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Table of contents
No headersYou can select various file types (including XLS, CSV, MDB, and XML) to import into AutoCAD Electrical. For the Insert Connector from List tool to work, the spreadsheet and CSV import file must have the following structure. The spreadsheet for import allows 27 columns per record. The first row in the CSV or XLS file is treated as a header row, and is skipped in the import. All columns must exist and the required fields (bolded) determine the connector to be used in the Connector Selection dialog box.
Note: The structure of this file does not apply to an XML import.
Position | Field | Purpose | Column Type |
1 | TYPE1 | CMP1: C = Connector/ S = Splice | Text |
2 | INST1 | Installation Code of CMP1 | Text |
3 | LOC1 | Location Code of CMP1 | Text |
4 | CMP1 | Component 1 | Text |
5 | PIN1 | Connected pin on CMP1 | Text |
6 | DESC1 | Description of CMP1 | Text |
7 | CAT1 | Catalog number for CMP1 | Text |
8 | MFG1 | Manufacturer of CAT1 | Text |
9 | ASM1 | Assembly code for CMP1 | Text |
10 | TYPE2 | CMP2: C = Connector/S = Splice | Text |
11 | INST2 | Installation Code of CMP2 | Text |
12 | LOC2 | Location Code of CMP2 | Text |
13 | CMP2 | Component 2 | Text |
14 | PIN2 | Connected pin on CMP2 | Text |
15 | DESC2 | Description of CMP2 | Text |
16 | CAT2 | Catalog number of CMP2 | Text |
17 | MFG2 | Manufacturer of CAT2 | Text |
18 | ASM2 | Assembly code for CMP2 | Text |
19 | WIRENO | Wire number (may be blank) | Text |
20 | WIRELAY | Wire layer name | Text |
21 | CBLINST | Cable Installation Code | Text |
22 | CBLLOC | Cable Location Code | Text |
23 | CBL | Cable tag name | Text |
24 | CBLWCLR | Cable wire (conductor) color | Text |
25 | CBLCAT | Cable catalog item | Text |
26 | CBLMFG | Cable catalog manufacturer | Text |
27 | CBLASM | Cable assembly code | Text |
The MDB file must contain a table with the abovementioned 27 columns. Each column should be defined using the VARCHAR data type of an appropriate size to suit the data. The names of the columns in the table are not important, but the position is.
Import connector wire lists
Use the Insert Connector from List tool to import a connector wire list from another application, such as Autodesk Inventor Professional Cable & Harness.
Note: If the AutoCAD Electrical drawing is missing one end of the connector or if a connection was not found, wiring information is displayed next to the pin. The information is written into a log file so you know AutoCAD Electrical was unable to resolve the wire connections in the drawing. The log file name is {drawing file name.LOG} and is found in the same folder as the drawing file.
- In Autodesk Inventor Professional Cable & Harness, define wire names and connections for your assembly file.
- Define cable tags and conductor IDs and their connections in the assembly file.
- Select the harness ID in the model browser and select Export Harness Data from the Cable and Harness panel.
You are prompted to select a file name and location for the export of harness component and wiring data. An XML file is created for import into AutoCAD Electrical.
- In AutoCAD Electrical, create a drawing file.
- Click Schematic tab
Insert Components panel Insert Connector drop-down Insert Connector (From List.
- In the Connector List File Selection dialog box, select a connector list file to import into AutoCAD Electrical and click Open.
- In the Connector Selection dialog box, define the connectors to insert onto the drawing.
If the connector is placed or was previously placed into the project, an 'x' displays in the Placed column.
- (Optional) Specify whether to build the connector using fixed pin spacing or to have it compress or expand to match up the pins with underlying wire crossings.
- (Optional) Specify whether to insert the entire connector all at once or to insert it manually, pin by pin, with an option to insert spacers or to break the connector into two or more pieces.
- (Optional) Click the Rotate or Flip buttons to change the display of the connector symbol.
- (Optional) Click Details for more options to define settings for the size, shape, and display of the parametrically built connector symbols.
- Select the connectors to insert from the list and click Insert.
- Click the insertion point in the drawing for each connector.
- In the Connector Selection dialog box, continue selecting the connectors to insert and place them onto the drawing.
- When all connectors are placed on the drawing, click Wire It.
Wires are generated in the drawing. Layers and XRECORDS are defined in the drawing and applied to the lines. Wire numbers are also placed in the drawing based on wire placement settings.
Note: You can place the connectors on the drawing and add wires at a later time. To do so, follow steps 1 - 9. When you want to add wires, open the Connector Selection dialog box, and click Wire It.
Connector selection
From the XML export from Autodesk Inventor Professional into AutoCAD Electrical, you can select from a list of connectors defined in the export, and then place the connectors onto a 2D drawing file.
Ribbon: Schematic tab Insert Components panel Insert Connector drop-down Insert Connector (From List).
Toolbar: Insert Connector
Menu: Components Insert Connector Insert Connector from List
Command entry: AECONNECTORLIST
The first time you run this tool, select the connector list file (.xml, .xls, .mdb, and.csv) in the Connector List File Selection dialog box and click Open. The connector list file is retained in memory for subsequent selections of this tool.
Note: If you select to open a spreadsheet or database that contains multiple sheets or tables, the Select Input Source dialog box appears. This dialog box lets you select the sheet or table to open.
Connector List
Columns are not editable. You can sort the connector details alphanumerically by clicking the column headers.
Placed | Displays an "x" if the connector is placed or was previously placed into the project. |
Installation | Displays the Installation code for the connector, if defined in the XML import file. |
Location | Displays the Location code for the connector, if defined in the XML import file. |
Tag | Displays the reference designation (RefDes) for the connector from the Autodesk Inventor Professional (AIP) assembly or tags found in the XML import file. |
Total Pins | Displays the total pin count for the tag. |
Wired Pins | Displays the number of pins wired inside of the AIP assembly found in the import file. |
Description | Displays the occurrence name of the part defined in the AIP browser. The occurrence name is typically the part number of the component, however you can overwrite the name. |
Show All/Hide Placed | Show All displays all connectors in the grid whether they have been placed or not while Hide Placed removes previously placed connectors from the grid list. |
Connectors | Displays all connectors found in the import file in the grid display. The static text shows the total number of connector components listed in the grid control. |
Splices | Displays all splices found in the import file in the grid display. The static text shows the total number of splices listed in the grid control. |
Note: If there is a selection active when filtering the list and one or more of the selected rows drops out of the display, a warning message displays letting you decide to proceed or not.
Layout
Pin Spacing | Specifies the spacing for the distance between pin connections on their parametrically built connector symbol. The default spacing is defined from the Rung Spacing setting for the drawing. The edited value is persistent for the AutoCAD Electrical session and reverts to the default upon every time you start the application |
Fixed Spacing | Creates the connector pin spacing as fixed. The fixed spacing value is driven from the Pin Spacing setting. |
At Wire Crossings | Modifies the connector to have the pins meet the underlying wires. AutoCAD Electrical searches the wires and stretches the connector before adding the block definition to the drawing If there are more pins associated to the connector than there are wires, AutoCAD Electrical finds the wires first, then continues the connector definition at the fixed spacing |
Wired Pins | Creates the connector using the number of pins wired in the AIP assembly and found in the import file. This option reduces the size of the overall connector based upon pins used and not library definition. If this option is not selected, the connector is created using the total pins on the connector as defined in the export/import file. |
Insert All | Creates the connector without inserting spacers or breaking the connector. When you click Insert the block definition is committed to the drawing and the command is complete. |
Allow Spacers/Breaks | Displays the Custom Pin/Spaces dialog box that prompts you for the insertion of each connector pin before committing the connector block definition to the drawing file. The number of pins inserted in the block definition out of the total number of pins defined in the connector is indicated at the top of the dialog box. Select an option for inserting the other pins:
|
Splice Symbol Name | Defines a symbol to use to display a splice in the wire. Type in a symbol name to use when inserting splices or click Browse to select the symbol name to use. If left blank, once you click Insert, an error message displays. Select a Splice Symbol Name to insert the splice onto the drawing. |
Orientation
Quickly change the connectors orientation before placing it into the drawing file. This orientation change also modifies the preview to reflect the selection.
| Rotate | Switches the orientation of the parametric connector insertion between horizontal and vertical. |
| Flip | Flips the connector insertion about its long axis. |
Type
Determines the overall style of the connector.
Plug/Receptacle Combination | Creates the connector as one AutoCAD Electrical block file with both the plug and receptacle. |
Wire Number Change | Sets the property of the connector symbol to change the wire number through the connector symbol. By default, the wire numbering is the same on both sides of the connector. |
Add Divider Line | Creates the connector with a line down the middle of the block to indicate the separation of the plug and receptacle. This line becomes part of the block definition for the connector. |
Plug Only | Creates the connector as a single block file with the plug representation only. |
Receptacle Only | Creates the connector as a single block file with the receptacle representation only. |
Display
Defines the placement for the connector on the drawing relative to other connectors and the drawing border. This controls which side of the connector the plug is displayed, whether the connector goes in vertically or horizontally, and whether the pins are visible.
Connector | Specifies whether the connector comes into the drawing vertically or horizontally relative to other connectors and the drawing border. |
Plug | Specifies which direction the plug portion of the connector comes in relative to the overall plug/receptacle parametric build. The plug representation is displayed with rounded corners. Options include:
|
Pins | Specifies which pin numbers are visible or hidden on the connector. Options include showing both sides, showing the plug only, showing the receptacle only, or hiding both. If you select to make the pins on the plug or receptacle invisible, the attribute and its value are still defined in the block definition on the drawing file. If you selected Plug Only or Receptacle Only for the Type, the pin display options are show or hide only. These show or hide the pin numbers on a single plug or receptacle symbol. |
Size
Defines the outside shell size for the connector. The values in the edit boxes build the graphical shell that represents the connector on the point to point diagram.
Receptacle | Specifies the overall thickness of the receptacle side of the connector. This value can be the same as the plug side. When the connector is built, the receptacle side wire connection attribute is moved from the insertion point on the divider line to the outside line representing the receptacle. The associated terminal pin attribute (TERM01_) travels half the distance as the wire connection attribute placing itself in the middle between the dimension on the divider line. |
Plug | Specifies the overall thickness of the plug side of the connector. This value can be the same as the receptacle side. When the connector is built, the plug side wire connection attribute is moved from the insertion point on the divider line to the outside line representing the plug. The associated terminal pin attribute (TERM01_) travels half the distance as the wire connection attribute placing itself in the middle between the dimension on the divider line. |
Top | Specifies the distance from the top or breaking point of the connector to the first or next wire connection point. This feature determines where the top line is drawn relative to the first master symbol insertion point. The distance is used for the entire connector or breaking the connector. |
Bottom | Specifies the distance from the bottom or breaking point of the connector to the last or previous wire connection point. This feature determines where the bottom line is drawn relative to the last master symbol insertion point. The distance is used for the entire connector or breaking the connector. |
Radius | Specifies the radial dimension of the rounded portion of the plug representation. If left blank, a radius is not created on the plug connector. If you enter a value that exceeds the overall plug side distance, the radius value is erased. The radius is not created on the plug connector. |
Pick File
Displays the Connector List File Selection dialog box to select a new file for import.
Wire It
Reviews connectors placed on the active drawing and runs the wiring commands to make connections between the connectors.
- When both ends of the wire connections are found on the active drawing, the wires are generated between the two points. Wire numbering is added based on current configurations.
- When only one end of the wire connection is found on the active drawing, text is placed next to the connector in the X?WIREnn wire annotation attribute on the connector symbol. This text is overwritten when the second end of the wire is placed on the drawing and the Wire It command is run again.
- When neither connection for a wire is on the active drawing, the wiring command is ignored until you add the connectors into the drawing file.
Note: If the AutoCAD Electrical drawing is missing one end of the connector or if a connection was not found, wiring information is displayed next to the pin. The information is written into a log file so you know AutoCAD Electrical was unable to resolve the wire connections in the drawing. The log file name is {drawing filename.LOG} and is found in the same folder as the drawing file.
Insert
Upon selection of one or more rows in the grid display, this button is enabled. Once selected, the parametric connector program launches to create a connector image in the drawing.
Single row selection | Places one connector at a time and returns to the Connector Selection dialog box with the connector row marked as 'x.' |
Multiple row selection | Places the selected connectors in consecutive order. Steps through the list of connectors previously selected in the dialog box, placing them in the drawing one at a time. After the connectors are created the Connector Selection dialog box appears with the connector rows marked as 'x.' |