Update pcb from schematic or switch to pcb editor

[Piotr]

@petercl14

The wording ‘update pcb from schematic’ suggests that the pcb should be following the schematic.

May be it is how you read it, but it means to:

• delete from PCB all footprints connected with symbols you just deleted from schematic,
• add right footprints for symbols that you have just added to schematic,
• update all connections to be in accoredance with current state of schematic,
• may be some other actions I just do not reckon.

@petercl14

It is an almost impossible task to move the components around in the pcb editor to not get any crossover tracks.

Right positioning footprints at PCB is 90% of work when you design PCB.
You need not to not get any crossover tracks. At typical PCB you have at least 2 layers so you can cross tracks jumping with one on the second layer. If PCB is more complicated you can get 4 (6,8,…) layers PCB.
Some time ago I have described my strategy when designing 2 layer PCB and shown how PCB designed with this strategy can look like:

Approaching PCB track routing for a newbie

Positioning for me is the main work in designing PCB. If each element is where it is needed than routing is simple. Till now all my PCBs are 2 layers and all of them have GND plane taking 100% of bottom layer. So except GND I design my PCBs as 1 layer. I use microcontrollers in QFP packages without thermal pad at bottom. This allows me to go with VCC under the microcontroller and go out through all corners and all VCC pins. That way GND and VCC don’t disturb my signal connections. At all digi…

Now in V7 using my strategy you can hide GND net when positioning footprints as you have GND everywhere. That makes a connection lines mess simpler.

@petercl14

Can anybody suggest how I can make this a simpler

In V7 you can select a part of schematic and then move at PCB all elements from selection. That helps to make first order at PCB groping elements that are grouped at schematic. I can’t tell exactly how you do it as I didn’t used it yet and I am now at PC with V5 installed so I can’t check it.