Circuit grid and connections

Understand component positions, pin connections and the ground net in ALcad.

An ALcad circuit drawing on Cloud or Windows uses grid coordinates for component positions and pin connections for electrical nets.

Drawing positions and electrical nets

Drawing positions and pin connections

Drawing

  • 1. Component positions
  • 2. 10-unit grid

Electrical connections

  • 3. Component pins
  • 4. Shared-pin net
  • 5. Ground
  • 6. Net 0

Connections

  • 1. Component positions → 2. 10-unit grid: snap to
  • 3. Component pins → 4. Shared-pin net: shared pin
  • 5. Ground → 6. Net 0: ground reference

Arrange the drawing

When you place or drag a component on the canvas, its position snaps to a 10-unit grid.

Drag a component to arrange the drawing. Its wires follow its pins.

Connect through pins

A wire joins two component pins. Wires that share a pin belong to the same net.

Use a shared pin to join wires into one net.

Select a component. If the properties panel is closed, choose Show Properties. Check Pins and nets to see its connections.

Check the ground net

In an analog circuit, Ground symbols share net 0.

Connect a component pin to Ground, then check that pin’s Net in Pins and nets.

ALcad