Documentation

Insert Connection (Schematic)

6 min read

Insert Connection is the manual operation to add physical connections between symbol pins, connector pins, busses, block ports and junctions on a net.

Choose between using a ‘single shot’ method to add single connections, or entering Insert Connection Mode to sequentially add multiple connections.

Shortcuts

Default Keys: None

Default Menu: Insert

Command: Insert Connection

Mouse: Double Click or Drag

Locating this option

Available from: Insert menu > Connection option

’Single Shot’ Insert Connection

Whilst in Select Mode or Edit Mode do the following:

  • Drag the mouse on an unconnected symbol pin or connector pin. This is only available if the Drag Unconnected Pin option has Starts New Connection checked.
  • Double click the mouse on any symbol pin or connector pin.
  • Double click the mouse on any connect guide.
  • Double click the mouse on a junction.
  • Double click the mouse on a connection corner.

This is a ‘One Shot’ add of a single connection. Once the connection is completed, you are automatically put back in to Select Mode.

How To Use Insert Connection Mode

  1. From the Insert menu, select Insert Connection , or use one of the above mentioned shortcuts. This takes you into Insert Connection Mode.
  2. Before you select an item to start the connection from, you can right click the mouse to use the shortcut menu to do the following:-
    • Change Style
      • Use to change the width of the connection.
    • Change Net - Use to change the name of the net to be added. Choose an existing net name if you want this connection to be merged into that net.
    • Change Grid - Use to choose between placing the connection segments on a grid or not.
    • Start Connection On
      • Use to insert an item to start the connection from. The new item is added to the design and attached to the cursor, ready to be positioned. These items can be a Connector Pin, Signal Reference, Page Link, Test Point, Branch Point or Block Port.
  3. Select an item to start the connection on as follows:
    • Click on any connectable item in the design. e.g. symbol pin, connector pin, doc symbol pin, connection, connect guide, junction, block port etc
    • Click the mouse on a Bus. If the bus is a Closed Bus and the net you are currently adding is not allowed on the bus, you will be presented with the Choose Bus Net dialog to choose a net to use.
    • Click the mouse on a Block Symbol outline. If the block has more than one spare block ports, you will be presented with the Select Block Port dialog to choose a port to use. If the block has no spare ports, a new port will be added. The port is added to the block symbol as a terminal and the connection will start from it.
    • Click the mouse in space. A new connection will be started from the position you picked. If Start Connection From was used, the moving start item will be dropped at the picked location and the new connection will start from it’s pin. Otherwise, the connection will not be connected to anything at it’s start.

You now have a new connection dynamically displayed on the screen and are ready to add the connection segments.

New Connection Details

Information about the new connection will be shown on the Status bar.

Start Item

The connection will be started from the picked item. If a Connect Guide was picked, the connection will start from the pin at the end closest to the picked point. If another connection was picked, a junction is inserted to start from.

Net

The picked start item defines which net the connection is on. If the start item is not on a net, or there is no start item, a new net will be created using an internally allocated net name of the form $1, $2, $3… etc. Use Change Net (see above) to change this to a new net name.

Width (Connection Style)

The connection will use the default connection style, unless Change Style was used (see above).

Adding The Connection Segments

Once the connection is started, the connection segments can be added by clicking to add corners. You can right click to use the shortcut menu to access various editing options, some of which are listed here:

Change Grid to ensure connections are placed on predefined grid points.

Change Width of individual segments.

Change Net to alter the name of the new net you are adding.

End Connection On to end the connection on a new single pin doc symbol, testpoint, page link or connector pin.

Use Finish Markers to indicate when you are over an item that the connection can finish on

Change Segment Mode to define if angled, curved or orthogonal segments are added.

Orthogonal Mitre to automatically add mitres or curves between orthogonal segments.

Auto Corner to make it easier to add connections without having to click to add corners.

This procedure, and the options you can use, is described in detail in the Edit Connection documentation.

How To Finish A Connection

The following Edit Connection options affect the completion of a connection:

  • Finish Markers - If enabled, the cursor will change to an ‘F’ to indicate that single clicking will finish on the item under the cursor rather than add a corner.
  • End Connection On
    • Use to end the connection on a new symbol. (Doc Symbol, Connector Pin, Testpoint, Block Port or Page Link).
  • Add To Bus Displays Net Name
    • Use so that if you finish on a bus, a net name is automatically displayed next to the bus terminal.

Note that if you are wiring up a closed bus, use the Highlight Bus Net Pins command on the selected bus to highlight all the pins on the current page which are on nets in the bus. This makes it easier to see which pins need to be connected.

Use one of the following methods to finish the connection:-

  • Click on any connectable item in the design. e.g. symbol pin, junction, connector pin, connection, bus, block port, block outline etc.
  • Double click the mouse in space. The connection will end at the position you picked. The connection will not be attached to anything at it’s end unless the End Connection On feature is being used.

Joining Nets

If you are connecting to an item on a different net you are presented with the following warning:

The net being added will be merged into the net to which it is connecting.

Adding More Connections?

You may continue to add further connections by repeating the [How To Use Insert Connection Mode](#insert connection mode) instructions above. Once you have finished you may exit Insert Connection Mode by pressing Esc on the keyboard, by right clicking the mouse and selecting Cancel Insert Connection or by selecting an alternative command from the Toolbar or Menu.

Auto Corner | Connect Guides | Orthogonal Mitre | Edit Connection | End Connection On | Grids | Options - Edit Connection | Remove Loops | Segment mode | Show Finish Markers | Status bar | Technology

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