express PCB question

[andrew.box]

I know several people here use express PCB, I'm a total newby but have spent some time with it now and there are some elemental things I can't quite figure out that I'm sure are common sense and old hat to experienced users.

First of all, is there a way to designate a pad or thick trace in express PCB to correspond to a particular symbol in the schematic (e.g. +5V, -5V, grd, etc)? Or do I have to just do this part manually and make a pad, then draw traces from everything that's supposed to go to that given rail?

Another thing, as long as I know pin2 is the wiper for potentiometers, does it matter that I've flipped and rotated them around in express SCH so much that I don't know which pins are 1 and 3? I'm pretty sure since they're symmetric it doesn't matter but I could be wrong and I've been staring at it so long I can't think.

 

[Kingfish]

From my experience with PCB design, the copper plating specifications are provided in the drawing notes. When I went through the ExpressPCB prototype ordering process, the wizard asks what sort of board you want.

On the second question, my suggestion is to start a new project - let's call it "Test", and place a 3-pin POT onto the board so that issue resolves itself

Unless you've modifed the default POT...
Best of luck, KF

 

[andrew.box]

Thanks. I messed around with it and found a couple tutorials online and I think I'm figuring things out now. Basically, you can make components with part ID's out of pads, vias etc which will synch to stand-along pins that must be made in the schematic, which are then connected to the symbols. E.g., make a pin in the schematic with part ID "J1", connect it with a wire to a "+5V" symbol, then in the express PCB side make a pad, call it "J1", make sure it has the same pin number (probably just pin 1), then it will highlight all the appropriate connections when in netlist mode.