topic Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 07:47:41 GMT

I am using VEECAD with TINYCAD to get the layout of components on to a "stripboard" .

As you can see from the pic.

The circuit appears to be correctly aligned with all components connected.

However, using the "Special" drop down menu, with "Check Design Rules" and selecting "unconnected items"

it gives quite a lot of "errors" as shown by the red blobs !.

I have tried investigating these error blobs, and more accuately algining the connections, by magnifying the section but no matter how accurate I get, when I recheck the connection I have been working on, it still reports a non connection there.

Does anyone know how to solve this? is there an "auto-connect" switch somewhere, or is it just down to a lot of patience and disappointments before managing to correct the errors. ( I spent all day yesterday trying to solve it ) !.

I did use the "wire" and "junction" icons but this is not always successful,

I would have thought the "junction" blob would represent a "solder joint" and that would easily make a connection even if the lines were only one pixel apart !...but no joy with that.

I have watched several videos on youtube, but none seem to cover this problem.

Thank you for your time.

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 08:55:48 GMT

@shutter

I can't help with your question, but I'm interested in what you are constructing?

It is obviously an RF project of some kind, and I'm guessing that "Regen" is short for regenerative - so some sort of regenerative receiver maybe?

What frequency bands?

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

archerry — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 10:20:50 GMT

Have you used these packages before?
If not, then I would try creating a very simple circuit such as a battery driven light bulb.
Fix any error messages on that, then add a switch...
That way may be quicker to find the solution, and you do not risk introducing errors into your project.

Do the objects have editable properties?
If so you may be able to define the interconnects there.

Regards,

Alistair

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

Dan_the_Van — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 10:54:25 GMT

@shutter

have you considered a 'crystal radio set', less components

Dan

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:06:04 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

@shutter

I can't help with your question, but I'm interested in what you are constructing?

It is obviously an RF project of some kind, and I'm guessing that "Regen" is short for regenerative - so some sort of regenerative receiver maybe?

What frequency bands?

Yes, it is a Regenerative receiver.... Frequency range depending on the coil that you have to wind. The original home made coil with the circuit covers from about 3 to 8 m/cs so I will have to incorporate a B9a valve holder, and adapt the coils for easy plug-in operations.

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:44:01 GMT

@archerry No, I have not used these progtrams before...

I see what you are getting at, but..i.e. less components, less errors.. however, I treat each error separately, so effectively it is just the same as if it were ( as you put it ) a simple circuit.

The components have a small white square at the end of each "leg" which is, presumably, where the program is conditioned to accept or deny a connection to the next component.. ( some do not have this though ).

In the case of joining wired components.. the "freehand" wire connection has to terminate at the precise point of the termination of the component, ( or, in theory again..) make a connection with the white box .

I have used the screen magnification at maximum ( CTRL +++++ _ and used a powerful magnifying lens, to ensure that they do indeed connect (on screen) but even afte several attmpts, it reports the same erroneous connection(s) . ( only try to fix one at a time - not multiples) .

I want to use the TinyCad program to produce a .net file which can then be transferred / imported into the VeeCad program which then places the components in the correct positions on a STRIPBOARD layout.

I have done this process many times in the past, using a sheet of grid dotted paper and marking all the component ends with appropriate line numbers... then laying them out on the grid as per....

I thought that these programs would be more accurate, and save me some effort...

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:59:35 GMT

@Dan_the_Van Very amusing !

I treat each error as a "simple circuit" so the number of components in the circuit is not the problem

With a crystal set, I do not need the facility... have made many over the years....

Many years ago, I cobbled together some odd components to make a mains PSU and for that to drive a Three Valve TRF regen receiver, but that was done as a "rats-nest" type of construction, with no pcb/stripboard involved. Worked very well, had DENCO plug in coils to change the band, and covered from M.W. up to 30 mc/s

This project is similar, ( there is an amplifier module, not illustrated on the circuit diagram) which does not need to be built.

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

AJB1 — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 05:55:08 GMT

Hi,

I am relatively new to TinyCAD but like you intended to use TinyCAD netlist to feed VeeCAD for use with strip-boards.

I have exactly the same problem of not being able to electrically connect to some components in TinyCAD no matter how accurately I alighn the wire to components.

I created a simple circuit with several components in series and everything connected Ok but when I include parall components "not connect" errors crop up,

Did you ever get a resolution to this problem?

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 08:03:56 GMT

@AJB1 No, I did not manage to get it to work as I wanted it to... In the end, I drew up a large copy of the circuit, and then tried to number each joint according to the strip board strips... at the same time using another drawing of the strip board,and drawing in the component(s) as the would have been connected in the circuit... to then check for necessary breaks in the strip board... a laborious job, and needed several attempts, to make it look right both physically and electronically. I had done a similar exercise a few years back, and it did work, .....eventually... but I can`t remember if I completed this one ! ! .

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

Champnet — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 08:15:13 GMT

Is this what Computer enthusiasts got up to before computers came along ?

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:08:28 GMT

@Champnet If it were not for developments in radio from the ealiest times, then there would be no computers ( as Mr. Spock would say ) "not as we know them" ! ! ! ..

And yes... Been building radios, for over 60 yrs , ( started before I had even seen a computer ) ! ! and still dabble a bit now !.

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

AJB1 — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 16:52:18 GMT

Thanks for the response.

After trying to improve the accuracy of the wire to component connection (just like you did), I defined a simple circuit consisteg of a battery, resitor and an LED and connected them electrically without an issue, I then changed the circuit to have two parallel legs with each leg having a resistor and an LED - again without an electrical connection issue. I then disconnected a wire connecting to a component and re-connected it to another wire immediately adjacent to the original connection point, This change generated an electrical connection error.

I repeated this change after making changes to TinyCAD's Options to see if an selected options eliminated the error message. Unfortunately, all of the changes to Options made no difference - still got the error message,

The TinyCAD / VeeCAD combination looked very convenient for generating a stripboard design but I am out of ideas on how to avoid the TinyCAD electrical connection errors and therefore not being able to export the TinyCAD netlist to VeeCAD.

Maybe using a diffent electrical CAD application to generate a netlist will work.

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 18:23:39 GMT

@AJB1 I would be interested to know if you do find something that actually does what we want !.. send me a P.M. via messages on here, and I`ll check it out with you,

cheers

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

AJB1 — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 23:13:57 GMT

Hi,

I Downloaded KiCAD 9 and used it to generate a netlist for use by VeeCAD. It worked like a charm an my LED Dimmer Circuit.

I defined the circuit using KiCADs library components and annotateded it before attaching footprints to my chosen components that did not have an attached footprint - a very straightforward procedure in KiCAD.

I then exported the netlist from KiCAD using the OrcadPCB2 (KiCAD to VeeCAD) netlist protocol and saved it.

In VeeCAD, I imported the saved netlist from KICAD and all of the components were transferred to VeeCAD.

In VeeCAD, I had to define an appropriate component Outline for each of the imported components.

I spent several hours trying to get TinyCAD to do the same thing that KiCAD but without sucess. Fortunately KiCAD is fairly easy to use at least to the point of getting a netlist from it.

Based on the one circuit I have tried it out on, KiCAD seems to be a good alternative to TinyCAD as a front end to VeeCAD.

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:11:37 GMT

@AJB1 Did VEECAD actually produce a diagram of the completed project? I.E. a Completed stripboard layout of the components?

How many components were there in your trial circuit.. and how long (you mentioned "hours") did it actually take you for all operations needed between Kicad and Veecad. ?

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

AJB1 — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 14:12:11 GMT

@shutter after importing a netlist of a KiCAD circuit design, The components show-up in VeeCAD as a series of default simplistic components in the bottom RHS of VeeCAD's strip-board design board. The names of the imported components (defined in KiCAD) are listed in VeeCAD's Outlines screen. VeeCAD's Outline allows you to create a footprint-like shape to change each of the initial default shape to more realistic footprint shapes with the pins locations located in the more realistic shapes.

The set of realistic shapes now depicted on the strip-board design screen can be moved to locations on the strip-board to your liking.

VeeCAD's strip-board shows the rat-lines between the footpints. The small set of tools allows you the cut the strips and put jumperr wires between strips as necessary tor correct connectivity until all of the rat-lines are eliminated.

The finished strip-board design can be printed to give you the image of the design screen that you can use to make the required strip-board part.

I have only used KiCAD and VeeCAD for one circuit so far (LED Dimmer Circuit). The circuit contains:

1 off 555 IC, 2 off diodes, 1 off potentiometer, 2 off capacitors. 2 off resistors, 1 off N type MOSET, 1 off LED, Vcc and GND.

I spent 4 or 5 hours wrestling with the TinyCAD's wiring issue I encoutered before setting it aside and trying KiCAD 9. Becoming familier enough with KiCAD 9 to generate a netlist took about 2 or 3 hours without any wiring issues. I had the VeeCAD strip-board design finished in about 4 or 5 hours overall.

When I get a bit more time I will define another circuit in KiCAD and genrate the strip-board design in VeeCAD. Based on the experience with my first attempt, I think it will take a much shorter time to get a finished strip-board design.

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:57:06 GMT

@AJB1 ok. Thanks for the information...

quote

The set of realistic shapes now depicted on the strip-board design screen can be moved to locations on the strip-board to your liking.

VeeCAD's strip-board shows the rat-lines between the footpints. The small set of tools allows you the cut the strips and put jumperr wires between strips as necessary tor correct connectivity until all of the rat-lines are eliminated.

Unquote....

so far, it appears that you still need to place the component shapes, and decide where to cut the strips, rather than VeeCad placing them and cutting the strips to make up the circuit layout...

Or am I reading you wrong, and there is another process that will "magically" move the "netlist" now in Veecad components on to a suitable chosen size strip board layout, and produce an image of it " as it should be "..

A type of "stripboard pcb" ready to power up and "go" ... ( once the components have been soldered on, of course ! ) .

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

AJB1 — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:30:17 GMT

@shutter

You are correct in your appreciation of what VeeCAD does. VeeCAD makes use of the CAD design tools exported netlist to enable correctly connected components on a strip-board. It is up to you to generate decent looking footprints using the rudimentary tools that VeeCAD provides. VeeCAD also has tools that facilitate removing the ratlines when you position your footprint outlines on the strips and use jumber wires between strips and cut the strips at appropriate places.

It would be very nice if VeeCAD did more of the manual stuff but it doesn't. VeeCAD is not the "ready -to-go" tool that would be ideal. But even being able to import a circuits component definitions together with the circuit netlists is a very useful aid in making stripboard based circuit boards.

Even though VeeCAD is not ideal, it eliminates some of the manual task in making a strip-board based circuit board.

I have no particular expertise in the CAD design tools or VeeCAD but so far having sees what can be done, even with its limitations, VeeCAD looks to be very useful. Maybe it will be improved upon over time.

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

shutter — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:36:06 GMT

@AJB1 Ok Thanks again for more details... appreciate it very much.

Am busy on a couple of other (non circuit board type ) projects. so am leaving that in abeyance for a while.

Thanks again

Cheers

Re: TINY CAD - Electronic Ciruit Design problem

AJB1 — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 02:14:10 GMT

I tried exporting a KiCad netlist into VeeCad on another circuit using different components to my first test circuit. The KiCad netlist was imported into VeeCad without difficulty, VeeCad's Board/Outlines and Board/Components accurately imported all of the KiCad circuit components.

The new circuit used a Buzzer, Capacitor, Resistor, DC Jack, 01x02 Connector and an N type MOSFET.

I am getting more familier with KiCad 9 and it looks as good as DipTrace that I have been using up until now.