Using Systems in Projects
#1
Using Systems in Projects
Description
In this SkyCAD tutorial, you’re going to learn how to use systems within projects.
Topics covered
System, Design-by-System, Grouping, Options, Configuration Management.
Main content
NOTE: This tutorial was created using an older version of SkyCAD.
Ribbon buttons' appearance and positions may differ if you're using version 1.3.25 or higher.
When comparing different projects, portions of those projects are often identical, or at least similar. The reason to create a system, is to save those portions of projects to the catalogue, so you can reuse them in as many projects as you want, as many times as you want.
Design-by-Systems is a Pro feature, so it’s expected that you have some SkyCAD experience. If not, please view at least the Get Started tutorials, as well as the Introduction To Design-by-System tutorial if you haven’t done so already.
To create a system, select SkyCAD in the tree view, go to the Create/Add tab and select New System.
Designing a system is done in exactly the same way as designing a project.
A system with sheets and has its own panel
Here is a simple conveyor system:
It only has one sheet, and this conveyor system has its own panel.
Once you select a system in the tree view, go to the Home tab and choose Save, you can add the system to projects.
To add a system to a project, select the project in the tree view, go to the Create/Add tab and select Add System.
When a system is added to a project, the system is fully integrated into the project.
For example, the project parts list will include all the parts that came with the system, and if you print the project, the sheet that came with the system will be included.
The same system can also be added multiple times to the same project.
Any changes you make to a system within the project, will only affect that system.
This type of system is great if you want your system to have its own sheets, but what happens if you want your system’s schematics to be inserted onto the project sheets?
The solution is discussed below.
A system with graphical groupings, and does not have its own panel
Now, let’s look at an example where the system’s schematics will be inserted into the project’s sheets, and the system’s components will be laid out in the project panel, instead of the system having its own panel.
Looking at the system by itself, it has two graphical groupings – power and control.
The graphical groupings behave just like sheets.
Components from different groupings can be linked together, in the same way that they are linked together when used on sheets, however cross-references will not be shown until these schematics are inserted onto sheets.
When this system is added to a project, as before, the project parts list and BOM include all the parts that came with the system.
To insert the system’s groupings into the project’s sheets, select the system’s graphical groupings in the tree view, go to the Home tab and select Insert system’s sub-schematic,
then go to the sheet you want to insert those groupings onto, and insert them onto the sheet.
Once the system’s groupings are inserted, they are no longer displayed in the tree view.
Now that the system’s sub-schematics appear on sheets, cross-references are shown:
Laying out system components in the project’s location layout
To do this, simply assign the system’s components to the relevant project location, then lay them out as normal.
If a system’s components are often going to be laid out in a similar way, such as in groups (see animation below), it’s possible to create a pre-defined layout so multiple system components can be laid out all at once.
The “Creating a System” tutorial describes how to do this, under the “Defining virtual location layouts” section.
A system with IO to be integrated with the project’s PLC
Next, we’ll look at an example where a system carries IO which should be integrated into the project’s PLC.
For example, consider that relay R1 should have its coil connected to the project’s PLC output.
We could add this relay coil and IO comment to the project PLC once the system has been added, but we risk forgetting about it.
It would be more prudent and efficient to add an unassigned IO to the system, for that relay coil.
Unassigned IO are added to a system via the Create/Add tab and selecting New I-O.
Alternatively, you could import your IO list from Excel.
The Schematic generation from I/O list tutorial will show you how to add the relay coil to the unassigned IO, and once the system has been added to a project, how to assign the IO to a PLC.
A system with options
Using systems with options makes the Design-by-System feature much more versatile and powerful.
For example, below we have a generic conveyor system. However, in the bottom right corner, there is an Options view, listing different configurations that have been defined for this system.
Selecting 1HP from the options, assigns the relevant part numbers to the circuit breaker, contactor and overload, and lays them out in the panel layout.
The 2HP and 3HP options work the same way.
Selecting the Bidirectional option adds a new contactor and wiring, and changes the control circuit to suit, including replacing the stop and start buttons with a selector switch.
Using the CTRL key, several options can be activated.
For example, selecting the Bidirectional option and one of the power options (e.g. 3HP), gives us the extra contactor and changes the wiring, but it also assigns 3HP parts to the circuit breaker, contactors and overload, and lays them out on the panel layout.
When systems with options are added to a project, the options for each system can be managed independently.
For example, if two instances of the above conveyor system are added to a project, the 3HP option for Conveyor 1 could be activated, and the 1HP and Bidirectional options for Conveyor 2 could be activated.
More about options is covered in the Configuration Management tutorials.