About Importing Electrical Data

You can import the electrical data from version 5 into version 6. The electrical specifications from external systems can be imported in a variety of formats from version 5 into version 6 .

For information about importing electrical data from version 5 into version 6, see Electrical File Base Design Import.

Related Topics
Electrical Data Exchange Format

About Importing Electrical Specifications

You can import electrical specifications in a variety of formats (textual, list, 2D schematics, legacy database) from various data repositories.

These specifications are loaded into CATIA:

  • Directly through CAA APIs (refer to CAA documentation), or
  • Via an XML file.

An imported system typically consists of:

  • Electrical devices: equipment, shells, connectors, splices and cavities
  • Properties of these devices
  • Electrical and assembly links between these devices.

How External Systems and 3D Data are Reconciled

Links are used to map electrical devices placed in the 3D design with specifications in external systems.

A unique identifier is shared between imported data and 3D electrical data. This identifier is the Id attribute in the Electrical Data Exchange Format. The link between external system devices and 3D devices is done by setting the 3D device instance name to the same value as the external system Id.

A number of checks are then performed:

Connector Check

The part numbers of the external system connector and the 3D connector are compared:

  • If they are identical: the link is done
  • If the external system connector Part Number is empty: the link is automatically done.
  • If the external system connector Part Number is different from the 3D connector Part Number, a message is displayed. You can decide whether or not you want to create the link (using the OK or Cancel buttons). If you create the link, the instance name of the 3D connector will be replaced by the instance name of the external system connector.

Then the names of sub-entities (external system contacts and 3D cavities) are compared:

  • If the Name is identical, the link is created. For example, a cavity in the 3D data is mapped to its external counterpart, using this mechanism.
  • If some Names are different, Partial in the Linked column of the Device List informs you that only some of the sub-entities have been linked.

Equipment or Shell Check

The part numbers of external system equipment and 3D equipment are compared:

  • If they are identical: the link is done.
  • If the external system equipment Part Number is empty: the link is automatically done.
  • If the external system equipment Part Number is different from the 3D equipment Part Number, a message is displayed. You can decide whether or not you want to create the link (using the OK or Cancel buttons).

External system connectors are then reconciled with corresponding 3D equipment connectors. This is done based on the external system connector Name and the 3D equipment cavity Name. When a cavity Name is compatible, the connector plugged in this cavity is reconciled with the external system connector.

For example: an item of equipment has two cavities, with IdNum1 and IdNum2 as Name.

If the external system specified that a connector is plugged in IdNum1, and if, in the 3D session, a connector with a compatible Part Number is connected to this cavity, the system will automatically link this connector by setting its instance name to the Id of the external system connector.

Checks are then performed on sub-entities of linked connectors (as explained above).

Automatic Placement of Connectors on Equipment

If an external system consists of an item of equipment with connectors, and the equipment is already linked but not the connectors, when you place the 3D connectors from the database using the Place button of the Manage Links command , they are automatically placed at the correct location in the equipment cavities, and the electrical connection is performed at the same time.

Automatic Creation of Assemblies

The automation of assembly creation is a highly productive method that lets you get the most out of placement from external data.

In the external specifications (i.e. XML file), you can describe how:

  • Connectors are assembled in an item of equipment or shells
  • Contacts are assembled in a single insert connector.
  • BachShells are associated to connectors.

This description is used to automatically create:

  • The assembly of connectors in equipment cavities when equipment is placed.
  • The assembly of contacts in single insert connector cavities when the single insert connector is placed.
  • The assembly of a BackShell and a connector.

In order to automatically create assemblies in this way, the XML description and the V6 electrical reference data in the database must be mapped.


  1. For a connector to be correctly placed in the right cavity of an item of equipment or shell:
    • The equipment / shell and connector PartNumber in the XML file must correspond to items in the database.
    • The equipment / shell must have a cavity with a defined name in the database.
    • The connector name in the XML file must correspond to a cavity name of the V6 equipment / shell .
    XML File Database 
    XML Equipment / shell  
(PartNumber1)
|
|
|
--XML Connector (Name, 
PartNumber2)

    -> V6 Equipment / shell 
 (PartNumber1)
    |
->  |-- Cavity (Name)
        |
-> V6 Connector
(PartNumber2)
  2. Similarly for a contact to be correctly placed in the right cavity of a connector:
    • The connector PartNumber in the XML file must correspond to a connector in the database.
    • Each cavity PartNumber in the XML file must correspond to a contact in the database.
    • The cavity name in the XML file to which a cavity is connected must correspond to a cavity name of the single insert connector in the database.
    XML File Database 
    XML Connector 
(PartNumber1)
|
|--XML Cavity (Name)
    |
   XML Pin
(PartNumber2)

    -> V6 Single Insert
Connector (PartNumber1)
    |
->  |-- Cavity (Name)
       |
-> V6 Contact (PartNumber2)
  3. For a BackShell to be correctly linked to a connector: the BackShell name in the iXF file must correspond to the nale of the BackShell connection point of the connector in the database.
    XML File Database 
    XML Connector 
(PartNumber1)
|
|--XML BackShell (Name)
(PartNumber2)

    -> V6 Connector
Connector (PartNumber1)
    |
->  |-- BackShell Connection Point (Name)
  4. For an Accessory: no electrical behavior, it is just placed in 3D.

PLM Environment and CATIA Settings

When importing electrical specifications from external systems, you must specify the PLM environment and identify the folder containing the XML files describing the external data.

PLM Environment

To select the environment:

  • PLM Access > Creation Preferences...
  • Tools > Options > PLM Access > Identification > Preferred Environment
  • Select your environment

CATIA Settings

To identify the folder containing XML files:

Help when Placing Devices

Help is available when Placing Electrical Devices if external specifications contain:


  • The Identifier: the instance name of the device to place.
  • System Type, Description and Localization elements: textual information about device location.

If this is the case, the Functional Behavior dialog box appears when you select the external device you want to place from the Device List dialog box.

The PLM chooser also opens with the Identifier. Simply click Search to find the device.