Please let me know if I'm doing anything wrong. I'm still new to Boolean algebra as well as kicad
#7 Segment Display Feedback
high spindle
why are your traces colored and why are they arcs
wires are colored to help differentiate and arcs to show that they're skipping over the other wires
why, is that not how it's typically done?
btw update:
topaz sun
Colors is a nice little convenience but not super common, but arcs are usually not done. Wires that cross are assumed to not be in contact, unless there is a dot where they cross over
high spindle
Colors is a nice little convenience but not super common, but arcs are usually n...
ah I see. I was looking at a colleague's and thought it was confusing with how many crossing wires they had so I added the arcs
topaz sun
But, I think the meaning in your schematic is plenty obvious
high spindle
and also that's how my professor draws it in class
topaz sun
So imo it's not a big deal
Definitely very common for hand-drawing
Though I usually see much smaller arcs than that
high spindle
I didn't want to draw 20 little ones so I just made a couple big ones
topaz sun
high spindle
but I'm getting better at finding shortcuts so maybe I'll swap them out
topaz sun
Totally fair, just giving examples of what I'm used to seeing
tough sinew
I find it really hard to read, personally... i like wire hops but the large arcs are hard to follow by eye for me
topaz sun
Definitely easier than before imo
tough sinew
also, does kicad even support arc traces in schematic?
I think you are drawing that with the line tool
you need to use wires, otherwise the netlist will be wrong
topaz sun
Oh yeah those very likely aren't actually indicating connection
tough sinew
yea that is not a wire
high spindle
oh. how do I get a arc wire then?
topaz sun
If this is just to draw diagrams for homework, it's no biggie -- just use the arc tool
high spindle
If this is just to draw diagrams for homework, it's no biggie -- just use the ar...
ya, exactly what I was going to say
tough sinew
that is fair
topaz sun
But if you want to actually design something with the intent of it working, you have to give up on arcs
high spindle
not going to simulate this or anything
although I wouldn't mind simulating it
can I transfer a schematic directly into simulation if I don't have the arcs?
tough sinew
it's not just a simulation thing
but the whole way the software understands how things are connected (for electrical rules check or assembling parts together in layout) is by the wire connections (called a netlist)
high spindle
I think it'd be nice if they added an electrical arc then
at least give the option, yk?
tough sinew
I don't agree, I think 😛
high spindle
😢
tough sinew
The design intent is less clear and hard to read I think (although I share with you that small wire-hops would be nice)
high spindle
well here's my buddy's and I find it hard to comprehend
I thought arcs would've made it nicer
tough sinew
You can also arrange the parts on the sheet in a way that you don't need crossing wires, probably
high spindle
You can also arrange the parts on the sheet in a way that you don't need crossin...
that'd be an insane pain in the ass with this tho
tough sinew
To me, this is more legible, it may just be experience
tough sinew
Is your project to make it in kicad?
I think that there is some other software more suited for digital logic drawings/simulation
something like logisim
high spindle
he said kicad isn't required, but recommended it above any other
and I had 0 experience with any so I chose kicad
lol, I've only done a and I'm already halfway out of room
high spindle
ya, might need to do that
potent kestrel
Really only matters if you print out your schematics. Which can be really nice for rapidly iterating on the design / thinking things through
sometimes a pen and paper can be nice
wintry juniper
well here's my buddy's and I find it hard to comprehend
Many of us use net labels to avoid wires running everywhere. I think wires running everywhere is something seen in older schematics.
rapid smelt
Please please please - you have to get out of that arc habit as soon as possible! Those arcs are graphical items and not to do with the schematic at all. So those lines are not connected according to the schematic.
You're going to come across loads of schematics using the dot and cross method so it's great practice to get used to that now..
Also learn net labels. It will make your job easier
You can have a net label for A, A', B, B' etc.... and therefore don't need to manually wire between each one.
topaz sun
You can have a net label for A, A', B, B' etc.... and therefore don't need to ma...
You're absolutely right, but to be clear there is zero chance the class's professor will be chill with using net labels instead of wires. Digital design teachers love their wires
rapid smelt
wut
that's just teaching... how to be petulent and awkward for the sake of having a power trip. May as well say "hey, draw a schematic, but don't allow any wires to cross" 😂
arctic herald
Brings me back when I was in high school doing a PLC assignment and I chose to do a 7-seg decoder in ladder
my results differed a lot from the 7447 chip because I focused on low gate count instead of the chip's low propagation delay
besides, the chip has ugly "6" and "9" missing the last horizontal stroke
wintry juniper
Every day I wish I had the electronic engineering background gained from any schooling on the subject whatsoever. And then I remember I am a 17 sided non symmetrical pointed shape in a round conformist hole.
high spindle
Please please please - you have to get out of that arc habit as soon as possibl...
I'll start applying that on my next schematic. too deep into this one to change
high spindle
finalized:
rapid smelt
I'll start applying that on my next schematic. too deep into this one to change
Are you just drawing a schematic? I'm assuming you're not making a working PCB from this
dawn gyro
Just a couple things since this is homework:
- As other people said, get rid of the arcs. They might seem cleaner to you, but they make readability worse for everyone else (including the people grading your homework).
- I’m not that crazy about the colors either. The yellow and light blue are very hard to follow against the white background. The use of colors is also not consistent, ex the red net from SW1 pin 1 turns blue after the arc. This adds confusion rather than clarity. At least make the colors consistent across a net, and choose colors with better contrast.
- There are some issues with the net labels. Ex the net on SW1 pin 1 is labeled W on the red segment, but then this same net is labeled ~W after the arc. The same wire can’t be W and ~W at the same time.
- Overall some advice (from someone who is not a professor, but who has graded lots of homework) is to follow the style that your professor uses, don’t use weird cowboy styles that seem good to you but nobody else uses. The easier you make life on the grader, the more likely you are to get good marks. They are going to compare your work against a reference schematic, try to imagine what it looks like based on the handouts and materials you’ve received. I personally would mark this submission down for the arcs, the inconsistent net names, and the hard to read and inconsistent colors, all before even looking at whether the schematic connections are correct.
- This is not to be discouraging! It looks like good work, and your desire to make your work clean and readable is very commendable! The advice above is just to avoid the situation where you go off the grid with your own style and lose points unnecessarily. I always hated to give a bad grade to someone who obviously cared and worked hard.
