Help getting started with X-Y mode and IEC drawings

[matt_millerWQATS]

Friends,

I have always done NFPA drawing with line references. I am tasked with doing a project using X-Y mode and IEC structure. A couple questions if I may.

1, I select X-Y mode in drawing properties. The component tags show the X-Y reference, but my drawing sheet does not have the ABC / 123  XY placeholders showing at the top/bottom edge of my sheet. ??

2, Where / How do I find additional libraries for the IEC components and / or IEC icons and symbols, etc.

3, ANY suggestions before I begin would be helpful. I am thoroughly lost...

Thank You

[dougmcalexander · Accepted solution]

By default the newer releases install all symbol libraries. Right click over your project name in the Project Manager and select properties with your left mouse button. You assign the symbol library path and the menu path here. If you are unfamiliar with IEC symbols, you might try using the NFPA menu but point to the IEC library path. If you are familiar with IEC symbols, assign an IEC menu. The IEC symbols have many more variations to indicate a specific type of switch, contact, circuit breaker, transducer, etc.  If you use the NFPA folder, the software will insert a sort of closest match found symbol. 

The traditional library has two folders, named IEC2 and IEC4. The symbols in the IEC4 folder use a larger text size that fits better on a US D-size drawing, if you decide to scale the IEC symbols down by .03937, to fit a D-size drawing format. The symbols in the IEC2 and IEC4 folders use one-letter device IDs/tags.  The newer IEC library folder is named IEC-60617. It uses the larger text font and two-letter device IDs/tags. 

I prefer to create a drawing template that is sized for millimeters, such as the A3 or A4 size. This will allow the symbols to insert at their original size. Remember too that the “ladder” will need to be oriented horizontally, across the landscape page, rather than vertical.

Most IEC drawings use only X-zones, across the top. 1 through 8 is popular, as is 0 through 9. You will need to insert the text and dividing lines across the top of the drawing template. This is not intelligent though. It is just graphics. You will need to go through the X-zone setup to embed the X-zone data that the software will use. Enter a spacing that matches how far apart you spaced the dividing lines. There is a sample IEC project you can look at near the bottom of the Tips/Tricks page of my website. This is the project that I have my students create when I teach AutoCAD Electrical using the IEC standard.

If you are using an older release of AutoCAD Electrical and you don’t see the IEC folders in your Libs folder, you will need to install the IEC folders. Go to Control Panel>Programs>Uninstall a program. Select the version of AutoCAD Electrical that you have installed and click Uninstall/Change at the top of the dialog.  Click Add or Remove Features. The next screen allows you to add more manufacturer data to your catalog database. Click Next and you can add symbol libraries. Choose IEC legacy if you want to install the one-letter device ID type symbols. Choose IEC-60617 if you want to install the symbols with two-letter type device IDs. Or install both.  You could check with your customer to see which they prefer. Click Next and Update. 

[matt_millerWQATS]

Thank You !!

I spent most of today exploring the options and settings.

I managed to get my XY zones sorted out. Now to learn the libraries,  BTW It is AutoCad Electrical 2022.

Thanks !!!

[rhesusminus · Accepted solution]

@dougmcalexander The IEC example project is nice, but you should consider updating it. Many of the parts are obsolete, and the part numbers have changed also.
I mean.. ABB bought Entrelec back in 2001 and changed the part numbers. Then TE bought them from ABB back in 2018.

If I asked purchasing to order some "ENTRELEC 0165 113.16" instead of "TE Connectivity 1SNA165113R1600" they would get mad 🙂

So, about time to update the 1122 Entrelec parts in the default AcadE Catalog?

[matt_millerWQATS]

Thanks for the additional info.

I have no idea how to update the demo's ?

[matt_millerWQATS]

I guess I am not understanding the XY zones setup. If I select XY zones in drawing properties, should it not show me the zones on the drawing? 

I can manually set them under the XY setup on the schematic ribbon, but they dont match the references placed on the drawing when I insert a component / child etc.

I think I'm lost...