How numbering works

CablePilot numbers three things for you: device designations, wire numbers and terminals. Each one is a single command you can undo, and numbers you typed by hand are kept.

Device designations (IEC 81346)

A designation has up to three aspects: =function, +location and -product, for example =M1+DS-K3.

• Product aspect. When you place a symbol, it gets the next free number for its letter code on that page's function and location: a coil or contactor is -K, a breaker -Q, a motor -M, a terminal -X, and so on (the letter code comes with each library symbol).
• Function and location. A page has a default =function and +location (page properties). A symbol inherits them unless it states its own location, so -K3 on a page of +DS is the device +DS-K3.
• One device, many symbols. Every symbol and box that carries the same full designation is the same device: a coil and its contacts, or the single-line and multi-line symbols of a breaker. They are counted once in the BOM and cross-referenced both ways. Change the designation of one representation and all of them follow.
• Renumber. Renumber (Wires tab, or Ctrl+Shift+R) numbers the devices of the project again, per function, location and letter code: 1, 2, 3... in reading order (page order, then left to right, top to bottom). All representations of a device keep one designation, and its parts, parent assembly and mating connectors follow. Renumbering one page keeps devices that also appear on other pages.

Cross-references are shown as page.column (8.3) or page-column-row (08-E3), with the page number padded to the digits you choose (Project settings > Cross-references).

Wire numbers

Number wires (Wires tab, or the command NUMBER) gives every wire a number by the scheme and pattern in Wires and cables > Numbering.

• What shares a number. Wires connected to each other form a net. A net and every net joined to it by interruption points with the same signal name, or through mated connector pins, form one group and share one number, across pages.
• Which pages. Power, control, PLC, terminal, cable and layout pages are numbered. Single-line pages, data pages and report pages are not, and a wire drawn as a bundle carries a label instead of a number.
• Typed numbers stay. A number you type on a wire is locked: renumbering keeps it and never gives it twice.

Schemes

Groups are numbered in reading order: the page of the group's first wire, then left to right and top to bottom.

Pattern tokens

Start at and Step set the first number and the increment. A numbering of one page renumbers only the groups that touch it and keeps the numbers other pages already use.

Placing a symbol on a numbered wire splits the wire between the symbol's pins. When the wire had an automatic number, the page's wires are numbered again in the same undo step, so both pieces get their own numbers.

Ladder pages

A ladder page (command LADDER, or the Ladder page box in Add page for power, control and PLC pages) has two rails and numbered rungs. Line numbers default to page × 100 (page 2: 200, 201, 202...). On a ladder page the cross-references are line numbers, and the By rung scheme gives each wire the number of the rung it starts on. These are the usual North American conventions for NFPA 79 drawings, not requirements of the standard; check them against what your customers expect.

Terminals

Number terminals now (Wires and cables > Numbering) numbers the terminals of every strip 1, 2, 3... in reading order. Placing a terminal on a strip gives it the next free number of that strip.

Undo

Every numbering is one command: Ctrl+Z brings all the previous numbers back at once.