How to handle cardframe products - D-Tools Forum

MikeBISD · 03-02-2010, 03:36 AM

How does everyone deal with entering product data and I/Os for devices that are cardframe- or cardcage-based? A good example would be Crestron Digital Media, where the base product is an 8x8 or 16x16 switching matrix and there are many different input and output cards available?

If I enter the cardframe as an individual product and all the cards as accessories, I can end up with quite a few discrete product shapes dropped on the schematic page, but everything makes sense in equipment reports.

If I turn the whole cardframe for a particular project into one single SKU, then I get what I want on the schematic drawing, but it causes obvious problems with inventory tracking, reports, and how to deal with configuration changes after the acceptance of the first proposal version.

ChristianB · 03-02-2010, 07:59 AM

I've posted a similar request a while ago.

Dynamic Shape

We often use the Ashly 24.24M digital audio matrix which is delivered as a 4x4 but you can add input and output cards to your liking. What we ended up doing is to create a separate product for each configuration and then added the neccessary number of expansion cards to get the pricing and reports right.

grichards · 03-02-2010, 04:35 PM

the rule of thumb I follow is: if its a separate part, have a separate item. Frames are their own item, and cards are their own items. This seems to be the best fit for translating across specifying, diagrams, order processing (internally/and with vendors), serial tracking, etc...IMHO.

this still supports pre-configured packages in a much more "database friendly" fashion. Use the conventional package setup OR (what we do) have the pre-configured item as an item w/model # then accessorize with "packaged" versions of its components.

we don't use the schematic drawings (for a variety of reasons other than this), but one "schematic" solution that you may consider is to make the IO of your frame and cards contain the slot connection. so the frame might have a "card slot connector" and your card would have the same. you could then tie them together in your schematics.

You might also simply omit the connection, drag the frame on, and place the cards on a layer on top of it to have a visual representation of the connection.