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Message-ID: <54E6099B.4090304@ecosensory.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2015 10:04:43 -0600
From: John Griessen <john AT ecosensory DOT com>
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To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: [geda-user] Star connection points in PCB? (intconn)
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Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com

On 02/18/2015 10:10 PM, gedau AT igor2 DOT repo DOT hu wrote:
> The second feature ("pads don't short") sets it up so we have:
>   - a set of pads connected physically by thick copper
>   - still pcb thinks they are totally separated pads with no connection

OK.  With that situation -- a star point in PCB that allows many netnames
that are connected you have a need for something like a star point symbol in gschem.

That seems like a new concept for netlisting.  I had been thinking keeping
a single name for anything connected and tagging it netname was a
standard you would not want to break.  I'd rather map some names that
are only entered as an aid to layout to one "highest name" netname.

That "aid to layout" names be attribs on nets in gschem with no deep
change to gschem and netlisting is my preference.

In PCB one could have two modes -- one way as you describe, with a short
between the "aid to layout" names being ignored so you could highlight
those nets separately, or avoid connecting them in any other spot
than the star point while doing layout.  The second mode would be with
PCB's representation being with the attribute "highest name" being the
only netname shown and all associated power nets as one net for highlighting
or DRCs.