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I'm a bit confused about where I need to place a junction on the schematic, and where I don't. For example:

  • When I connect a part, like a resistor or cap, to a wire, do I need to add a junction point?
  • What if I connect two wires together?
  • What if I connect two parts together directly?

My schematic is below. I've just let KiCad do the work for me, but I'm not really sure if my wires are really being connected as they should. I currently only have one junction - attached to pin 19.

enter image description here

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    There is a real problem- you've shorted out the power supply! This answer from Olin may serve: http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/28251/rules-and-guidelines-for-drawing-good-schematics. Your pins are probably mostly connected the way you want them, but it's a really ugly schematic and it's bad form generally to connect two wires crossing the way you have; offsetting the junction makes it more clear what is going on. – Spehro Pefhany May 19 '14 at 18:59
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    **Never put a cap as you have C5 in the schematic.** – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams May 19 '14 at 18:59
  • How should I do it? –  May 19 '14 at 19:01
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    Never run a wire through any component symbol. Jog around it or whatever. – Spehro Pefhany May 19 '14 at 19:02
  • If your software doesn't automatically place junction dots where they should be, and not where they shouldn't be, then you need to get better software. Unless you are drawing schematics by hand, this is simply not something you should have to think about. – Olin Lathrop May 19 '14 at 20:20

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Usually you have to place a junction wherever two wires that should be connected are crossing each other. In the situations you mentioned, the connection should be made automatically by the software. Also if you draw a wire that ends on or starts from another wire it should get connected automatically.

If you're not sure that the pins or wires are connected you should use the Electrical Rule Check function.

Cornelius
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    Problem with DRC checks is that you could have two nets with multiple nodes that are supposed to be common and DRC might not find the missing connection. Looking at a human-readable netlist is sometimes better, especially for checking power nets. – Spehro Pefhany May 19 '14 at 19:04