SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic - Exercise 5

In this exercise, you manipulate the existing objects and create the first terminal strip.

This exercise is based on the electrical project that you created in Exercise 4. If you did not complete it, you can download this electrical project file and unarchive it in SOLIDWORKS Electrical.

For reference while following this exercise, open, or download and print this PDF document.

Handling Objects

First, modify the M1 motor circuit so it complies with the model, then duplicate the motor circuit.

  1. Click Schematic > Move, then drag a rectangle to select the motor symbol and the wires vertically above it.
  2. Drag the selected set to move it underneath the contactor symbol.
  3. Drag a rectangle to select the remaining wires to the right of the relocated motor symbol and press Delete.
  4. Click Schematic > Multiple Copy, then drag a rectangle to select the entire motor circuit.
  5. Click the starting point and the destination point to place another motor circuit to the right of the first.

    In the duplicated circuit, the component marks increment automatically, and the manufacturer parts are retained.

Inserting a Black Box

Next, insert the EV1 variator (black box), associate it with the Miscellaneous class, and modify its material terminals.

  1. Click Schematic > Insert black box.
  2. In the Command panel, click Other symbol.
  3. In the Symbol selector dialog box, click the Black box symbol on the right, and click Select.
  4. Insert the black box as shown in the video and the PDF document.
  5. In the Symbol properties dialog box, under Hierarchy > Class, click ....
  6. In the Class selector dialog box, click Miscellaneous, and click Select.
  7. In the Symbol properties dialog box, under Mark > Root, type EV and click OK.
  8. Right-click the black box symbol and click Edit symbol terminals.
  9. In the Edit terminals dialog box, type the following values in the Mark column as shown in the video: L1, U, L2, V, L3, and W.
  10. Click OK.

Copying Existing Elements

Next, copy and move parts of the scheme. You can do this with standard keyboard shortcuts or by saving a copy action as a macro. Macros provide an efficient workflow for actions that you need to perform repeatedly.

Move the K1 command circuit into a new scheme.

  1. Press Ctrl + C.
  2. Drag a rectangle to select the part of the scheme shown in the video.
  3. In the Documents panel, right-click My Book and click New > Wiring line diagram.
  4. In the Documents panel, right-click 04 and click Properties.
  5. In the Drawing dialog box, in Description (English), type Command, and click OK.
  6. In the 04 - Command drawing, plot the high and low polarity wires (48VDC) and the circuit with the reversing switch contact in column 6, as shown in the video.
  7. In the 03 - Electrical scheme drawing, select the K1 command circuit and press Delete.
  8. In the 04 - Command drawing, press Ctrl + V to insert the K1 command circuit, and position it as shown in the video.
  9. Review and adapt the symbol marks in the pasted K1 command circuit by doing the following (as shown in the video):
    1. Right-click the Q3 symbol mark as shown in the video and click Symbol properties.
    2. On the right side of the Symbol properties dialog box, select the Q1 component to associate with the symbol mark, and click OK.
    3. Repeat steps a and b for each of the two K3 symbol marks as shown in the video, associating them with the K1 component.

Connect the command circuit to the top polarity wire, then use Move and Stretch to reposition the components of the circuit as shown in the video starting at the 1:45 time point.

Copy the repositioned circuit. Here you use Paste Special (Ctrl + Shift + V) to manage the object marks in the pasted circuit.

  1. Press Ctrl + C.
  2. Drag a rectangle to select the entire command circuit as shown in the video.
  3. Press Ctrl + Shift + V.
  4. Click to place a copy of the circuit to the right of the original circuit.
  5. In the Paste special dialog box, on the Components tab, expand the L1 node, right-click the F1+L1-K1 pasted object mark, and click Associate.
  6. In the Search component dialog box, expand the L1 - TGBT node, click F1-K2, and click Select.
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the F1+L1-Q1 object mark, associating it with F1-Q2.
  8. Right-click the F1+L1-S1 pasted object mark and click Create new mark.
  9. Repeat step 8 for the F1+L1-S2 pasted object mark and click Finish.

Perform the same copy action using a macro that you can reuse as many times as you need.

  1. Drag a rectangle around the second circuit that you created in the previous set of steps and press Delete.
  2. Drag a rectangle around the original command circuit to select it again.
  3. In the Macros panel, click Command.
  4. Click the selected circuit and drag it into the Command area in the Macros panel.
  5. In the Macro dialog box, click OK.

    A message box with progress information appears while the macro is created. When the macro is complete, a thumbnail image of it appears in the Command area of the Macros panel.

  6. Drag the thumbnail from the Command area to the location of the previous second command circuit (to the right of the original circuit).
  7. Repeat steps 5 through 9 from the previous procedure.

Circuit Management

Next. practice a typical circuit management action.

Symbols and manufacturer parts have circuits. Each pole of a device is associated with a circuit. You need to manage these circuits to get good results for things such as cross-references and material terminal display.

Swap the material terminals of the K1 NO contact to 83/84 instead of 53/54.

  1. In the 04 - Command drawing, right-click the K1 mark in the original command circuit as shown in the video and click Symbol properties.
  2. In the Symbol properties dialog box, on the Manufacturer parts and circuits tab, under Circuits, drag the NO Contact 53, 54 item to the NO Contact 83, 84 item, and click OK.

Inserting Terminals

Finally, insert terminals and learn how to add a component to a terminal strip and remove a component from a terminal strip.

Insert the XA1 and XM1 terminals.

  1. In the 03 - Electrical scheme drawing, click Schematic > Location outline.
  2. Drag a rectangle around the two motor pump symbols as shown in the video.
  3. In the Select location dialog box, select L2 - Motor Room and click Select.
  4. Click Schematic > Insert 'n' terminals.
  5. Drag to draw a perpendicular axis to the two motor circuits as shown in the video.

    A terminal is drawn at each intersection.

  6. In the Terminal symbol properties dialog box, on the right side of the Terminal mark tab, under the L1 - TGBT node, click F1-XA1.
  7. On the left side, under Terminal > Mark, verify that the Number is 1 and click OK (all terminals).
  8. Click Schematic > Insert 'n' terminals.
  9. Drag within the boundaries of L2 - Motor Room to draw a perpendicular axis to the M2 motor pump as shown in the video.

    A terminal is drawn at each intersection.

  10. In the Terminal symbol properties dialog box, on the right side of the Terminal mark tab, under the L2 - Motor Room node, click F1-XM1.
  11. On the left side, under Terminal > Mark, verify that the Number is 1 and click OK (all terminals).

Add the EV1 component to the XA1 terminal strip.

  1. Right-click in the EV1 box and click Component > Insert in terminal strip.
  2. In the Terminal strip selector dialog box, click XA1 and click Select.
  3. Click Yes to allow renumbering of duplicate marks.
  4. Right-click the EV1 component and click Extract from terminal strip.