Reference Designators Made Easy 1

[RyanMeister]

Does anyone know of a usable guide that spells out the rules for assigning reference designators in documentation? I know I can buy IEEE-315 but that is so formal and nebulous that it only leads to confusion!
Thanks!

 

[buzzp]

I think you will find any other 'standard' addressing this is just as unuseable as the IEEE's. Especially since each place has their own way of assigning designators.

 

[jon1]

Ryan,
Every industry uses slightly different jargon for the devices they use, even though those devices are common accross many disciplines. I have changed disciplines many times in my 25 years as an instrumentation engineer, and I have found that making up a list of proposed reference designators which are intuitively obvious (usually one and two letter abbrevriations of that industries jargon) and presenting it to the people who will be reading the schematics works out well.

 

[jraef]

Years ago there used to be what was called the Joint Industry Council (JIC) here in the US, a consortium of mainly Automotive manufacturers who put out a set of standards. These were to a great extent the basis for NEMA and IEE standards in use now. But as the others pointed out, times change too fast to keep up with all the subtle differences in components and functions and JIC standards went by the wayside. Jon1's approach is best in this day and age. It is especially important when dealing with equipment that may end up overseas, where they may use designations and sysmbols that are altogether different as well.

"Venditori de oleum-vipera non vigere excordis populi"