Multiple Components in Single Package

[dbrblg]

What is the easiest way for ACADE to assign component tags to devices which contain more than one item?

The best example of this is a dual solenoid like this one:

Physically, this unit contains two separate solenoids which need identifying on a drawing. 

Unfortunately you can only have one TAG1 attribute (as I know TAG2 is reserved for child components) and the WDTAGALT attribute isn't appropriate either as you would see the need for two of these (one for each solenoid).

As this is a single device, you could argue it should only have one TAG1 attribute, but you'd still need two WDTAGALT attributes which also isn't allowed.

You could achieve this using a child and parent relationship but this is messy and counterintuitive too.  Where one solenoid (the child) points to the other solenoid (the parent) and each one contains a WDTAGALT attribute.

This increases the work to add a double solenoid unnecessarily. 

A bit unusual perhaps but these kinds of components are becoming more common nowadays and there doesn't seem to be an easy way to address them.

Are there any other ways?

[Icemanau]

The WDTAGALT attribute is exactly what you need for this situation...

What you do is insert both solenoids and give them the individual numbers as required.

Next you add the WDTAGALT attribute to BOTH blocks using the AEATTRIBUTE command.

Now you edit one of the blocks and click on the 'Schematic' button under Component Tag.

Select the other block from the list and then click on 'Copy Tag'.

Finally, you select the 'WDTAGALT' button.

Now ACADE will copy the tags from both blocks into the WDTAGALT attribute of the other block.

If you have not set them to invisible, you will see both blocks now show their own tag as well as the tag of the block.

This is called Peer-to-Peer in the Electrical help files.

Now as both the solenoids are on the one assembly, you only need to assign catalogue information to one of the blocks, otherwise your BOM report will show two instances of the entire unit.

A couple of points to note is that

a) each block can have child components attached to them which would share the TAG information but not the WDTAGALT.

b) you can only have two parents in this sort of setup.

Regards Brad

[dbrblg]

Thanks @Icemanau for your reply however I am still a little confused...

When you say "...insert both solenoids..." I take it you mean the electrical symbols (coils) and not the pneumatic representations (Y014 & Y015 in the below screen shot)?

These already have the WDTAGALT attributes in them or are you saying the block representing the pneumatic valves needs the WDTAGALT attribute adding (which is already added)?

Or, is that Y014 and Y-L- are TAG1 attribute pairs and Y015 and Y-R- are TAG1 / WDTAGALT attribute pairs?

Thanks for your help

[rhesusminus]

I guess I'd just detach those solenoid symbols from the hydraulic block, and insert them as separate symbols (without mfg/cat, so that they don't appear in the BOM). If they were to be the parent or child symbols would depend on where i'd like to see what information like cross references etc.
.