ELDON’S EPLAN GUIDELINE

VERSION 1.0 - JANUARY 2013

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION TO ELDON’S EPLAN GUIDELINE__________________________________________ 3

2. IMPORTING ELDON MACROS IN EPLAN P8________________________________________________ 4

Step 1: Download and unzip Eldon Article data_________________________________________________________________4

Step 2: Copy Eldon macros into a desired directory_____________________________________________________________4

Step 3: Inserting a macro on an empty page____________________________________________________________________4

Step 4: Changing page scale and page properties_______________________________________________________________5

3. IMPORTING ELDON ARTICLE DEFINITIONS INTO EPLAN P8 ARTICLE DATABASE_____________ 6

4. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS________________________________________________________ 8

ANNEX A__________________________________________________________________________________ 10

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1. INTRODUCTION TO ELDON’S EPLAN GUIDELINE

Eldon is committed to help all its customers achieve a better business ethos.

The EPLAN solution that’s integrated into the Eldon website is just one example of the collaboration tools we have created to make
customer interactions both easier and more efficient.

To help customers speedily start using the Eldon EPLAN solution, we have developed easy-to-use guidelines explaining how to use
Eldon macros in EPLAN P8.

Although a basic knowledge of EPLAN P8 is required, these guidelines will quickly see users downloading and unzipping Eldon
article data, copying Eldon macros into a desired directory and inserting a macro on an empty page.

Using simple, everyday language, we explain how to change page scale and properties when import Eldon article definitions into an
EPLAN P8 article database.

We have also developed a list of FAQs related to the design of the Eldon EPLAN library, which is available online and has been given
to salespeople to help them better answer customer queries.

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2. IMPORTING ELDON MACROS IN EPLAN P8

This document will guide you through the Eldon panel macros in EPLAN P8.

Requirements:

 EPLAN P8 version 2.0 or higher

 Basic knowledge of EPLAN P8

Step 1: Download and unzip Eldon Article data

On the Eldon website, www.eldon.com, it is possible to download the article data.

The data file is a *.ZIP file, which contains the EPLAN macro file (*.EMA) and the EPLAN article definitions file (*.XML). Before using
them, these files must be extracted from the *.ZIP file.

Step 2: Copy Eldon macros into a desired directory

Copy all separate Eldon macros files into the directory on your system. Normally it will be saved in the common EPLAN
Installation directory C:\Users\All Users\EPLAN\Electric P8\2.0.5\Macro’s, but it can also be saved to a different location.

Step 3: Inserting a macro on an empty page

All macros of Eldon are “window macros” with the extension *.EMA. These can be inserted with the EPLAN command
“Insert > Window macro”.

All macros of Eldon are “window macros” with

the extension *.EMA. These can be inserted
with the EPLAN command Insert > Window macro.

Firstly select the directory where the macro files are stored
on the system, for instance C:\Users\All Users\EPLAN\
Electric P8\2.0.5\Macro’s

Select in this field the macro of the panel which you want
to insert into the EPLAN drawing project.

Make sure that the file type (*.ema) is selected.

Select OPEN to insert the drawing.

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 When opening the macro, the drawing must be placed on the
new page. The insertion point is on the top-left corner. To insert
the macro on the default position (based on an A3 drawing
format), use the X and Y buttons.

When inserting the macro drawing, the drawing may not fit
correctly in the page. The drawing may be too big or too small.
Commonly in these situations the page scale isn’t correct. How to
change this will be described below.

Step 4: Changing page scale and page properties

After inserting the macro on an empty page, the page scale and page properties must be checked to use the optimal settings.

To change the page properties, firstly select the page properties command from the menu Edit > Properties.

After selecting the Properties menu, the page properties window will appear.

For the best result, change the page type to “Panel layout (I)”.

In this field, the scale of the page must be filled. All the
drawings of the macros are based on 1:1 drawings, but are
prepared to be used on a default page scale inside EPLAN.

The scales used for the macros are:

1:2 – 1:5 – 1:10 –
1:15 – 1:20 – 1:25.

Please use one of the scale ranges as above.

After completing these actions, the macros can be used inside your EPLAN project.

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3. IMPORTING ELDON ARTICLE DEFINITIONS INTO EPLAN P8 ARTICLE DATABASE

Beside the drawing macros, Eldon provides article data for importing into the EPLAN database. This data is available in a *.XML file,
which refers to the Eldon article.
To update the EPLAN database with Eldon article data, follow the steps below.

Open the EPLAN article database Utilities >

Parts > Management. The article database
of EPLAN will be opened.

To add a new article definition to your

EPLAN article database, select the Extra
button below, followed by the Import menu
item. The Import records window will
appear then.

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 Firstly select the XML file type.

Find the correct XML file on your disk, related to the article you want to import
(multiple articles can be inserted at once). This article related reference file
starts with the Eldon article number.

If you had downloaded the complete Eldon article program, the EldonParts.
XML file can be used to insert the complete Eldon program into the EPLAN
article database.

Use the “EPLAN default value” as a selection of the Field Assignment.

Press the OK button to complete the import. The selected article is now
inserted into the existing EPLAN database and is ready to be used.

After completing these actions, the article reference file is inserted into the article database, and the article macro will refer
to the article data.

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4. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We have received a number of questions from different engineers related to how we have designed our Eldon EPLAN Library.
Please find below a list with the most frequently asked questions. For further assistance don’t hesitate to contact Eldon.

1 Q How do I solve performance issues on drawings with higher complexity and file size?

A We have tested all drawings in EPLAN 2.0 and the performance is fine on a computer that meets EPLAN basic
requirements. The Eldon EPLAN Library has performance issues in EPLAN version 1.9.11 and lower. We advise you
to upgrade to EPLAN 2.0 or higher

2 Q What layer is used inside the EPLAN drawings?

A All panel view drawings are placed in EPLAN layer 309. All other attributes (dimensions, mounting plate definitions, etc.)
are placed in the default layers of EPLAN corresponding to the attributes

3 Q Why doesn’t Eldon provide drawings with various variants such as mounting plate, door, etc.?

A We have chosen to offer all variants directly in the EMA file so an engineer can remove the elements he does not require.
We tested this solution with an EPLAN test panel and discovered this approach saves time.

4 Q Why are all lines grouped?

A We have chosen to group all lines so dragging an element inside a drawing becomes easier.

5 Q What enclosure dimensions are used inside a drawing?

A The reference box inside a drawing states the catalogue dimensions, just like the article file. These dimensions are not
the real dimensions of an enclosure. The real dimensions are stated inside the drawing. As all drawings are on scale,
you can always calculate the exact dimensions.

6 Q What thermal management dimensions are used inside a drawing?

A All dimensions for thermal management are based on the exterior of the product. We do not specify in the article file the
dimensions for the cut out. The cut out dimensions can be found inside the drawing or on the Eldon website.

7 Q What fields are completed by Eldon in the Article Data?

A Eldon has completed the most relevant fields by providing XML files. Annex A of the EPLAN manual lists what fields are
completed by Eldon.

8 Q How can I download EPLAN drawings and Article Data?

A The EMA and XML files can be downloaded for all EPLAN articles simultaneously, per product group or even per article
in the Eldon online catalogue.

9 Q Why doesn’t Eldon specify the item number of a wholesaler or distribution partner?

A Eldon offers the EPLAN Library that is used for all markets worldwide. Therefore, any information that is specific to a
country is excluded.

10 Q Why doesn’t Eldon offer any article data for products without drawings such as mounting brackets, heaters, etc.?

A The article data is limited to items that also have a drawing (*.EMA file). However, to help you to save time, Eldon will
have all articles listed in the Article Data by Q3-2013.

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 11 Q Why is Eldon not providing a long description for each article?

A We decided to keep the Article File as basic as possible to avoid numerous updates over time. Instead, we have
specified a URL link for each article that will guide you to our online catalogue where each article is described in great
detail.

12 Q Does Eldon specify the weights of products for weight calculations?

A Yes, Annex A of the EPLAN manual provides a complete overview of the fields that Eldon has completed in the Article
Data.

13 Q Why hasn’t Eldon opted for a page macro (*.EMP) rather than the window macro (*.EMA) file?

A The advantage of using *.EMA files is that an engineer can import a drawing from the EPLAN article database. In
addition to inserting a macro form in a file list navigator, it is possible to select an article in the EPLAN article database
to place the corresponding panel drawing inside the electrical drawings. This method works only with window macros
and not with page macros.

14 Q Why has Eldon chosen these drawing properties (regarding the format, lines, etc.)?

A Eldon has chosen all the drawing and format properties taking into account several key points. Firstly, Eldon has tried
to avoid using those format numbers that are typically used by customers themselves. Regarding the line properties,
the line type field has not been set to “Out of layer” so that discontinuous lines are shown in the drawings where
appropriate. Color and pattern length have been set to “Out of layer” so that our customers are able to use the ones
they prefer, while line finish has been set to “Round” to obtain smoother borders.

15 Q How can I check which Eldon file version am I using?

A Eldon stores two different version numbers for each item. Firstly, in the Article database you can find two date fields:
P_Article_Create and P_Article_LastChange. The first one registers the date in which the file was created, while the
second one shows the date in which the last version of the article database was released. Furthermore, each *.EMA file
has its own version number as well. In this case, the version is given by a serious of numbers (e.g., 1.0, 2.0, etc.).
To help our customers keep into date with the latest EPLAN library release, Eldon will publish an update article each time
a new release is launched, describing the main features and improvements of the new version.

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ANNEX A

In the table below, all database fields filled by the article reference file (*.XML) in the EPLAN database are described

EPLAN Field name Field Type Description

P_Article_Partnr Text (50) Article number (e.g. ELD.MAS0403021R5)

P_Article_Certificate_CE Yes/No Yes (=1) if product has CE certification, No (=0) if no CE certification is applicable

P_Article_Certificate_UL Text (50) The UL certificate number for those products with UL certification

P_Article_Certificate_VDE Text (50) The VDE certificate number for those products with VDE certification

P_Article_Create Text (16) Creation date/time in format dd.mm.yyyy 00:00

P_Article_LastChange Text (16) Last change/revision date/time in format dd.mm.yyyy 00:00

P_Article_Descr1 Memo Description of items in all catalogue languages available

P_Article_Descr2 Text (50) Field will not be used by Eldon.

P_Article_Descr3 Text (50) Field will not be used by Eldon.

P_Article_Note Text (50) Field will not be used by Eldon.

P_Article_External_Document_1 Text (50) This field contains the URL address that will open the English article datasheet online.

P_Article_Macro Text (50) The name of the macro file (e.g. $(MD_MACRO)\MAS\MAS0403021R5.ema).

P_Article_GroupSymbolMacro Text (50) The name of the macro file (e.g. $(MD_MACRO)\MAS\MAS0403021R5.ema).

P_Article_Width Number (LI) Enclosure/product width in mm (default value = 0)

P_Article_Height Number (LI) Enclosure/product height in mm (default value = 0)

P_Article_Depth Number (LI) Enclosure/product depth in mm (default value = 0)

P_Article_Weight Number (LI) Enclosure/product weight in KG (default value = 0)

Surface in mm2 = width x height (default value = 0)

Formula: P_Article_Width with P_Article_Height
P_Article_MountingSpace Number (LI) with exception of the side panels. T
he surface of the side panels are calculated by
P_Article_Height x P_Article_Depth.

P_Article_Manufacturer Text (50) The article reference with first three characters of supplier code (e.g. ELD for Eldon).

P_Article_Supplier Text (50) The article reference with first three characters of supplier code (default =ELD for Eldon).

P_Article_Packagingquantity Number (LI) Amount of the article in the packaging (default value =1)

P_Article_Priceunit Number (LI) Equal to P_Article_Packagingquantity

P_Article_Producttopgroup Number (LI) Number of the producttopgroup in the EPLAN Database (=3 for Mechanical)

P_Article_Productgroup Number (LI) Number of the productgroup in the EPLAN Database (=49 for Enclosures)

P_Article_Productsubgroup Number (LI) Number of the productsubgroup in the EPLAN Database (=1 for General)

Door width in mm (default value = 0). The door width is not calculated
P_Article_DoorWidth Number (LI) for double door enclosures because EPLAN cannot specify
the individual door width of two doors.

P_Article_DoorHeight Number (LI) Door height in mm (default value = 0)

P_Article_DoorDepth Number (LI) Field will not be used by Eldon. Value = 0

P_Article_PanelWidth Number (LI) Mounting plate width in mm (default value = 0)

P_Article_PanelHeight Number (LI) Mounting plate height in mm (default value = 0)

Mounting plate surface in mm2 = width x height (default value = 0).

P_Article_PanelMountingSpace Number (LI)
Formula: P_Article_PanelWidth with P_Article_PanelHeight.

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