How do I…

Set a rack's or panel's backbone cables

The cables a rack or panel runs itself — a Local rack's to the main one, a Lighting panel's keypad wire to a Lutron processor — and the cable card that shows them.

Where to find it: select a rack or panel › Properties › Cabling › Backbone cables

A rack or panel's backbone cables are the ones it runs itself, such as fiber from the main one to a local rack, or a line out to somewhere Off plan. They count at the rack or panel they run from, in the schedule and its totals, and show on its cable card.

Each kind starts with your company's cabling defaults: a Local rack three Cat6 and a fiber to the main one, an Alarm panel one Cat6, and in the US a Lighting or Shade panel one Lutron keypad wire to the Nearest Lutron processor — the closest on its sheet, else the first placed; until you place one it reads Not assigned. A Lutron processor used as a rack or panel keeps its own Cat6 to the main one.

Add starts one to the main one — or, from the main one, to the next rack or panel — as single-mode fiber; with no other rack or panel, it asks for an Off plan name first. Change it as you change an icon's cables: its row menu offers every other rack or panel, Nearest Lutron processor and Off plan….

A project made before these defaults keeps its own. To take them, open Project settings with the gear at the top of the Cabling tab, choose Update to company defaults…, leave the racks and panels ticked and choose Update.