Import same sheet pin multiple times

[James_Fowkes]

Is it possible to import the same sheet pin more than once?

The use case is that I have a sheet that exposes the I2C bus, with sheets that use that bus to the left and right. At the moment I have to route the bus wires around the middle sheet:

Ideally I would import the SDA and SCL pins more than once and make the wiring neater (modified example using paint).

Trying to copy or Ctrl-D the pins didn’t work. Is there another way?

Addendum: there are way more pins in my actual project so I can’t just move sheets around, this is just an example.

[straubm]

Short, brute force answer: no way AFAIK

[pedro]

Why not? I cannot test it right now.
In the middle sheet, sda1 and sda2 hierarchical pins, with a short cut between them inside the sheet.

[ML9104]

@pedro

Why not?

Because it’s confusing, ambiguos, potentially misleading and bad design style. No one knows what’s going on inside the middle sheet.
Schematics are about telling others what the circuit is doing. If it’s just for you, you don’t need schematics, just a good memory.

[pedro]

My “why not” was about the “no way”, the impossibility of doing it.

I do not mind why the OP wants to do it that way. If it is good or bad practice is up to him.

[straubm]

@pedro

My “why not” was

Since when is it possible to copy hierarchical sheet pins in the hierarchical higher sheet? You can import them, ok. But copy?

The OP’s question was about exactly that. Hence my ‘no way’. But I am always willing to learn…

[retiredfeline]

It looks ugly but you can draw wires across the sheet box without adding duplicate sheet pins. I sometimes do this with duplicated connectors.

Probably a better way is to run a bus across the top of the sheets. It is a bus after all.

[mf_ibfeew]

In the middle sheet, sda1 and sda2 hierarchical pins, with a short cut between them inside the sheet

The idea of pedro should work, see picture below. I have created two hierarchical labels “SDA” and “SDA.” (note the “point” as different character at the end of second label).

But attention: this workaround currently doesn’t works, I have already opened a gitlab complain: wiring subsheets with multiple internally connected hierarchical labels: connection incomplete (#14818) · Issues · KiCad / KiCad Source Code / kicad · GitLab

[James_Fowkes]

@mf_ibfeew

The idea of pedro should work, see picture below. I have created two hierarchical labels “SDA” and “SDA.” (note the “point” as different character at the end of second label).

I instinctively don’t like this as it might suggest that they are two separate I2C busses rather than the same one - but then that’s also a possibility with my original intention. I can see that if all labels were carefully named it would be an option.

[James_Fowkes]

@retiredfeline

It looks ugly but you can draw wires across the sheet box without adding duplicate sheet pins. I sometimes do this with duplicated connectors.

Probably a better way is to run a bus across the top of the sheets. It is a bus after all.

Yeah, these two options are slightly neater in terms of wiring and probably I will go for the bus option. Or maybe just make the I2C bus global…

[pedro]

@straubm

Since when is it possible to copy hierarchical sheet pins in the hierarchical higher sheet? You can import them, ok. But copy?

Ah, OK, you’re right. I was focused on having two pins, not on copying/duplicating one of them.