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Selector Switch Contacts

9 REPLIES 9
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Message 1 of 10
ccapplen
4733 Views, 9 Replies

Selector Switch Contacts

Hello All,

 

I am very new to AutoCAD Electrical and I'm having trouble adding additional contacts to componts, namely selector switches.  How is that process done?  When I add a selctor switch it only adds a single contact.

 

AutoCAD Electrical 2013

Windows 7

 

Thank you in advance.

9 REPLIES 9
Message 2 of 10
dougmcalexander
in reply to: ccapplen

Go back to the Selector Switch category in the menu and click on the 2nd+ contact of your choice, either NO or NC. Insert the contact next to the parent contact that you already inserted.  Click Parent/Sibling to associate this additional contact to the existing contact.  The reason Electrical works this way is so that you are not limited to a certain wire spacing.  You can insert multi-wire components across any group of wires no matter their spacing.  Hint: This same method can be used for pushbuttons, relays, and any other switching device that can have 2 or more contacts.



Doug McAlexander


Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support

Phone and Web-based Support Plans Available

Phone: (770) 841-8009

www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623




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Message 3 of 10
huyvu90
in reply to: ccapplen

If a selector switch has 4 contacts, how would you go about distinguishing between the different contacts?

 

Currently I assign pin # to each contact to distinguish it from other contacts but I'm not sure if it is the right thing to do.  For example, contact #1 would have pin # 1 and 2.  Contact #2 would have pin # 3 and 4.

 

 

Message 4 of 10
testsubject
in reply to: huyvu90

That is exactly how you would distinguish between different contacts.



Bob Hanrahan
Ace User since 1998
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Message 5 of 10

Hi mate

 

When I do that I am able to distinguish between the pins but why don't I see NO and NC displayed on the main component in the reference. For relays ,I can clearly see NO and NC displayed with references of the child components on the main coil.But for Switches,push buttons etc. I can see the references(sheet number and reference)  but NO and NC dis

Message 6 of 10

Typically, the slots on the yoke of a selector switch are engraved with A, B, and C.  NC contact blocks are labeled as pins 1 and 2.  NO contact blocks are labeled as pins 3 and 4.  If I will have two NC contacts on the same yoke, I designate them on my drawing as A1 and A2, I skip the middle “B” slot, and I label the second NC contact block as C1 and C2.  This is indicates to the assembly technician, and later the customer’s maintenance personnel, which wires are connected to which contact block.



Doug McAlexander


Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support

Phone and Web-based Support Plans Available

Phone: (770) 841-8009

www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623




Please Accept as Solution if I helped you. Likes are also much appreciated.
Message 7 of 10

As far as the cross-references are concerned, the cross-reference with an underscore (a.k.a. an under-bar) indicates the normally-closed contact.



Doug McAlexander


Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support

Phone and Web-based Support Plans Available

Phone: (770) 841-8009

www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623




Please Accept as Solution if I helped you. Likes are also much appreciated.
Message 8 of 10

Ok mate.I just asked you this question because one of my technicians asked me the question"Why is NO and NC not shown on the PB,Selector switch... the way you show it for Relays".I answered "i am using AutoCAD Electrical and not AutoCAD. Whatever is the default referencing way in that software I am using it."They have different pin numbers and there is no confusion as such. Also, if I go to that reference I can easily see if its NO or NC.Just wanted to know the reason" 

Message 9 of 10

Also Doug

 

I told my technicians that cross-reference with an underscore (a.k.a. an under-bar) means that its a NC contact.Then they showed me page 5 and page 7(both attached) of my project.In page 5, I have a mushroom head estop whose NC contact is on page 7 which it refers with an under bar.But if you go to pg 7 then the reference over there  (referring it back to page 5) does not come up with an under bar.

Message 10 of 10

The child symbol cross-reference is not referring to what type of contact the parent might be.  It is simply providing a cross-reference back to the parent.  Parent symbols carry the contact type.  The switch/contact cross-references are driven by the same code that is used to cross-reference a relay coil (parent) to its related contacts (children).  You might consider adding a request to the idea station to modify the code a bit so that a selector switch or pushbutton child contact includes the under-bar if their parent happens to be a NC contact.



Doug McAlexander


Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor specializing in AutoCAD Electrical training and implementation support

Phone and Web-based Support Plans Available

Phone: (770) 841-8009

www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623




Please Accept as Solution if I helped you. Likes are also much appreciated.

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