Guide / On the schematic
Pin detection
Cirkit reads an IC's pin table from its datasheet, so every pin on the schematic says what it does.
Have a part's pins read
- Attach a datasheet to a part annotation (see Part lookup, or upload the PDF in the part's details).
- Cirkit starts reading its pin table straight away. It takes about a minute; you can keep working meanwhile.
- When it's done, the part's details show PIN FUNCTIONS: every pin's number, name, type and what it does, with the datasheet page it came from.
Tips
- Editors start the reading; anyone on the project sees the result. A datasheet is read once, and every part using it shares the table.
- If the datasheet's website won't let Cirkit download the PDF, the pin table is found online from the part number. Uploading the PDF makes it more reliable.
- The AI uses the pin table when you ask about the part.
See what a pin does
- On the schematic, hover over a pin number or name on the part: a card shows the pin's name, type and function. On a phone, tap the pin.
- In the part's details, hover a row of the pin table to point at that pin on the schematic.
- Use Find a pin to search the table by number, name or function.
Tip
- The details say how many of the table's pins were found on the schematic (for example 8 of 9: an exposed pad usually isn't drawn).
Check and correct it
- The table is read by AI: check it against the datasheet before relying on it.
- Click a pin to correct its name, type or description, then Save pin.
- If the part comes in several packages, choose the one on your board from the Package list; its pins are read again.
- When you've checked it, click Mark as checked: the table shows who checked it, and when.
Tips
- Pins not found on the schematic (a part drawn as separate units, say)? Click Missing pins? Draw boxes around its units and draw a box around each unit.
- On the Free plan, pin detection covers 5 parts; Pro has no limit.
Something unclear or missing? Tell us.