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Electrical Schematic Drawing Programs???

TomVal

TomVal

Well Known Member
I?ve just completed a signifcant modification to my electrical system. I would like to redraw the electrical schematic. Is there a computer program out there or an electrical symbol template where I could draw out a semi-professional looking wiring diagram of the new system?

If software, how expensive?

Thanks,
 
Schematic Capture

I used an Auto-Cad Light program. My plane required seven "D" sized prints to record all electrical connections, including the radio stack..... Software is free.....

DAGO said:
I?ve just completed a signifcant modification to my electrical system. I would like to redraw the electrical schematic. Is there a computer program out there or an electrical symbol template where I could draw out a semi-professional looking wiring diagram of the new system?

If software, how expensive?

Thanks,
Click to expand...
 
Two thumbs up for ExpressSCH!! Matt turned me on to it a couple of months ago, and I found it very easy to use - the RV-3 drawings are all done with it, and are easy to change as I work through the wiring and have "better ideas".

Paul
 
Make that three thumbs up

I have also used ExpressSCH with excellent results. It is available from this site: http://www.expresspcb.com/ Download ExpressPCB which will contain two programs. One called ExpressPCB is for creating printed circuit boards and is not particularly useful to us but the second called ExpressSCH contains the tools to draw schematics. I set up a practice sheet and began experimenting and before long got the hang of it.

Components are selected from a long list of already created devices or from a "custom" component list of those you create yourself. Similarly symbols are provided and additional ones can be drawn and saved in a custom symbols file. I found it necessary to create many of the devices we need for our schematics since most of the supplied devices and symbols are for interconnecting printed circuit boards.

To create a new component from an existing one requires that you "ungroup" the component to allow modifying individual elements and then when you are satisfied with the new component you regroup it into a new component you can then name and save in the custom file. I have a file of "custom components" that represent those we use in our aircraft. and would be glad to share it with anyone that can use it.
 
Chuck,
I have been trying to copy symbols from aero electric into ExpressSCh could not figure out how to do it . If you could share your symbols and tell how to get them into custom symbols I would appreciate it. I do not understand ungrouping. I have a copy of autocad to but it took me 2 days to do one schematic. Thanks
Skyflyer said:
I have also used ExpressSCH with excellent results. It is available from this site: http://www.expresspcb.com/ Download ExpressPCB which will contain two programs. One called ExpressPCB is for creating printed circuit boards and is not particularly useful to us but the second called ExpressSCH contains the tools to draw schematics. I set up a practice sheet and began experimenting and before long got the hang of it.

Components are selected from a long list of already created devices or from a "custom" component list of those you create yourself. Similarly symbols are provided and additional ones can be drawn and saved in a custom symbols file. I found it necessary to create many of the devices we need for our schematics since most of the supplied devices and symbols are for interconnecting printed circuit boards.

To create a new component from an existing one requires that you "ungroup" the component to allow modifying individual elements and then when you are satisfied with the new component you regroup it into a new component you can then name and save in the custom file. I have a file of "custom components" that represent those we use in our aircraft. and would be glad to share it with anyone that can use it.
Click to expand...
 
Another Vote for ExpressSCH

I have used it at work quite a few times for some avionics installs on our helicopters. Easy to learn and use, looks very professional, and as Paul said the price is good too;)
 
I also used Microsoft Visio. While I had to make up a couple of symbols (typical, the ore complex ones such as relays :-( ) it worked really well
 
group and ungroup are very simple. a symbol is nothing more than a drawing that has been grouped together and then saved as a symbol. on a clean "sheet" draw what ever you want for a symbol. The component must have at least one pin added before the program will let you group it. select everything you want to be in the component and click group as a component and follow the prompts to save it as a component. thats all their is to it.

bob burns
 
Anyone have experience with a good Mac tool for this? I suspect OmniGraffle would be a good bet, but I've never tried it.
 
Skyflyer said:
....I found it necessary to create many of the devices we need for our schematics since most of the supplied devices and symbols are for interconnecting printed circuit boards.

... I have a file of "custom components" that represent those we use in our aircraft. and would be glad to share it with anyone that can use it.
Click to expand...

Chuck,

I started using the program today. I have discovered the same challenge, that is having to design many of the components. If you could, it would be much appreciated if you would post a link to your custom components list.

Thanks,
 
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OmniGraffle works well

I'm using OmniGraffle for all of my electrical system diagrams and it works quite well. Here's an example of one of the diagrams from my electrical system:

screenshot20110317atmar.png
 
omnigraffle, wow!

I used Turbocad on the mac, and it worked well enough. I can't believe I overlooked Omnigraffle, which I also have. That looks great.

Then again, on a mac, those circuits just draw themselves.

Don
 
Right!

dhall_polo said:
I used Turbocad on the mac, and it worked well enough. I can't believe I overlooked Omnigraffle, which I also have. That looks great.

Then again, on a mac, those circuits just draw themselves.

Don
Click to expand...

They just cost more since you now have to buy your components from Apple :D

I did not have a Mac when I used Visio. Now that I have converted over...Omnigraffle looks great and I don't have to lose the Visio drawings. That and I think a Wacom (or similar) tablet would make this process much faster
 
Me too

DAGO said:
Chuck,

I started using the program today. I have discovered the same challenge, that is having to design many of the components. If you could, it would be much appreciated if you would post a link to your custom components list.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

I too would appreciate being able to obtain Chuck's ExpressSCH custom components.
 
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I've had very good luck with Eagle on my mac. Its mainly used for making PCBs but it has a neat schematic part as well.
 
DraftSight

I used DraftSight on the mac for my stuff. It has full support for Autocad DWG files. Real easy to hack and tinker starting with one of Bob Nuckolls's drawings.
 
Custom components

For those who would like a copy of my ExpressPCB custom components file please email me directly and I will reply attaching the file. (If there is a method to attach a file to a VAF posting I am unaware of it and I do not maintain a site or server to link to.)

[email protected]
 
Captain Avgas said:
I too would appreciate being able to obtain Chuck's ExpressSCH custom components.
Click to expand...

I do a lot of work with ExpressSch. It's not a nice graphics editor that lets you make fancy symbols, but it's stone simple and easy to learn.

I've done a couple of aircraft designs using it. One of which is here (see top of page for the link).

My Rocket schematic is not yet public domain, but it's a bit more sophisticated because of the fancier avionics.

As for symbol libraries: even though I use one, I find it's easier to create the symbols on the fly, then copy and paste them as required. Eventually at the end of the project, I may save them to the library for future use, but with avionics, things are changing fast.

V
 
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