The circuits in a component correspond to the device poles. These circuits are used
in the symbol definition, and also in the manufacturer part definition. Cross references are
generated, and terminals are shown by comparing the circuits of the symbol and the circuits of
the manufacturer part.
The circuits are not limited to devices. Terminals and PLC cards can also have
circuits.
Circuit Definition
The software manages several types of circuits, corresponding to the nature of the
electrical component. For example, a three-pole circuit breaker consists of three
Circuit breaker, Switch circuits.
The circuits of a component are the sum of the circuits of all the symbols
representing this component.
The above example shows the definition of reference LC1D09006B7 from Schneider in
circuit terms. It consists of a coil, a 3-pole power contactor, NO, and reversing
contacts.
Circuits and Groups
To associate circuits, enter a number (or a name) on each circuit. They must have the
same number.
For example, a reversing contactor uses the circuit groups, on which you can find one
coil associated with one contactor and a second coil associated with a second
contactor.
The manufacturer part data stores the group number. When you insert the symbol
component, the cross references are automatically updated with the group number.
Manufacturer Parts and Circuits
When you assign a manufacturer part, the software compares the circuits of the
manufacturer part and the circuits of the various symbols representing the
component.
If they match, the material terminal numbers are automatically propagated to the
symbol circuits and displayed in the scheme. If there are any differences between
the circuits of the manufacturer part and the circuits of the symbols, the circuits
are added or reserved. In this case, the material terminal numbers are not displayed
in the scheme.
SOLIDWORKS Electrical uses a color code to display the circuits of a component.
- The green color indicates consistency between the symbol circuits and the
manufacturer part circuits.
- The red color indicates an inconsistency. Certain circuit symbols are not
present in manufacturer parts. Add auxiliaries or modify your component to
add the symbols within the manufacturer part.
- The blue color indicates that the manufacturer part contains circuits not
represented in the symbol (reserved circuits).
- The yellow color indicates the presence of virtual circuits, which appear
not as symbols or as manufacturer part references (added manually).
When you replace a manufacturer part by another one, SOLIDWORKS Electrical removes
the previous circuit association and associates the circuits of the new manufacturer
part with those of the symbols, like the first association.
Switching Circuits
The association of the circuits of the manufacturer parts and those of the symbols is
automatic. You can change the association, but only between circuits that have the
same characteristics, for example, to switch a NO contact to another NO contact.
In the Symbol properties dialog box (Tab:
Manufacturer part and circuits), select a circuit and
drop it to another one.