Protel 99SE netlist issue

I have a file project.prj with three associated schematics schem1.swch, shem2.sch......

When I create the netlist the third sheet is not included. The netlist also seems to be ignoring some parts on one of the other sheets.

The design explorer on the left shows all three sheets as being in the hierarchy for the project. When I go all the required 3 sheets open as expected.

I have ports & net labels set to global etc.

Anyone have any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

thanks Dennis

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Dennis
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It gets worse.

I can create a new design, fresh single sheet schematic, add a few parts, annotates ok. When I netlist the netlist is completely empty. When I check the servers the netlist server shows up as loaded & started. IF I load up an old design the netlist seems to run fine.

SP6 is installed & I just reinstalled both 99SE & SP6 and still have the same problem.

Aaaaaaagh!! Its not April 1st or Fri 13th so WTF am I missing?

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Dennis

I've now found that / will load the parts on the PCB and show valid nets between the pads, however / still does not creates an empty netlist.

The "update pcb" step does not create a "xxxx.net" netlist file - why???

thanks

Reply to
Dennis

Dennis, I can't help you with your problem, from your descriptions thus far I cannot see that you are doing anything wrong. When you use the Update PCB function do you get any warnings? If there are any warnings you will see a Warnings tab behind the configuration tab where you set the net connectivity to ports and nets global. Those warnings, if they exist, could possibly point you toward your issue(s).

Hmmm, are all your annotations (designators) unique? Duplicated designators will result in duplicate parts being ignored in a netlist or partslist. That might explain why some random parts are being left out on the two pages that do netlist.

You state that all three sheets show in the lefthand explorer window, but do all three sheets appear as sub-sheets below the *.prj sheet? Like subdirectories to the *.prj sheet if you were just looking at a MS Explorer window? All three should be inset and below the *.prj sheet. I am wondering if the third sheet is somehow not a subsheet of the *.prj sheet. Collapse the project sheet and all three of your schematics should not be visible in the Protel Explorer window.

On your last question, a netlist is not created because the Update PCB function doesn't need to create a netlist, it updates the PCB file directly. The only time that you need to create a netlist in P99SE is if you want ot pass that netlist to other PCB software. The update PCB function replaced the older generate a netlist, then load the netlist into a PCB functionality.

Now if you are saying that you can use the Update function to get a correct PCB with all the components and connections, have you tried to create the netlist from the PCB file? You can do this under the "D"esign, n"E"tlist function through the "Menu" button in the lower left of the pop-up netlist manager window. It should be a properly formatted Protel netlist, just the same as a netlist created from the schematic. Although you don't have the option to create differently formatted netlists from the PCB.

--
Sincerely,
Brad Velander.
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Reply to
Brad Velander

Many thanks for your reply Brad.

All designators are unique and the project shows correctly (the .sch files are shown indented below the .prj file etc).

Even though I've used 99SE for around 10 years I'd never taken the "update pcb" route to layout a board. I've always created a netlist & then loaded it. At the end of the day I can at lease progress with laying out the board so I am happy. I'm thinking it may be a set up issue as I am getting error messages sometimes when it tries to auto back up. At least I can get the board laid out!

thanks again Dennis

Reply to
Dennis

Dennis, Okay it is good that you can progress. I thought that you may be using a different PCB package of preference and that is why you needed a netlist.

You mentioned that you had done an uninstall and re-install. Are you aware of the full clean uninstall process? P99SE uninstall leaves some files, actually a fair number of files, that can continue to mess you up after a re-install. The following process should give you an absolutely clean re-install.

Uninstall as usual through Windows remove programs facility. Search your drive for all files *99SE.* and delete them. Search your drive for *.bpl files and delete any of the the following that still appear: vclx50.bpl, vcldb50.bpl, vcl50.bpl, Protelcomponents50.bpl, CSRTL50.bpl Search your drive for *.dpl files and delete any of the the following that still appear: vclx50.dpl, vcldb50.dpl, vcl50.dpl, Protelcomponents50.dpl, CSRTL50.dpl Then you should be ready to do a clean re-install.

Cross your fingers that a clean re-install fixes the problem if you don't find some other configuration type problem. I have know several users to continue having problems after re-installing because of those files that are not deleted/replaced in the normal Windows uninstall. And the uninstall is somewhat random, I have done hundreds of re-installs on various work acquantance's computers over 10+ years and seen that the list of files leftover after a Windows uninstall of P99SE varies from time to time. i.e. sometimes there are none of the significant *.dpl files left, other times they are all still there.

--
Sincerely,
Brad Velander.
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Reply to
Brad Velander

Thanks Brad, thats very helpful - I'll archive your reply for future reference. When its working Protel is good, its odd bugs can be frustrating. After I've got this current job done I'll do a unstall/clean/reinstall cycle and see what happens.

cheers. Dennis

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Dennis

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