Hi Nathan,
Let me see if this will help. Think of the terminal symbols in the
schematic as representing the screws or compression clamps. Each terminal
symbol is one screw or compression clamp. So with my design method I don't
bother with exactly what each screw or compression clamp will be until I get
to the panel layout. It's okay if I know ahead of time, but I just wait
until panel layout to actually assign part numbers. I could assign as I go,
but if I assign BOM data to each terminal symbol in the schematic I may get
4 blocks in my BOM later when I really only need one that has 4 connections.
So I wait until I am in the Terminal Strip Editor to assign part numbers.
It is easier to create the associations to combine 4 screws or compressions
clamps into one block in TSE than doing it at schematic level. At schematic
level the terminals may be spread across many pages. In TSE I see all of
them at once. I can create the associations easily, assign the BOM data and
let the TSE go back and update the schematic symbols with the association
information and BOM data automatically. I did not use the TSE in its
earlier forms but the new version in AcadE 2008 really impressed me. I am
now a big fan of it.
Note: I do not use the internal jumper tool to connect the terminals
together to represent a bus. That is also a newer feature and I devised my
own way back in 1997 when I started using this program. I like to see
something visual on my drawings. So I created a special layer called
JUMPERBAR or just JUMPER. I insert a line between all of the terminal
symbols that will make up a bus and I assign this line to the JUMPER or
JUMPERBAR layer. AcadE automatically knows to ignore a layer with the word
JUMPER in its name from the wire list, so no need to worry about this
appearing on your wire list. So visually I see that there is a physical
connection from screw to screw or compression clamp to compression clamp.
The JUMPERBAR or JUMPER layer is still seen as a current carrying device by
AcadE so wire number/potential is passed through.
If you follow the instructions I posted earlier in this thread and do all of
the associations using Terminal Strip Editor, you can toggle wires from one
side to the other of a terminal and you can effectively move them from one
block to another by creating the association with the other block and
deleting the blank spare that is left behind. Since your blocks have only
one level but 4 connections, you will still need to treat them as having a
Level 1 and Level 2. I would consider the inner two connections as Level 1
and the outer two as Level 2. I modified the footprints of the blocks I use
most with a color code so I can see by the color of the wire numbers exactly
which Level they connection to. See the attached photo from my training
class project where we work with multi-level blocks. This screen shot shows
both triple-deck and double-deck blocks. The numbers represent the screw
lugs in this case and they are the same color as the wire number which
connects to them. This is done by forcing the colors of the attributes to
cyan, green, yellow, etc. in the footprint itself. TSE will automatically
insert the wire numbers according to how you positioned them in the first
screen of TSE, when you created the associations.
wrote in message news:5871598@discussion.autodesk.com...
Doug,
It looks like you know your stuff on how to edit terminal blocks. so here is
another question.
First off, I am still learning how to properly draw electrical schematics
and coming up with a "standard" at the same time.
What I am trying to do is show one circuit terminal blocks with four wire
connection points. This is a one level block, I think; correct me if I'm
wrong. Basically we are trying to create a "bus".
But all I can get to work is a separate wire into one termina
l block. An example, I have four ground wires to connect to terminal block,
on the schematic drawing I have a wire going to its own terminal block
symbol. I know want to associate all four blocks into one terminal block
with all four wires connecting to it.
Does that make sense?
What I can tell is that a "two" level block creates a two circuit terminal
block and I need a four point connection one circuit terminal block.
HELP!
Nathan
Regards,
Doug McAlexander
Electrical CAD Industry Specialist
Independent Consultant/Instructor/Mentor
AutoCAD Electrical, VIA/WD, Toolbox/WD, ecscad, promis-e, RSWire
Web site: www.ECADConsultant.com
E-mail: ECADConsultant@gmail.com
Phone: (770) 841-8009
