The CGM file format is the standard CAD diagram format for the S1000D and while there are many automated hot-spotting tools for labels or component tags in a CGM schematic diagram, there are only a few true wire-tracing tools on the market today. Also many automated hot-spotting tools claim automation since they generate unique identifiers and insert the structured tag elements for hot-spotting that a user manually selects on the CGM diagram. Wire-tracing does employ the hot-spotting utility of the CGM format and that is the only similarity to other Hot-spotting tools. The big difference is the complexity of the effort to wire-trace. Wire tracing involves the need to not only identify components and circuit types but inter-link those elements with hot spotted lines that cross many components and diagrams. This complexity often involves hundreds if not thousands of diagrams that must be inter-linked with one another so a circuit can be traced across any number of diagrams! The number of lines and components ranges from thousands to millions of elements on CGM diagrams that must be identified, hot spotted, colorized and inter-related. But, not only must these millions of components and circuits be inter-link there must be some structure to a final result of the schematic diagrams that can navigate the systems and subsystems as well as provide queryable data and generate S1000D wiring modules. Using a manual selection process where a tool automates the generation of a unique identifier and inserts the CGM hot spot tag element falls woefully short of providing a wire-tracing solution cost effectively.
Considering the massive amounts of data that must be identified and hot spotted a much more sophisticated tool must be used to do the job. Atlas Dynamics' Wiretrace Studio is specifically designed to automate the process of identifying components, generalizing circuits as power, signal or ground, and providing the detailed resolution of circuit inter-linking between components and diagrams, building up a queryable database, as well as assisting with the quality assurance processes, generating S1000D wiring modules and can publish the entire package in a viewer that can be installed on any laptop or windows tablet.
Let's look at some of the important phases of the wire-trace process:
Component identification, Wiretrace Studio automates the entire process of hot-spotting all components and circuits of a diagram, without the user having to select each element. All component or circuit labels are identified and are generalized to some standard component or circuit type such as a diode,relay, plug, pump, valve, power, ground or signal as well as colorized for each component or circuit type. Wiretarce Studio can do this kind of automated identification without any parts reference or user inputting to some kind of string expression tool. It literally can read the component labels and identify the element as a part type right off the schematic diagram itself!
Identify which CGM lines on a diagram are circuits. Wiretrace Studio can figure out which lines of a diagram are representing components and which are lines representing circuits, no human intervention is required.
Associating circuit lines with components and bridging plugs, jacks, relays, diodes, etc is automated.
Linking circuits across diagrams is automated. Wiretrace Studio finds the corresponding elements across diagrams and inter-links the circuits without a user manually building the links or associations.
Computer assisted QA processes. Wiretrace Studio provides an auditable QA process for each and every circuit, component and cross diagram link. In fact, Wiretrace Studio's work-flow management monitors if a diagram's QA has been completed.
Work-flow management, Wiretrace Studio has built in work-flow management. No need to add any third party tools to do the job. This includes generating reports that describe the degree of completion for each and every diagram across each of its processes.
S1000D wiring modules, Wiretrace Studio can generate the S1000D wiring modules from the data scraped off the schematics, no manual entries of circuit or component data required.
Publishing Viewer; Wiretrace Studio can publish the final processing results to a viewer that can integrate with any of the commercial IETM viewers on the market today.
Automates maintenance of diagrams. Wiretrace Studio can automate the updating of diagrams, no need to have an illustrator manually update a diagram with hot spots or have to update databases.
Now that you know the difference between just hot-spotting labels and wire-tracing you can employ Wiretrace Studio and its workflow to effectively make a solid estimate to your customer as to the effort and cost to deliver an S1000D wiring compliant solution.