Hi everyone,
So, I've recently discovered how to use nets in Eagle and since I'm designing a board at the moment, I've gotten a little "net happy"; I really like the idea of not having to look at a confusing web of lines and junctions while designing.
My question is, are there any downsides to using so many nets and is it possible to use nets excessively? Are there any physical problems in a circuit that might be caused by nets or is it just a readability issue?
THanks in advance!
B
As long as you have a name on every net segment, the router will try and connect them all.
On the schematic, click the ERC, it will help you find any unconnected nets.
You can also create a Net list (File:Export: NetList I think) and confirm everything is attached on a net that you wanted.
When you review the board, you can also check that every part has traces routed from each pin, so there's a 3rd method to make sure all is connected as desired.
I rarely show traces all over the schematic anymore. I've also started giving decoupling capacitors numbers that match the pin I want to connect them to, makes it easier to place them next to the uC pins.
I prefer using wires when possible, but sometimes nets make the most sense. A collection of chips floating loose with only nets is a bit too much.
You may also be interested using a signal bus for similar signals.
Label your net stubs:
Ensure that you enable the LABEL for each wire (or net) on your schematic. Without the visual label, you will have no idea what that net connects to when just looking at the schematic.
It is probably also a good idea to double check things with the SHOW command. That way you identify if you are "overlapping" your net NAMEs.
Thanks for the input guys. Using nets has made designing a circuit a whole lot easier for me. Personally, I have a hard time with multiple overlapping wires as I am not yet completely confident letting Eagle decide if two wires are connected or not. I know that unless there's a junction there, there is no connection but I can't seem to come to terms with that in my head!
Crossroads - I was doing the same thing with decoupling caps. A circuit with a handful of ICs makes it really difficult to keep track of those little caps when placing components on the board. Good to know I'm not committing an EE crime by doing that.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but I use nets exclusively on the schematic, not wires. My understanding is that nets must be used to make electrical connections from one component to another, whether there is a continuous trace from one component to another, or if they are separate segments named the same. They are nets either way. Labeling separate segments of the same net is of course good practice, and I think Eagle will generate a warning in the ERC if this is not done.