CAD Library for Common Connectors/Devices?

After researching/looking at control panel prints for multiple vendors, it seems there are a few sources for pre-made CAD drawings of common components.

I currently use AutoCAD Electrical 2006 which comes with a large set of push-buttons, relays, motor starters, PLC cards, and other components. However, when looking at other prints I often see very professional looking drawings of the following that I cannot find in ACADE:

micro/mini/DIN/DSUB connectors (male and female)
DIP switches
Ethernet/Modem connections and receptacles
Desktop/Laptop and monitors
Side view of cables and bundles with wires exiting
Programmer outlets
Motors and other field devices

Including CAD drawings of these components brings a much higher level of professionalism and clarity to the drawings. Does every company develop these in-house or are resources available that provide such drawings? Any advice would be appreciated!

Anyone?

How about a thread where anyone who has created their own symbols can post them for all to download. I have created a few myself.

George

Most industrial manufacturers provide CAD drawings or more. AB has a program called eCAD that is a plug in for AutoCad to provide CAD drawings of their products: http://www.ab.com/e-tools/ It is also possible to get the drawings individually.
Automationdirect CAD drawings: http://support.automationdirect.com/docs/drawings.html

Enclosures: Saginaw Control & Engineering http://www.saginawcontrol.com/find.php

Hoffman Enclosures also provides drawings for products; http://www.hoffmanonline.com/product_catalog/product_detail.aspx?cat_1=34&cat_2=2280&cat_3=74846&catID=74846&itemID=2929

I quit trying to make symbols, just too many. I now look for those sites with drawings for their products. The above list is short, there is MUCH more. I will try to list more as time allows.

I totally agree woth rsdoran. There are MANY, MANY resources out there. Just Google your brains out to find what you need (or something similar froom another manufacturer).

I start every enclosure layout by downloading the cad file in .dxf from www.hoffmanonline.com

Then I delete what is not "important", for example print pockets or gasket retainers. My drawings look great every time and are to perfect scale!

An added bonus in using the manufacturer's drawings: you eleiminate the types of mistakes such as locating a pushbutton on a door where a stiffener is.

brianafischer said:

micro/mini/DIN/DSUB connectors (male and female)
DIP switches
Ethernet/Modem connections and receptacles
Desktop/Laptop and monitors
Side view of cables and bundles with wires exiting
Programmer outlets
Motors and other field devices

Click to expand...

The biggest challenge I have is conveying cables/connectors/pin-outs. How would I go about creating the attached drawing (not the tables but wires and devices). I haven't been able to find the dwg/dxf file for the lumberg ASB module (maybe I am not looking in the right place).

How about a thread where anyone who has created their own symbols can post them for all to download. I have created a few myself.

Click to expand...

Please post/e-mail me any custom blocks that you would like to share. I could host these on my webspace. It would be nice to have a list of links with the vendor and dwg/dxf website also.

Technically that pdf are the CAD drawings, you should be able to take any one of the 3 and copy paste into a cad drawing or create dwg/dxf files from any section of it.

I use Visio and just copy pasted one of them and saved as a dwg file.

rsdoran said:

Technically that pdf are the CAD drawings, you should be able to take any one of the 3 and copy paste into a cad drawing or create dwg/dxf files from any section of it.

I use Visio and just copy pasted one of them and saved as a dwg file.

Click to expand...

When I open this in ACAD or the Brava CAD Viewer, I do not see anything. Is there something special I need to do to view your .dwg file?

I don't get anything either, just an empty drawing file.

In a previous life I was a mechanical designer so I have this (some say anal) thing about everything being to scale.

I use AutoCad and have Lisp programs to auto insert symbols. They have to be to scale and a .dwg file so they can be inserted properly and quickly.
Other graphic formats only waste time and make for a huge file.

ps

I don't mean to imply that my way is better. I am used to using those tool and can go fast.
There are many ways to skin a cat.