Protel routing problem

[pisoiu]

Hi,

I am using protel 99se for a 4 layer pcb. I finished it but the report/ board information, at routing information tells me I have 1 unconnected net.
Usually unconnected nets are visible on 'connections' layer. However, I encountered over the years situations when an unrouted connection is not visible, most often when tracks (or a track and a pad) belonging to the same net but on different layers, ends with their centers exactly one over the other but no via in between. This time however I am not able to find that 1 remaining unconnected net. Is there a way to find it? I turned off all layers (top, bottom, multilayer, holes, visible grid, etc) except keep out and connections layer. The unconnected net is not visible under any zoom setting.

Thanks,
/pisoiu

 

[treez]

I think you should deliberately unconnect a connected net and see how to find that one, then do the same for the one you cant find.
Seriously though, I don't think Protel works in windows(?), I think you will be up against it trying to find people who know much about protel.

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I think with protel you literally have to make out a netlist, and literally go through it one by one, and check if each connection is there.

 

[pisoiu]

I solved the problem by looking at each trace from one end to the other, through all layers. It was a teadious work, but it was the only way. I could not find any tool to help me after browsing all the options from protel.

 

[andre_luis]

I could not find any tool to help me after browsing all the options from protel.

I occasionally had faced this same problem, and could without much effort find out the unconnected nets by unselecting all colors in the preferences editor, keeping just the attribute "connections" selected as visible . This way the whole board and all the primitives appears as black ( which is my background color ) and the missed net appears as white ( that is the color I choose for displaying connections ).

 

[pisoiu]

I occasionally had faced this same problem, and could without much effort find out the unconnected nets by unselecting all colors in the preferences editor, keeping just the attribute "connections" selected as visible . ....

Yes, I know this one, but please read what I wrote in the first post:

Usually unconnected nets are visible on 'connections' layer. However, I encountered over the years situations when an unrouted connection is not visible, most often when tracks (or a track and a pad) belonging to the same net but on different layers, ends with their centers exactly one over the other but no via in between.

I deselected all layers except connections and keepout and the broken connection was not visible, exactly for the reason explained above.