jsharkey

Well Known Member
Anyone use simple wiring diagram software to design and record their harness? If so what? Anything that will will work on a Mac?

Jim Sharkey
RV6
 
DesignWorks Lite from Capilano Computing is worth a try. I haven't tried it on my current Intel iMac running OS X 10.5, but it worked fine on my G4 on 10.4. It isn't completely intuitive, so work through the tutorial in the pdf manual, or you'll get pretty frustrated. There is a 30 day demo you can try before coughing up any cash.

More - one thing I really like about DesignWorks Lite is that once you connect the wires to the components, you can drag the components around on the page, and the wires stay connected. This saves a lot of time, if you later discover you need to move components around on the page to make room for another one.
 
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Eagle

Jim,

I use the Eagle layout package for schematic generation and PCB layout. You can turn off the PCB stuff.

A freeware version is available at
http://www.cadsoftusa.com/freeware.htm
and runs under Mac as well as Linux.

I also googled 'free schematic software' and got several hits.

I don't know if I would characterize Eagle as particularly easy but its not too bad and there are tutorials available online. Like other capture/layout packages its component-object oriented i.e. everything on the sheet is a set of objects, a picture for the schematic, pin definitions and a PCB package (IC, relay outline etc). You get the components (switches, resistors, relays etc) out of a (pretty extensive) library, drop them on the sheet and hook em up with 'wires' (nets). Editing is pretty easy. As long as you don't care about a PCB layout (and you don't) , you just pick a symbol you like and use it. When you need something you don't have(no master contactors in the library), you can create it pretty easily.

I expect the foregoing is pretty much the same for any schematic capture package. The other freeware hits I got were for Windows..

The other route is something like AutoCAD lite or TurboCAD. Create the components you need and draw lines to connect. I've used both but prefer the schematic/PCB route. I'll put even one-off circuits on a PCB using one of the prototype houses like www.4pcb.com rather than hand-wire it. Learning the schematic part of something like Eagle gets you halfway to that option.

If you decide to try Eagle, PM me and I'll dig out some objects I made for my wiring diagram(master contactors) and send em to you.

Others on the forum have published some pretty nice drawings as well. Hopefully they'll chime in with some other options.

Have fun.
John
 
TurboCAD and grids...

TurboCAD is good and cheap ($20 or so on E-Bay for legal copies one revision behind)... it has more capability than you need for schematics, but that just makes it more useful.

One of the keys to schematic drawing is learning the "snap to grid" function (or equivalent). If you set up your drawing with a reasonable grid (say 1/8 inch for an 11x17 paper), and ensure that your lines and connect points all fall on the grid, things will sort of snap together...:)

gil A
 
I tried the do it yourself aproach to drawing my wiring diagram and gave up. I had mine done by a friend in MN who will do others if you want to contact him.

George Muellerliele [email protected]

Gary
RV10
 
RE:Which turbocad package

Gil

Question from a software challenged airplane builder. Which Turocad product delivers the electrical design component in its' package.

Frank @ SGU RV7A.....ndy...bgc...


TurboCAD is good and cheap ($20 or so on E-Bay for legal copies one revision behind)... it has more capability than you need for schematics, but that just makes it more useful.

One of the keys to schematic drawing is learning the "snap to grid" function (or equivalent). If you set up your drawing with a reasonable grid (say 1/8 inch for an 11x17 paper), and ensure that your lines and connect points all fall on the grid, things will sort of snap together...:)

gil A
 
TurboCAD

Gil

Question from a software challenged airplane builder. Which Turocad product delivers the electrical design component in its' package.

Frank @ SGU RV7A.....ndy...bgc...

Frank... I think they all do... but they are generic symbols... it easier to use the symbols for AeroElectric Bob's web site which are much more aircraft specific.

I did have to adjust the symbol connect points to my grid, but once you do it once for each symbol, you can cut-n-paste the symbol for all future instances (or add it to your library).

The lines and text are nothing special (not electrical specific), just plain drafting....

It looks like Turbocad Deluxe v12 is the one on E-Bay at the $20 mark...

gil A
 
Somethings go better in pencil

With schematics I think pencil and paper work very well. There is something about the process of drawing a line that makes you think about what you are creating instead of the interacting with the software and its constraints. The cost is right for a one time application and configuration control is maintained in one place by having only one version of the drawing.

Bob Axsom
 
Readability....

With schematics I think pencil and paper work very well. There is something about the process of drawing a line that makes you think about what you are creating instead of the interacting with the software and its constraints. The cost is right for a one time application and configuration control is maintained in one place by having only one version of the drawing.

Bob Axsom

Depends whether anyone else can read your writing....:)

I always told younger engineers that your schematics aren't for you, they are for some poor guy that is debugging a problem in 5 years time, long after you have left the company....

gil A
 
I agree with pensil and paper

With schematics I think pencil and paper work very well. There is something about the process of drawing a line that makes you think about what you are creating instead of the interacting with the software and its constraints. The cost is right for a one time application and configuration control is maintained in one place by having only one version of the drawing.

Bob Axsom


I have over 30,000 hours of high end CAD experience at my day job. I used a pencil and paper for my electrical schematics and never considered a CAD package. I am now re-wiring my Cessna 140, and doing it on paper as well, but the electrical system in it is a breeze compared to my RV. I did use a CAD package for other things like panel layout/cutout and paint layouts.
 
TurboCAD, as mentioned earlier, is very useful IMO.

I have the AeroElectric symbols already drawn in TurboCAD if anyone wants a copy.

They didn't translate well from the AutoCAD ones on Bob's site.

symbols-1.jpg


Sized for a 11 x 17 page and a 0.2 inch grid - snapshot stating 0.25 grid above has error on title block. Readable on a letter size printout.

If you want a copy, use email to -

gilalex (at) q (dot) com
 
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If you go ahead and learn to use a cad system that is a derivative of Autocad (or heaven forbid, Autocad itself :rolleyes:) then you can START with the Aeroelectric drawing file of your choice and modify to your hearts content. Aeroelectric drawings are in dwg format.

I also support Bob Axsoms suggestion of pencil and paper.
 
Microsoft Visio

I'm using Microsoft Visio for the electrical drawings. The software contains already many electrical symbols; drawing is easy and the connections follow, if a device is moved.

Thilo
 
We use Visio at SteinAir. They can be published to .pdf and e-mailed as a read-only file so our customers get that along with a large-format hard copy.
 
If you go ahead and learn to use a cad system that is a derivative of Autocad (or heaven forbid, Autocad itself :rolleyes:) then you can START with the Aeroelectric drawing file of your choice and modify to your hearts content. Aeroelectric drawings are in dwg format.

I also support Bob Axsoms suggestion of pencil and paper.

Bob's AutoCAD schematics do not translate well into TurboCAD. That is why I made a set of symbols from his outlines.

Legal old versions are fine for schematics and are even $14 cheap -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TURBOCAD-15...mage_Video_Audio_Software&hash=item2c637ade46

TurboCAD will also "print" to PDF files as well.
 
They can be published to .pdf and e-mailed as a read-only file so our customers get that along with a large-format hard copy.

Pretty much any file that can be printed can be turned into a .pdf with a little freeware like SmartPDF, etc.

I used TurboCAD for the Rocket and Visio for my Cobra. Visio is easier to use IMO and scales easier, but both work well.