AutoCAD Electrical

[#1]

ACADE 2010 seems to give the ability to select PLC I/O and power supplies but not PLC processors. Maybe I missing something. Currently  I can put together a AB 1769 compact logix power supply and I/O cards. Everthing is available in the standard JIC library for schematic and panel layout except for PLC processors. Where are the processor parametic selctions?

[#2]

There are no processor parametric symbols since the processor usually doesn't get wired, only inserted into its slot.  In my AutoCAD Electrical training course I have the students use symbol builder to create a PLC processor symbol on-the-fly, just to show that we can.  There are no wire connections and, since we will place the processor footprint into the rack in panel layout, there is really no need for the processor symbol in the schematic, other than for reference purposes.  I always generate my BOM from the panel layout so I can account for hardware items such as the panel box, DIN rail, wireway, screws, washers, etc., so the PLC processor appears in the BOM anyway because of the panel footprint.  But if I do want to reference it in the schematic, I either create a symbol on-the-fly or create and save for future use, perhaps even adding it to the icon menu.  When I am designing control systems myself, as I have for many years, I include a processor symbol in the schematic, next to the power supply, for reference purposes.  See attached example.

[#3]

Easy to add power supplies, cpu's, and communication cards (see attachment).

[#4]

How does the attachment function?  It won't open for me.  Thanks.

[#5]

But the 1769 processor(s) has I/O native to the processor..ie wired directly to the processor.  I suppose one can build a PLC card and make this happen but I was wondering if someone had already done that.

[#6]

We have handled this by just creating a schematic symbol that can be inserted from Icon Menus. (See attached; note that you should include all of the standard attributes for schematics if you choose this method for the best results.).

You could probably just add a new PLC record to the ace_plc.mdb file using the PLC Database File Editor.  You can access that tool from the Schematic > Other Tools Panel in the Ribbon Menu.

You would just define a Module Info Symbol and Blanks for the remainder of your definition and set up the module properties as well.  You can review the help topic under "Overview of the PLC database file".