I have a project originally produced in ACAD which I am updating to ACE. The old version has named terminal rails the same but in different panels. If I try to implement the same in ACE I end up with a duplicate terminal error following an electrical audit report. I have assiged unique panel location codes and still get the error, is this just not allowable in ACE and if I leave it and ignore the error what are the implications in producing wiring schedules?
Phil
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You need to engage the Combined Installation/Location Tag Mode (a.k.a. IEC tag mode) option in Project Properties under the Components tab. This instructs Electrical to consider the Installation and Location assignments as part of the entire tag. The concept of Installation and Location comes from the DIN/IEC standard, where they use abbreviations for the Installation and Location code. For example a terminal strip inside a control panel used as a junction box for a motor that is located on production line 1 might read as =LN1+JB1-1K7. "K" is the class designation for a relay in DIN/IEC. You would use "CR" for JIC/NFPA. The "=" sign precedes Installation, "+" precedes Location, and "-" precedes tag. This entire string makes up something called a Device Identifier, or Device ID. A Device ID is more specific than a plain tag, since it incorporates the Installation and Location codes as part of the unique identifier.
It is okay to use the Combined Installation/Location Tag Mode (IEC tag mode) with JIC/NFPA drawings. In fact, I believe the software should default to that mode. Electrical is the only program of its kind that doesn't consider the Installation and Location codes as part of the unique Device ID, unless you engage the Combined Installation/Location Tag Mode. This is because when the U.S. Developers first added Installation and Location, back in the mid 90s, they did not realize that it wasn't just for report filtering, but should also be considered as part of the Device ID. The Combined Installation/Location Tag Mode check box was later added to accommodate those of us who had previously used a European CAD program and expected Installation and Location to function as part of the unique Device ID. So Electrical has two possibilities with regard to Installation and Location. They are used only for call-outs on the drawing and for report filtering, or you can add to that the unique Device ID option by engaging IEC Tag Mode.
Note: In real IEC drawings, there are drawing default Installation and Location codes. As a symbol is inserted, it receives the Installation and Location assignment from the drawing defaults, unless the user types in something different. You would not usually type in an Installation and Location code as you insert the symbol. If the symbol is to be considered as part of a unique Installation and/or Location, a Location Box should be inserted to draw attention to the fact that components within this box are not part of the default Installation and Location. These boxes are usually dash or dash dot in style, as specified by IEC61082. I advise U.S. designers to adopt a similar approach, in case they ever wish to sell their systems outside of the U.S.