I have symbols that I’ve used for several years 0vA which is just a GND with a different name. 12a_7 tubes.
I’m creating a new schematic in 8.0.8 and get a ridiculous number of errors: +250 Warnings and 40 or 50 errors. Solved most by changing pin types in my library.
BUT I’m getting many PIN NOT CONNECTED from capacitors, GND symbols.
Also a persistent warning "Snubber has been modified in library ‘ielogical’. I’ve updated the symbol from the library, deleted all the symbols from the schematic, reloaded. No soap. Simple two pin device with passive terminals. It does have a two letter REF Des ‘RI’
Before v7, power symbols got their global label from the hidden pin inside which could be different from the name. This caused problems when people renamed a +5V power symbol to say +6V and then discovered that the +6V symbol is still connected to +5V.
In v7 and after, the pin’s global label follows the symbol’s name when that’s edited, so there is no discrepancy. This means that when you copy the GND symbol and rename it 0vA, it really creates a new global label 0vA.
I’ve never used more than one ground symbol, so I don’t know what’s the way forward. Maybe you need a net tie from GND to 0vA.
0vA is for the zero volt reference in audio circuits in my custom library. It’s a separate symbol to GND for dirty stuff.
Seems that I can change a valve heater pin [definitely power in] to Bidirectional and KiCad stops whinging.
That’s an utter PITA to have almost 300 errors when editing a schematic in V8 that is built and running perfectly from V7.
BUT there is a serious problem when we can’t connect a GND / 0vA symbol to the bottom of a cap or chip or valve… as one can in any editor previous to k8… or any other I’ve used since the 1980s.
An ENTIRE DAY wasted debugging a project that’s run for six years!
It really slows things down if I have to edit if I can’t connect a PASSIVE to a reference or a power pin. I had to set all the heater and output pins to Bidirectional and that negates half the DRC functionality.
Ditto a regulator input from a resistor and the reference to GND
Follow the instructions in this link to a FAQ, so you can promote yourself to “Basic” so you can attach your project to a post in this forum so members may be able to help with your problems.
It looks that your 0vA was wrongly defined (not in accordance with KiCad rules for power symbols (name==pin net)) and because of this now, when with V8 something was changed you have a problem.
KiCad simply assumes that power symbols are as they were expected to be.
It doesn’t matter what symbol I use, I can’t connect a power symbol to a single line.
From this schematic which ZERO Errors or Warnings, now 23 and Errors and 79 Warnings
Open switch pin. Often happens with a DPDT-MSM
Label not connected not at end of a device. I should be able to move Net name from the terminal once it’s been placed. I’ve always been able to in every other product like CadStar, VeriBest, Altium, OrCAD, etc.
Input Power pin not driven by any Output Power pin when connecting Earth connection on an IEC connector to any power Reference: Earth, Earth_Protective, Earth_Clean, GND, GNDREF, etc. Proper audio design uses the chassis as a Faraday cage and the circuit 0vA ne’er the twain shall meet.
I don’t understand what you want to say in this place. It looks that you are mainly speaking about power symbols, but when you place power symbol you name the net so if not speaking about power symbol than about what?
I have never ever used ERC.
Once upon a time (it was KiCad V4) I took VCC symbol and just renamed it into V5 and used it at my schematic to connect V5 while then was LDO and 3V3 VCC after it.
When designing PCB I noticed that KiCad expects me to short V5 and VCC. What the hell. I went reading documentation and found that when I renamed the power symbol I just didn’t changed anything and the symbol internally still connects to VCC. So I corrected it and problem solved forever.
From what you write I suppose you did the same, and with the same error. Like me you copied power symbol (GND) and renamed it into 0vA but you didn’t changed internal pin name so your symbol even at schematic you see 0vA it really connects to GND net. It is error you didn’t noticed.
Like me many beginners have stumbled upon this mistake. So someone have written feature request and since V8 when you copy power symbol and change its name it is enough to connect to another net.
So now in power library instead of having there many symbols (I have V12, V48, V5, VCC, VC, VC1, VC2) with defined net names you can have only one and after placing it on schematic just change its name and it makes connection to the other net.
I didn’t checked it yet - I still have my old set of power symbols.
I think that now KiCad renames the power symbol pin net when you rename the symbol name and this way they are always the same. But what happens if KiCad finds in old schematic wrongly defined power symbol. Who knows. May be no one predicted that there can be such symbols and when analising it may be KiCad is enough confused to list errors whenever such symbol is found.
I can’t help more about ERC errors as I just don’t run it.
The Pin name is ~ in Symbol Editor for 0vA just like GND.
Without GND in the above, the error is Pin not connected on the bottom of R19. With GND the error is Input Power pin not driven by any Output Power pins.
Both errors are clearly wrong.
Without the GND symbol, there should be no error and all the 0vA connected nets should be 0vA, only generating an error if there are other named connections.
With the GND symbol, it should be something like Inherited net conflict from two symbols
Now that you have advanced to “basic user” in this forum you should attach a example project, so we can look into the schmatic. I guess the problem is buried in your symbol definition.
All your pictures show only symptoms, but don’t show the inner definition of your symbols. So the pictures are not really helpful.
With GND the error is Input Power pin not driven by any Output Power pins.
I suppose in previous KiCad versions it was wrong. How with V8 when pin name is not important I don’t know. I think it should be possible to find in documentation (I have read all KiCad pdf-s but it was before I have installed KiCad V4 for the first time).
My GND symbol (I have defined it with KiCad V4) have:
Symbol name: GND
Value: GND
Pin name: GND
My power library was opened and saved with KiCad V8 so it is also good symbol for V8.
I don’t know how with GND symbol of current KiCad library (I don’t have KiCad libraries on list).
