Wire-list Editor > Background

Wire-numbers are inserted in the circuit diagram manually, automatically or in a combination of both. There are several good reasons to insert wire-numbers in the circuit diagrams, among them that they must be saved somewhere, and the circuit diagrams are the best place for that. This is for example a prerequisite to correctly handle any future revisions of the wiring.

Wire-numbers are stored in special symbols intended for the purpose - wire-number symbols - which are placed at the connection points of the symbols. Besides from wire-numbers, these wire-number symbols can also contain properties such as dimension, colour, node name and signal name.

Another important function of the wire-number symbols, is to define the wiring sequence, meaning how the wires should be connected physically. This is something that a circuit diagram otherwise does not show. A circuit diagram specifies what is connected to what, but not how. The wire-numbers change that! A side effect of this is that the wire-number symbols serve as a container for other properties of the wires, like colour and dimension.

In a project without any wire-number symbols, cadett ELSA can still present a complete wire-list, without any problems what-so-ever. So, how can that be possible?

In that case, the wire-list is built upon assumptions about the wiring sequence. These assumptions are made in a way that tries to optimise the wiring in the best possible way, given the information that is currently available. Optimising the wiring means that the program tries to find the shortest possible path in a physical sense. The information that is available is used to – as far as possible – calculate the best wiring sequence. Information which can be used for that purpose include any possible cabinet layout, location designations, plant designations, component type letter codes, item designations as a whole, and connection point numbers.

The wire-list, which is calculated in this way, is completely unnumbered. It exists only in the memory, and is therefore volatile. It will disappear if you close the program. By performing a numbering of the wires in the list, which can be done automatically, and then inserting the wire-numbers in the circuit diagram, the information is saved. Thereafter, you will have a great starting point from which you can introduce any changes, whether that regards the wiring order, the numbering, or other wire properties such as dimensions or colours.

Many times, this automatic analysis results in a completely satisfying wire-list, at least in most parts. Some adjustments may be required to satisfy the critical designer, but in many cases that will be limited to minor modifications. That work does not need to be repeated.

How the Wire-list Editor should create the original unnumbered wire-list, meaning what the program should take into consideration and what to ignore, is controlled by settings in the Wire-list Editor itself. The numbers that should be used when numbering the wire-list, are also controlled the same way.