A different version of package error

[Anonymous]

Greetings,

I have a finished schematic and fully laid out board. After I finished laying out my board I realized that I had to change the footprint for the main IC. So I went ahead and fixed the footprint by removing a bunch of pins that I want to replace by via's. Now when I try to update my libraries to get the new updated package on my board, I get the following error,

"A different version of package HTSSOP32DAP@myLibrary is already present in this file,

but the pads can't be mapped by names or coordinates!"

I have tried the "Replace" button in the board layout but I still get the same error. How do I get my updated package into my board? Non of the main pins have been removed, it was a bunch of pads that I had placed in the middle of the IC that went to ground that where removed. Do I literally have to rip up all the traces going to this IC and re rout them?

[one-of-the-robs]

You have removed a load of pads that were, previously, associated with a signal (OK, it's ground and you only wanted it for heat transfer but as far as Eagle is concerned it's still a signal). Now you want to replace that footprint with one that doesn't have those pads. What do you expect Eagle to do with the connections to those pads that you've visciously ripped out from underneath it? It's not psychic!

So yes, you will get a "help, I can't figure this out" error. You will need to delete and re-add the part in the schematic.

There are ways to avoid this but all of them require you to have designed your original library part (footprint, symbol or both) in the right way, because you already expected to change it to the new form.

Fortunately, if your schematic symbol hasn't changed, you can drop the new part right where the old one was and the connections will be made. The removal of the old part will rip up the ends of the traces but only for one segment, so it shouldn't be too hard to reinstate them.

[Anonymous]

I replaced the pads that where all ground signals with a single ground pad in the device (disconnected then reconnected the pins) and I believe that should have been enough for Eagle to connect the signal. The symbol already had a single ground pin and I had previously had those other ground pads connected to it (those pads where not visible in the symbol but visible in the footprint). I just update the libraries and that usually fixes everything by automatically replacing the device on the board.

The pads I had removed where all connecting to the ground plane directly beneath the IC, I didn't have to route them on the board they connected to the ground plane automatically when running rats nest. I have done this many times over the years of working with Eagle with parts that I have made from scratch that worked fine so I was surprised when this happened. Essentially I have been trying to avoid removing and adding back the part in the schematic since its a huge pain to do that and very easy to make mistakes but I guess thats what I will have to do now. 

Thanks for the reply!