About the Catalog Database Structure

Catalog Tables

AutoCAD Electrical uses the first fields for its own which includes three user fields for your use. You can insert additional fields beyond the AutoCAD Electrical ones, but they are ignored when generating reports. Here are the fields accessed by AutoCAD Electrical.

Important: The fields must remain in this order in the database records.

Field Name	Width	Description
CATALOG	60	Catalog number.
MANUFACTURER	24	Manufacturer code; abbreviations are allowed.
DESCRIPTION	150	Generic description.
TYPE	100	Generic type (field name varies based on table name).
RATING	100	Generic rating (field name varies based on table name).
MISCELLANEOUS1	100	First miscellaneous text field (header cell is based on the component family).
MISCELLANEOUS2	100	Second miscellaneous text field (header cell is based on the component family).
ASSEMBLYCODE	60	Code to flag that this item has subassembly items. Spaces are allowed. Use a semi-colon, ";", to separate multiple codes. To define a quantity for a subassembly item, prefix the code with the quantity followed by a comma, ",". For example, an ASSEMBLYCODE value of: 2,NOBLOCK;3,NCBLOCK, would add the following: 2 of the subassembly item with the code name "NOBLOCK" in the ASSEMBLYLIST field 3 of the subassembly item with the code name of "NCBLOCK" in the ASSEMBLYLIST field
ASSEMBLYLIST	24	Code to flag as a subassembly item of a main item. The value must match the ASSEMBLYCODE value of the main catalog item exactly.
ASSEMBLYQUANTITY	8	Subassembly quantity (blank = quantity of 1).
USER1	100	Field #1 for other information.
USER2	100	Field #2 for other information.
USER3	100	Field #3 for other information.
TEXTVALUES	255	Optional user-defined RATING/miscellaneous attribute values.
WEBLINK	255	Associate .pdf files or Web URL to component.
WDBLKNAM	60	AutoCAD Electrical block name minus the first character of the block name since the first character is the orientation of block (H= Horizontal, V= Vertical).
SYMBOL2D	255	Schematic symbols associated to the catalog value that can be inserted from the Catalog Browser. Multiple symbol names are separated by a comma.
SYMBOL3D	255	3D parts associated to the catalog value that can be inserted from the Catalog Browser in Inventor using the AutoCAD Electrical add-in. Multiple part names are separated by a comma.

TEXTVALUE rating and miscellaneous attribute value assignment

A TEXTVALUE field is available in each catalog database table. This field can be used to assign text values to specific attributes on the component at the time the catalog is assigned. The format for the text data in this field is:

<attribute tag name1>=<text value>;<attribute tag name2>=<text value>

For example, a catalog entry must annotate the component block attributes RATING1 and RATING2 with "ON DELAY" and "5-30 sec" respectively. Insert the following text string into the TEXTVALUES edit box:

RATING1=ON DELAY;RATING2=5-30 sec

Tip: Rating attributes that are common among all component types make the population of the catalog database easier.

When inserting or editing components, if you make a catalog selection that comes with a non-blank TEXTVALUE, AutoCAD Electrical breaks apart the field value and searches for the attributes on the symbol. If found, the attributes are updated with the data pulled from the TEXTVALUE field for the catalog record.

WEBLINK

Sometimes, you want to see more information about your component than can be held in the catalog database. For example, suppose you want to see a picture of the item or get its specifications. Use the WEBLINK field to achieve the result you need. If the WEBLINK field for the selected part is a Web URL, your Internet browser launches and displays it. If it is an image file, PDF, spreadsheet, or some other document type, the application associated with that file extension (for example, "Open With...") starts and displays the contents of the file.

Note: For PDF display, you can include the page number to display upon document open. Add "#page=" and the page number after the PDF file name in the WEBLINK field value (for example, C:\\rockwell\\700series.pdf#page=13).

A Weblink assignment can show up in the Surf dialog box. If you select a parent component to surf on, and it carries a catalog assignment that references a Weblink value, it displays in the surf selection dialog box along with the other related component references. Double-clicking the Weblink reference launches your browser or appropriate application.

Note: Picking on a child component to initialize in the Surf dialog box does not display a Weblink referenced by a related parent. Pick the parent carrying the catalog assignment.

WDBLKNAM

Use the WDBLKNAM field to filter your search results in the Catalog Browser. The Filter by WDBLKNAM value option on the Catalog Browser suppresses what data displays in the results for a particular component. When you perform a catalog search on a symbol and the Filter by WDBLKNAM value option is selected, the only records that display have one of the following:

• A value in the WDBLKNAM field that matches the block name of the symbol.
• A blank WDBLKNAM value.

For example, a catalog lookup on an on-delay coil (HTD1N.dwg or VTD1N.dwg) displays all blank WDBLKNAM entries and all entries that include “TD1N” somewhere in the WDBLKNAM field.

If the Filter by WDBLKNAM value option is not selected, the search ignores the WDBLKNAM field and returns all catalog information matching the search parameters.

Note: The WDBLKNAM field is ignored when inserting a component from the Catalog Browser.

Pin List Tables

_PINLIST is the default pin list data table. AutoCAD Electrical also contains manufacturer-specific pin list tables that have the same format as the _PINLIST table. The naming convention for manufacturer-specific tables is _PINLIST_{manufacturer}, for example _PINLIST_AB or _PINLIST_AROMAT. AutoCAD Electrical first searches manufacturer-specific tables; if not found, it then searches the default _PINLIST table.

When a catalog assignment is made to a component, it looks to the pin list table for a matching entry and pulls out and assigns the values when a match is found.

RECNUM	(Microsoft Access internal use)
MANUFACTURER	Manufacturer code (value must be consistent with the catalog lookup files)
CATALOG	Catalog number
ASSEMBLYCODE	AutoCAD Electrical internal assembly code (must be consistent with the catalog lookup files)
COILPINS	Terminal pin numbers for coils (separate multiple pins with commas)
PINLIST	Contact type and pin numbers
PEER_COILPINS	Terminal pin numbers for peer coil
PEER_PINLIST	Contact type and pin numbers

Terminal Properties Tables

_TERMPROPS is the default terminal properties data table. AutoCAD Electrical also contains manufacturer-specific tables that have the same format as the _TERMPROPS table. The naming convention for manufacturer-specific tables is _TERMPROPS_{manufacturer}, for example _TERMPROPS_AB or _TERMPROPS_AROMAT. AutoCAD Electrical first searches manufacturer-specific tables; if not found, it then searches the default _TERMPROPS table.

When a catalog assignment is made to a terminal, it looks to the terminal properties table for a matching entry and pulls out and assigns the properties when a match is found.

RECNUM	(Microsoft Access internal use)
MANUFACTURER	Manufacturer code (value must be consistent with the catalog lookup files; 24 characters maximum)
CATALOG	Catalog number (60 characters maximum)
ASSEMBLYCODE	AutoCAD Electrical internal assembly code (must be consistent with the catalog lookup files; 60 characters maximum)
LEVELS	Number of levels for the terminal
LEVELDESCRIPTION	Levels description/level definition (255 characters maximum)
TPINL	Pin label definition for the left side of the terminal (255 characters maximum)
TPINR	Pin label definition for the right side of the terminal (255 characters maximum)
WIRESPERCONNECTION	Definition of the wiring constraints (255 characters maximum)
INTERNALJUMPER	Levels within a multi-tier terminal that are jumpered together. A comma (,) is used as a delimiter between each level within a jumper definition. A semicolon (;) is used as a delimiter between jumper definitions within a terminal.   For example, if all levels of a four-level terminal are jumpered together, the value is “1,2,3,4”. If levels 1 and 2 are jumpered together, and 3 and 4 are jumpered together, the value is “1,2;3,4”.

Note: When dealing with a multi-tier terminal, a comma (,) is used as a delimiter for the LevelDescription, WiresPerConnection, TPINR, and TPINL fields. For example, the LevelDescription may be “UPPER,LOWER” and the WiresPerConnection may be “2,2.”

Cable Conductor Database “_W0_CBLWIRES” Table

When you assign a catalog value to a cable marker, the program extracts the cable colors from the cable conductor database table. Each time you insert a child cable marker, the program assigns the next color from the list to that cable marker. The catalog information for the cable is found in the W0 table. The associated conductor information, if defined for that catalog, is found in the _W0_CBLWIRES table.

To edit the conductor list information for a cable, use the Catalog Browser and edit the W0 table. Select the CONDUCTORLIST field to update the conductor list information for that cable. Click to open the Conductor List dialog box where you can enter the color and gauge for each conductor. The conductor list information is written to the _W0_CBLWIRES table for the cable when you save the changes.

The records in the cable conductor database table are structured as follows:

Field name	Width	Description
Catalog	60	Catalog number of cable
Manufacturer	24	Manufacturer code
Conductor	24	Conductor color or ID code
Gauge	24	Conductor gauge description
Recnum	N/A	Auto number field (used internally)

For a given cable part number, there is a record for each conductor within that cable. For example, a 15-conductor Belden type 8486 cable has 15 records; one for each conductor in that cable type. The Manufacturer and Catalog fields for all 15 records are marked "BELDEN" and "8486." The Conductor field carries each unique color ID of the conductor.