Connectors

Interface Connector

An overall vehicle design may be split between multiple organizations (for example, the engine harness may be designed by a sub-contractor). The two, or more, teams agree on an interface between separate areas of the vehicle and then design their own areas autonomously. The interface is defined as an interface connector.

In Capital Systems Integrator, you can place an interface connector which then acts just like a device (so wiring synthesis routes directly to it).

An interface connector is not an inline connector. It is a generic connector and is not specified as a receptacle or plug.

An interface connector terminates a harness. It acts much like an inline connector half. For example, you can:

Connect it to one bundle end only
Add/delete cavities
Add/delete backshells and backshell terminations
Assign a library part
Assign rules
Add or move wires
Move a splice to it for a multiterm
Refine the connector

An interface connector connects only to a bundle end. That means, a bundle connected to the interface connector stops right there and does not associate to any objects beyond the interface connector boundary.

When you synthesize wiring, wires are routed up to an interface connector and an interface connector can act like an originating signal source with regard to routing. To make this happen, you must map signals and, if required, option expressions on the cavities and backshell terminations of an interface connector. The router treats these cavities or terminations (with signals and options) on the interface connector as additional target points when generating wiring.

You can include interface connectors in a connectivity report. See Creating a Set of Customized Connectivity Reports for more information.

If you use Capital Schematic Generator for Systems Integrator to generate a wiring design based on wiring data that includes interface connectors, plug connectors are used for the interface connectors in the generated design. See Capital Schematic Generator for Systems Integrator for more information about using Capital Schematic Generator for Systems Integrator.

Note

In Capital Project Manager, you can use the default naming and advanced naming functionality for interface connectors. See the Capital Project Manager help system for more information about these.

Mapping Signals and Option

Expressions to a Cavity

You can map one, or more, signals to a cavity of an interface connector. If necessary, an option expression can be specified for a signal that is mapped to a cavity.

For example:

In a Capital Logic Designer design, there are three functional devices connected with two nets. One device has two pins and each has an option assigned.

In Capital Systems Integrator, there are two projects that contain slots with the functional devices placed in them. The design from Project-2 has an interface connector that does not know anything about the functional device placed in the design from Project-1.

The interface connector splits the whole topology into two areas (designs), therefore the Project-2 design does not inherit any OPT-A or OPT-B information from the functional device pins.

If you want the wires that are generated for both signals to connect to CAV2, you must assign both signals to CAV2 in the interface connector definition.

In addition, to prevent the wires of different signals being shorted together, the system must be able to control when a wire is active for a particular configuration. This is done by associating the relevant options to the signal/cavity mapping in the interface connector definition.

Interface Connector Design Flow

Add an interface connector to the Capital Systems Integrator design. See Adding an Interface Connector to a Diagram.
Place devices in the slots to create the associated signals in Capital Systems Integrator.
Select the interface connector and specify the required interface. This includes: The number of cavities on the interface connector. You can do this by assigning a part number to the connector (see Assigning a Library Part to an Object) or by manually adding cavities (see Adding a Cavity to a Connector). If a library part is assigned to a connector, you cannot add any extra cavities.

The backshell and backshell terminations on the interface connector. See Adding a Backshell to a Connector and Adding a Backshell Termination to a Connector.

The signal to be routed at each cavity or termination. You use a signal map facility for interface connectors to do this. See Connector Refinement and Signal Mapping.

If required, an option expression for a cavity, defining under what circumstance the specified signal is present. You use a signal map facility for interface connectors to do this. See Connector Refinement and Signal Mapping. Note You can export the interface connector definition as an XML file for use by other users (this is optional). The XML file contains just one interface connector definition that includes the connector name, names of cavities, and signal/option expression mappings for each cavity. See Exporting an Interface Connector Definition for more information. If an interface connector definition has been created and exported from another installation, you can import it rather than specifying it yourself. Any options in the XML file must exist in the project and there must be no duplicate signals mapped to the same cavity; otherwise the import aborts. See Importing an Interface Connector Definition for more information.

Synthesize wiring either manually or using composite wiring synthesis. In both cases, the router treats the pins on the interface connector like routing targets, taking note of the specified signal and option expression.
You can refine the connector using the Refine Connector dialog box. This is optional. Note When you refine an interface connector, you must have knowledge of the interface connector definition that is used in the other area of the vehicle design because the Refine Connector dialog box cannot provide you with this information. Refinement information is not included in the XML file when you export an interface connector definition.

Parent Topic:

Connectors