Replication Plugin can't handle hierarchical sheet on hierarchical sheet

[Dephrilibrium]

Hi everyone,

i noticed, that the replication plugin can't handle a hierarchical sheet on other hierarchical sheet.

Sheet structure:

• Level 0: Main-Sheet
  • (Level 1: Channel 0 - This combination leads also to an error)
  • Level 1: Channel-Collector
  • Level 2: Channel1
  • Level 2: Channel2
  • and so on...

Description: I want to replicate 16 channels on a PCB. Due to space problems on the main-sheet, I started to collect them on a separate hierarchical sheet (channel-collector). But then, the replication plugin can't handle the replication-sheets (ChannelX-sheets) anymore. Only an error with a GUID looking value appears (e.g. b80b8bdc-da6a-4023-a383-9b30f1e0a67c). The GUID remains the same on a retry.

It's working, if i put all channel-sheets onto the main-sheet (Level 0). The problems start to begin, when placing one or more channel-sheets on the channel-collector-sheet.

KiCAD Version Info: Application: KiCad Schematic Editor (64-bit)

Version: (5.99.0-11727-g1ec70d30af), release build

Libraries: wxWidgets 3.1.5 libcurl/7.74.0-DEV Schannel zlib/1.2.11

Platform: Windows 10 (build 19043), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW

Build Info: Date: Aug 15 2021 20:59:36 wxWidgets: 3.1.5 (wchar_t,STL containers) Boost: 1.76.0 OCC: 7.5.0 Curl: 7.74.0-DEV ngspice: 34 Compiler: Visual C++ 1928 without C++ ABI

Build settings: KICAD_USE_OCC=ON KICAD_SPICE=ON

[MitjaNemec]

Thanks for reporting.

This might be #137. Check if you have the latest version of the plugin. If you do and if the replication still fails, then you've uncovered another bug.Then please search for the replicate_layout.log file which should reside in the project folder and attach it here, so I'll have more data.

[Dephrilibrium]

Yeah, this seems to be the same error, but my _replicate_layout.log_ has a little bit mor info than in #137:

replicate_layout.log-Content:

08-16 14:06:52 replicate_layout.action_replicate_layout 305:Plugin executed on: 'win32' 08-16 14:06:52 replicate_layout.action_replicate_layout 306:Plugin executed with python version: '3.9.6 (default, Aug 12 2021, 01:34:31) [MSC v.1928 64 bit (AMD64)]' 08-16 14:06:52 replicate_layout.action_replicate_layout 307:KiCad build version: (5.99.0-11727-g1ec70d30af) 08-16 14:06:52 replicate_layout.action_replicate_layout 308:Replicate layout plugin version: 75 started 08-16 14:06:52 replicate_layout.action_replicate_layout 339:Preparing replicator with U2 as a reference 08-16 14:06:52 replicate_layout.replicatelayout 141:getting a list of all footprints on board 08-16 14:06:52 replicate_layout.action_replicate_layout 345:Fatal error when making an instance of replicator Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\Users/XMG/Documents/KiCad/5.99/scripting\plugins\replicate_layout\action_replicate_layout.py", line 342, in Run replicator = replicatelayout.Replicator(board) File "C:\Users/XMG/Documents/KiCad/5.99/scripting\plugins\replicate_layout\replicatelayout.py", line 159, in init sheet_id=self.get_sheet_path(module)[0], File "C:\Users/XMG/Documents/KiCad/5.99/scripting\plugins\replicate_layout\replicatelayout.py", line 115, in get_sheet_path sheet_names = [self.dict_of_sheets[x][0] for x in sheet_id if x] File "C:\Users/XMG/Documents/KiCad/5.99/scripting\plugins\replicate_layout\replicatelayout.py", line 115, in sheet_names = [self.dict_of_sheets[x][0] for x in sheet_id if x] KeyError: '1b3cc5dc-0d08-4891-b6ad-90cff11a40df'

To test it easily, I've made explicitely an minimal example with the structure as shown below:

• Level0: Mainsheet
  • Level1: Channel-Collector
  • Level2: Channel0
  • Level2: Channel1

Level0 Mainsheet contains a connector (+,-,GND) and the Collector-Sheet

Level1 Collectorsheet contains two Channelsheets

And finally Level2 Channelsheet contains just 2 non-inverting OpAmps with a Potentiometer as URef

I hope, this will help!

Edit: Forgot to upload the project archive RepTest.zip

[MitjaNemec]

The bug should be fixed. Can you please confirm this on your end.

I am somewhat surprised that it took quite some time for bug to surface (the plugin couldn't handle sheets without any symbols with footprints on them (just subsheets and/or power ports) in 5.99 release

[MitjaNemec]

I much appreciate the test case supplied

[Dephrilibrium]

Yeah, i can confirm. Bug is fixed 👍 Also a combination like

• Level0: Main-Sheet
  • Level1: Channel0
  • Level1: Channel1
  • Level1: ChannelCollection
  • Level2: Channel2
  • Level2: Channel3

is working correctly 😁 Thank you very much for the fast fix! You helped me a lot!

Attention for everyone who is reading this issue-thread! I had to completely restart KiCAD after unpacking the files into the plugin-folder to get the plugin working. A simple reload in the Action Plugins options within the KiCAD-PCB-Editor-Preferences wasn't enough!

Greetz, Deph

[brhoads]

@MitjaNemec can you confirm that it is expected to not be able to replicate "AmpCol.kicad_sch" (The "Level1: ChannelConnection" sheet in the above example)? In other words, replication of a hierarchical sheet that only contains other hierarchical sheets (and no footprints) is not possible?

This screenshot is from 6.0.4 and plugin v77. I was hoping to see "AmpCol.kicad_sch" as an option.

I poked around in the footprint objects and didn't find a way to link them back to the footprintless "grandparent" hierarchical sheet.

Alternatively, do you have any suggestions on a "dummy" part to include in the hierarchical sheet container? I suppose a generic test point would be enough to get a footprint into the list so the container sheet could be "found", but I'd prefer to not have unneeded test points floating around the board.

[MitjaNemec]

Currently I don't have the time to go deep into this issue. In the meantime with V6.0.x you should test anny issues with the newes version of replicate layout plugin which is available under KiCAD's PCM (plugin and content manager). Any issues shoud be reported in the new plugin repo https://github.com/MitjaNemec/ReplicateLayout