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Chapter

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Basic WorkflowChapter 1:

This chapter describes the AutoCAD® Electrical version of AutoCAD® software. AutoCAD Electrical is created for electrical engineers who design industrial control systems. Along with the familiar AutoCAD working environment, an intuitive menu system is included that gives you access to many industry-specific tools that automate the electrical control system’s design process. AutoCAD Electrical is an effective design tool for you to use to create schematics, diagrams, layouts, and related reports faster and more accurately than using AutoCAD software.

Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

■ Describe and list some of the AutoCAD Electrical specific enhancements integrated into the standard AutoCAD environment.

■ Describe and execute the basics steps required to create or edit an AutoCAD Electrical circuit.

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2 ■ Chapter 1: Basic Workflow

Lesson: Design Environment

Overview

This lesson is an overview of the AutoCAD Electrical environment, describing those features that are common to both AutoCAD and AutoCAD Electrical, and those features that are different.

Comparing AutoCAD Electrical to AutoCAD helps you to learn how AutoCAD Electrical functions work and how to use them correctly.

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

■ Describe and compare the AutoCAD Electrical application with AutoCAD software, including symbol libraries and search paths.

■ Describe AutoCAD Electrical-specific menu interface options. ■ Describe several of the available AutoCAD Electrical Help options.

AutoCAD Electrical environment

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Lesson: Design Environment ■ 3

Environment Comparisons

The AutoCAD Electrical environment differs only slightly from the familiar AutoCAD interface. Along with Electrical-specific commands, other enhancements include Electrical symbol libraries and more powerful search path options. Knowing these differences can help you to learn the AutoCAD Electrical interface more quickly.

About AutoCAD Compatibility

AutoCAD Electrical is not just compatible with AutoCAD. It is AutoCAD. AutoCAD Electrical is completely integrated with AutoCAD software, and it shares the same commands and functionality. Automated and enhanced commands have been added to AutoCAD Electrical to help you create schematic drawings.

Electrical intelligence is stored in the drawings, mainly in the form of attributed blocks. Because the electrical information is stored in the drawing and not in a proprietary database, you can manipulate the drawings with any program that you can use to edit standard DWG™ files without corrupting the drawing and electrical intelligence.

Familiar AutoCAD Environment

The AutoCAD Electrical menu system has many industry-specific tools that automate the electrical control systems’ design process. With the familiar AutoCAD working environment, you can use AutoCAD commands in AutoCAD Electrical for normal operations. Many AutoCAD Electrical functions are powerful AutoCAD macros, and other product functions use AutoCAD programming languages to create electrical industry-specific commands.

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AutoCAD Electrical produces generic AutoCAD objects in generic AutoCAD drawings. Everything automatically created by AutoCAD Electrical can be completed with a sequence of AutoCAD manual operations. Consequently, AutoCAD Electrical drawings can be edited with AutoCAD, or AutoCAD LT®, without corrupting or damaging AutoCAD Electrical functionality.

Symbols and Footprints

All AutoCAD Electrical schematic blocks, or symbols, are standard AutoCAD blocks using a combination of attributes and xdata to enhance the block’s intelligence. Symbols typically rely more on attributes, while panel layout blocks, or footprints, rely more on xdata.

You can create symbols with generic AutoCAD block creation tools or with the AutoCAD Electrical Symbol Builder wizard. The Symbol Builder wizard automates many manual tasks, including the creation, sizing, and placing of symbol attributes.

Symbol Libraries

Several electrical symbol libraries are included with AutoCAD Electrical. These libraries include:

■ Two sizes of JIC symbols, JIC1 and JIC125 (Joint Industrial Council - United States)■ Two sizes of IEC symbols, IEC2, and IEC4 (International Electromechanical Commission - Europe)■ One size of GB symbols (Gua Biao - Chinese)■ One size of JIS symbols (Japanese Industrial Standard)■ One size of AS symbols (Australian Standard)

Symbol as inserted Exploded symbol

To differentiate between the two types of blocks, schematic blocks are usually referred to as symbols and panel layout blocks are usually referred to as footprints. Both symbols and footprints are referred to as components.

Directory listing of available libraries

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Also included are several libraries of symbols for design processes other than electrical schematics. These libraries include the following symbols.

About the Scratch Database

AutoCAD Electrical automatically maintains a scratch database, which reflects a project drawing’s intelligence and is updated as the drawings are changed. The database carries a snapshot of the block and attribute information carried in the project’s drawing files so that projectwide functions can be processed more efficiently.

There is no need for you to manage the database; the drawing is the data storage area. If the scratch database is lost or corrupted, it is re-created automatically from the data stored in the project drawings.

User Interface

In addition to the AutoCAD menus and tools, AutoCAD Electrical adds several industry-specific tools that are specifically for electrical engineers, designers, and drafters. These additional tools are used, and can be customized, in the same manner as the standard AutoCAD menus.

Just as with AutoCAD, seldom is one AutoCAD Electrical method the best for every situation. By familiarizing yourself with the location and uses of the tools found on the AutoCAD Electrical interface, you can develop the most effective methods to accomplish the tasks associated with your job.

Type Symbols included

Hydraulic Filters, valves, cylinders, pressure switches, motors, pumps, meters, restrictors, quick disconnects, flow arrows, and other miscellaneous components that all adhere to the NFPA/T3.10.4R1-1990 and AS1101.1-1993 standards.

Pneumatic Operators, valves, flow paths, filters, regulators, cylinders, meters, motors, quick disconnects, mufflers, manifolds, flow arrows, and other miscellaneous components.

P & ID Equipment, tanks, nozzles, pumps fittings, valves, actuators, logic functions, instrumentation, flow, flow arrows that all adhere to the ANSI/ISA S5.1 instrumentation standard.

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Main User Interface Elements

Some of the main interface tools are shown.

Project Manager

Projects, Components, Wires, and Panel Layout menus

Toolbars

Tool palette

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Toolbars

When you install AutoCAD Electrical using the default settings, three additional toolbars are displayed in addition to the standard AutoCAD configuration of toolbars: ACE: Main Electrical, ACE: Main Electrical 2, and ACE: Panel Layout.

You use the ACE: Main Electrical and ACE: Main Electrical 2 toolbars primarily in the creation of the wiring diagram or schematic drawings. These toolbars contain the wiring and schematic symbol insertion commands. You use the ACE: Panel Layout toolbar to create panel layout drawings. This toolbar contains commands to insert footprints, din rails, and balloons.

You can display the AutoCAD Electrical toolbars by clicking Projects > Toolbars > Electrical. You can also display toolbars with other functions from this menu, including the Quick Pick, Conversion Tools, and Extra Libraries toolbars.

Electrical Menus

In addition to the standard AutoCAD menus, AutoCAD Electrical has additional menus with industry-specific tools. With the exception of a few commands entered on the command line, all available AutoCAD Electrical commands are available on the Projects, Wires, Components, and Panel Layout menus.

The Panel Layout toolbar contains commands that are similar in function to the schematic toolbars. However, each toolbar contains commands that are operation-specific. For example, the Panel Reports command ignores schematic information and provides report options only for the panel layout drawings and components. The Panel Layout buttons are tinted green to help distinguish them from their blue-tinted schematic counterparts.

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Icon Menus

AutoCAD Electrical uses an icon menu system for the Symbol Insertion tool. The Schematic icon menu and the Panel icon menu look very similar, but as with the toolbars, they have different functionality, inserting schematic drawing symbols and panel layout footprints, respectively.

JIC version of the Schematic icon menu

JIC version of the Panel icon menu

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Context Menus

Like the context menus in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Electrical context menus are available when you right-click over an AutoCAD Electrical object, such as a symbol or a wire. Containing commonly used commands associated with the selected object, a context menu is displayed at the location of the cursor.

Tool Palettes

Some of the tool palettes included with the AutoCAD Electrical profile include Wires, Panel, Schematic, and Conversion. The AutoCAD Electrical tool palettes replace standard AutoCAD tool palettes. You can display the AutoCAD Electrical tool palettes by clicking the standard AutoCAD Tool Palette button on the AutoCAD Standard toolbar.

Context menu for symbols Context menu for wires

Section of Schematic palette

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Project Manager Palette

The Project Manager is a special type of tool palette for interfacing with the project file. The Project Manager palette shares much of the same display functionality of standard tool palettes including docking and auto-hide.

You can use the drop-down menu for creating new projects or selecting existing ones.

Double-click the project name in the Projects list to display a list of the drawings associated with the project. You can reorder the drawings, set library paths, and edit other project settings by right-clicking the project name to display a context menu.

Right-click a drawing name to open a context menu that you can use to open, copy, and rename drawing files, or access other editing tools to modify the drawing file.

Control buttons at the top of the palette enable you to access projectwide commands such as Resequencing and Plotting. You can also change the Drawing List Display Configuration.

You can expand the bottom of the Project Manager palette and use a toggle command to display either the Details or Preview window. The Details window displays information about the project, such as the file name and project database location. The Preview window displays a preview of a selected drawing file.

IECDemo project drawing list in the Project Manager

The Projects list window does not have drag-and-drop functionality. To edit the project file, you must use the shortcut menu or control buttons.

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Help System

The Help system for AutoCAD Electrical is separate from the AutoCAD Help system and deals strictly with AutoCAD Electrical topics. There are several tools to find answers to your questions within the Help system, including the Launchpad, online Help, InfoCenter, and the AutoCAD Electrical newsgroup.

AutoCAD Electrical Help Access

Click Help menu > Electrical Help Topics to access AutoCAD Electrical Help.

AutoCAD Electrical Help system

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Displaying the Launchpad

Click Help menu > Learning Tools > Launchpad to display the Launchpad.

Launchpad

The Launchpad appears the first time that you start AutoCAD Electrical. Do not close the dialog box and do not turn off the Display on Start-up check box until you have explored all the features that are available.

When you press F1 and a tooltip is not displayed, you access AutoCAD Help not AutoCAD Electrical Help.

When you press F1 and a tooltip is displayed, you access the Help topic for that specific tool.

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The following Launchpad links can help you to use AutoCAD Electrical.

Launchpad links Description

Getting Started

Manual

A PDF file that gives you basic information on how AutoCAD Electrical works to get you started. Each brief topic has simple instructions. This manual is not meant to replace classroom training (it does not cover all of the necessary topics, such as custom symbol creation). Topics include how to insert and edit ladders, wires, schematic components, PLCs, and wire numbers, as well as how to add drawings to a project, add drawing descriptions, and create panel layouts from schematic drawings.

AutoCAD Electrical

Discussion Group

Whether you are a beginner or an advanced user, you can get answers to your questions from other AutoCAD Electrical users here. This site is updated daily by some of the most knowledgeable AutoCAD Electrical users. Knowledgeable Autodesk personnel, who can provide solutions to your questions, also monitor it.

Click Help menu > Learning Tools > Launchpad. Click AutoCAD Electrical Discussion Group.

Advanced

Productivity

A special Help section covering several of the most requested advance topics about implementing and using AutoCAD Electrical. In addition to the standard Help file content, these in-depth topics are more instructional and explain workflows.

In the Launchpad, click Advanced Productivity.

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Electrical Help Tools

The Help system has several functions that can assist you.

Function Description

Printable Help You can print topics or the entire contents of the Help system directly from the Help menu. Click the Contents tab and right-click the topic or section you want to print. Click Print. To print a single topic that is listed on the Index tab, click the topic. Click Print.

Favorites To save a topic for easy access later, you can add the topic to the Topics list on the Favorites tab. Select the topic. Click the Favorites tab. Click Add.

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InfoCenter

The InfoCenter tool is located on the menu bar. It provides access to the Communication Center panel for product updates and announcements as well as to the Favorites panel for saved Help topics. It also provides a simple method for searching for information in the Help system. You can search the AutoCAD and AutoCAD Electrical Help systems with the InfoCenter tool.

Search On the Search tab, you can search for topics. Enter the words you want to search for. Press ENTER. All topics that contain your search words are displayed.

For more information, see AutoCAD Help. On the Index tab, enter InfoCenter.

Function Description

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Lesson: Basic Workflow

Overview

Understanding the basics of the design process can help you when you adapt AutoCAD Electrical to your design methods and standards. This lesson describes the basic workflow of AutoCAD Electrical design.

Although some methods are used more often than others, many methods are available. For example, you may start with a panel layout to determine and order components that require a long lead time. Then you can extract a component list from the panel layout to design the schematic. Or maybe you design your schematics in a point-to-point style, laying out components in empty areas of the drawing and then connecting the components with wires. AutoCAD Electrical automatically connects these components as wires are drawn across them.

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

■ Describe and perform many of the basic steps necessary to complete an electrical design. ■ Create a simple electrical control circuit and generate a Bill of Material report.

A schematic drawing, an icon menu, and a Bill of Material report

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Lesson: Basic Workflow ■ 17

Basic Circuit Workflow

One of the more frequently used styles for electrical design is drawing a ladder and rungs, and then inserting components from the icon menu system. Basic commands are described for a general overview of AutoCAD Electrical functionality.

Process: Basic Circuit Workflow

The following is an overview of the schematic ladder-style design process.

A typical reset circuit including rungs, components, and wire numbers

1. Set the drawing properties options to match your company or project standards for component tag referencing, symbol libraries, ladder numbering, and other design parameters.

2. Add ladders, rungs, or wires to your schematic drawing.

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3. Select the components to be added by browsing through the icon menu system.

4. Select the insertion location point of the symbol. The symbol is inserted, and automatically trims and connects to the underlying wire.

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5. In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, enter the component information, including part-number lookups from a database, description and location code assignments, and pin-number checking and assignments.

6. Add wire numbers and cross-referencing.

7. At any point during the design process, you can generate Bill of Material, Wiring, and other reports.

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Exercise: Explore the Basic Circuit Workflow

In this exercise, you create a simple electrical control circuit. You will be able to:

■ Insert ladder rungs and relay coil.■ Insert push-button components and add part-catalog information.■ Add wire branches and relay coil child contacts.■ Add wire numbers and generate a Bill of Material report.

Insert Ladder Rungs and Relay Coil

The completed exercise

Completing the Exercise

To complete the exercise, follow the steps in this book or in the onscreen exercise. In the onscreen list of chapters and exercises, click Chapter 1: Basic Workflow. Click Exercise: Explore the Basic Circuit Workflow.

1. If the Project Manager is not displayed, on the Schematic palette, click Project Manager.

2. In the Project Manager, open the Projects drop-down list.

3. Click Open Project.

4. Browse to where you installed the exercise files. Select Basic_Workflow_JIC.wdp. Click Open.

5. On the Project Manager, double-click Basic_Workflow_JIC to expand the drawing list.

6. Right-click Basic_Workflow_JIC_04.dwg. Click Open.

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7. Zoom in to the upper-left corner of the drawing to rungs 403-404. Make sure both the hot and neutral vertical wires are displayed.

8. Click Wires palette > Add Rung to add two rungs to ladder references 403 and 404.

9. Select insertion points for two rungs at rung references 403 and 404.

Note: Be sure to click anywhere between the vertical buses, not on the bus.

10. Notice that the rung automatically snaps to the nearest rung reference, and connection symbols are added as necessary.

11. Click Schematic palette > Insert Component to insert the first component, a relay coil.

12. In the Insert Component dialog box, click Relays/Contacts.

13. In the Symbol Preview window, click Relay Coil.

14. Select the insertion point for the relay coil on rung 403, near the right side, directly above CR407.

15. Now you annotate the component, adding description and catalog information. You can manually enter the desired information, but many tools are provided for entering the information from various reference files automatically.

Notice the tag name is automatically assigned CR403.

In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, under the Description area, click Defaults.

16. In the Descriptions dialog box, select Master Control|Relay. Click OK.

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Insert Push Buttons and Add Part Catalog

Information

17. In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, under Catalog Data, click Lookup.

18. In the Parts Catalog (Table: CR) dialog box, browse the parts catalog database to find the desired part number. You filter the available options using the boxes at the top of the dialog box.

19. Select the part number 700-P200A1. Click OK.

20. Notice that the information is transferred to the Insert/Edit Component dialog box.

21. Notice that the selected part number also contains pin number information, which is automatically entered in the Pins area.

Click OK.

22. Notice that the information is transferred to attributes on the inserted component.

This completes the insertion of the relay coil. This basic process is repeated for most component insertions.

1. Click Schematic palette > Insert Component to add a push button to reset the circuit.

2. In the Insert Component dialog box, click Push Buttons.

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3. In the Symbol Preview window, click Push Button NO.

4. Select the insertion point on rung 403, near the left side.

5. Notice that the tag name is automatically entered as PB403.

6. In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, under Descriptions, click Defaults.

7. In the Descriptions dialog box, click System|Reset. Click OK.

Note: You seldom need to enter information more than once. In this exercise’s dataset, push buttons are already used elsewhere in this project. You want to search for, and use, the same part numbers that have been selected.

8. Under Catalog Data, click Project.

9. In the Find: Catalog Assignments dialog box, click Active Project. Click OK.

10. In the Qsave dialog box, click Always QSave.

Note: AutoCAD Electrical always stores and works with the data that is saved in the drawings themselves. To ensure that the data is up to date, you are requested to save the current drawing.

11. All drawings in the current project are searched, and any push buttons found are listed in the HPB11/VPB11 Catalog Values (This Project) dialog box.

Select AB, 800EP-F2.

12. Click OK. The catalog data, including subassembly information, is transferred to the Insert/Edit Component dialog box.

13. Click OK. This completes the push-button insertion.

14. Click Schematic palette > Insert Component to add an emergency stop push button.

15. In the Insert Component dialog box, click Push Buttons.

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Add Wire Branches and Relay Coil

Child Contacts

16. In the Symbol Preview window, click Mushroom Head NC.

17. Select the insertion point approximately in the middle of rung 403.

18. Notice the tag name is automatically entered as PB403A. Because this is the second push button on the 403 rung, the number is appended with an A.

19. In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, under Descriptions, click Defaults.

20. In the Descriptions dialog box, select Emergency|Stop. Click OK.

21. In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, in the Catalog Data area, click Lookup.

22. In the Parts Catalog (Table: PB) dialog box, select 800T-D6A. Click OK.

23. In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, click OK. This completes the push-button insertion.

1. Click Wires palette > Insert Wire to add two wires that create connecting branches for the circuit.

2. For the wire start point, select a point on rung 403 between PB403 and PB403A.

3. Select the wire endpoint on rung 404 directly below the wire start point.

4. Notice that connecting dots are added automatically.

5. For the second wire branch, select the wire start point on rung 403 between PB403A and CR403.

6. Select the wire endpoint on rung 404 directly below the wire start point. Press ENTER.

7. Click Wires palette > Trim Wire to trim the wire on rung 404 between the two wire branches that you added.

8. Select a point on rung 404 between the two wire branches that you added. Press ENTER.

9. Notice that the selected wire is removed. If the connecting dots are no longer needed, they are also removed.

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Add Wire Numbers and Generate

BOM Report10. Click Schematic palette > Insert Component

to add a contact from CR403 to latch the circuit after CR304 is activated.

11. In the Insert Component dialog box, click Relays/Contacts.

12. In the Symbol Preview window, click Relay NO Contact.

13. Select the insertion point on rung 404 directly below PB403.

This is a child contact of the parent coil.

14. In the Insert/Edit Child Component dialog box, under Component Tag, click Parent/Sibling to select the parent coil and transfer data from the parent to the child.

15. Select a point anywhere on CR403.

Tip: Anywhere on the text works best.

16. In the Insert/Edit Child Component dialog box, click OK to transfer data, such as tag, description, and pin numbers, to the child component.

1. Click Schematic palette > Insert Component to insert a red light to signal when the circuit is engaged.

2. In the Insert Component dialog box, click Pilot Lights.

3. In the Symbol Preview window, click Red Standard.

4. Select the insertion point on rung 404 directly below CR403.

5. Instead of using the description defaults, you manually enter the description.

In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, under Description, for Line 1, enter POWER.

6. For Line 2, enter ON.

7. Under Catalog Data, click Drawing.

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8. In the HLT1R/VLT1R Catalog Values dialog box, select AB, 800H-PR16R. Click OK.

9. In the Insert/Edit Component dialog box, click OK.

10. On the Wires palette, click Automatic Wire Numbers to add wire numbers.

11. In the Wire Tagging dialog box, click Drawing-Wide.

The drawing is searched for wire networks. A wire number is placed on each network found.

12. The last step is to extract a Bill of Material report from the components in the drawing.

On the Schematic palette, click Schematic Reports > Schematic Reports.

13. In the Schematic Reports dialog box, under Report Name, select Bill of Material.

14. In the Bill of Material area, click Active Drawing. Click OK.

15. Notice the Bill of Material report is generated from component data within the drawing. You can save the report to any of five different file formats, or place it on the drawing in the form of a table.

16. In the Report Generator, click Close.

This completes the exercise.

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Chapter Summary ■ 27

Chapter Summary

In this chapter you learned about the AutoCAD Electrical version of AutoCAD software.

AutoCAD Electrical is created for electrical engineers who design industrial control systems. Along with the familiar AutoCAD working environment, an intuitive menu system is included that gives you access to many industry-specific tools that automate the electrical control systems design process. AutoCAD Electrical is an effective design tool for you to create schematics, diagrams, layouts, and related reports faster and more accurately than using AutoCAD software.

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