I've seen the toggling macros that result from having two pins with the same number, where they are alternately added and deleted from the connections with successive netlist loads. This is similar, but slightly different.
I have built a common-mode choke schematic symbol, with 4 pins each of type Passive. I've checked in the list panel and there are no duplicate pins. Looking at the part in the library editor, there are no "inside-out" pins. Likewise the corresponding PCB footprint has exactly four pads, no duplicates, and no funny-business on any of them. I'm still in the habit of explicitly creating the netlist from schematic, and explicitly loading the netlist in the PCB. Each time I do so, in addition to any macros I expect, I also get two extras: the first removes pin 3 of that chocke from its net (Gnd), and the second adds it back to the same net. There are no errors noted. Executing the netlist load causes no adverse effects but works just as would be expected. But then immediately reloading the same netlist (which should result in no changes) produces those same two stray macros. This doesn't directly impact the board I'm laying out, as the net connections end up correct. But I've learned the hard way not to ignore it when Protel does oddball, unexpected things - it's trying unsuccessfully to warn me about some glitch that, sooner or later, will rear its ugly head in a defective batch of boards. Does anybody here have any thoughts on what I should be looking for? Anticipating the first suggestion, I just tried using Schematic's <Design> - < Update PCB>. Exactly the same result. In moving the design forward, I added two grounded mechanical holes, by adding two "Testpoint"s on the schematic (single pin component I've used since antiquity) and grounding them there. Now I get three pairs of these stray macros - a pair each for pin 3 of the choke and pin 1 (only pin) of the two new testpoints. The only thing in common is that all three are connected to ground. But no other grounded pins (about a hundred) show any anomalies. Uh-oh, I may be on the track of something here. I just discovered that there are two GND nets in my netlist. Using explicit sheet-port connectivity, but GND power symbols should be common regardless. One GND net relates to the top-level sheet and three subsheets; the other net seems to be all the GND connections for the most recently-created sheet, which is properly nested under the top sheet in the Explorer panel. In trying to turn on the trace option of the Schematic netlist generator, it claims to generate a trace file called filename.tng. But there's no such file on my system after running the netlist, and indeed no recently generated files that could be the output. I'm wandering further and further afield from getting this job out the door, which has to happen in the next couple of days. Basic issues I need to address, then, are: 1) The split GND net MUST be fixed somehow. 2) The stray remove / add macros might be hinting at something dangerous. 3) I can't find the netlist generator trace output. Any and all hints welcome!! Thanks!! Steve Hendrix * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
