ERC issues with KiCad 6

[perdrix]

KiCad ERC errors

I'm getting ERC problems with the following errors below:

ERC report (03/06/2022 18:55:59, Encoding UTF8)

Code: [Select]

***** Sheet /
[lib_symbol_issues]: Symbol 'Conn_01x05_Female' has been modified in library 'Connector'.
    ; Severity: warning
    @(1650 mils, 6800 mils): Symbol J3 [Conn_01x05_Female]
[lib_symbol_issues]: Symbol '8P8C' has been modified in library 'Connector'.
    ; Severity: warning
    @(1900 mils, 9150 mils): Symbol J4 [8P8C]
[lib_symbol_issues]: Symbol 'DB15_Female' has been modified in library 'Connector'.
    ; Severity: warning
    @(7450 mils, 1600 mils): Symbol J2 [DB15_Female]
[lib_symbol_issues]: Symbol 'DB15_Female' has been modified in library 'Connector'.
    ; Severity: warning
    @(5200 mils, 1600 mils): Symbol J1 [DB15_Female]
[pin_not_connected]: Pin not connected
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 6500 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 38 [VDD, Power input, Line]
[pin_not_connected]: Pin not connected
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 6200 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 41 [VSS, Power input, Line]
[pin_not_connected]: Pin not connected
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 6100 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 42 [RD8, Input, Line]
[power_pin_not_driven]: Input Power pin not driven by any Output Power pins
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 6500 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 38 [VDD, Power input, Line]
[power_pin_not_driven]: Input Power pin not driven by any Output Power pins
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 6200 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 41 [VSS, Power input, Line]
[pin_not_driven]: Input pin not driven by any Output pins
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 6100 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 42 [RD8, Input, Line]
[lib_symbol_issues]: Symbol 'PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT' has been modified in library 'Microchip'.
    ; Severity: warning
    @(3900 mils, 3900 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT]
[pin_not_connected]: Pin not connected
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 4700 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 56 [VSS, Power input, Line]
[pin_not_connected]: Pin not connected
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 4600 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 57 [VDD, Power input, Line]
[pin_not_driven]: Input pin not driven by any Output pins
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 5800 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 45 [DAC1/AN48/CVD48/RPC10/RC10, Input, Line]
[power_pin_not_driven]: Input Power pin not driven by any Output Power pins
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 4700 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 56 [VSS, Power input, Line]
[power_pin_not_driven]: Input Power pin not driven by any Output Power pins
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 4600 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 57 [VDD, Power input, Line]
[pin_not_connected]: Pin not connected
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 6000 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 43 [PGD2/RPB5/SDA1/RB5, Input, Line]
[pin_not_connected]: Pin not connected
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 5900 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 44 [PGC2/RPB6/SCL1/RB6, Input, Line]
[pin_not_connected]: Pin not connected
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 5800 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 45 [DAC1/AN48/CVD48/RPC10/RC10, Input, Line]
[pin_not_driven]: Input pin not driven by any Output pins
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 6000 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 43 [PGD2/RPB5/SDA1/RB5, Input, Line]
[pin_not_driven]: Input pin not driven by any Output pins
    ; Severity: error
    @(9950 mils, 5900 mils): Symbol U1 [PIC32MK0512MCJ064-I{slash}PT] Pin 44 [PGC2/RPB6/SCL1/RB6, Input, Line]

 ** ERC messages: 21  Errors 16  Warnings 5

Notice that all the errors relate to pins on the RHS of U1!!!

Here's a screen shot of part of the schematic:



D.

[ataradov]

It looks like you have some grid issues. Check that both pins and wires are aligned on the same grid. It looks like the right side of the symbol may have been moved slightly.

[perdrix]

Thanks,

I checked most carefully - that's not the problem.

D.

[ataradov]

Can you attach minimized version of that schematic (just the IC and wires should work)? The issue is not in ERC, you can clearly see that the wires on the right have boxes on the ends, meaning they are indeed not attached for some reason.

[perdrix]

You were right - the symbol pins on the RHS weren't aligned. I needed to edit the symbol to fix that.

D.

[jpanhalt]

That used to be a common problem with Eagle too.  Then it added "snapping to pins."  Apparently that is also available in KiCad 6.0.  I don't know about earlier versions, as I don't use KiCad.

https://docs.kicad.org/6.0/en/eeschema/eeschema.html

Snapping
Schematic elements such as symbols, wires, text, and graphic lines are snapped to the grid when moving, dragging, and drawing them. Additionally, the wire tool snaps to pins even when grid snapping is disabled. Both grid and pin snapping can be disabled while moving the mouse by using the modifier keys in the table below.

[Doctorandus_P]

Same question asked and answered on the KiCad forum:

https://forum.kicad.info/t/erc-problems-in-kicad-6/36022

[SiliconWizard]

As a note, I think defining connections on schematics solely based on graphical proximity is kind of dumb, yet still pretty common in schematic editors in a number of EDA software.

IIRC, what the author of Horizon did is significantly smarter.

[Doctorandus_P]

Using coordinates for connections is simple and adequate. Why would that be dumb?

I once bought a program that did not (always) delete netlist connections when you deleted wires in the schematic. That was real dumb and a one way ticket to the garbage bin.

I'm hoping that KiCad will one day get a reverse (engineering) workflow implemented.
That way you would start by a few photographs of a PCB, draw tracks over it in the PCB editor, then port the netlist to the schematic editor, and use assistance of the ratsnets in the schematic to draw the wires in the schematic.
A function like that would require a smarter way to handle connections, but for now this simple method is adequate.