TinyCAD Manual

Labels

Labels are electrically active net names. Any wires with the same label name are treated as connected, even when no physical wire is drawn between them.

Use labels to:

  • connect points that are far apart on the same sheet,
  • reduce visual clutter in dense schematics,
  • connect nets across sheets in the same drawing,
  • link hierarchical symbol pins to internal nets.

How labels work

  • A label connects to the wire beneath it.
  • Connectivity is based on the label text, not location.
  • Label shape is only a visual style and does not change connectivity, netlisting, or DRC behavior.
  • Use the same name everywhere you intend one electrical net.

Label naming guidelines

  • Use clear net names such as RESET, SCL, +5V, ADC_IN0.
  • Keep naming consistent across the whole design.
  • Avoid accidental variations (GND vs GN D, CLK vs Clk) because these create different nets.
  • If your naming includes numbers, repeated placement can increment/decrement numeric suffixes using Repeat Direction name options.

Label shapes and why to use them

TinyCAD provides multiple label shapes in the label tool options. Choose shape for readability and drafting style; all shapes are electrically equivalent.

Typical reasons to use different shapes:

  • separate frequently reused nets from one-off local nets,
  • make off-sheet or cross-block connections stand out visually,
  • indicate signal direction or intent for human readers,
  • match your team or company schematic style.

Practical rule: pick a small set of shapes and use them consistently so readers can quickly scan the diagram.

Placing and editing labels

  1. Select the Label tool.
  2. Enter the net name.
  3. Choose orientation/shape as needed.
  4. Place the label on the target wire.
  5. Repeat for every location that should connect to that net.

Labels with multi-sheet drawings

In a multi-sheet drawing file, labels are the normal way to connect nets between sheets.

  • Same label name on different sheets means the same electrical net.
  • This cross-sheet linking is used when generating netlists.
  • Use stable, unambiguous names for shared nets (+3V3, GND, I2C_SDA, I2C_SCL, etc.).

Recommended workflow:

  1. Define common net names up front.
  2. Reuse those exact names on each sheet.
  3. Run DRC/netlist checks to catch naming mistakes early.

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