Electrical Systems Design, Analysis and Harness Engineering with Capital

Capital® is the leading design software for Electrical Systems Design and Harness Engineering. Used by leading automotive, aerospace and harness makers, Capital is built to support the complex demands of modern integrated design processes.

Fundamental to the philosophy of Capital is the belief that design data management is central to solving the problem of electrical design complexity. So, in addition to providing the drawing and design definition functionality required for each phase of the design process, Capital goes one step further – by providing a data-centric backbone that integrates each and every part of the design process.

Data-centricity is the key feature that differentiates Capital from other design tools, providing a step change in design speed and quality by automating many steps in the design process, streamlining the flow of information as the design matures, and eliminating many of the time-consuming and error-prone data-entry tasks required with traditional design tools.w

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Project and Process Management

Project norms such as naming conventions, design rule check patterns and diagram style-templates can be defined and automatically applied. Process constraints such as release management sequence, component usage and analysis scripts can be mandated. Integration with workflow tools is also available.

Design Change Management

The data-centric architecture of Capital is designed to facilitate change processes. Multiple change management capabilities are provided such as tabular & graphical difference reports; version management; compatibility control (“build lists”); and aerospace-effectivity tracking.

Intuitive Electrical Simulation and Analysis

Multiple capabilities are available ranging from simple subsystem behavior simulation, through DC and transient simulation, to whole vehicle validation and failure analysis. Fully integrated with the design environment, these tools have been developed for use by all design engineers, not just analysis specialists.

Deep Integration with MCAD Platforms

Deep itegration with leading MCAD platforms such as Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA V5 and UGS’ Unigraphics NX. Data can be shared either offline or in a live “connected” mode, which aids visualization. Design changes can be trapped and reconciled. PDM integration is also available, for example to slave component library data or to vault released designs.

Cross-Organization Communication

Capital supports cross-organization data communication at several points in the design flow. Multiple data formats are supported, and specialized functionality such as part number translation is provided.

Harness Engineering

Capital provides powerful automatic harness engineering and validation functionality, for example by automatically selecting library components or validating splice balancing rules.

Modern construction methods such as modular

(sub-assembly) build are fully supported. Very detailed harness costing is available from a model containing over 300 design and process parameters.

Configuration Capture and Composite (Superset) Data Management

Configuration logic can be authored or imported. All design, simulation and reporting activities are undertaken within this composite environment, whether at the full vehicle or individual harness level. This critical capability further supports easy and robust change management.

Diagram Synthesis

Capital can automatically generate diagrams from data, so freeing engineers to work on creative design tasks. Style templates can be applied, and drawing contents are laid out for maximum readability.

Wiring Design — a Choice of Two Processes

Capital provides a choice of two different wiring design processes – the interactive design flow process or the generative design flow process.

The interactive design flow process is based on the electrical engineers creating the definition of both logical schematic connectivity – for example, connect pin 27 of the engine ECU with pin 5 of the power-systems ECU – plus creating the wiring definition of the schematic connectivity – for example, the connections between pin 27 and pin 5 is defined by 3 physical wires passing through two inline connectors.

With the generative flow, electrical engineers provide the definition of the logical schematic connectivity – for example, connect pin 27 of the engine ECU with pin 5 of the power-systems ECU – plus providing a physical/topological layout of the car or aircraft – for example,

With these critical process management foundations in place, Capital supports electrical design process flows from logical subsystem design, through sub-system integration and wire harness engineering, onto harness manufacturing and provision of after-sales service documentation & diagnostics.

Interactive Wiring Design Process

The Interactive Wiring design process is based on the Capital Logic and Capital Harness XC applications to provide a full electrical design capability from logical schematics through to fully detailed and costed harness drawings.

Generative Design Process

The Generative design process is based on the Capital Logic, Capital Integrator and Capital Harness XC applications to provide a full electrical design capability from logical schematics through physical/ topological wiring generation, and onto fully detailed and costed harness drawings.

cables can only be routed along a defined network of cable paths. Capital can integrate the logical and physical information to automatically generate the wiring definition, including auto-generated wiring diagrams, allowing the same logical designs to be reused in a succession of different physical designs.

Key ApplicationsCapital Logic

Provides an easy to use graphical environment for authoring both logical connectivity designs (signals), and physical wiring designs (splices, multicores, wire colors etc). Capital Logic may be used to design sub-systems but is also used to accomplish interactive system integration, i.e. the merging of multiple sub-systems into the physical vehicle structure. Capital Logic provides DC simulation capabilities that don’t require specialist skills, together with extensive automation and data management functionality such as design rule checking and design comparison.

Add-on products extend Capital Logic’s capabilities even further - using Capital Analysis, failure modes and sneak circuits can be analysed and detected; using Capital Enterprise Reporter, design data can be accessed from every desktop in the organization

via web-browser reporting technology; using Capital Integration Server, customization and integration with other corporate applications can be implemented.

Capital Integrator

Capital Integrator is the key application for generative design - a breakthrough in the automation of system integration. Employing a correct-by-construction rules paradigm, Capital Integrator automatically merges sub-system signal connectivity defined with Capital Logic, with configuration logic and physical vehicle topology to place devices and synthesize fully composite whole vehicle wiring designs. This removes a huge part of the system integration task, saving time, reducing errors, and leaving engineers free to innovate and capture intellectual property via the automation rules.

Add-on products extend Capital Integrator’s capabilities even further: grounding strategies can be implemented; components (wires, fuses etc) automatically selected based on electrical analysis and component attributes; and wiring diagrams automatically generated; ; using Capital Enterprise Reporter, design data can be accessed from every desktop in the organization via web-browser reporting technology; using Capital Integration Server, customization and integration with other corporate applications can be achieved.

Capital HarnessXC

Enables harness makers to create fully detailed, validated and manufacturing-ready harness designs and formboard designs. Capital HarnessXC enables harness makers to customize the tool to meet their precise needs both in terms of graphical outputs and they way designs are created and validated. In addition, rules-based change management allows automated change o be effectively managed, streamlining tool flows and minimizing human error.

Capital HarnessXC’s automated engineering capability calculates: manufacturing wire lengths, bundle diameters, optimized splice positions, taping quantities,

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Capital’s awareness of configuration logic to include options and variants.

Taken together, the Capital Analysis products strongly support the design engineer’s daily tasks. But they also provide a powerful environment for managing vehicle electrical reliability, which not only impacts brand image and ultimately corporate revenue but also helps protects against product liability risk.

SummaryFundamental to the philosophy of Capital is the belief that design data management is central to solving the problem of electrical design complexity. So, in addition to providing the drawing and design definition functionality required for each phase of the design process, Capital goes one step further – by providing a data-centric backbone that integrates each and every part of the design process.

Data-centricity is the key feature that differentiates Capital from other design tools, providing a step change in design speed and quality by automating many steps in the design process, streamlining the flow of information as the design matures, and eliminating many of the time-consuming and error-prone data-entry tasks required with traditional design tools.

For many organizations, significant inefficiencies exist in their electrical design process, particularly regarding exchange of data from one step in the process to the next, and in the implementation of design changes. These inefficiencies affect quality and impact the overall design cycle time and the manpower required to complete each design. The use of Capital’s streamlined electrical design processes can provide major improvements to quality, cost and design cycle time, allowing companies to confidently meet the challenges of global competition.

harness weight etc. Component selection routines add wires, multicores, terminals, seals, cavity plugs, tapes, tubes, heat-shrink sleeves etc. Multiple design rule checks are then applied ensuring the final design meets the organization’s defined best-practices. Using Capital Enterprise Reporter, design data can be accessed from every desktop in the organization via web-browser reporting technology; using Capital Integration Server, customization and integration with other corporate applications can be achieved.

Add-on applications include Capital Costing, which provides highly accurate harness manufacturing costs (process and materials) based on sophisticated models containing more than three hundred adjustable parameters. Another add-on product is Capital Modular Harness, which manages the construction of harnesses from sub-assemblies. In addition, data from Capital Harness XC can be leveraged right into the harness manufacturing facility to construct detailed, 1:1 formboard drawings; drive wire cutting equipment; program automatic test equipment; and feed ERP systems.

Capital Analysis

Provides a range of simulation and analysis products to aid electrical designers and is designed for everyday use by regular engineers, not just electrical analysis specialists. Capital Analysis can run in the background to provide instant on-screen feedback to design engineers, with full result reporting capability as they create the connectivity.

Starting with qualitative/behavioral and quantitative/numerical DC analysis provided with Capital Logic, Capital SimTransient extends the simulation capability into transient analysis using automatically built or industry standard component models (example: VHDL-AMS).

More advanced Capital Analysis products are available to recommend electrical component changes, rigorously detect unintended circuit functionality such as might be caused by a sneak circuit, and rigorously compile electrical failure mode and effects (FMEA) reports. Analysis scenarios may be scripted for repeated application. Critically, simulation and analysis may be scoped to various design sub-sets ranging from parts of individual sub-systems right up to the entire vehicle; Capital Analysis products also leverage