In circuit diagram pages, connection points of components or connection symbols which are precisely opposite one another, horizontally or vertically, will automatically be connected. This is called autoconnecting, and the connection lines created this way are called autoconnect lines. When inserting and moving symbols, a preview of the autoconnecting lines is shown.
The autoconnect lines are first purely graphic until the connections are generated. This occurs automatically for many actions (e.g., when a page is opened) but can also be performed manually at any time. The individual connection can get its data from project settings, potentials, or connection definition points.
You use connection symbols such as T-nodes or double junctions to draw the course of the connections. Connection junctions and double junctions can be represented either as simple points or with target specification. In the latter case, the connection sequence is directly visible and is determined by the internal logic of the connection symbol (target tracking).
Connections are displayed in the schematic according to the specified line data. You can specify the line data for the project, for potentials, or for individual connections.
Connection sources and targets
A connection always has information about what it is connected to at both ends, the source and the target. The device tags of the connected functions are compared by default to determine the source and target. The sorting of the structure identifiers in the structure identifier management will be used for these comparisons; the "smaller" device tag will become the source. In addition, unplaced connections will be considered as well. If there are more than one connection between two functions, then one function is always the source for all connections, and the other function is always the target for all connections.
Example: A "smaller" DT with identical structure identifiers means a lower number as counter / connection point designation (e.g. EB3+ET4-X1:2 < EB3+ET4-X1:5) or an identifier that is alphabetically located before the other identifier (e.g. EB3+ET4-K1:2 < EB3+ET4-X1:2).
The position of the identifier in the structure identifier management is significant if the structure identifiers do not match. Here, a "smaller" identifier has a higher position in the respective table. This means that the identifier for the mounting location ET1 is usually before the identifier ET3. Therefore EB3+ET1-X1:10 is, for example, the source and EB3+ET3-X1:4 the target of a connection.
Notes:
- You can reverse the direction of connections using the connection definition point on the individual connections (i.e. exchange source and target). Connection symbols (e.g. angles, T nodes) are not targets. Shields are often connected on one side, in which case the shield is itself the target.
- The Determine the source and target of connections from the placement setting (under the Options > Settings > Projects > "Project name" > Connections > General menu items) is used to specify that the source and target of the connection should be determined via the graphical position of the connected functions, rather than via the DT. This corresponds to the behavior in EPLAN prior to version 1.9 SP 1. Cable connections are not influenced by this setting.
See also
Specifying Connection Properties via Connection Definition Points