Setting Up a Harness Layout Drawing Document
Once the harness design has been captured in the form of a wiring diagram, the physical representation of the design can be created as a Harness Layout Drawing (*.LdrDoc). Add this document to the harness project from the Projects panel by right-clicking on the project entry and then selecting Add New to Project » Harness Wiring Diagram from the context menu (or use the File » New » Harness Layout Drawing command from the main menus).
Options of a layout drawing document can be configured in the Properties panel in its Document Options mode, which is active when no object is selected in the document's design space. The main settings are:
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In the General region of the panel's General tab – select the measurement units that apply to the layout drawing document and its graphic elements and set the grids to enable easier placement. Altium Designer offers three grid types: visible grid for navigation, snap grid for placement, and snap distance for aiding the creation of connections.
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In the Page Options region of the panel's General tab – configure document sheet size and title block or select from available harness layout drawing templates.
Refer to the Creating Harness Template Documents page to learn more about creating harness layout drawing templates.
The Document Options mode of the Properties panel (the General and Parameters tabs)
A Harness Layout Drawing document can be saved in ASCII format, which can be beneficial when sharing. Use the File » Save As command and select Harness Layout ascii (*.LdrDoc) from the Save as type drop-down in the Save As dialog that opens.
When saving an ASCII Layout Drawing using the File » Save command, the File Format dialog will open, alerting you that the ASCII format is used. Choose the ASCII Version in the dialog to keep using this format.
Importing Data from the Wiring Diagram
Select the Design » Import Wiring Diagram command from the main menus to import the design data from the wiring diagram. The connectors will be inserted into the layout drawing sheet in the relative positions defined in the wiring diagram. Connection points associated with connectors will also be placed next to each connector on the layout drawing. Applied changes will be listed in the Messages panel.
An example of a harness layout drawing with the wiring diagram data imported.
After the layout drawing has been created, any changes in the wiring diagram can be imported into the drawing using the same Design » Import Wiring Diagram command.
Working with Components
Each connector is represented on the layout drawing with its symbol. Click a connector in the design space or hover the cursor over the desired connector, right-click, and then select Properties to present its options in the Properties panel.
The Properties panel for a selected component includes the following tabs:
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General – general properties of the component, such as designator and comment, location, model representation, parameters, etc.
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Pins – the list of component pins.
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Cavities – cavity assignments can only be modified in the Wiring Diagram; therefore, all controls are grayed out.
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Associated Parts – allows parts such as heatshrinks to be assigned to the component.
When pasting cut/copied harness components on a Layout Drawing document, designators of pasted components respect the
Reset Parts Designators On Paste option from the
Schematic - Graphical Editing page of the
Preferences dialog. When components are pasted, the numerical part of their designators will reset to "
?" when the option is enabled.
Configuring Representation of a Component
Using the Graphical Symbol / Physical Model buttons in the Model region of the Properties panel's General tab, you can toggle between the symbol representation (the component's symbol) and the 3D model projection (the component's footprint). Use other settings in the panel's region to configure the representation.
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A connector represented by its schematic symbol.
The same connector represented by the projection of its 3D model.
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When using the Physical Model representation, use the Style options to display the model either as a Solid (no lines) or as a Wireframe. Use the options of the Side drop-down to select the desired side of the model's view (orthogonal and isometric options are available). The below images demonstrate some of the settings with the corresponding results in the design space.
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An example of physical model representation when Style is set to Solid and Side is set to Left
An example of physical model representation when Style is set to Solid and Side is set to Top Left Front
An example of physical model representation when Style is set to Wireframe and Side is set to Top
An example of physical model representation when Style is set to Wireframe and Side is set to Bottom Left Front
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Multiple physical model views for a Harness Component can be added. To add views, select Physical Model in the Model region of the Properties panel when the Harness Component is selected in the design space, then click Add View. After a view is added, use the drop-down arrow to view and edit the properties of each Physical View as needed for your design.
When an additional physical view of a harness component is selected in the design space, the Properties panel displays the properties of the component itself as it does for the main (first) physical view. In the below image, a second physical view has been selected in the design space; the Harness Component Properties panel displays the properties of the original (first) physical view.
For both Solid and Wireframe styles, the Zoom value defines the size of the model view's green bounding box in the design space, and the model view always fits in the bounding box.
Additional physical views added for a component can be moved independently using the drag-and-drop action.
Defining Physical Arrangement on a Harness Layout Drawing
All physical connections within the harness are defined as harness bundles (even if a bundle contains just a single wire). Each bundle must start and end at a connection point. At the initial import of harness design data, each component has a connection point automatically placed next to it, and this connection point is associated with the component and all of its pins. If required by the design's physical structure, new connection points can be placed, and assigned objects of a connection point can be configured.
To assist in understanding the connectivity of components in the layout drawing document, you can display the connectivity graph in the layout drawing. When the
Connective Graph option is enabled on the
System – Navigation page of the
Preferences dialog, use the
Alt+Click shortcut on a component to display the connective graph in the design space. Clear the graph through the
Shift+C shortcut or the
Clear Filter command from the right-click menu.
Working with Connection Points
To place a connection point, use the Place » Connection Point command from the main menus or the Connection Point command from the Active Bar.
Properties of a placed connection point (its location, visual representation, etc.) can be configured in the Properties panel when the connection point is selected in the design space.
The Properties panel when a connection point is selected
When clicking on a Connection Point in a Layout Drawing linked with a bundle, only the Connection Point is selected rather than the bundle.
A 3D model can be displayed for an associated part of a connection point. Associated parts of a connection point are added using the Associated Parts region of the Properties panel when the connection point is selected. When a connection point is selected, choose Physical Model in the Properties region of the Properties panel, then use the Associated Part drop-down in the Type region to select the required associated part. The model will be generated and displayed in the document. Use the options in the Type region to configure the display of the model.
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Javascript ID: Harness_LD_ConnectionPoint_AssociatedPart_PhysicalView_AD24
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Objects assigned to a connection point can be configured as needed according to your design intent. One or multiple objects (components, splices, no connect directives, shields with connection) can be assigned to a connection point by clicking the Add button in the Connectors region of the Properties panel. The Add Assigned Objects dialog opens, and you can enable the desired objects for the connection point.
Additionally, a shield with a connection object that is defined on the Wiring Diagram can be assigned to a connection point in the Layout Drawing. Use the Add Assigned Objects dialog (accessed by clicking the Add button in the Assigned Objects region of the Properties panel) when the connection point is selected to choose the shield with a connection to be assigned to that connection point.
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Javascript ID: Harness_ShieldConnection_CP
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If an object already assigned to another connection point is selected in the dialog, corresponding warnings and icons will be shown.
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To avoid assigning a splice to more than one connection point, a splice is automatically removed from a connection point if it is already assigned to another connection point, as demonstrated below.
Demonstration of splice assignment auto-removal.
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When dragging one connection point onto another (where valid) in the Layout Drawing, the two are joined as a single object, with their assigned object lists merged.
For a component assigned to a connection point, you can select which pins of this component are assigned. Click the cell in the Pins column of the grid in the Assigned Objects region to access the drop-down to select the required component pins.
Use the Associated Parts region of the Properties panel for a selected connection point to manage the list of parts associated with the connection point, i.e. physical objects you want to associate with the displayed graphical representation. The 3D model of an added associated part can then be used to represent the connection point in the document – learn more.
Parameters can be added to Connection Points, which allows you to specify, for example, a length parameter for a heat shrink. Click Parameter from the Add drop-down to add a parameter, then configure the name, value, font, visibility, etc.
Use the Parameters region to add parameters to a Connection Point.
Working with Harness Bundles
Use the Place » Harness Bundle command from the main menus, the Harness Bundle command from the Active Bar, or the Shift+B shortcut to place a harness bundle. After selecting the command, click a connection point (a red cross appears at the cursor when it’s over a connection point's hotspot) to place the start point of the harness bundle. Position the cursor and click to anchor a series of vertex points that define the shape of the bundle. After placing the final vertex point at another connection point's hotspot, right-click to complete the placement of the bundle.
By default, a harness bundle is placed using Any Angle placement mode. When placing a harness bundle, press Shift+Spacebar to cycle through placement modes. The mode specifies how corners are created when placing bundles and the angles at which wires can be placed. While in the 90 Degree or 45 Degree mode (true orthogonal modes), press Spacebar to cycle between the Start and End sub-modes. When placed and selected, a harness bundle’s vertices can be dragged to change the angle between two adjacent sections.
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When harness bundles are connected to a connection point, the currently unassigned splices will automatically be assigned to the connection point according to the wiring diagram.
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A connection point can be placed right on an existing harness bundle. This splits the original harness bundle into two separate bundles.
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When a connection point that splits a bundle on a layout drawing in two is removed, the two bundles are automatically merged into a single bundle object.
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Connection points, coverings, and layout labels are always drawn at the top of bundles.
Properties of a placed harness bundle (location, visual representation, etc.) can be configured in the Properties panel when the harness bundle is selected in the design space.
The Properties panel when a harness bundle is selected
Using the Length field in the panel's Properties region, you can define the length of the selected bundle that can then be displayed in the project's ActiveBOM document.
If required, change the thickness and color of a bundle using the Line Style field and associated color swatch in the Properties region of the panel.
Each harness bundle will automatically contain the correct wires/cables. These objects are listed in the Bundle Objects region of the Properties panel when the bundle is selected. Click an object in this list to highlight all bundles the selected object goes through. If desired, you can override the calculated length for a wire. Enter the required Offset Length or choose Manual in the drop-down in the Length Type column to manually define the required absolute length.
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In the case of a sophisticated, branched physical structure of a bundle, you might need to change the assignment of a wire to another bundle. Use the drop-down in the Bundle Objects Assignment region of the Properties panel when the required bundle is selected in the design space to update the wire assignment for this bundle as needed.
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For wires whose length was defined in an MCAD tool and then pulled into Altium Designer using the MCAD CoDesigner, the MCAD CoDesigner entry will be shown in the Length Type entry. In this case, the Offset Length cannot be defined but you can override the length value by selecting Manual from the drop-down (
). Learn more about Synchronizing a Harness Design Project using MCAD CoDesigner.
Highlight Bundles with Wires from Split Cables
All harness bundles that include wires from a split harness cable are highlighted on the layout drawing when the cable is selected in the Bundle Objects region of the Properties panel. For a split cable, the length of the longest wire is shown in BOM.
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Javascript ID: HD_SplitCable_AD24_3
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Cable C1 is split between different connectors.
When clicking the cable entry in the Bundle Objects region of the Properties panel for the selected bundle, all bundles that include wires from C1 are highlighted.
In BOM, the length of the longest wire (a wire that passes through bundles B1 and B3 in this example) is shown for C1.
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No Connect Objects Within a Cable
If the Wiring Diagram includes No Connect objects within a Harness Cable, there is no need to add these No Connect objects to connection points in the Layout Drawing. The harness bundle will correctly recognize objects of the cable. See an example in the images below.
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A cable in the Wiring Diagram document contains unconnected wires (W_NC1 and W_NC2).
While the No Connect objects are not assigned to the connection points in the Layout Drawing document...
The bundle correctly recognizes all objects of the cable (including wires W_NC1 and W_NC2).
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Covering Harness Bundles
A Harness Covering object can be placed over a Harness Bundle. The length of the covering can be graphically modified in the design space during or after placement to specify the start/end gap to the connector. Harness Coverings are available for placement from the Place menu and the Active Bar.
To place a covering, after accessing one of the placement modes, when the cursor is over a harness bundle, an orange dot will appear in the design space, which signifies that the harness covering can be placed. (A gray dot signifies that a harness covering cannot be placed at that specific place.) Click the orange dot where you want the covering to begin, then move the cursor along the bundle to the point you want the covering to end, then click again. An orange dot appears at the endpoint, and the harness covering is placed. Harness Coverings can overlap one another. Use the Harness Covering mode of the Properties panel to configure the properties of the harness covering.
You can define the size of a Harness Covering object relative to the size (Line Style) of the bundle it is covering using the Size drop-down in the Properties panel. Scroll through the images below to see examples of different sized Harness Coverings with various Harness Bundle Line Styles.
Harness coverings can also be configured as patterned. In the Fill Style region of the Properties panel, select Pattern, then use the Pattern drop-down to choose the desired weave color (black, yellow or red).
Adding Layout Labels
Physical labels can be placed into the Layout Drawing using the Place » Layout Label command from the main menus or the Layout Label command from the Active Bar. Properties of a label (its Designator, Comment, Color, Text, Font, Alignment, and Parameters) can be configured using the Properties panel when the label is selected in the design space.
Note: To display a layout label in the ActiveBOM document, set Type to Standard and enable the Label Text column in the ActiveBOM document or the BOM table that is placed in a Draftsman document.
Layout labels can be placed into the Layout Drawing.
When defining the label's text in the Text field of the Properties panel in its Layout Label mode, use Ctrl+Enter or Shift+Enter to add a new line of text. Enable Show only first line to display only the first line of the Text field in the design space. The Layout Label text can also be aligned according to your needs using the Alignment controls. Scroll through the below images to see these options at work.
The label's background color can be defined to distinguish the label from other primitives. Click the color box associated with Label Color, then select the desired color from the pop-up options.
Use the Label Color option to configure the desired background color of the label.
Parameters can be added to Layout Labels. This allows you to specify, for example, a specific color. Click Parameter from the Add drop-down to add a parameter, then configure the name, value, font, visibility, etc.
Use the Parameters region to add parameters to a Layout Label.
Working with Text Frames and Notes
Object designators can be added as active links in text frames and notes. The links provide cross-probe capabilities in the Wiring Diagram and Layout Drawing. To create active links, place a text frame or note object in either the Wiring Diagram or Layout Drawing. In the Text field in the Properties region of the Properties panel, enter "@." A drop-down of all designators will appear. Double-click the desired designator from the list; the link is created in the Text field and in the design space. Click the link in the design space to cross-probe to that object in the associated document (i.e., the document that is not currently active). The process is demonstrated in the video below.
Annotating Harness Objects
You can use the commands in the Tools » Annotation menu to annotate the following objects in the Layout Drawing document:
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Connection Point
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Layout Label
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Harness Bundle
For information regarding annotation, click
here.
Cross Probing between Wiring Diagram and Layout Drawing
Cross-probing between the wiring diagram and layout drawing of a harness project is supported. The Cross Probe command can be accessed on the Tools menu and the right-click context menu in the design space.
Cross-probing can be performed:
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between components on the wiring diagram and layout drawing;
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from a wire on the wiring diagram to the bundles to which this wire is associated on the layout drawing;
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from a bundle on the layout drawing to the associated wires on the wiring diagram.
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Cross-probing from a component on the wiring diagram to the associated component on the layout drawing.
Cross-probing from a component on the layout drawing to the associated component on the wiring diagram.
Cross-probing from a wire on the wiring diagram to the associated bundles on the layout drawing.
Cross-probing from a bundle on the layout drawing to the associated wires on the wiring diagram.
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