Placing Cables

A cable is an assembly of one or more conductors or fiber optic strands, often within a protective sheath.

Cables can be pulled through bundles (including those with surface protections) and leading parts. No objects can, however, be pulled through cables, and no cable ties can be placed on cables.

Cables include wires which were defined in Library, and no other wires can be routed through them. Cables can include additional insulation (not the insulation which is already a part of each wire) and shields, both of which can be edited in the properties panel.

If a shield is set to Conductive in Library, it is used as a conductor. If it is not set to Conductive, it cannot be connected to any pin.

Note:

Shields can be connected or disconnected using dedicated buttons in the Properties panel, when a shield end is selected.

Predefined wires, insulators, and shields have editable ends with a Stripping length property. This property determines the length between the objects and the pins and, for wires, the length at each end without (additional) insulation and shield. The Stripping length property of all levels (insulation, shields, ...) can be defined graphically by ending the level on a defined point during placement, or it can be defined non-graphically as an exact value in the properties. This is possible in situations when the level ends on a grouped pin or connection pin.

Cables can be placed including mapped connectable objects (on one or both cable ends), with mapping being determined in Library. In this case, they cannot be branched.

An insulator can only be connected to a grouped pin.

A cable can be connected simply to grouped pins (or connection pins), or its ends (both or just one) can be branched and the subparts connected to different pins or even connectable objects.

Two types of interpolation are available for cables: Spline and Rounded corners. These can be set in the command bar during cable placement, or in the properties bar for already placed cables. With interpolation set to spline, the cable will pass through control points. If the interpolation is set to rounded corners, a bending radius can be set. The cable then follows a straight-line path between two control points, and bends with the given radius around any middle control points.

Place cable in workspace

Select the Insert > Place cable or the Rapid prototyping > Place cable menu items or the button or button on the toolbar (if you are placing a rapid prototyping cable, go to Step 3).

The Part navigator dialog is opened.
Select the desired cable and click [OK].

The Part navigator dialog is closed.
Click in the working window to determine the first end point of the cable's top-level subpart (insulator or twisted level).

Note:

If you click on a grouped pin (or a connectable object with a grouped pin) or a connection pin, the whole cable content (i.e. all its components) will be connected to this "pin".

Determine the other control points of the cable by clicking anywhere in the working window, or switch to the command bar and determine their coordinates.

The Interpolation can be set in the command bar.
If you accidentally place an unwanted control point, press the [Backspace] key to remove it.

The command remains active.
Right-click to finish placing the top-level cable layer (or click on a grouped pin or connection pin to connect the whole cable content).
Continue placement of the lower levels in a similar way. Note that wires must always end on a "pin" (pin, grouped pin, connection pin, or auxiliary pin).
Note:
The end point of a superior level from which the lower-level part originates is always highlighted.

When cable placement is finished (all wires are "connected") and some wires are connected to grouped pins or connection pins, the Assign wires to pins dialog is opened. This tool (a variation of the connections editor) allows for assigning individual virtual pins (of grouped pins or connection pins) to wires.
Repeat the command by using the space bar, if desired.

Place cable in workdesk

Select the Insert > Place cable or the Rapid prototyping > Place cable menu items or the button or button on the toolbar (if you are placing a rapid prototyping cable, go to Step 3).

The Part navigator dialog is opened.
Select the desired cable and click [OK].

The Part navigator dialog is closed.
Click in the working window to determine the first end point of the cable's top-level subpart (insulator or twisted level).
Note:
If you click on a grouped pin (or a connectable object with a grouped pin) or a connection pin, the whole cable content (i.e. all its components) will be connected to this "pin".
Determine the other control points of the cable by clicking anywhere in the working window, or switch to the command bar and determine their coordinates.

Start, end and control points are automatically snapped to the global grid in the workdesk working window.

The Interpolation can be set in the command bar.

In the command bar, you can switch between the Cartesian and the polar coordinate system in the System section.

You can also switch between absolute and relative coordinates in the Measurement section of the command bar.
If you accidentally place an unwanted control point, press the [Backspace] key to remove it.

The command remains active.
Right-click to finish placing the top-level cable layer (or click on a grouped pin or connection pin to connect the whole cable content).
Continue placement of the lower levels in a similar way. Note that wires must always end on a "pin" (pin, grouped pin, connection pin, or auxiliary pin).
Note:
The end point of a superior level from which the lower-level part originates is always highlighted.
Once all the cable's elements are placed, the command is finished.

The so-called "active dimensions" are inserted within the cable. You can edit their values, and the cable changes accordingly.

If some wires are connected to grouped pins or connection pins, the Assign wires to pins dialog is opened. This tool (a variation of the connections editor) allows for assigning individual virtual pins (of grouped pins or connection pins) to wires.
Repeat the command by using the space bar, if desired.