TechArchive

Original article date: March 1999

According to JOHN GOODAY Product Manager at Rockwell Automation the RSWire software package can reduce electrical design and documentation time by up to 50%.

RSWire is an electrical design package for engineers designers and implementers of electrical control and power systems. It replaces the drawing board mechanical CAD and electronic schematic software with software that produces schematics and panel layouts automatically. The latest available is 3.20

Schematics are created using standard symbol libraries such as IEC and JIC. Intelligent wires logically connect symbols and break automatically at connection points as symbols are placed. RSWire automatically assigns device IDs and part numbers. Once created schematic sections can be cut and pasted between projects while automatically updating IDs and maintaining part number information. Areas of circuitry can be stored as macros to be used for other projects.

Wire numbers can be assigned in a variety of formats. For PLC I/O the user can specify the I/O address as the wire number. For terminals the wire number can be assigned automatically to the terminal strip pin number. This ensures that no wire numbers are duplicated which is a risk with manual methods.

Supplied on CD-Rom all versions of RSWire support Windows 95 and NT operating systems. The program runs as a standalone product or as an application within AutoCAD 14 for Windows to integrate designs with familiar draughting tools and industry standard data formats such as DWG IGES and DXF. For those companies not using AutoCAD it can be issued with a built-in Autodesk runtime version..

RSWire also provides extensive tools for creating panel layouts. It automatically generates a list of devices to be included in the panel layout and links the list to the graphical representation of those devices. This ensures that all components in the schematic will fit the panel. The panel layout includes all dimensioning functions for a complete design layout. Using 3 commands supplied with AutoCad the user can produce full 3D panel realisations.

A shortest distance wiring list can be created which includes the length of the wires used in a panel and the trunking through which they pass. This enables wiring looms to be created independently of the panels to which are to be fitted.

RSWire automatically generates a comprehensive set of design documentation directly from the schematic. Bills of Materials purchasing lists project costing and dimension lists can all be created in seconds- rather than hours using traditional methods. Terminal block diagrams can be automatically generated including wire numbers terminal numbers and cabling data all at the press of a button.

Using single key presses the user can move automatically from a schematic to a panel door or control desk layout and then into a piece of associated documentation or the parts database. This facility enables installation and maintenance staff to get access to all aspects of the design and documentation via their laptop rather than by searching through vast amounts of paper information.

Each drawing page within an RSWire project is held as an individual DWG file. This complies with the Autodesk layering standard for electrical design and enables an RSWire drawing to be changed in AutoCAD without losing its design content (“intelligence”).

Free RSWire demonstration diskettes are available from Rockwell Automation as well as details of seminars being held at various locations throughout the UK.

Part and assembly database

A range of Allen-Bradley components is available as a database for use with RSWire. It includes catalogue numbers list prices panel layout details mechanical and additional part information as well as intelligent symbol relationships for the following:

MCS/CAB6 Contactor Range (5A to 420A)

MCS Contactor Relays

DeviceNet starter auxiliary module

Motor protective circuit breakers up to 90A

Compact starters up to 23A

Electronic overload relays up to 400A

Switch disconnectors

Push buttons

Terminals

Databases are available for many other component manufacturers which can be combined by the user to form a bespoke system. To locate a specific component it is not necessary to know the part number. The user can enter known parameters and the database returns a list of devices meeting those criteria.

• Rockwell Automation
• Contact: John Gooday
• Tel: 01908 838800

March 1999