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Altera_Forum
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19 years ago

Connecting nodes without wires

One of the tutorials I found online says that nodes can be connected without wires on complicated schematics.

"Since our example schematic is quite simple, it is easy to draw all the wires in the circuit without producing a messy diagram. However, in larger schematics some nodes that have to be connected may be far apart, in which case it is awkward to draw wires between them. In such cases the nodes are connected by assigning labels to them, instead of drawing wires. See Help for a more detailed description."

Help is no help. I read though all 165 entries when I searched "nodes". arg.

I right clicked on a node, choose properties, name the node. Then do the same to the signal to which I want to connect, giving it the same name.

It would seem that double clicling on one of the nodes should highlight both nodes with the same name, but it doesn't.

What is the correct way to do this?

15 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    19 years ago

    I thought it was auto-filling the Find box with the name of the node I was searching on, but it happened to be the same as the last thing I typed. So you do have to type the net name. Not ideal, but hopefully you're not doing this too much. Would be interested if anyone had a better way...

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    19 years ago

    Rysc:

    I have separate two nodes and I gave them the same name. Ctrl-F only finds one of them. This tells me that they aren't the same signal.

    How to connect them without drawing the wires?
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    19 years ago

    Note that this Find is not a function for finding what a net is connected to, it just Finds where that text exists in the design. Now if it finds one connection and not the other, then maybe something has changed the name of the other instance(I don't know if you have Find Whole Words Only on, but if you do, then maybe there is an extra character before or after the name, like a period or something...) Anyway, it's text isn't matching what you're looking for where another location is. Maybe delete the net, redraw and rename it, and check again. (Note that you can also go the Tools -> Netlist Viewers -> RTL viewer as another way to look at how the schemtatic is being interpreted. This probably isn't what you want, but just a suggestion...)

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    19 years ago

    I think the best way to do this is to use the RTL viewer. That will show the logical connections between your blocks. Why is your RTL viewer is grayed out? Are you using web edition?

    Otherwise you have to make sure you type in the correct name. If you make a typo on one of the nets (and assuming you don't have another net with the same name as your typo) the Quartus fitter should catch the mistake when you compile since one of the nets will not have a source.

    I know this is not ideal, but these are the only options I can think of. Maybe ask Altera for an enhancement?
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    19 years ago

    Moneyball:

    Quartus II Version 4.2 Web Edition.

    Do I have to compile before I can use the RTL viewer?
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
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    19 years ago

    You don't have to compile but you need to at least do an "Analysis & Elaboration" - basically to create a netlist.

    You should try the latest web edition - v7.1. Your version is 3yrs old.