Jumpers are used to connect the terminals on a terminal strip with one another. The manufacturers of terminals offer numerous options for jumping terminals. Terminals that are a long way apart are normally connected with wire. In this case wire jumpers are used. For terminals that are right next to each other you can use screwable metal jumpers that allow you to connect multiple neighboring terminals with each other in order to distribute a certain potential to multiple connection points. These jumpers are designated as saddle jumpers. Saddle jumper-compatible terminals typically have a duct in the middle, which receives the metal jumper. Insertable jumpers can be used to connect neighboring or adjacent terminals together. Insertable jumpers are usually crowned connection elements which are attached to the terminal connection points. Saddle and insertable jumpers are normally used to connect immediately adjacent terminals, but they can also jump over a small number of terminals.
Switchable jumpers (switching jumpers) and isolating terminals are frequently used in energy-supply engineering.
Jumper types and jumper creation in EPLAN
In EPLAN, jumpers are connections with special properties. There are different types of jumpers:
- Jumper (general)
- Wire jumper
- Insertable jumper
- Saddle jumper
- Switching jumper.
Specify the jumper type in the connection properties using the function definition for the connection. This has priority over the jumper settings that you can specify on the terminal. If you connect two neighboring terminals of a terminal strip in the schematic with each other, "saddle jumper" is the default connection definition (provided that the terminals are saddle jumper enabled and are not PE / PEN terminals). If the connection is between two terminals of the same strip that are not neighboring, a "wire jumper" is the default connection definition.
At the terminals themselves itself you have the option of influencing the saddle jumper using the Saddle jumper field in the Properties <...> dialog. Here you specify whether a saddle jumper should be formed automatically or whether no saddle jumper should be formed. Default is "automatic" if you wish to add a terminal to the schematic.
Note:
Whether a terminal has a saddle jumper option can be seen in the Connection point logic dialog. In this case, the terminal has additional function connection points with the connection point type "Saddle jumper". (This is determined in the function definition.) The number of possible saddle jumpers is specified in the line Number of saddle jumpers.
In the Edit terminal strip dialog you can also recognize the saddle jumper option. A graphic (small dot) indicates whether the terminal disposes of at least one external / internal saddle jumper connection point in the columns Saddle jumpers (external) and Saddle jumpers (internal) .
Automatic saddle jumpers
The "Automatic" setting for saddle jumpers makes EPLAN automatically connect directly neighboring terminals in a terminal strip with a saddle jumper. The precondition is that the terminals are saddle jumper enabled and are not PE / PEN terminals. For automatic saddle jumpers you can also specify whether the selected terminal should be the jumper start or end.
Manual saddle jumpers
Manual saddle jumpers can also be generated between non-neighboring terminals. Connections do not need to exist for manual saddle jumpers. This allows you to create saddle jumpers even when there are terminals between the terminals you are connecting that should not be connected.
The saddle jumpers can be generated separately for internal and external saddle jumper connection points. To this purpose the Edit terminal strip dialog contains the buttons 
(Generate manual saddle jumper (external)) and 
(Generate manual saddle jumper (internal)).
The settings for a manual saddle jumper are stored at that terminal that represents the jumper start. To this purpose the terminals dispose of the properties Manual saddle jumpers (internal) (ID 20350) and Manual saddle jumpers (external) (ID 20351). The "jumper crest" is defined in these properties. To this purpose the increment to the next jumpered terminals is specified as well as the increment to the associated level starting from the jumper start.
Example:You have inserted five terminals in the schematic that dispose of a saddle jumper option and that are not connected through autoconnecting lines. In the Edit terminal strip dialog you generate a manual saddle jumper (internal) between the terminals X1:1, X1:3 and X1:5.
The saddle jumper defined as a result is stored at the terminal X1:1 (the jumper start) in the property Manual saddle jumpers (internal) with the value 2/0;2/0. The number before the slash specifies the steps until the next jumpered terminal and the number behind the slash the steps until the next jumpered level. Starting from the current terminal the system counts two terminals further and generates a manual saddle jumper for the terminal X1:3. Then starting from the terminal X1:3 the system counts two steps further and generates a manual saddle jumper for the terminal X1:5. Because the level does not change, the increment for the level amounts to 0 in both cases.
Saddle jumpers between different levels
In this example the first three terminals form a multi-level terminal. The image shows the terminal designation in the first column and the level in the second column.
If you generate a manual saddle jumper between the terminals X1:2 and X1:5, this is stored at the terminal X1:2 (the jumper start) in the property Manual saddle jumpers (internal) with the value 2/-2. The multi-level terminal is regarded as one terminal device. Therefore the increment is 2, although you actually count three individual terminals further. Since the jumper goes from Level 2 to Level 0, the increment for the level has the value -2 in this case.
The fact that manual saddle jumpers are defined at the terminal causes the jumpers to behave device-oriented. The jumper length is specified directly suitable to the jumper part at the terminal. The editing of other terminals of the terminal strip does not change the jumper length. Through the insertion of terminals between two manually jumpered terminals a different target is assigned to the saddle jumper.
If no jumper is found for the manual saddle jumper, this is displayed in the dialog Edit terminal strip as defective. The jumper has an open jumper end there. You can then correct or delete the jumper.
Note:
Automatic and manual saddle jumpers are differentiated in the dialog Edit terminal strip by the color of the graphic in the columns for the display of saddle jumpers (red = automatic, black = manual).
Through the new user setting Delete manual saddle jumpers during copying you now specify that the jumper information is to be deleted during the copying and pasting of terminals in the graphical editor.
Switching jumpers
A switching jumper connects one terminal with the subsequent terminal in a switchable manner. Switching jumpers have two switching states ("Open" or "Closed"), and are defined separately for the internal and external sides of the terminal. To create switching jumpers, the saddle jumper connection points are used (where available); otherwise, the terminal connection points. For external switching jumpers, only the external saddle jumper / terminal connection points are used; for internal switching jumpers, only the internal ones.
The "Closed" setting also affects the logic (connections, potentials, etc.). If this setting has been selected for a terminal, a switching jumper connection to the next terminal will be generated. The "Open" setting does not affect the logic; it only serves to recognize the switching state.
Isolating terminals
Isolating terminals connect or separate the external and internal sides of a terminal. The state of an isolating terminal in EPLAN is defined by the properties Switching lock (ID 20293) and Terminal opened (ID 20232). Switching states in the schematic can be displayed either directly via these properties, or via the block properties.
- The Switching lock property indicates whether the terminal is locked and cannot be switched.
- The Terminal opened property indicates whether the terminal is opened. If the property is activated, the connection between the internal and external sides of the terminal is separated, i.e., the potential transfer within the terminal is interrupted.
This property can also be used for distributed terminals. For the potential transfer to be recognized within the terminal, the setting Connect associated distributed terminals automatically (in the Settings: Distributed terminals dialog) must be activated^.
Rules for automatic jumper creation
- Automatic saddle jumpers are only used between terminals with the same function definition. The "terminal, general" is an exception; it can form saddle jumpers with all terminals. The level has to match for multi-level terminals.
- Automatic saddle jumpers can only be used when a saddle jumper is allowed for at least one connection point in the function definition. To this purpose the value of the property Number of saddle jumpers must be unequal to zero in the connection point logic.
- A saddle jumper is generated if both terminals are saddle jumper enabled. The terminals must lie directly next to each other, and no alignable accessories may be located between the terminals.
- For connections between terminals, of which at least one does not allow saddle jumpers, the following applies: If these are general terminals or one general and one PE / PEN terminal, a wire jumper is generated.
- A direct connection is always generated between two PE / PEN terminals, and no targets are specified. The saddle jumper option does not have any effect here.
- Direct connections are generated automatically between terminals with Direct connection points if the direct connection points are connected with each other in the schematic. Such direct connections are displayed in the columns Saddle jumpers (external) and Saddle jumpers (internal) in the dialog Edit terminal strip. In contrast to saddle jumpers the connecting points are represented by rectangles at direct connections instead of by circles. This representation also applies for reports.
Tip:
You can change the properties of a graphically represented connection through a connection definition point and for example change a wire jumper into an insertable jumper.
See also