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Core Features

Power & Net Management

ProtoFlow provides comprehensive power and ground symbols, net label management, and automatic net connectivity analysis for reliable circuit design.

# Power Symbols

Power symbols represent voltage rails in your schematic. ProtoFlow includes a comprehensive set of standard power symbols that can be placed directly on pins or wires.

Available Power Symbols

SymbolNet NameTypical Use
VCCVCCGeneric positive supply
5V+5V5-volt rail
3.3V+3V33.3-volt rail
12V+12V12-volt rail
-5V-5VNegative 5-volt rail
-12V-12VNegative 12-volt rail
VDDVDDPositive supply (CMOS convention)
VSSVSSNegative supply (CMOS convention)
VBATVBATBattery supply
VBUSVBUSUSB bus power
PWR_FLAGPWR_FLAGPower source indicator for ERC
Power symbols placed on a ProtoFlow schematic
Power symbols make common rails visible and reusable across the schematic.

# Ground Symbols

Multiple ground types are available to distinguish between different ground domains in your design.

SymbolNet NameTypical Use
GNDGNDGeneral digital ground
GND_PWRGND_PWRPower ground (high current)
GNDAGNDAAnalog ground (sensitive signals)
Earth GNDEARTHChassis / earth ground
Chassis GNDCHASSISEnclosure ground
Signal GNDSGNDSignal-level ground

Best Practice

Use separate ground symbols for analog and digital sections. This helps during PCB layout when you need to manage ground planes and avoid noise coupling.

# Net Labels

Net labels allow you to name wires and create connections between distant points on your schematic without drawing long wires.

How to Place Net Labels

  1. Press L to activate the net label tool
  2. Click on a wire or pin to place the label
  3. Type the net name in the label editor
  4. Press Enter to confirm

Net Label Features

  • Automatic naming — ProtoFlow auto-assigns net names to unnamed nets
  • Cross-sheet connectivity — Two net labels with the same name on different parts of the schematic (or different sheets) are electrically connected
  • Label editing — Double-click a label to rename it. All connected labels update automatically.
  • Bus support — Use bus notation for grouped signals (e.g., DATA[0..7])
  • AI connection style — When the AI creates connections, you can configure it to prefer direct wires or net labels via AI settings
Managing power rails and net labels in ProtoFlow
Power rails and net labels let distant parts of a design share named connections.

# Net Connectivity Analysis

ProtoFlow automatically analyzes net connectivity using a BFS (Breadth-First Search) algorithm to build a complete netlist from your schematic.

How It Works

  • Automatic extraction — Nets are extracted in real-time as you draw wires and place components
  • BFS traversal — The algorithm starts from each pin and follows all connected wires and labels to discover the full net
  • Floating pin detection — Pins that aren't connected to any net are flagged as potential errors
  • Short circuit detection — Multiple power nets connected together are flagged
  • Hierarchy view — The Hierarchy panel shows all detected nets and the pins connected to each one

Viewing Nets

Open the Hierarchy panel from the activity bar. It displays a searchable tree view of all components and nets in your schematic. Click on a net to highlight all connected elements on the canvas.

[ Screenshot ]

Hierarchy panel showing nets and connected components with search functionality

Next Steps