Where to learn to make wiring diagrams

[Muffins]

Hi guys.

I'm designing a machine for moving product around in an industrial environment. I have built a prototype and now it is time to formalize the design a bit by making wiring diagrams and such.

Now the difficulty I'm experiencing is that I can't find concise information on how this should be done (aren't there supposed to be standards?). I have the wiring diagrams for the other machines in the factory and they are not really similar to anything I can find online.

This is the first time I am doing this, do you guys have any tips or resources to help me figure it out?

[rstofer]

Google for "How to draw wiring diagrams"  It returns primarily software solutions like:
https://www.smartdraw.com/circuit-diagram/how-to-draw-electrical-diagrams.htm
Wander the site, there's a lot of good information.

Wiring diagrams often give some sense of location.  Things that are close together in the world are often drawn close together on the diagram.  This makes the wiring diagram both easy and difficult to use.  A lot of people like wiring diagrams, I'm not one of them.  I don't like having to trace a signal all over the page.  Nevertheless, this is a very common presentation.

Ladder diagrams are more oriented toward the logic of operation with little to no sense of physical layout.  I find this more useful for troubleshooting but that's just me.



Here are some standard symbols:
https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1025/ML102530301.pdf

And another published standard:
https://lhc-proj-qawg.web.cern.ch/CD-ROM/Quality/QA403.pdf

[wizard69]

For industrial work in the USA, ladder diagrams are the "standard".   I suggest googling "how to draw ladder diagrams".   

Now there are many conventions around the world for automation drawings but I really prefer the practice in the USA.   In my opinion the approach used in Europe is crap, even more so the wire number scheme makes maintenance a nightmare.   

[perieanuo]

I use draw.io, Qelectrotech, Edrawmax for some simple drawings. Qelectrotech is open source and offline, a nice one. draw.io is online, suits diagrams for schematics like you need.
Ladder is apparently not for your job, for me is kinda plc stuff. or not?
anyway, for sketching electrical diags, those are fine

[Picuino]

I only know privative software:
https://www.eplan-software.com/
https://www.ige-xao.com/en/shop/see-electrical/



Edit: The Best 7 Free and Open Source Electrical Design Software
https://www.goodfirms.co/blog/best-free-open-source-electrical-design-software

[elekorsi]

For industrial work in the USA, ladder diagrams are the "standard".   I suggest googling "how to draw ladder diagrams".   

Now there are many conventions around the world for automation drawings but I really prefer the practice in the USA.   In my opinion the approach used in Europe is crap, even more so the wire number scheme makes maintenance a nightmare.

What mathers is who and how made the diagrams. You can get shitty diagrams in both standards. I can say that i have no problems with good American (or Japanese) ones. It's only a way of presentation, if they are properly drawn, both are similar, you just have to switch it in your head. Numbering (components, wires, terminals, cables, etc.) scheme is more up to the constructor itself then the US vs EU style...
Of course I make only IEC based diagrams as i am in europe, i don't even have a software license for the NEC ones... You would be surprised how quickly you can navigate through the IEC ones if they are made properly...

I use SEE electrical from Ige-xao, as it was the most economical option when i started, it's great for what i need. I worked with WSCAD when i was employed, but this is a different price range...
For someone who needs software for really small projects, i would recommend DesignSpark Electrical, it's free for up to 15 pages.

[perieanuo]

What mathers is who and how made the diagrams.

fair enough, you can do marvels in paint or paint.net and shit in professional CAD sw

[Just_another_Dave]

I only know privative software:
https://www.eplan-software.com/
https://www.ige-xao.com/en/shop/see-electrical/



Edit: The Best 7 Free and Open Source Electrical Design Software
https://www.goodfirms.co/blog/best-free-open-source-electrical-design-software

Qelectrotech is open source and includes IEC symbols:
https://qelectrotech.org/

I’ve never used it, but it was covered in hackaday

Edit: the autocorrector had changed the name of the program

[Vtile]

There is this ZCAD open source. It have been in development past 9 years? Unfortunately I'm not informed if it has electrical symbols library.

[Just_another_Dave]

There is this ZCAD open source. It have been in development past 9 years? Unfortunately I'm not informed if it has electrical symbols library.

QCAD is also open source and comes with a set of symbols for most use cases

[Vtile]

There is this ZCAD open source. It have been in development past 9 years? Unfortunately I'm not informed if it has electrical symbols library.

QCAD is also open source and comes with a set of symbols for most use cases

Yeah it seems there is now much more to chose from. ZCAD is basically distributed as binaries only, so one need to compile it, so needs some skills on that, although written with object pascal so the compiling is pretty straightforward and fast. Multiplatform, comes with ZCADelectro it seems.

However, I think there is already better (is relative expression) alternatives suggested in here.

Here seems to be some precompiled versions. "Intallation" is easy unzip and run zcad.exe. It seems the 2nd latest was stable release, while latest had some missing properties. 
https://github.com/zamtmn/zcad/releases

[Terry Bites]

Yes, lets lets dare say it... MS Viso!!

[Vtile]

I only know privative software:
https://www.eplan-software.com/
https://www.ige-xao.com/en/shop/see-electrical/



Edit: The Best 7 Free and Open Source Electrical Design Software
https://www.goodfirms.co/blog/best-free-open-source-electrical-design-software

Qelectrotech is open source and includes IEC symbols:
https://qelectrotech.org/

I’ve never used it, but it was covered in hackaday

Edit: the autocorrector had changed the name of the program

I must say after one day of use that this is really good for industrial type of electrical wirings and also some other work. I like that there is also control logic symbols attached, ie. flow charts & grafset, plus pneumatic/hydraulic symbols etc. PI-diagram library is missing, but a day of work one have own. Wery impressed of it, also the component library is nicely done (files, not database) and component editor is rather easy to use. Still figuring out how to make relations etc. advanced features mainly as wire numbering and coils and contacts etc. It shows that main developers are industrial technicians/engineers and not paid programmers.

Edit. This = qElectroTech ... (as free program)