KiCad schema already open while it is not

Software
1

Hello:
All of a sudden: when I create New Project, and open the sch tool to start a schema, I find strange things happen. My installed version WAS 7.06
Click on the “Insert from a sheet” , I would go to a known project …select it: find the sch I want to insert in the new Pro folder. It always worked but now has a disturbing event:

  1. I get a note on the screen saying " Sche is already open. Interleaved sch may give rise to unknown problems".
    No such sch is open.
    At first I uninstalled 7.06. Reinstalled it.
    The same result.
    So after I could not figure it out, downloaded a new version 7.07
    I got still the same duplicated Ref Desig in the Inserted sch!
    We use this method to duplicate all contents of a project: sch and pcb. Under a different pro of course.
    We make slight changes-- sometimes a different variation of a product. Meaning, that we start off with the same known sch, BOM, PCB…in a new PRO folder. Change a few values etc…voila a new variation.
    But of course, it is unsettling to note component Ref desigs are duplicated!
    What is the root cause and how do we fix it?
    Any help will be highly appreciated.
2

I believe this is caused by closing a file without saving first. This generates a “sch.lck” file.

To remove the warning, open the project folder in question, with your OS, and you will find a file suffixed “kicad_sch.lck”. Delete that file.
ksnip_20230916-100658

1 Like
3

WOW: THNX MUCH FOR THE FAST RESPONSE ON A FRIDAY EVENING…
Yes, I notice these files.
Deleted them all.
Now let us see if the random Ref Desig assignments also get fixed.
robin

2 Likes
4

Hello jmk:
I do not get the “sch open” anymore for sure.
But the “insert sch” option still assigns random Ref Desigs when sch is inserted from a sch where all parts have ref desigs… and a pcb routed in full.
Why is that happening & how do I fix that?
r

5

It was 11.00 am Sat. here. :slightly_smiling_face:

Not sure I understand the other problem. I’ll play with it later this afternoon… middle of your night???

6

This method (Insert Schematic Sheet content) will only duplicate the Schematic. How did you copy the PCB?

“Insert Schematic …” copies over the schematic with the same original Ref Des.s just as copy/paste does a similar job.

7

All my schematics are single sheet. When I start new PCB I copy to new directory old project files (like MyProj_A.*) renaming them to my new project name (like MyProj_B.* if it is revision B of MyProj).
After that (few second task) I have in new project everything like it was in old one.
I don’t know how with multi sheet schematics.

8

Thnx again!
“ copy” in pro B, all files from A can happen through Archiving process, right?
Then you can rename only the pro name but all other names remain as in A, do they not?
We found that leads to many problems of finding a schematic or PCB later .
We thought making a new pro with a
searchable identifiable “ name”, then “ insert schematic sheet” which allows to insert a sch from any desired pro is straight forward.
Until now: when we noticed serious problem with Ref Desigs!
The Insert process or the copy- paste both come out with duplicate Desigs. Random designs etc.
I hope we find a fix for this.

9

I noticed now that * I used in previous post instead of looking as it now looks (I modified previous post) only changed text appearance and was not visible (try what happens if you use * in your post).
That * indicated that I renamed not only main project file but all 4 project files, but as I said I am doing it for my projects and all of them have only one sheet schematic and never tried if it works for more sheet schematic projects.

10

Hi @Robin_Gangopadhya

I follow your comments up to this:

Could you supply a screen shot of the problem to clarify your comments?

11

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.