels at

all open net ends (and name the nets appropriately).

 

you now can group and duplicate any number of nets and their

respective labels and place them near your second connector.

 

Thanks! Looks a whole lot better now.

I've completed one pair of connectors and have made another copy of the

entire group (two connectors), but of course all the label names are the

same as before. Short of renaming each label one by one, is there a

simpler way (e.g. renaming a whole series with J401-J440 to the new

connector pairs as J501-J550)?

not without writing (or finding) an ULP to do the job.

easier would be to write an ULP to create the new set of net stubs

with attached labels, with a nice dialog that asks for the first net

name, the number & length of stubs to create (or accepts them from the

command line)

to connect the duplicated netstubs to your second connector, you need

to pick up the connector and drop its pins on top of the open ends of

the net stubs.

Droping the net ends onto a pin won't connect.

 

I couldn't wait, so even if it was time consuming I used the "Name" tool

to click on each label and rename them, and each time I had an existing

name somewhere else I was asked if I wanted to connect them together.

if the you rename a net segment you are first ask if you want to

rename the complete net or only the one segment.

Then, if the new name you enter is already present in the schematic,

you are ask if you want to connect to it (mostly to prevent

unintentional connections).

Isn't this what you mean?

for creating the first pair yes.

I normaly have dedicated signal names, so I need to (re)name the nets

in the duplicates manually anyways.

So in case I need to create multiple groups I do them from scratch

separately or create them in parallel.

If you like you can also use buses. In that case read about the bus

command in the online help.

 

I couldn't get anything out of the built-in help feature, but found a

Youtube video and see how neat that feature is -having a single cable

with several strands on at each end. Seems more complicated than with

net ends but I suppose each has its own use depending on the circuit.

Thanks

 

Logyx wrote:

On 26/05/2015 11:11, Lorenz wrote:

Logyx wrote:

 

I'm working on a schematic with several pairs of 40 pin connectors where

one PCB connector connects to a 40 pin IDC ribbon cable connector (i.e.

pin 1-1, in 2-2 etc.).

In other words, an awful mess when attaching wires between these pins.

place your connector, create net stubs on all pins, place labels at

all open net ends (and name the nets appropriately).

 

you now can group and duplicate any number of nets and their

respective labels and place them near your second connector.

 

Thanks! Looks a whole lot better now.

I've completed one pair of connectors and have made another copy of the

entire group (two connectors), but of course all the label names are the

same as before. Short of renaming each label one by one, is there a

simpler way (e.g. renaming a whole series with J401-J440 to the new

connector pairs as J501-J550)?

not without writing (or finding) an ULP to do the job.

easier would be to write an ULP to create the new set of net stubs

with attached labels, with a nice dialog that asks for the first net

name, the number & length of stubs to create (or accepts them from the

command line)

to connect the duplicated netstubs to your second connector, you need

to pick up the connector and drop its pins on top of the open ends of

the net stubs.

Droping the net ends onto a pin won't connect.

 

I couldn't wait, so even if it was time consuming I used the "Name" tool

to click on each label and rename them, and each time I had an existing

name somewhere else I was asked if I wanted to connect them together.

if the you rename a net segment you are first ask if you want to

rename the complete net or only the one segment.

Then, if the new name you enter is already present in the schematic,

you are ask if you want to connect to it (mostly to prevent

unintentional connections).

Isn't this what you mean?

for creating the first pair yes.

I normaly have dedicated signal names, so I need to (re)name the nets

in the duplicates manually anyways.

So in case I need to create multiple groups I do them from scratch

separately or create them in parallel.

If you like you can also use buses. In that case read about the bus

command in the online help.

 

I couldn't get anything out of the built-in help feature, but found a

Youtube video and see how neat that feature is -having a single cable

with several strands on at each end. Seems more complicated than with

net ends but I suppose each has its own use depending on the circuit.

Thanks