One of the most commonly used diagrams in the electronics industry is the wiring diagram, which is also known as connection diagram. As the name implies, a connection diagram is simply a representation of the connections and layout of an electrical circuit.
Wiring diagrams are useful in many fields like engineering, building and auto repair, aircraft, and many more. You need a wiring diagram maker like EdrawMax and Smartdraw to create a functional wiring diagram.
What is a Wiring Diagram?
A wiring diagram displays the interconnections and functions of electrical wires in a circuit and indicates where to connect components and fixtures in the circuit. For instance, this diagram shows the interconnection between aircraft wires, their locations in an electrical system, and the connections between the components.
Wiring diagrams help in manufacturing or designing circuits as well as making repairs. The main components of a circuit like signal connections and power source are often displayed on a wiring diagram. In engineering, the wiring diagram helps to visualize and explain how electronic devices are constructed. Also, professionals can easily determine if electronic devices are built properly by studying wiring diagrams.
Since they are very easy to draw and understand, anyone can have a clear understanding of the construction of devices and how to repair them. Asides from being useful to professionals, DIY enthusiasts can also make use of wiring diagrams in their electronics projects.
Why Use Wiring Diagrams
In electronic circuit manufacturing, wiring diagrams are of great use because of their benefits. Also, these diagrams create good interaction between electrical engineers who design circuits and use them. Since wiring diagrams are a pictorial representation of connections in a circuit, they reveal if an installation has been properly done while still verifying the safety regulators.
For instance, a home builder can easily identify the location of electrical outlets and light fixtures in order to prevent costly defaults or causing any code violations.
Benefits of wiring diagrams include:
- They are very easy to evenly distribute
- Wiring diagrams give access to many wiring symbols and as such, it is easy to understand
- The design process is fast and enables conventional construction.
- Also, wiring diagrams are simple to understand and edit as regards different conditions
- It enables placement of symbols in the right place and this can be difficult to do by hand.
Types of Wiring Diagram
Primarily, there are three different types of wiring diagram. Almost everything associated with an electrical circuit is usually represented in a wiring diagram to ensure all interconnections are working as expected.
Schematic diagrams
Schematic diagrams offer general information about a circuit and as such, can’t help in repairing or examining a circuit. The symbols of a schematic diagram include horizontal and vertical lines which represent the functions of various equipment in a circuit. These lines display the flow of the system instead of a genuine representation.
Pictorial
A pictorial displays photos attached with labels or drawing of physical components in a circuit. Also, it is the least efficient out of all types of wiring diagrams as it doesn’t even show clearly. It takes someone that has a sound background in electrical wiring diagrams to clearly understand what a pictorial represents.
Wiring diagrams
Wiring diagrams are more helpful than pictorials or schematic diagrams as they represent physical interconnections in an electric circuit. These diagrams feature different symbols which indicate the location or placement of equipment within an entire circuit.
How to Draw a Wiring Diagram Using SmartDraw
It is important to know how to draw a wiring diagram and the guidelines that help you achieve success. There are a number of software that can help you draw or create a wiring diagram. Most of these pieces of software feature a wiring diagram template that you can customize to your own needs. SmartDraw has ready-made templates for drawing your own wiring diagram.
Also, SmartDraw features some special control handles which enables users to rotate or resize the electrical symbols. Select the Draw Line option on the drawing area’s left hand side. To change the thickness or color of the line, you can right click on a line. Select and drag a symbol on the line and it will fit into the right place.
There is an arrow close to a visible library that can help you bring up a menu and add symbols. With this, you can check for more symbols and open libraries. SmartDraw makes it easy to reveal or hide line hops with the on Set Line Hops button, all you just need is to click on it. If you want to know the size of your component and length of your wires, choose “Show Dimensions.”
How to Draw a Wiring Diagram with EdrawMax
EdrawMax is a reliable and efficient online tool for drawing wiring diagrams as it provides a wide range of features. It has a huge library of vast drawing tools and electrical symbols for both professionals and amateurs to work with. This software helps you draw your wiring diagram with ease and confidence. Wiring diagram displays wire connections in an electrical circuit by using symbols. EdrawMax includes several icons and symbols that represent different components in a circuit.
This online software offers some of the best features and many professional templates to create a functional wiring diagram. Also, this software allows users to customize and edit templates to draw a new diagram. There are a wide range of customization tools and libraries of symbols to draw a diagram successfully. Furthermore, EdrawMax makes it easy and quick to draw a wiring diagram for various applications.
Below are steps on how to draw a wiring diagram with EdrawMax;
- Visit the EdrawMax official website and sign up with your valid email id.
- Choose Basic Electrical and Electrical Engineering. Since creating a wiring diagram is an aspect of electrical engineering, choose electrical engineering from a side panel.
- You need to create a template by choosing the Basic Electrical icon which will bring you to the main interface of the wiring diagram.
- From the symbol library, you can select various wiring diagram symbols to draw the wiring diagram. These symbols include switches, transmission path, relays, and semiconductor devices among others.
What is the Difference between a Wiring Diagram and a Schematic Diagram?
Both wiring diagram and schematic diagram are visual representations of connections in circuits, but they serve different functions. A wiring diagram displays the physical components of a circuit through visual representation. Schematic diagrams, on the other hand, represent a circuit’s function without explaining the physical layout of the circuit.
A schematic doesn’t show the layout of wires in a circuit, but it reveals the plan for a circuit. Also, wiring diagrams reveal the connections of wires and their location in a particular device, as well as the links between the components. The main applications of wiring diagram include electrical circuit design and motor control installations. Schematics are commonly used in the electrical industry to design printed circuit boards and other electronic parts.
Furthermore, schematics are suitable for repairs and maintenance since they are simple to understand and create.
Standard Wiring Diagram Symbols
Symbols on wiring diagram usually look like an abstract of the real components they are representing. For instance, a resistor looks like squiggles that indicate a restriction of current while an antenna is represented in three small lines that branch off at its end.
Wiring diagrams have different symbols, various connections, and lines which need to be understood properly for easy interpretation. The basic elements in a wiring diagram are wire, logic gate, power supply, resistors, output devices, switches, etc. Below are some of the components in a wiring diagram.
Battery: In a battery, several cells indicate electrical energy and these cells work on constant voltage.
Motor: This component is a transducer that transforms electrical energy into kinetic energy.
Resistor: In a timing circuit, resistors are often integrated alongside a capacitor to ensure good performance.
Switch: In a wiring diagram, a switch has many sub-symbols like 2-way switch, DPDT switch, push-to-break switch, DPST switch, and more.
Logic gate: This is a progress signal that indicates True or False and as well comprises sub-symbols like NOR, AND, NAND, OR, and NOT.
Inductor: This component has an inductance and also includes many symbols like mutual inductor, position transmitter, and half inductor.
Semiconductor: Semiconductor symbols usually indicate components like Diode, Triac, MOSFET, Controlled switch, and Diac.
Speaker: This is a digital input that is transformed into analog sound waves. Furthermore, it is one of the most important parts of various products such as TVs and telephones.
Conclusion
Wiring diagrams are commonly used in a vast number of fields like engineering and home building. This pictorial representation of how wires are interconnected is crucial in building electrical circuits. Asides from helping engineers to understand the connection between wires, it also helps in identifying the location of various components in a circuit. The right software such as EdrawMax and Smartdraw make it easy to draw a wiring diagram as they offer templates and a huge array of features.
