This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

Placing Cables

A cable is an assembly of one or more conductors or fiber optic strands, often within a protective sheath.

Cables can be pulled through bundles (including those with surface protections) and leading parts. No objects can, however, be pulled through cables, and no cable ties can be placed on cables.

Cables include wires which were defined in Library, and no other wires can be routed through them. Cables can include additional insulation (not the insulation which is already a part of each wire) and shields, both of which can be edited in the properties panel.

If a shield is set to Conductive in Library, it is used as a conductor. If it is not set to Conductive, it is not connected to a pin.

Predefined wires, insulators, and shields have editable ends with a Stripping length property. This property determines the length between the objects and the pins and, for wires, the length at each end without (additional) insulation and shield. The Stripping length property of all levels (insulation, shields, ...) can be defined graphically by ending the level on a defined point during placement, or it can be defined non-graphically as an exact value in the properties. This is possible in situations when the level ends on a grouped pin or connection pin.

Cables can be placed including mapped connectable objects (on one or both cable ends), with mapping being determined in Library. In this case, they cannot be branched.

Superior cable levels such as an insulator or a shield can only be connected to a grouped pin or a connection pin.

A cable can be connected simply to grouped pins (or connection pins), or its ends (both or just one) can be branched and the subparts connected to different pins or even connectable objects.

Place cable in workspace

  1. Select the Insert > Place cable or the Rapid prototyping > Place cable menu items or the or button on the toolbar.

    The Part navigator dialog is opened.
  2. Select the desired cable and click [OK].

    The Part navigator dialog is closed.
  3. Click in the working window to determine the first end point of the cable's top-level subpart (insulator or twisted level in this case).
  4. Note:

    If you click on a grouped pin (or a connectable object with a grouped pin) or a connection pin, the whole cable content (i.e. all its components) will be connected to this "pin".

  5. Determine the other control points of the cable by clicking anywhere in the working window, or switch to the command bar and determine their coordinates.
  6. If you accidentally place an unwanted control point, press the [Backspace] key to remove it.

    The command remains active.
  7. Right-click to finish placing the top-level cable layer (or click on a grouped pin or connection pin to connect the whole cable content).
  8. Continue placement of the lower levels in a similar way. Note that wires must always end on a "pin" (pin, grouped pin, connection pin, or auxiliary pin).

    Note:

    The end point of a superior level from which the lower-level part originates is always highlighted.



    When cable placement is finished (all wires are "connected") and some wires are connected to grouped pins or connection pins, the Assign wires to pins dialog is opened. This tool (a variation of the connections editor) allows for assigning individual virtual pins (of grouped pins or connection pins) to wires.

Place cable in workdesk

  1. Select the Insert > Place cable or the Rapid prototyping > Place cable menu items or the or button on the toolbar.

    The Part navigator dialog is opened.
  2. Select the desired cable and click [OK].

    The Part navigator dialog is closed.
  3. In the command bar, you can switch between the Cartesian and the polar coordinate system in the System section.
  4. You can also switch between absolute and relative coordinates in the Measurement section of the command bar.
  5. Enter the desired values, or place the cable freely.

    While placing the cable, the dimensions are shown according to the current settings in the command bar.

    Start, end and control points are automatically snapped to the global grid in the workdesk working window.
  6. If you accidentally place an unwanted control point, press the [Backspace] key to remove it.

    The command remains active.
  7. Click [Finish] to place the cable.

    The so-called "active dimensions" are inserted within the cable. You can edit their values, and the cable changes accordingly.

    The bending radius is displayed at each control point; by selecting a particular control point you can individually modify it in the properties panel. The radius of several control points can also be changed at once in the same way.

See also