Learn AutoCAD Electrical from Scratch—Complete Course - AutoCAD Electrical 6.1a: Differences between NFPA and IEC Symbols

In electrical engineering, there are different types of circuits like control and power circuits, single phase, three phase, or single line diagrams, all of which can be created in AutoCAD Electrical. We will learn how to insert components to form these types of circuits in AutoCAD Electrical. AutoCAD Electrical uses two forms of symbols: NFPA and JIC symbols (imperial, in inches) and IEC symbols (metric, in millimeters), which differ for the same components, like push buttons. Components can be inserted and their attributes edited from the panel. The drawing properties dialog box includes a component tab where the tag format for components can be seen (%f for family/code string, %n for number). %f represents the component family or code string, predefined in libraries (e.g., PB for push button, CR for control relays). Discussing spacing and format referencing in drawings is also important. The icon menu provides multiple options for inserting different components, either vertically or horizontally. The scale semantics ensure symbols scale according to the specified value. Recently used symbols are listed for easy access. Inserting a component involves aligning its terminals with the wire and clicking once. The dialog box for inserting/editing components allows changing the tag (e.g., PB5), ensuring tags are unique across drawings. Descriptions can be added, and catalog data (manufacturer, catalog numbers) can be looked up. It's important to install different libraries during software setup for accessing various manufacturers' components.