Working with a Harness Connector Type Object on a Schematic Sheet in Altium Designer

This document is no longer available beyond version 21. Information can now be found here: Harness Connector Type for version 24

 

Parent page: Schematic Objects

A Harness Connector Type

Summary

A harness connector type is a child object of a harness connector. It is used to name the type of placed harness connector.

For more information, click here.

Availability and Placement

The harness connector type is automatically placed when the parent harness connector object is placed. It is not a design object that the user can directly place. When a harness type is initially placed, the harness connector type will appear as (*) until renamed.

When you place a Harness Connector, you can specify the Harness Type by double-clicking on the Harness Connector object and populating the Harness Type field in the Properties panel or clicking directly on the Harness Connector Type field in the schematic design. By default, newly placed Harness Connectors are given the Harness Type Harness.
The Harness Connector Type can be hidden from view or moved to save space in your design. Select the Harness Connector then open the SCH List panel and enable the Hide Harness Type option or double-click the Harness Connector Type object and disable the show/hide icon () option.

Graphical Editing

The harness connector type string can be edited graphically using what is known as in-place editing. To edit a harness connector type in-place, click once to select, pause for a second, then click a second time to enter edit mode. Once editing is complete, press Enter or click away from the string to exit in-place editing mode.

If attempting to graphically modify an object that has its Locked property enabled, a dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the edit. If the Protect Locked Objects option is enabled on the Schematic – Graphical Editing page of the Preferences dialog, and the Locked option for that design object is enabled as well, then that object cannot be selected or graphically edited. Click the locked object to select it then disable the Locked property in the List panel or disable the Protect Locked Objects option to graphically edit the object.

Non-Graphical Editing

The following methods of non-graphical editing are available.

Properties page: Harness Connector Type Properties

This method of editing uses the associated Parameter dialog and the Properties panel mode to modify the properties of a harness entry object.

  The Parameter dialog, on the left, and the Parameter mode of the Properties panel on the right

After placement, the Parameter dialog and the Parameter version of the Properties panel can be accessed by:

  • Double-clicking on the harness connector type name. When initially placed, the name will appear as * until renamed.
  • Placing the cursor over the harness connector type name, right-clicking then choosing Properties from the context menu.
  • If the Properties panel is already active, by selecting the harness connector type name.
  • After selecting the harness connector type object, select the Properties panel from the Panels button in the bottom right section of the design space or select View » Panels » Properties from the main menu.
If the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is disabled (default) on the Schematic - Graphical Editing page of the Preferences dialog, when the primitive is double-clicked or you right-click on a selected primitive then choose Properties, the dialog will open. When the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is enabled, the Properties panel will open. 
While the options are the same in the dialog and the panel, the order and placement of the options may differ slightly. 

Editing via the Parameter Dialog or Properties Panel

Panel page: Harness Connector Type Properties

This method of editing uses the associated Parameter dialog and the Properties panel mode to modify the properties of a harness connector type object.

The Parameter dialog, on the left, and the Parameter  mode of the Properties panel on the right The Parameter dialog, on the left, and the Parameter  mode of the Properties panel on the right

After placement, the Parameter dialog can be accessed by:

  • Double-clicking on the placed harness connector type object line.
  • Placing the cursor over the harness connector type object line, right-clicking then choosing Properties from the context menu.

During placement, the Parameter mode of the Properties panel can be accessed by pressing the Tab key. Once the harness connector is placed, all options appear.

After placement, the Parameter mode of the Properties panel can be accessed in one of the following ways:

  • If the Properties panel is already active, by selecting the harness connector object.
  • After selecting the harness connector type object, select the Properties panel from the Panels button in the bottom right section of the design space or select View » Panels » Properties from the main menu.

The Harness Connector properties can be accessed prior to entering placement mode, from the Schematic - Defaults page of the Preferences dialog. This allows the default properties for the rectangle object to be changed, which will be applied when placing subsequent rectangles.
If the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is disabled (default) on the Schematic - Graphical Editing page of the Preferences dialog, when the primitive is double-clicked or you right-click on a selected primitive then choose Properties, the dialog will open. When the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is enabled, the Properties panel will open. 
While the options are the same in the dialog and the panel, the order and placement of the options may differ slightly. 

Editing via a List Panel

Panel pages: SCH List, SCH Filter

List panel allows the designer to display design objects from one or more documents in tabular format, enabling quick inspection and modification of object attributes. Used in conjunction with appropriate filtering - by using the applicable Filter panel, or the Find Similar Objects dialog - it enables the display of just those objects falling under the scope of the active filter – allowing the designer to target and edit multiple design objects with greater accuracy and efficiency.

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Note

The features available depend on your Altium product access level. Compare features included in the various levels of Altium Designer Software Subscription and functionality delivered through applications provided by the Altium 365 platform.

If you don’t see a discussed feature in your software, contact Altium Sales to find out more.

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