connectors: # dictionary of all used connectors
<str> : # unique connector designator/name
... # connector attributes (see below)
<str> :
...
...
cables: # dictionary of all used cables and wires
<str> : # unique cable designator/name
... # cable attributes (see below)
<str> :
...
...
connections: # list of all connections to be made
# between cables and connectors
-
... # connection set (see below)
-
...
...
additional_bom_items: # custom items to add to BOM
- <bom-item> # BOM item (see below)
...
metadata: # dictionary of meta-information describing the harness
<key> : <value> # any number of key value pairs (see below)
...
options: # dictionary of common attributes for the whole harness
<str> : <value> # optional harness attributes (see below)
...
tweak: # optional tweaking of .gv output
...
<str> : # unique connector designator/name
# general information about a connector (all optional)
type: <str>
subtype: <str>
color: <color> # see below
image: <image> # see below
notes: <str>
# product information (all optional)
ignore_in_bom: <bool> # if set to true the connector is not added to the BOM
pn: <str> # [internal] part number
manufacturer: <str> # manufacturer name
mpn: <str> # manufacturer part number
supplier: <str> # supplier name
spn: <str> # supplier part number
additional_components: # additional components
- <additional-component> # additional component (see below)
# pinout information
# at least one of the following must be specified
pincount: <int> # if omitted, is set to length of specified list(s)
pins: <List> # if omitted, is autofilled with [1, 2, ..., pincount]
pinlabels: <List> # if omitted, is autofilled with blanks
# pin color marks (optional)
pincolors: <List> # list of colors to be assigned to the respective pins;
# if list length is lower than connector pinout,
# no color marks will be added to remaining pins
# rendering information (all optional)
bgcolor: <color> # Background color of diagram connector box
bgcolor_title: <color> # Background color of title in diagram connector box
style: <style> # may be set to simple for single pin connectors
show_name: <bool> # defaults to true for regular connectors,
# false for simple connectors
show_pincount: <bool> # defaults to true for regular connectors
# false for simple connectors
hide_disconnected_pins: <bool> # defaults to false
# loops
loops: <List> # every list item is itself a list of exactly two pins
# on the connector that are to be shorted
<str> : # unique cable designator/name
# general information about a connector (all optional)
category: <category> # may be set to bundle;
# generates one BOM item for every wire in the bundle
# instead of a single item for the entire cable;
# renders with a dashed outline
type: <str>
gauge: <int/float/str> # allowed formats:
# <int/float> mm2 is understood
# <int> AWG is understood
# <int/float> is assumed to be mm2
# <str> custom units and formats are allowed
# but unavailable for auto-conversion
show_equiv: <bool> # defaults to false; can auto-convert between mm2 and AWG
# and display the result when set to true
length: <int/float>[ <unit>] # <int/float> is assumed to be in meters unless <unit> is specified
# e.g. length: 2.5 -> assumed to be 2.5 m
# or length: 2.5 ft -> "ft" is used as the unit
# Units are not converted during BOM generation;
# different units result in separate BOM entries.
shield: <bool/color> # defaults to false
# setting to true will display the shield as a thin black line
# using a color (see below) will render the shield in that color
# A shield can be accessed by using 's' as the wire ID
color: <color> # see below
image: <image> # see below
notes: <str>
# product information (all optional)
ignore_in_bom: <bool> # if set to true the cable or wires are not added to the BOM
pn: <str> # [internal] part number
manufacturer: <str> # manufacturer name
mpn: <str> # manufacturer part number
supplier: <str> # supplier name
spn: <str> # supplier part number
additional_components: # additional components
- <additional-component> # additional component (see below)
# conductor information
# the following combinations are permitted:
# wirecount only no color information is specified
# colors only wirecount is inferred from list length
# wirecount + color_code colors are auto-generated based on the specified
# color code (see below) to match the wirecount
# wirecount + colors colors list is trimmed or repeated to match the wirecount
wirecount: <int>
colors: <List> # list of colors (see below)
color_code: <str> # one of the supported cable color codes (see below)
wirelabels: <List> # optional; one label for each wire
# rendering information (all optional)
bgcolor: <color> # Background color of diagram cable box
bgcolor_title: <color> # Background color of title in diagram cable box
show_name: <bool> # defaults to true
show_wirecount: <bool> # defaults to true
show_wirenumbers: <bool> # defaults to true for cables; false for bundles
A connection set is used to connect multiple components together. Multiple connections can be easily created in parallel within one connection set, by specifying a list of individual pins (for connectors
) or wires (for cables
) for every component along the way.
connections:
- # Each list entry is a connection set
- <component> # Each connection set is itself a list of items
- <component> # Items must alternatingly belong to the connectors and cables sections
# Arrows may be used instead of cables
-...
- # example (single connection)
- <connector>: <pin> # attach one pin of the connector
- <cable>: <wire> # attach one wire of the cable
- <connector> # for simple connectors, pin 1 is implicit
- <cable>: s # for shielded wires, s attaches to the shield
- # example (multiple parallel connections)
- <connector>: [<pin>, ..., <pin> ] # attach multiple pins in parallel
- <cable>: [<wire>, ..., <wire>] # attach multiple wires in parallel
- <connector> # auto-generate a new connector for every parallel connection
- <cable>: [<wire>-<wire>] # specify a range of wires to attach in parallel
- [<connector>, ..., <connector>] # specify multiple simple connectors to attach in parallel
# these may be unique, auto-generated, or a mix of both
- # example (arrows between pins)
- <connector>: [<pin>, ..., <pin>]
- [<arrow>, ..., <arrow>] # draw arrow linking pins of both connectors
# use single line arrows (--, <--, <-->, -->)
- <connector>: [<pin>, ..., <pin>]
- # example (arrows between connectors)
- <connector>
- <arrow> # draw arrow linking the connectors themselves
# use double line arrow (==, <==, <==>, ==>)
- <connector>
...
- Each connection set is a list of components.
- The minimum number of items is one.
- The maximum number of items is unlimited.
- Items must alternatingly belong to the
connectors
and thecables
sections. - When a connection set defines multiple parallel connections, the number of specified
<pin>
s and<wire>
s for each component in the set must match. When specifying only one designator, one is auto-generated for each connection of the set. <pin>
may reference a pin's unique ID (as per the connector'spins
attribute, auto-numbered from 1 by default) or its label (as perpinlabels
).<wire>
may reference a wire's number within a cable/bundle, its label (as perwirelabels
) or, if unambiguous, its color.- For
<arrow>
, see below.
-
- <designator>: <int/str>
attaches a pin of the connector, referring to a pin number (from the connector'spins
attribute) or a pin label (from itspinlabels
attribute), provided the label is unique. -
- <designator>
is allowed for simple connectors, since they have only one pin to connect.
<designator>: <wire>
attaches a specific wire of a cable, using its number.
-
- <designator>: [<pin>, ..., <pin>]
Each
<pin>
may be:-
<int/str>
to refer to a specific pin, using its number (from itspins
attribute) or its label (from itspinlabels
attribute, provided the label is unique for this connector) -
<int>-<int>
auto-expands to a range, e.g.1-4
auto-expands to1,2,3,4
;9-7
will auto-expand to9,8,7
. -
Mixing types is allowed, e.g.
[<pin>, <pinlabel>, <pin>-<pin>, <pin>]
-
-
- [<designator>, ..., <designator>]
Attaches multiple different single pin connectors, one per connection in the set.
-
- <designator>
Attaches multiple instances of the same single pin connector, one per connectioin in the set.
-
<designator>: [<wire>, ..., <wire>]
Each
<wire>
may be:<int>
to refer to a specific wire, using its number.<int>-<int>
auto-expands to a range.<str>
to refer to a wire's label or color, if unambiguous.
Arrows may be used in place of wires to join two connectors. This can represent the mating of matching connectors.
To represent joining individual pins between two connectors, a list of single arrows is used:
connections:
-
- <connector>: [<pin>,...,<pin>]
- [<arrow>, ..., <arrow>] # --, <--, <--> or -->
- <connector>: [<pin>,...,<pin>]
To represent mating of two connectors as a whole, one double arrow is used:
connections:
-
- <connector> # using connector designator only
- <arrow> # ==, <==, <==> or ==>
- <connector>
-
- ...
- <connector>: [<pin>, ...] # designator and pinlist (pinlist is ignored)
# useful when combining arrows and wires
- <arrow> # ==, <==, <==> or ==>
- <connector>: [<pin>, ...]
- ...
If multiple identical copies of a connector or cable are needed, it is possible to define them once as a template, and then generate multiple instances as needed. This is called autogeneration. Both connectors and cables can be autogenerated.
Autogenerated instances of components can be explicitly assigned a designator; this way, they can be referenced in multiple connection sets. However, it is also possible to generate unnamed instances of components. This is especially useful for components that do not need to be referenced in more than one connection set, and where naming each individual instance is an unnecessary complication.
Example (see connections
section):
connectors:
X:
# ...
Y:
# ...
Z:
style: simple
# ...
cables:
V:
# ...
W:
# ...
connections:
- # no autogeneration (normal use)
- X: [1,2,...] # Use X as both the template and the instance designator
- V: [1,2,...] # Use V as both the template and the instance designator
# ...
- # autogeneration of named instances
- Y.Y1: [1,2,...] # Use template Y, generate instance with designator Y1
- W.W1: [1,2,...] # Use template W, generate instance with designator W1
- Y.Y2: [1,2,...] # generate more instances from the same templates
- W.W2: [1,2,...]
- Y.Y3: [1,2,...]
- # autogeneration of unnamed instances
- Y3: [1,2,...] # reuse existing instance Y3
- W.W4: [1,2,...]
- Z. # Use template Z, generate one unnamed instance
# for each connection in set
Since the internally assigned designator of an unnamed component is not known to the user, one instance of the connector can not be referenced again outside the point of creation (i.e. in other connection sets, or later in the same set). Autogeneration of unnamed instances is therefore only useful for terminals with only one wire attached, or splices with exactly one wire going in, and one wire going out. If a component is to be used in other connection sets (e.g. for a three-way splice, or a crimp where multiple wires are joined), a named instance needs to be used.
Names of autogenerated components are hidden by default. While they can be shown in the graphical output using the show_name: true
option, it is not recommended to manually use the internally assigned designator (starting with a double underscore __
), since it might change in future WireViz versions, or when the order of items in connection sets changes.
Even if a component is not connected to any other components, it must be mentioned in a connection set for it to be displayed.
connectors:
X1: # this connector will not be connected to any other components
...
connections:
-
- X1 # minimal connection set to include connector in the diagram
If any component is defined in the connectors
or cables
sections but not referenced in connections
, a warning is printed in the console.
# Meta-information describing the harness
# Each key/value pair replaces all key references in
# the HTML output template with the belonging value.
# Typical keys are 'title', 'description', and 'notes',
# but any key is accepted. Unused keys are ignored.
<key> : <value> # Any valid YAML syntax is accepted
# If no value is specified for 'title', then the
# output filename without extension is used.
# Common attributes for the whole harness.
# All entries are optional and have default values.
# Background color of diagram and HTML output
bgcolor: <color> # Default = 'WH'
# Background color of other diagram elements
bgcolor_node: <color> # Default = 'WH'
bgcolor_connector: <color> # Default = bgcolor_node
bgcolor_cable: <color> # Default = bgcolor_node
bgcolor_bundle: <color> # Default = bgcolor_cable
# How to display colors as text in the diagram
# 'full' : Lowercase full color name
# 'FULL' : Uppercase full color name
# 'hex' : Lowercase hexadecimal values
# 'HEX' : Uppercase hexadecimal values
# 'short': Lowercase short color name
# 'SHORT': Uppercase short color name
# 'ger' : Lowercase short German color name
# 'GER' : Uppercase short German color name
color_mode: <str> # Default = 'SHORT'
# Fontname to use in diagram and HTML output
fontname: <str> # Default = 'arial'
# If True, show only a BOM entry reference together with basic info
# about additional components inside the diagram node (connector/cable box).
# If False, show all info about additional components inside the diagram node.
mini_bom_mode: <bool> # Default = True
Connectors (both regular, and auto-generated), cables, and wires of a bundle are automatically added to the BOM,
unless the ignore_in_bom
attribute is set to true
.
Additional items can be added to the BOM as either part of a connector or cable or on their own.
Parts can be added to a connector or cable in the section <additional-component>
which will also list them in the graph.
-
type: <str> # type of additional component
# all the following are optional:
subtype: <str> # additional description (only shown in bom)
qty: <int/float> # qty to add to the bom (defaults to 1)
qty_multiplier: <str> # multiplies qty by a feature of the parent component
# when used in a connector:
# pincount number of pins of connector
# populated number of populated positions in a connector
# unpopulated number of unpopulated positions
# when used in a cable:
# wirecount number of wires of cable/bundle
# terminations number of terminations on a cable/bundle
# length length of cable/bundle
# total_length sum of lengths of each wire in the bundle
unit: <str>
pn: <str> # [internal] part number
manufacturer: <str> # manufacturer name
mpn: <str> # manufacturer part number
supplier: <str> # supplier name
spn: <str> # supplier part number
bgcolor: <color> # Background color of entry in diagram component box
Alternatively items can be added to just the BOM by putting them in the section <bom-item>
above.
-
description: <str>
# all the following are optional:
qty: <int/float> # qty to add to the bom (defaults to 1)
unit: <str>
designators: <List>
pn: <str> # [internal] part number
manufacturer: <str> # manufacturer name
mpn: <str> # manufacturer part number
supplier: <str> # supplier name
spn: <str> # supplier part number
# Optional tweaking of the .gv output.
# This feature is experimental and might change
# or be removed in future versions.
override: # dict of .gv entries to override
# Each entry is identified by its leading string
# in lines beginning with a TAB character.
# The leading string might be in "quotes" in
# the .gv output. This leading string must be
# followed by attributes in [square brackets].
# Entries with an attribute containing HTML are
# not supported.
<str>: # leading string of .gv entry
<str> : <str/null> # attribute and its new value
# Any number of attributes can be overridden
# for each entry. Attributes not already existing
# in the entry will be appended to the entry.
# Use null as new value to delete an attribute.
append: <str/list> # string or list of strings to append to the .gv output
Colors are defined via uppercase, two character strings.
Striped/banded wires can be specified by simply concatenating multiple colors, with no space inbetween, eg. GNYE
for green-yellow.
The following colors are understood:
BK
(black)WH
(white)GY
(grey)PK
(pink)RD
(red)OG
(orange)YE
(yellow)OL
(olive green)GN
(green)TQ
(turquoise)LB
(light blue)BU
(blue)VT
(violet)BN
(brown)BG
(beige)IV
(ivory)SL
(slate)CU
(copper)SN
(tin)SR
(silver)GD
(gold)
It is also possible to specify colors as hexadecimal RGB values, e.g. #112233
or #FFFF00:#009900
.
Remember quoting strings containing a #
in the YAML file.
Supported color codes:
-
DIN
for DIN 47100 -
IEC
for IEC 60757 ("ROY G BIV") -
TEL
andTELALT
for 25-pair color code -
T568A
andT568B
for TIA/EIA-568 (e.g. Ethernet) -
BW
for alternating black and white
Both connectors and cables accept including an image with a caption within their respective nodes.
image:
src: <path> # path to the image file
# optional parameters:
caption: <str> # text to display below the image
bgcolor: <color> # Background color of entry in diagram component box
width: <int> # range: 1~65535; unit: points
height: <int> # range: 1~65535; unit: points
# if only one dimension (width/height) is specified, the image is scaled proportionally.
# if both width and height are specified, the image is stretched to fit.
For more fine grained control over the image parameters, please see advanced_image_usage.md
.
The following attributes accept multiline strings:
type
subtype
(connectors only)notes
manufacturer
mpn
supplier
spn
image.caption
tweak.append
By using |
, every following indented line is treated as a new line.
attribute: |
This is line 1.
This is line 2.
By using double quoted strings, \n
within the string is converted to a new line.
attribute: "This is line 1.\nThis is line 2."
Plain (no quotes) or single quoted strings do not convert \n
.
See yaml-multiline.info for more information.
YAML anchors and references are useful for defining and referencing information that is used more than once in a file, e.g. when using defining multiple connectors of the same type or family. See Demo 02 for an example.