What is the difference between the wire tool and router tool in the layout?

The difference is that the wire tool will simply place a copper wire on

the board.  It will usually be given a name automatically as S$1, where

the 1 would be replaced by the first unique value.  The route tool is

used to route air wires into copper traces.  In this case, the traces

produced inherit the name of the air wire.  I personally regard the wire

tool as finger painting with copper.  I find rare use for it.

As far as the broken connection in the image, the net may be connected

elsewhere on the board, which would leave the two traces that are

unconnected as stubs.  Another possibility is that an air wire exists

for this broken connection, but not where you expect it.  The air wire

will show up connecting the two closest vertexes on unconnected portions

of the net.

If you need to connect these at this point, click on the route tool,

then do a Ctrl-Click on or near the end of the stub.

HTH,

    - Chuck

On 01/08/2015 01:31 PM, Simen Hexeberg wrote:

After I used the autorouter on my design I was left with a couple of

unrouted airwires which I had to route manually and that was okay. My

problem started when I found a broken connection without any airwire

(see the bottom of the picture). I might have deleted it without

purpose. Since the airwire was gone I wasn't able to make a connection

with the router. Will the wire tool work for routing? Or is it a way of

routing where there is no airwires?

 

 

--

To view any images and attachments in this post, visit:

http://www.element14.com/community/message/136862

On 08/01/15 18:31, Simen Hexeberg wrote:

After I used the autorouter on my design I was left with a couple of

unrouted airwires which I had to route manually and that was okay. My

problem started when I found a broken connection without any airwire

(see the bottom of the picture). I might have deleted it without

purpose. Since the airwire was gone I wasn't able to make a connection

with the router. Will the wire tool work for routing? Or is it a way of

routing where there is no airwires?

 

Eagle doesn't let you "delete" a routed track, only rip it up. Assuming

you're sure those orphan ends are supposed to be connected, the lack of

airwire may mean Eagle thinks they are actually connected elsewhere.

This happens often with ground and supply tracks, which get routed round

the board so extensively that it's hard to spot by eye.

The other possibility, which your image was too small to show, is that

Eagle has found a point of closer approach elsewhere (perhaps where a

connection really isn't practical) and shown the airwire there.

Remember: airwires appear at the shortest possible straight line between

two disconnected parts of the same net.

If you have two tracks that are connected a long way away or have the

airwire in the wrong place, you can route from where you want to by

holding the  key down and clicking on the point on the wire.

HTH

Rob