Board DRC - Supposed to Generate Errors/Warnings on Unrouted Nets?

Michael Sansom wrote:

I just noticed that I have two unrouted nets on my board layout (i.e.

the ratsnets lines are visible but no copper tracks connect) and the DRC

isn't generating any errors/warning.  Is this correct?  What am I doing

wrong, I've never seen a DRC that wouldn't flag unrouted signals.

 

Michael

Ok, I see the RATSNEST command (or button) will tell me how many

unrouted airwires exist (I've never seen another package that didn't do

this in the DRC check), but how do I find these unrouted airwires?  They

are not apparent (if they were, they'd be routed).  Is there no way to

jump to each unrouted airwire in the same way you can click on an DRC

error have have the tool show you where the problem is?

Michael Sansom wrote:

I just noticed that I have two unrouted nets on my board layout (i.e.

the ratsnets lines are visible but no copper tracks connect) and the DRC

isn't generating any errors/warning.  Is this correct?

..................how do I find these unrouted airwires?  They

are not apparent (if they were, they'd be routed).  Is there no way to

jump to each unrouted airwire in the same way you can click on an DRC

error have have the tool show you where the problem is?

>

Try these ULPs. There are others that produce text and script files but

these enable you to locate the airwires quickly

Once you choose your favourite ULP, add it to a Command Text menu button to

your Board editor so you can check for airwires with a single click of the

mouse.

zoom-unrouted.ulp

• simple script to zoom to the first unrouted wire in board editor.

• this might be helpful when searching for tiny left-overs.

statistic-brd.ulp

*Unrouted count is in red in the summary section on the BOARD tab.

length.ulp

*This ULP calculates the signal length of routed tracks in the layout

• airwires will be shown separately. Easily spotted in their own column

Warren

Warren Brayshaw wrote:

Try these ULPs. There are others that produce text and script files but

these enable you to locate the airwires quickly

Once you choose your favourite ULP, add it to a Command Text menu button to

your Board editor so you can check for airwires with a single click of the

mouse.

 

zoom-unrouted.ulp

• simple script to zoom to the first unrouted wire in board editor.

 

• this might be helpful when searching for tiny left-overs.

 

statistic-brd.ulp

*Unrouted count is in red in the summary section on the BOARD tab.

 

length.ulp

*This ULP calculates the signal length of routed tracks in the layout

• airwires will be shown separately. Easily spotted in their own column

 

Warren

 

Thanks Warren, these will be most helpful.

I'm very glad that these things are taken care of with ULPs, and I very

much appreciate the ability to add custom feature to the system, but

sometimes I think that Eagle relies inappropriately on the availability

of external ULPs.  I think you can make a very persuasive argument that

there are just some core features that should be integrated into the

package as it ships.  This is I think one of those cases.  Every other

PCB layout system I've used has the ability to quickly locate these sort

of unrouted nets.  I really don't mean to be too critical since I do

like Eagle very much.

Since your knowledge of ULPs seems very extensive, there is one more

feature that I have looked for from the beginning but it seems to be

absent.  I would like the ability to click on one copper feature, then a

second copper feature, and have the tool tell me the straight line

distance between the closest points on those two features on whatever is

the "active" copper layer.  This is most useful when a board has to pass

certain U.L., VDE or similar creepage requirements.  Is there a ULP that

can do this?

Michael

On 9/10/2010 3:28 PM, Michael Sansom wrote:

Warren Brayshaw wrote:

>

>> Try these ULPs. There are others that produce text and script files but

>> these enable you to locate the airwires quickly

>> Once you choose your favourite ULP, add it to a Command Text menu

>> button to

>> your Board editor so you can check for airwires with a single click of

>> the

>> mouse.

>>

>> zoom-unrouted.ulp

>> * simple script to zoom to the first unrouted wire in board editor.

>> * this might be helpful when searching for tiny left-overs.

>>

>> statistic-brd.ulp

>> *Unrouted count is in red in the summary section on the BOARD tab.

>>

>> length.ulp

>> *This ULP calculates the signal length of routed tracks in the layout

>> * airwires will be shown separately. Easily spotted in their own column

>>

>> Warren

>>

>

Thanks Warren, these will be most helpful.

>

I'm very glad that these things are taken care of with ULPs, and I very

much appreciate the ability to add custom feature to the system, but

sometimes I think that Eagle relies inappropriately on the availability

of external ULPs. I think you can make a very persuasive argument that

there are just some core features that should be integrated into the

package as it ships. This is I think one of those cases. Every other PCB

layout system I've used has the ability to quickly locate these sort of

unrouted nets. I really don't mean to be too critical since I do like

Eagle very much.

>

Since your knowledge of ULPs seems very extensive, there is one more

feature that I have looked for from the beginning but it seems to be

absent. I would like the ability to click on one copper feature, then a

second copper feature, and have the tool tell me the straight line

distance between the closest points on those two features on whatever is

the "active" copper layer. This is most useful when a board has to pass

certain U.L., VDE or similar creepage requirements. Is there a ULP that

can do this?

>

Michael

>

>

don't know of a ULP to do this, but you can define a net class and it's

clearance requirements in the DRC and assign both nets to that class and

the DRC will check them for clearance violations. only problem is that

this checks clearance to all other nets, rather than just the 2 you

want, but this is generally desired anyway.

On 9/10/2010 3:28 PM, Michael Sansom wrote:

Warren Brayshaw wrote:

>

>> Try these ULPs. There are others that produce text and script files but

>> these enable you to locate the airwires quickly

>> Once you choose your favourite ULP, add it to a Command Text menu

>> button to

>> your Board editor so you can check for airwires with a single click of

>> the

>> mouse.

>>

>> zoom-unrouted.ulp

>> * simple script to zoom to the first unrouted wire in board editor.

>> * this might be helpful when searching for tiny left-overs.

>>

>> statistic-brd.ulp

>> *Unrouted count is in red in the summary section on the BOARD tab.

>>

>> length.ulp

>> *This ULP calculates the signal length of routed tracks in the layout

>> * airwires will be shown separately. Easily spotted in their own column

>>

>> Warren

>>

>

Thanks Warren, these will be most helpful.

>

I'm very glad that these things are taken care of with ULPs, and I very

much appreciate the ability to add custom feature to the system, but

sometimes I think that Eagle relies inappropriately on the availability

of external ULPs. I think you can make a very persuasive argument that

there are just some core features that should be integrated into the

package as it ships. This is I think one of those cases. Every other PCB

layout system I've used has the ability to quickly locate these sort of

unrouted nets. I really don't mean to be too critical since I do like

Eagle very much.

>

Since your knowledge of ULPs seems very extensive, there is one more

feature that I have looked for from the beginning but it seems to be

absent. I would like the ability to click on one copper feature, then a

second copper feature, and have the tool tell me the straight line

distance between the closest points on those two features on whatever is

the "active" copper layer. This is most useful when a board has to pass

certain U.L., VDE or similar creepage requirements. Is there a ULP that

can do this?

>

Michael

>

>

also it has been proposed that the DRC at least prominently warn the

user that there are unrouted nets or that there are inactive, unchecked

layers. not sure what became of this though...

another proposal was to have a checklist of rats, drc and other

necessary tests before running a CAM job, to make sure these things are

caught before submitting gerbers.

On 9/10/2010 3:28 PM, Michael Sansom wrote:

Warren Brayshaw wrote:

>

>> Try these ULPs. There are others that produce text and script files but

>> these enable you to locate the airwires quickly

>> Once you choose your favourite ULP, add it to a Command Text menu

>> button to

>> your Board editor so you can check for airwires with a single click of

>> the

>> mouse.

>>

>> zoom-unrouted.ulp

>> * simple script to zoom to the first unrouted wire in board editor.

>> * this might be helpful when searching for tiny left-overs.

>>

>> statistic-brd.ulp

>> *Unrouted count is in red in the summary section on the BOARD tab.

>>

>> length.ulp

>> *This ULP calculates the signal length of routed tracks in the layout

>> * airwires will be shown separately. Easily spotted in their own column

>>

>> Warren

>>

>

Thanks Warren, these will be most helpful.

>

I'm very glad that these things are taken care of with ULPs, and I very

much appreciate the ability to add custom feature to the system, but

sometimes I think that Eagle relies inappropriately on the availability

of external ULPs. I think you can make a very persuasive argument that

there are just some core features that should be integrated into the

package as it ships. This is I think one of those cases. Every other PCB

layout system I've used has the ability to quickly locate these sort of

unrouted nets. I really don't mean to be too critical since I do like

Eagle very much.

>

Since your knowledge of ULPs seems very extensive, there is one more

feature that I have looked for from the beginning but it seems to be

absent. I would like the ability to click on one copper feature, then a

second copper feature, and have the tool tell me the straight line

distance between the closest points on those two features on whatever is

the "active" copper layer. This is most useful when a board has to pass

certain U.L., VDE or similar creepage requirements. Is there a ULP that

can do this?

>

Michael

>

>

also it has been proposed that the DRC at least prominently warn the

user that there are unrouted nets or that there are inactive, unchecked

layers. not sure what became of this though...

another proposal was to have a checklist of rats, drc and other

necessary tests before running a CAM job, to make sure these things are

caught before submitting gerbers.