Connect Component to Component

[controlsgirl]

Is it possible to create a component that can snap to another component and create a connection by touching in a way that a wire connects to a terminal? Eplan has this capability and GM uses it in their template to connect Devicenet cables to splitters and then eventually to a device. I want to do the same thing but in ACE but it would be very nice if I can represent a cable by a physical representation and have it update its cable number the way a wire would update. 

Any thoughts?

I am thinking that I can create a cable as a symbol and then new symbols for devices that connect to the cable. The FAM code could equal "CBL". However ACE gets mad if a symbol does not have a terminal. It also gets mad if it has a terminal but it isn't connecting to a wire. 

[rhesusminus]

Not sure if this should be placed in the ideas forum.

Are you wondering if there is a way to automatically draw wires between components, while inserting the component, by touching some of the connection points on two symbols?

It's not possible, and Multiple bus with the Start at component option is the quickest way to do it.

The other part there is a little cloudy... Could you supply som graphics showing what you mean with these cables?

And yes.. The audit command shout out if you haven't connected a wire to every terminal on a component. Fortunately we can ignore these issues in the later releases of AutoCAD Electrical 🙂

[controlsgirl]

I think I meant to put this in the forum section but if ACE does not have the capability I think they should really add it.

However, what you described is not what I am asking. I'm attaching a picture of some components for a remote I/O block. Ultimately, the prox switch tag should be able to use the I/O address from the remote I/O block and the cable should be able to automatically update itself as well. I would want the cable to report in the from/to cable report but I do not know if it will do that if it is a symbol instead of wires with a cable tag. I'm also not sure if it will do this if there are no wires connecting the prox switch to the remote I/O module. 

I've also attached a picture of how GM uses eplan for cable layout diagrams. I have circled components. Although they are components, they still link together as if they were symbols on a ladder, connected by a wire. The tags can be updated my sequence (etc). The components carry part numbers. Each component has something like a terminal on both of the plugs that allow it to snap to other components like the T551. This connection can be used by the database to create from/to information. 

[rhesusminus]

OK. That cable can be a cable symbol, no problem. Just add connection points to both ends of it. You will need to connect them with a wire to get it in the Cable from/to list. However, if you create a special wire type for this wire, set that wire types layer properties to not plot. That way you get what you want while these wires don't appear in PDFs and plots.

AcadE can let a component "inherit" tag based on what I/O it's connected to, is by using the "Use PLC Address"-button in the Edit Component dialog. You can also set up the project to automatically search for an I/O when inserting a component. However, this functionality is quite limited, and won't work in your example because the prox wouldn't be connected directly to the I/O. Also... The I/O block must be defined as a PLC module for this to work, and I guess this isn't what you want.

So you are back to tagging the component manually, like you do now. Or maybe you could do something fancy with reference lines, where you name the line "I101.2"? So that the tags (%N variable) are based on the reference line?

The second part.. You want the cables to be reported as going from "Main Control Panel" to "T550" ? I've done this by connecting wires between the components, and created the connector as a component with a "wipeout" in it, and no connection points. When inserted it will hide the wire underneath it. And also we had a different version of the connector symbols without AcadE attributes, for use where there were molded connectors.

Not sure if I'm near answering what you ask about, but let's see if we could find out 🙂

[ccad2509]

I think what you're trying to do is this:

a SLD showing the cable routes

and linking it to the schematics like this

[controlsgirl]

It's hard to see what is going on in your second picture. Yes I do want to do something similar to the top drawing, I believe.