It is designed to be a simple and focused tool to help engineers keep track of large numbers of cables and interconnected systems in a complex installation. ConnectCad provides the links between schematic and physical layout drawings to show where equipment is located and schedules of the cables between them. In the latest version users can add their own fields to the device and socket records, for example to add product codes to help compile quotations and material orders quickly and accurately. It all helps in ensuring that as-built drawings and cable lists are accurate, ensuring that the system can be maintained and developed in future without hidden surprises. Conrand Preen, the creator of ConnectCad, emphasised that “systems with proper documentation are easy to maintain and adapt to changing needs. If users do not have documentation, then chances of making an effective repair, or responding to an urgent need, are almost zero. It can be cheaper to redesign and re-install a system than to catch up the documentation.”
