Ground and Power Busses share net names

[tang]

I hereby certify that I am not simply asking someone else to design a footprint for me.

This is an auto-generated message that is in place on the “footprints” section of the KiCad.info forum. If I remove it and ask for a footprint to be designed anyway, I understand that I will be subject to forum members telling me to go design my own footprint or referring me to a 3rd party footprint site.

First things
I am a beginner, and this is my third attempt at a proper schema. I have searched and searched for the answer to the question below to no luck.

I have resolved all the errors expect label or pins not connected, and a couple of switches are wired wrong. I know

I am building a Midi controller using an Arduino 2560 and 4 74HC4067 multi plexors, 3 for analog pots and one for digital buttons and switches, and 1 midi connector for TX. Everything else will be pin headers Most header pins are connected to one of three busses Pwr, gnd and address pins that I call control pins for the mux’s.

For the board build, I plan on using 4 16 pin headers going North and South for ground plane (back) and 4 16 pin headers (front) East and west for Power plane and 4 16 pin direct to muxes for inputs. (No bus)

All ground wires from pots goto ground headers and all power goes to power headers and all inputs goto mux headers directly connected to muxes. Each Mux Headers Group pins have unique net names

Do I use unique Net names for ground and power?

For example, When I start to populate the board, all J4 ground pins connect to J7, J8 and J9 power pins and it makes a big mess and I don’t think that I have to run traces over those, Do I? Doesn’t seem right

BTW. I am currently in the process of connecting my Busses to my pin headers, but I wanted to see what I have to do first

Thanks
vcs3.pdf (190.7 KB)

[glenenglish]

this is really a ‘community’ or eevblog.com question. This is not ‘I need assistance to design my project’ forum .
However :
In short if they connect to the same thing, they must be the same net. if they are different signals, they are different nets

[retiredfeline]

This seems to be a schematic problem, not a layout problem so I’m recategorising.

It’s better to archive the whole project (File > Archive project) and attach that rather than a PDF of the schematic. Then we can see how you’ve miswired it. Another thing you should post is the version (Help > About KiCad > Copy Version Info) and then paste as preformatted text in your post.

I notice that ERC has markers on two GNDs but not another two. This sounds like you “made” a GND symbol by taking a VCC symbol and renaming it. This will not work like that in v7 and below. It will still be a VCC symbol due to the pin inside the symbol. To keep things simple, either get a new GND symbol from the Power symbols, or copy a legit GND symbol.

It seems ambitious to launch into a medium scale project as a newbie. If you haven’t already, read through the docs and start with a simpler project to get acquainted with KiCad.

Oh and also read through the newbie FAQ to learn how to use the forum more effectively.

[tang]

thanks for fixing that. I assumed a board issue but I can see thats the symptom not the problem.
I have a retired friend that is an electrical engineer who will help, but he has been gone and talking on the phone has been problematic. I didn’t realize the PDF printed the ERC flags. silly me didn’t look. the GND errors were because they weren’t there and I added them. I have been reading, believe it or not and thats how I got promoted to Trust level. Obviously lots to learn, and I am enjoying it immensely

I have also built a dozen or so guitar pedals, but new to designing schemas.
I believe Glen answered my question. thanks Glen and retiredfeline

[glenenglish]

There’s also a construct called Net-Ties
I never use them, But they can solve certain issues when you have multiple grounds coming to a star.
There is a time and a place, use them with caution.