About Neutral Files

The neutral file format lets you import and export electrical system functional definitions. Internal and external system connections are managed at the same time as the description of the system itself.

Neutral files are text files and can therefore be created using a simple text editor.
The advantage of using neutral files is that you can import and export onto any platform.

The neutral file format used in EFD is CSV (comma delimited)-like format.

CSV-like Format

One or more electrical systems can be described in any one file.

Applications such as Microsoft Excel can be used to generate your neutral file (save as *csv). These files can then be imported directly into Electrical System Functional Definition (EFD).

Example:
ElecFnctEqt;Name;Ref_Des;User_Desc;Nominal_Part_Num;CsvID;FatherID
ElecFnctEqt;Battery;;;Part_XX1;3;1
ElecFnctEqt;Ventilator;;;Part_YY2;4;2

ElecConnection;SignalExtID;ExternalSignalExt;TargetID;ExternalTarget
ElecConnection;8;;4;
ElecConnection;9;;;Cooler System|ElecFnctCntPt|((Name|power))
ElecConnection;10;;5;
ElecConnection;11;;;Cooler System|ElecFnctCntPt|((Name|ground))

Rules

CSV-like neutral files must comply with the following rules:

Information is grouped by electrical type. Only electrical types known by EFD can be described. Types are identified by the internal or long name.
Note: There is no required order when describing types.

The first row (header) defines the type and identifies attributes and assembly relationships.
Attributes, apart from the electrical type which always comes first, can be listed in any order and you do not need to identify all electrical type attributes. The following, however, must appear:

  • CsvID: a unique identifier in any one neutral file used to identify components.
  • Name: the name of the component.
  • FatherID: identifies the parent component. This attributes takes the value of the CsvID of the parent component. For root components, such as electrical systems, this attribute has no value.

The next rows describe one component each and list the name, attribute values and assembly relationships. Columns having no values must remain empty.

If more than one system is described, each description must begin with the identification of the system in question.

Connections are described by two items: a signal end point and an equipment, connector or contact point.

  • For internal connections, the CsvID of both items must be given as the value of attributes SignalExtID and TargetID.
    Example:
    ElecConnection;SignalExtID;ExternalSignalExt;TargetID;ExternalTarget
    ElecConnection;8;;4;
  • External connections are identified by the target system name followed by a pipe (|), the target component electrical type, a pipe (|), the list of target component attributes ((Attribute1Name|Attribute1Value)(Attribute2Name|Attribute2Value) etc.).
    Example:
    ElecConnection;SignalExtID;ExternalSignalExt;TargetID;ExternalTarget
    ElecConnection;9;;;Cooler System|ElecFnctCntPt|((Name|power))