How to manage busbars in your electrical projects – elecworks Tips & Tricks

Do you need to use busbars in your electrical projects and you don’t know how to manage it?

With elecworks you can handle this situation as follows!

Process

1) Create the schematic symbol that represents the busbar. Go to Library menu>Symbols manager, select the class wiring systems and create a new symbol that can be named Busbar:

You can use the shape you need, but is important that you choose the option Hyper passing under circuit properties, this way all wires connected to the same component (busbar) will have the same mark.

2) Draw the busbar in the scheme. The previous symbols represent a connection point of the busbar, so you must insert various symbols. All symbols belonging to the same busbar must be related.
Insert the first symbol (-W1), during the insertion of the second one you must assign it to -W1, you must use the list on the right in the insertion Symbol properties dialog to associate:

If you have several components you can use the filters in order to show only components with the same class or base class:

If you are using the Automatic marks while inserting:

You can select the symbol in the scheme->right click->Symbol properties in order to assign the inserted symbol to -W1:

Draw a scheme like this one:

3) Create the wire that represents the connection to the busbar. Go to Project menu>Configurations>Wire styles and add a new single wire style:

The new wire style can be named busbar, but it is important that the equipotential formula is configured as:
“W” + EQU_NO
This way the mark of the component will match with the mark of the wire.

Use the new wire style to connect the previously inserted symbols, go to Process menu and use the option Number new wires:

Really all wires are numbered as W1, in order to show them you must select the wires>right click>Show/hide wire marks:

If you want to hide the mark of the symbols you must select them>right click, select the option Attributes and then the attribute you want to show/hide:

4) Create the 2D footprint that represents the busbar in the cabinet layout. Go to Library menu>2D footprints manager, select the class wiring systems and create a new symbol named busbar_2D:

5) Create the manufacturer part for the busbar. Go to Library menu>Manufacturer parts manager, select the class wiring systems and create a new part:

You must assign to it the previous 2D footprint.

Now you must assign this part in the scheme, select the symbol in the scheme>right click and select the option Component>Assign parts.

6) Insert the busbar in the cabinet layout. In order to create the cabinet drawing go to Process menu and use the option 2D cabinet layout. In the cabinet drawing use the panel Cabinet layout to insert the components and the busbars:

During the busbar insertion uncheck the option Hide background:

Benefits

With this method elecworks™ allows you to handle busbars in an intelligent way, and you will have the following benefits.

1-Schematic and real representation of busbars.

2-Busbars included in BOM and connections report:

These points allow you to generate a more complete and detailed documentation for your designs. This way you can create higher quality projects!

* Note: Download here the sample project related to this tip & trick. This project has been designed with elecworks™ 2015 SP1, so you should ensure that you have this version in order to unarchive it properly.