I/O Terminal Signal & Label organization - D-Tools Forum

dharmonyav · 07-31-2007, 03:20 AM

I am fairly new to doing schematics through DTools as I grow into bigger systems with better documentation. I am trying to standardize my I/O's lists and want to KISS with as little number to choose from. I got a list that had Terminals and Signals in it. It is a good straight forward list, but what I am curious about is what everyone is doing for Labels.

Example 1 : AV Reciever - Component Video Out 1

Option 1:
RCA - VIDEO - CVID_PB_1
RCA - VIDEO - CVID_PR_1
RCA - VIDEO - CVID_PY_1

Option 2:
RCA - CVID - PB_1
RCA - CVID - PR_1
RCA - CVID - PY_1

Option 3:
?

Example 2 : AVR 7.1 Speaker Outs

Option 1:
BANANA - SPK - FRONT_L
BANANA - SPK - FRONT_R
BANANA - SPK - CENTER
BANANA - SPK - SURR_L
BANANA - SPK - SURR_R
BANANA - SPK - SURR_BACK_L
BANANA - SPK - SURR_BACK_R

Option 2:
?

How do you handle L/R Analog I/O's? On a receiver, do you use the input names that the receiver has assigned ("CD", "AUX1", "DVD", etc)?

Example 3 : CD Analog Audio Output into a AVR Input

Option 1:

RCA - AUDIO - AUDL (CD output L)
CD_AUDL - AUDIO - RCA (AVR input L)

Option 2:

RCA - LRAUD - LEFT (CD output)
CD_LEFT - LRAUDIO - RCA

Option 3:
?

Thoughts?

JordanC · 07-31-2007, 05:46 PM

Seems like you got a handle on it. Your doing about exactly what I am with just a few modifications.

Here is my example from a DVD to a Receiver

VD:
RCA - AUDIO - ANALOG_LR
RCA - VIDEO - COMPONENT_RGB
RCA - AUDIO - DIGITAL COAX
TOSLINK - AUDIO - DIGITAL OPT
RCA - VIDEO - COMPOSITE
SVID - VIDEO - S-VIDEO

:REVEIVER:
RCA - ANALOG - DVD
RCA - COMPONENT - DVD
SVID - S-VIDEO - DVD
RCA - DIGITAL - COAXIAL (text assignment to DVD)

I try to keep these tags universal. Whenever a receiver has pre-assigned i/os to a component, I will use those names (ie: Marantz). But when you get a receiver with the i/o's numbered (ie: Lexicon) I will number them as they state on the receiver and will use a visio text box and assign them components, such as you must do when setting up the component.

There really is no wrong way to go about it, unless you have erroneous i/os, but put yourself in an installers perspective when connecting a device. They associate the signal connector and the name of the i/o. From experience, the easiest is to keep it simple and standardize the naming convention.

dharmonyav · 07-31-2007, 05:50 PM

Thanks Jordan. Wondering how you handle custom interconnects for say a component video cable. Do you have it separated as 3 individual labels for PR/PB/PY? Same question with LR Analog audio. We do all custom cables unless hdmi/toslink etc.

JordanC · 07-31-2007, 11:06 PM

I have explained in the past how I handle out custom interconnects because we make 90% of our cables too. I do not have the time right now to search for the thread, but I am sure you could find it in no time.

For PR/PB/PY - They all get labeled as Component. Our techs are smart enough to handle this terminology. If it's RGBHV, I will label as such. If it's a typical Analog LR, I label as Analog Audio. I do not need to notate each and every single channel as, unless a special occasion, L & R as it is far to time consuming to label every device and i/o. Not to mention it is typically a given circumstance to wire L&R. Even when I have a 5.1Ch dvd player, it gets labeled as 5.1 Analog. Then on the outside of the receiver, I will label as 5.1 pre-out & or spkr level output.

**Kevin Mikelonis** · 07-31-2007, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by dharmonyav

Thanks Jordan. Wondering how you handle custom interconnects for say a component video cable. Do you have it separated as 3 individual labels for PR/PB/PY? Same question with LR Analog audio. We do all custom cables unless hdmi/toslink etc.

http://www.imakenews.com/d-tools/e_a...Vn2b7,b4lbvLHD

JordanC · 08-01-2007, 04:52 PM

Very nice article.

08-09-2007, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by JordanC

For PR/PB/PY - They all get labeled as Component. Our techs are smart enough to handle this terminology. If it's RGBHV, I will label as such. If it's a typical Analog LR, I label as Analog Audio. I do not need to notate each and every single channel as, unless a special occasion, L & R as it is far to time consuming to label every device and i/o. Not to mention it is typically a given circumstance to wire L&R. Even when I have a 5.1Ch dvd player, it gets labeled as 5.1 Analog. Then on the outside of the receiver, I will label as 5.1 pre-out & or spkr level output.

I agree with Jordan from the connection standpoint. Seperating Audio into seperate L & R connections, and Component into 3 seperate connections is waaay too many connections to manage and actually makes things harder to read. I try to group connections by type also.

I am curious how people handle the level of detail though. For instance for terminal I will be very specific, for signal type I will be very general, and for label I will call it exactly how it's labeled on the device. My issue with signal type though is how to properly convey the information since the input label isn't always discriptive as to the specific type of signal.

JordanC · 08-09-2007, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by bfourney

My issue with signal type though is how to properly convey the information since the input label isn't always discriptive as to the specific type of signal.

Label it as you need to. If your Terminal says "RCA", your Label says "DVD", then your Signal should be as simple, "ANALOG AUDIO" or "COMPONENT VIDEO". Try not to over-think this. Come up with a standard system and stick with it.

08-13-2007, 04:56 PM

How do you guys go about bidirectional Data Connections ? Which one is the Input and whos the Output....

regards
Stephen

Reed Phillips · 08-13-2007, 06:41 PM

Kevin had a good post on this topic a few months ago. Now if I can just find it after the Forum reorg...

SI4 - Bi-directional inputs/outputs