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Avoid duplicating part numbers in Hierarchical Blocks

coflynn

Just finished my first layout using the new hierarchical interface. I actually liked the idea of a prefix around each block, as it made the PCB clearer which parts belonged to what system (e.g. part of the PSU, main micro, etc).

 

Unfortunately this allows you to have duplicate part numbers it seems, save the prefix. e.g. I can have a "PSU:C1", and a "MCU:C1". It would be great if these could be renumbered such that the prefix is basically just extra information, but the part numbers are still unique. Obviously it's easy to have someone miss the prefix when assembling a batch of boards! I'm aware of the 'offset' mode you can use as well, but it's not quite the same, as I'd still like to keep the prefix.

 

I happy compromise would be a ULP which does this, and the user just runs to renumber everything. There is already renumber-sch.ulp but it seems to do a sheet at a time as well. Some sort of global system would be ideal. I don't know how the hierarchical blocks are implemented so if that's possible or not.

 

Regards,

 

  -Colin

  • 0

    I use attributes for this.  I think there is a discussion somewhere here in

    the newsgroups about how I assign an attribute to every part on each page

    of the schematic and use BOM-EX to manage everything.  I personally find it

    easier to have part numbers without prefixes...

    --

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

     

  • 0 in reply to autodeskguest

    I'm thinking of the prefixes more from the PCB side, e.g. for showing on the silkscreen. I have a few designs where the prefixes are handy since it becomes easy to determine what should/shouldn't be mounted to include that block. e.g. think multi-channel systems, where you might only populate parts for some of the channels on certain builds. Rather than just blocking everything inside a certain area would be nice to also have the prefix system.

     

    Having prefixes for every subblock would probably look insane (my PCB:, MCU: prefix examples weren't a good example). I've changed the prefixes to just be single letters since otherwise it's too unwieldy during layout.

     

    Although the attributes are handy for making a BOM of course to ensure everything is sync'd up properly & can track which parts are part of the module, I would still like a way to renumber everything across the entire schematic.

  • 0 in reply to coflynn

    That's what I get with the attributes, something separate from the part

    number.  I group everything by attribute (say "PSU" or "VCO" or "Channel

    1") and can include only those parts in a build, while still maintaining

    every part number as a unique entity.  I'm the kind of guy who uses the

    wire command to draw outlines around each separate section on the board

    too...  image

     

    You might consider the cmd-renumber.ulp program to renumber everything on

    the board.  With the forward/backward annotation, that should renumber

    everything on all pages of the schematic.  (Make a backup just in case.)

     

    WARNING: I don't know what that will do to a hierarchical design though...

    --

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

     

  • 0 in reply to autodeskguest

    Thanks for the idea! That ULP gives an error on hierarchical elements, I guess there is some underlying changes in how the entire system works. Which is actually too bad, even ignoring the prefixes it would still be nice to have continuous part numbers over the entire design.

  • 0 in reply to coflynn

    I was afraid that might happen.  Looks like CadSoft jumped the shark with

    this one.  Sigh...

     

    Under the circumstances, I'm going to keep putting each section of my

    design on a different schematic page and then connect everything together

    with cross references.  The combination of attribute and part number is

    working fine for me.

     

    It shouldn't be too hard to put together some kind of standalone program

    that can pull out parts of the XML files (or insert them for that matter)

    and manage hierarchical modules completely outside of EAGLE...

    --

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