Catalog information is furnished with the default AutoCAD Electrical toolset installation. The information is in tables in a Microsoft Access database file (.mdb). Expand and modify these tables to meet your specific needs. Use the Catalog Browser to edit the catalog database, or use a database program that can read/write the Access file format.
AutoCAD Electrical toolset also supports SQL Server for your catalog data information. AutoCAD Electrical toolset allows you to migrate your catalog data that is furnished with the default AutoCAD Electrical toolset installation in a Microsoft Access database file. In the deployment mode, you can connect to your SQL Server instance, which needs to be created by your database or system administrator. For creating an SQL Server instance, use the Autodesk® Content Migration Utility for AutoCAD Electrical toolset, which is a tool that helps in creating and migrating your database from Access to SQL Server.
In the standalone mode, you can configure your SQL Server from within the product-use the AECATALOGCONFIG command to bring up the Configure Database dialog box that allows you to connect, and then select your catalog and footprint databases on an SQL Server instance.
The .mdb file is a single file that is named <project>_cat.mdb or default_cat.mdb. If the project-specific.mdb file is used, it must be in the same folder as the <project>.wdp file. Here is the AutoCAD Electrical toolset search sequence:
Catalog information can be carried on parent or stand-alone components that have MANUFACTURER, CATALOG, and optional ASSEMBLYCODE attributes. You can assign catalog information to a component using any of these methods:
Each primary or stand-alone component type can have an associated table in your catalog database. This approach is taken for both performance reasons and to exclude invalid choices. For example, you cannot assign a blue press-test pilot part number to a standard red pilot light symbol. There can be multiple catalog tables for the same component family. Alternately, all master test and all neon pilot lights (of all colors) can be combined into a single catalog table named LT.
If the project properties are not set to Always use MISC_CAT table, AutoCAD Electrical toolset determines the catalog table name for a symbol as follows:
The list of tables available in the catalog database is shown in the following table. All tables are family-specific and one table is created for each family.
Family Code/Table Name |
Description |
---|---|
AM |
Ammeters |
AN |
Buzzers, horns, bells |
CB |
Circuit breakers |
C0 |
Connectors/pins |
CR |
Control relays |
DI |
Din Rail |
DN |
Device networks |
DO |
Diodes |
DR |
Drives |
DS |
Disconnect switches |
EN |
Enclosures/hardware |
FM |
Frequency meters |
FS |
Flow sensors |
FT |
Foot switches |
FU |
Fuses |
LR |
Latching relays |
LS |
Limit switches |
LT |
Lights, pilot lights |
MISC |
Miscellaneous |
MO |
Motors |
MS |
Motor starters/contactors |
NP |
Nameplates |
OL |
Overloads |
PB |
Push buttons |
PE |
Photo switches |
PLCIO |
Programmable logic controllers |
PM |
Power meters |
PNEU-ACT |
Actuators |
PNEU-ALU |
Lubricators |
PNEU-CYL |
Cylinders |
PNEU-FLC |
Flow Control |
PNEU-FLT |
Filters |
PNEU-MET |
Pressure Gauges |
PNEU-MFL |
Silencers |
PNEU-MNF |
Manifolds |
PNEU-MOT |
Motors |
PNEU-NOZ |
Nozzles |
PNEU-OPR |
Push buttons |
PNEU-PMP |
Pumps |
PNEU-TNK |
Reservoirs |
PNEU-VAC |
Suction |
PNEU-VLV |
Valves |
PS |
Pressure switches |
PW |
Power supplies |
PX |
Proximity switches |
RE |
Resistors |
SS |
Selector switches |
SU |
Surge suppressors |
SW |
Toggle switches |
TD |
Timer relays |
TRMS |
Terminal blocks |
TS |
Temperature switches |
VM |
Volt meters |
WO |
Cables, multi-conductor cables |
WW |
Wire ways |
XF |
Transformers |
Tables with a leading "_" underscore character do not carry catalog information but are used for other functions in AutoCAD Electrical toolset.
Table Name |
Description |
---|---|
_FAMILY_DESCRIPTION |
Table used by Symbol Builder to map the attribute template type to a symbol type description. The description is displayed in the Type list on the Select Symbol / Objects dialog box. |
_LISTBOX_DEF |
Allows you to predefine search values used by the Catalog Browser when you assign a catalog value to a component from the Lookup button on the Insert/Edit dialog box. |
_PINLIST |
Default pin list data table. AutoCAD Electrical toolset 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_AB or _PINLIST_AROMAT. AutoCAD Electrical toolset first searches manufacturer-specific tables; if not found, it then searches the default _PINLIST table. |
_TERMPROPS |
Default terminal properties data table. AutoCAD Electrical toolset also contains manufacturer-specific terminal properties tables that have the same format as the _TERMPROPS table. The naming convention for manufacturer-specific tables is: _TERMPROPS_AB or _TERMPROPS_AROMAT. AutoCAD Electrical toolset first searches manufacturer-specific tables; if not found, it then searches the default _TERMPROPS table. |
_W0_CBLWIRES |
Cable conductors. |
_XREF_GRAPHICS |
Table cross-reference style symbol mapping table. Maps a contact block name to a graphic drawing name. This graphic drawing is inserted as a block in the TYPE column of the cross-reference table for the contact. |