Intelligent Electrical CAD symbols

When we claim that PCschematic ELautomation is the most intelligent electrical CAD software, this all starts with the unique PCschematic cornerstone: The intelligent electrical symbol.
By intelligent electrical symbols, we mean that:

• The program understands that this is a symbol and also identifies the symbol connection points.
• The program understands that this electrical symbol is part of a component, and knows the other symbols for the component.
• The electrical symbols have attached article data.
• Different types of symbols have different properties - eg. relay coil symbols and PLC symbols - and the program treats these symbols differently.
• If you use reference designations, the program understands the reference designations intelligently in the symbol name.
• Sub names in symbols are handled intelligently.
• A mechanical symbol becomes available for mechanical layout pages, when you have placed electrical symbols for a component with an attached mechanical symbol..
• The intelligence is placed in the drawing: When you copy an area or a page, article data for the symbols are copied automatically.
• When you drag in a sub drawing, each symbol in the sub drawing has its own unique article data attached.

Member of IEC standardisation committees
DpS CAD-center ApS is an active member of the National Danish Mirror Committee of IEC TC3 (Documentation in general), and IEC TC16 (Documentation of security on machines).
- Get electrical standard book

What is the benefit of intelligent electrical symbols?
Because the electrical symbols are intelligent, you get the following benefits:

• PCschematic ELautomation generates refrerences between symbols for the same component automatically. When you click on these references in the project, you jump/navigate to the other symbols in the project.
• You have a survey window displaying components in the project, which still have available electrical symbols.
• The program suggests the next available symbol name, for the applied symbol type.
• When you place a relay coil symbol, the program automatically inserts a reference cross - or a contact mirror - with references to the other symbols for the component.
• Because of the router, the program can draw lines between the symbol connection points and the diagram automatically, when you place symbols (or sub drawings!).
• The pin numbers for the symbol connection points are named directly from the database, so you do not have to enter this information manually.
• Because the program understands the symbol types, it understands which of the symbols to include in each type of the automatically generated project lists.

Workflow with intelligent symbols - including the component database
Because of the intelligent electrical symbols and the comprehensive PCschematic component databases, containing both electrical and mechanical symbols for the components, you get the following workflow:

• When you select a component from the database, you get a symbol pickmenu containing all the electrical symbols for the electrical functions in the component.
• When you place these symbols in the diagrams, article data are already attached.
• PCschematic ELautomation is therefore able to fill out any type of list for you automatically.

If you have experience from working in less intelligent CAD systems, you will have a pretty good idea how much time this workflow can save. As far as we know at DpS CAD-center, this workflow is unique for PCschematic ELautomation.
The reason why this is possible is also because of the effort made by the component manufacturers, that have created databases for PCschematic. However, it is also easy to create your own components in PCschematic, and attach electrical symbols to your own component database in PCschematic ELautomation.

The component manufacturers also created the electrical symbols
The reason why this is possible, is because the component manufacturers not only created the records containing article numbers, type specifications, pin names etc. They also created electrical symbols for the electrical functions in the components.
These symbols are controlled by DpS CAD-center ApS, to make sure that they are created according to the electrical IEC/EN standards. - Read more about what the component manufacturers have done for you.

Placing symbols with article data in PCschematic
When you enter the Database menu in PCschematic ELautomation you can therefore start by selecting a component:

x
Symbol pickmenus with electrical symbols
You then get a symbol pickmenu, containing the electrical symbols
for the electrical functions in the component:

x
Place the electrical symbols
You can then place these symbols directly in the diagrams:

x
Article data attached automatically
The important factor is, that the symbol automatically got its attached article data in the same operation:

x
Lists filled out automatically
Because of this, PCschematic ELautomation can fill out any type of lists with these data.
When you copy symbols in projects, article data can also be attached to the copied symbols.

This also happens when you drag in full sub drawings!
When you drag in a full sub drawing, each individual symbol in the sub drawing has its own unique article data attached! - See Module and Model Based Drag'n Draw.