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Protel problem

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Richard Head:
I'm using Protel/EDA client and occasionally have a problem with updating PCB versions.
What I normally do when I want to modify an existing PCB design and up-issue it is as follows:
I select the entire board by drawing a block around it.
I press control C and click on the lower left corner of the board.
I then open a new PCB document in the same folder, with a different name.
I then press control V to paste the selected board.
I repeat the process with the schematic and link the new schematic with the new PCB.
The problem that I have is that sometimes the existing PC board traces are not recognised by the netlist and a rats nest appears on the PC board. Upon inspection of the traces they all have "no net" as the assigned net.
To solve the problem I have to go and manually alter the net name of EVERY friggen trace to remove the rats nest line.  |O
What am I doing wrong and how can I get the program to recognise the existing traces on the board?

Dick

DerekG:

--- Quote from: Richard Head on May 05, 2014, 10:23:05 am ---I press control C and click on the lower left corner of the board.
I then open a new PCB document in the same folder, with a different name.
I then press control V to paste the selected board.
What am I doing wrong and how can I get the program to recognise the existing traces on the board?

--- End quote ---

I'm not sure if I understand exactly why you prefer the above method.

I would simply use the "Save As" or "Save Copy As" for both the Schematic file & the PCB file. The integrity of each file should then remain 100%.

Psi:
Maybe the issue is being caused by copy/pasting a PCB with some unmatched nets.
It might stuff-up the import code and cause it to abandon nets altogether.


As well as the Save As, (as DerekG says) you can also create a new project then manually go find the PCB file for the source project and copy/rename to the new folder, then add that new file to the new project using the 'import existing file' option when right clicking on the project.

tautech:
Can't say I have had exactly that problem, but the thing that sticks out is your methodology.
I would add new schematic and new PCB to project, then name them, then copy and paste content. The other command that might be better is select all, then copy/paste.
Try this but DerekG or PSI's options may be more fail safe.

ludzinc:
Are you doing the Ctrl-C Ctrl-V shuffle or using the Edit / Paste Menu?

By default, Ctrl-V will not copy net information.

Select Edit / Paste Special and make sure your select 'Keep Net Name'.

But IMHO it's a hard way to make a copy.  Just copy the .pcbdoc file in Windows explorer.

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