AutoCAD Electrical

[#1]

I am trying to set up a new signal cross reference, not just to show the page and line it connects to, but also the component CMPIN1 it connects to as well. I have used, Promis-e and E-Plan and this was a feature that was common in both of those packages.

I am unable to find the attribute to carry this information that I can assign to the signal cross reference arrow. Can someone tell me if this is an option. I am trying to stream line the process, our drawing sets are over 300 pages and an installation nightmare at this point.

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to getting an answer.

Geoff Hall

Electrical Designer

AutoCAD Electrical 2013

[#2]

Bring up the electrical help system and do a search for 'Replacable Parameters'

This should bring up a list of options. Look for 'Use Replacable Parameters' and click on it.

This should give you all the replacable parameters available in your version of ACADE and some examples on their use.

Regards Brad

[#3]

I want to place this on the signal arrow and have it only on the signals, not for the project parameters. Currently the signal XREF, DESC1, WIRENO are displayed. Where can I place the %"letters" in order for them to be on the signals? What I would like to be able to see is signal XREF, WIRENO and instead of the DESC1 have an automatic field that pulls the information from the project, such as XXX-XXXX-01 (currently manual and constant errors). If I can break it down further, then I will do how it was done in IEC where signals are point to point. Example signal would contain XREF, WIRENO, CONNECTION (D.ID and Pin) and then Project info which is %D.

I hope this clears it up. I appreciate your help so far, just need the finishing touches, if it is possible.

Thank You,

Geoff

[#4]

The replacable parameters can be used in any automatic process. Wire Numbers, Cross Referencing, Tags and so on. They are not just for the project parameters. When you place the code in the wire number format for example, the system will pull the data from the appropriate place and insert it the wire number.

To set it up automatically you would have to set the cross reference format information in the project settings and then apply them to all the dwgs.

Problem with this is that it will also affect the component cross reference display.

Regards Brad

[#5]

Hello Brad,

Thank you for your help.

I am confused at your response, in one statement you say "They are not just for project parameters." but in the last statement you say "to do this automatically I have to set this in the project settings and apply it to the drawings."

From what I am understanding, this is not possible to do without changing the project parameters. I have inserted the replaceable codes inside of the signal references under almost every possible place I can think of and it will not pull the information from the project.

My hope was that this would not affect the project settings, because of all the other cross referencing. How do other people do it with various control boxes tied to one main power box? This is a time consuming process and riddled with errors when put in manually.

Can anyone tell me what they do to cross reference to different control boxes, to different points on a machine, or multi machines? Is this a manual function for you, or do you have a way of intellegantly telling the installers how to wire this?

This is not my first time using Electrical packages, I have been doing this for over 20 years.

Thank You,

Geoff Hall

Electrical Designer

[#6]

Hi Geoff.

The signal source/destination symbols have an XREF-attribute. This attribute will show the information specified in the project properties (With the %SomeLetters specifying what to display).

The signal source/destination can have 2 optional attributes as well (you'l have to add them manually):

1. SHEET - This will contain the sheet number (%S-value) from the "other side" of the signal
2. DWGNAM - This will conatin the drawing number (%D-value) from the "other side" of the signal.

It is not possible to get the component/pin combination into the signal symbol using AutoCAD Electrical out-of-the-box.

[#7]

You may want to use the Schematic "From-To" report, that can show the wire#, CMP1, PIN1, CMP2, PIN2. That is as close as I have come to getting that information out of ACADE.

Also, a little more time consuming, you could creat a new signal style with only the signal description shown and then manually enter the component and pin connection as the description. The downside with this is that the description is the same on the signal and destination so on CMP1 the description would read "CMP2-PIN2" and on CMP2 the description would read "CMP2-PIN2"(somewhat misleading and redundant).

I too wish there was more flexibility with the signals and destinations.  I create a majority of harnesses through the point to point schematics, and use signal/destinations when the drawing gets too busy.