Route Optimisation Errors and Warnings
Paneldes route optimisation functions will write errors and warnings into the wire, cable and route list reports when appropriate.
Details in Wire or Cable reports
The Details column of the reports will show any relevant information about the routing that is not otherwise a specific error or warning.
| No Route Found |
Paneldes could not find a route. Check the Errors listed below. |
| Locked to route |
The cable is locked to a route. No route optimisation was done – it was simply reported from the locked route list. |
| Uses waypoints |
The cable is constrained to pass through specified waypoints along its route. |
| Route was carried forward – Internal wire |
This wire has not been routed, as requested by the user when running Cable Manager. This wire is terminated solely within one panel. You have chosen to ignore internal wires. Any routing information from previous route optimisation has been carried forward to this issue of the report. |
| Route was carried forward – external wire |
This conductor has not been routed, as requested by the user when running Cable Manager. This wire is terminated in different panels. You have chosen to ignore externally connected wires. Any routing information from previous route optimisation has been carried forward to this issue of the report. |
|
Route was carried forward – missing/frozen terminations |
This conductor has not been routed, as requested by the user when running Cable Manager. One or both of the terminations for this conductor are not on the model or are on a frozen layer. You have chosen to ignore conductors with missing or frozen terminations. Any routing information from previous route optimisation has been carried forward to this issue of the report. |
| Route Bend |
The route found for the conductor passes through a raceway segment that has a bend radius that is tighter than the specified minimum bend radius (MINBNDRAD) for the conductor. |
Errors in Wire or Cable reports
Errors are emitted into the Warnings column of the reports when Paneldes fails to find a route.
Although there may be more than one reason that a route could not be found, Paneldes attempts to write the most logically important reason into the report. The following errors are listed in order. If your error for a cable is in this list at position 3, then position 1 and 2 errors are not occurring. If you fix the model to avoid the error then you may receive another error from further down the list e.g. at position 5 or 6.
|
Both devices are not on the model or Device A not on model or Device B not on model |
Either both or one of the devices that terminate this wire or cable could not be found on the current model. Check that you have the correct model. Check that the component names and locations are spelt correctly in the model and in the wire or cable report. |
| Waypoint missing from drawing |
The cable is constrained to pass through specified waypoints along its route, however one of the waypoints could not be found on the current model. Check that you have the correct model. Check if raceway that was previously marked as a waypoint has been deleted. |
|
Both devices cannot be connected to raceway or Device A cannot be connected to raceway or Device B cannot be connected to raceway |
Either both or one of the devices could not be connected to any raceway on the model. Check if there is no raceway on the model with the correct power value. |
| Devices are on disconnected networks |
Both devices can be connected to raceway, but there is no join between the raceway networks to which each device is connected. Check for an obvious gap between the raceway networks. If there is no gap, check for raceway segments with incorrect power values. Raceway with no overlap in power values cannot be connected together. When the "Join Disconnected Networks" option is set in routing preferences, raceway on 2 different networks can join on a bottleneck pass via a "bridging connection". This assists with problem diagnosis. |
NOTE:
For all or the errors listed below, since they have not reported that the devices are on disconnected networks, then there is at least one path between the two components.
For one or more of the reasons listed below either a valid path has not yet been found, or there is only an apparent path, which is unusable.
| Full Search limit exceeded |
The route optimisation function reached the specified Panel path limit; the number of steps that it can take whilst attempting to find the best route. Within that limit it did not find any route. There are other paths that Paneldes may trace, but it has reached the limit so it has stopped tracing. Try to decrease the complexity of your model. You can also increase the limit in preferences. |
| Exceeded initial bestlen estimate |
The route optimisation function makes an initial estimate of the maximum possible route length between the two components. This is to prevent runaway route tracing. Whilst tracing one or more possible routes, it reached the initial length and therefore considered that the route was unsuitable. The initial estimate is generous. Check that the most obvious route between the two components does not have any gaps or incorrect power values on raceway segments. You can increase the multiplier for the initial estimate in Paneldes preferences. |
NOTE:
The errors below are cumulative. Your report may contain more than one of these errors.
| Waypoint exclusion |
The cable is constrained to pass through specified waypoints along its route. One or more routes were found, but none that passed through all of the waypoints. Check for any obvious gaps in the raceway connected to the waypoints. If there is no gap, check for raceway segments with incorrect power values. Raceway with no overlap in power values cannot be connected together. |
| Pre-pulled cable exclusion |
The route optimisation function was unable to use certain conduit segments because they already contained pulled or issued cables. Cables cannot be added to those conduits as the existing cables have already been pulled. This is only a possible reason that the route could not be found. Those blocked conduit segments may not have lead to the final destination anyway. Check if your raceway network provides sufficient alternative routes in addition to those that already contain pulled cables. |
| Raceway filling exclusion |
The route optimisation function was unable to use certain raceway segments because they already contained too many wires or cables – based on raceway filling using cable factor. This is only a possible reason that the route could not be found. Those blocked raceway segments may not have lead to the final destination anyway. Check if your raceway network has the capacity to carry the number of wires or cables that you want to place. See also NEC filling, which places further restrictions on the capacity of your raceway network. |
| Raceway size exclusion |
The route optimisation function was unable to use certain raceway segments because they were too small to carry the wire or cable – based on cable factor. This is only a possible reason that the route could not be found. Those undersized raceway segments may not have lead to the final destination anyway. Check if your raceway network has the capacity to carry the number of wires or cables that you want to place. See also NEC filling, which places further restrictions on the capacity of your raceway network. |
| Weight filling exclusion |
The route optimisation function was unable to use certain raceway segments because they already contained too much weight of wires or cables - based on weight factor. This is only a possible reason that the route could not be found. Those blocked raceway segments may not have lead to the final destination anyway. Check if your raceway network has the capacity to carry the number of wires or cables that you want to place. |
| Weight allowance exclusion |
The route optimisation function was unable to use certain raceway segments because they were not strong enough to carry that wire or cable - based on weight factor. This is only a possible reason that the route could not be found. Those raceway segments with low weight allowance may not have lead to the final destination anyway. Check if your raceway network has the capacity to carry the number of wires or cables that you want to place. |
| Incompatible power exclusion |
The route optimisation function was unable to use certain raceway segments because they had incompatible power values. Most likely a route with a compatible power value is connected to a segment with power value "0", which is general, and from there to a route segment with an incompatible power value. Thus all of the segments are connected but the result is only an apparent path. The cable cannot be placed in the raceway with the incompatible power value. Check that the most obvious route between the two components does not have any incorrect power values on raceway segments. Raceway with no overlap in power values cannot be connected together. NOTE: Raceway segments with no overlap in power value can never be directly connected together (not even when allowed to pass power bottlenecks). An "Incompatible power exclusion warning" can appear only when there are other segments with power "0" or an overlap in power values connecting the incompatible segment into the network. |
| Unusable connections in the reverse direction |
The route optimisation function was unable to use certain raceway segments because doing so would require that the cable make a 180 degree change in direction, or double-back on itself. Most likely a path exists from both the source and from the destination, and those two paths join in parallel and in the same direction to another single segment, even though the two paths cannot be connected directly to each other. Thus all of the segments are connected but the result is only an apparent path. The cable cannot be bent 180 degrees along a route. |
Warnings in Wire or Cable reports
Warnings are emitted into the Warnings column of the reports when a route has been found, but Paneldes considers that it may not have found the ideal route for some reason that it cannot overcome.
The following errors are listed in order. If your error for a cable is in this list at position 3, then position 1 and 2 errors are not occurring. If you fix the model to avoid the error then you may receive another error from further down the list e.g. at position 5 or 6.
| Incomplete locked route |
The cable is locked to a route so the route was restored from the locked route list. However, not all of the raceway segments in the locked route could be found on the current model. For the purposes of completing the route, Paneldes will join the gap across the missing segments with a straight line. |
|
Bad Pre-selected Connection List [CONTRAY:] Device A and Device B |
Either one or both of the devices has pre-selected raceway length segments to which it must connect. None of the pre-selected segments are suitable to carry the cable because they are all either: not present on the model, not length segments, do not have the correct power value, or are snug-fitted conduits. Paneldes has found a route for the cable, but it has not used the specified pre-selected raceway. |
| Device A or B: Pre-pulled cable exclusion |
The route optimisation function was unable to connect one or both of the devices to certain conduit segments because they already contained pulled or issued cables. Cables cannot be added to those conduits as the existing cables have already been pulled. The route optimisation function was forced to use another non-ideal raceway segment outside of the specified device-to-duct connection distance. |
| Device A or B: Raceway filling exclusion |
The route optimisation function was unable to connect one or both of the devices to certain raceway segments because they already contained too many wires or cables – based on raceway filling using cable factor. The route optimisation function was forced to use another non-ideal raceway segment outside of the specified device-to-duct connection distance. |
| Device A or B: Raceway size exclusion |
The route optimisation function was unable to connect one or both of the devices to certain raceway segments because they were too small to carry the wire or cable – based on cable factor. The route optimisation function was forced to use another non-ideal raceway segment outside of the specified device-to-duct connection distance. |
|
Device A exceeded DEV TO DUCT limit and / or Device B exceeded DEV TO DUCT limit |
Either both or one of the devices was not close enough to any raceway to be connected within the specified Device to duct connection distance. The route starts and ends with the closest raceway segment to the device or devices. Check that raceway has been placed Try using the automatically suggested connection distances. |
| Increased multiplier for initial length estimate |
The route optimisation function makes an initial estimate of the maximum possible route length between the two components. This is to prevent runaway route tracing. The first attempt to route the cable failed to find a route so Paneldes increased the multiplier for the initial length estimate for this cable, and a route was found. This is not a serious problem. It simply means that the complexity of the model required the route optimisation function to make two passes to find the route. You can increase the multiplier for the initial estimate in Paneldes preferences. |
| Full Search limit exceeded |
The route optimisation function reached the specified Panel path limit; the number of steps that it can take whilst attempting to find the best route. This means that not all routes were checked. Try to decrease the complexity of your model. You can also increase the limit in preferences. |
|
Both prelim search limits exceeded or Prelim search 2 limit exceeded or Prelim search 1 limit exceeded |
The route optimisation function makes a preliminary search; one from device A to B and one from device B to A. Either both or one of these searches reached its proportion of the panel path limit without finding a route. This means that the final route may not have been found in the optimum direction for tracing speed. This is not a serious problem. Try to decrease the complexity of your model. You can also increase the limit in preferences. If either of the preliminary passes reaches the search limit then the limit will be increased automatically for the final search. See Routing Functions Description. |
| CATX Terminal missing |
The termination schedule for wires lists a terminal on a device and that device has a CATX terminal list of positions. HOWEVER the CATX list does not include any information for that particular terminal. This is probably an oversight and the CATX file in question should have that terminal and its position inserted. |
Warnings in Wire or Cable reports relating to highlighting routing problems
If you receive any of the following warnings, which all start with the text "Allowed the cable to pass ", then Paneldes has not found a useable route for the conductor.
The route that has been found is provided only to indicate where a suitable route may exist if it were not for certain "bottlenecks", or impassable restrictions, that have been encountered along that route.
When the "Join Disconnected Networks" option is set in routing preferences, raceway on 2 different networks can join on a bottleneck pass via a "bridging connection". This assists with problem diagnosis.
For further information see:
Highlighting Routing Problems: Bottlenecks
| Allowed cable to pass through filling bottlenecks |
A useable route has not been found. Paneldes allowed the route optimisation function to route through segments that would normally be impassable restrictions because they already contain too many wires or cables – based on raceway filling using cable factor and weight factor. The restricted segments have been marked in the route with the suffix (BKF) for cable factor filling or (BKW) for weight factor filling. Check that the raceway around the restricted segments has the capacity to carry the number of wires or cables that you want to place. |
| Allowed cable to pass through size bottlenecks |
A useable route has not been found. Paneldes allowed the route optimisation function to route through segments that would normally be impassable restrictions because they were too small to carry the wire or cable – based on raceway filling using cable factor and weight factor. The restricted segments have been marked in the route with the suffix (BKS) for cable factor size or (BKA) for weight factor allowance. Check that the raceway around the restricted segments has the capacity to carry the number of wires or cables that you want to place. |
| Allowed cable to pass through pulling bottlenecks |
A useable route has not been found. Paneldes allowed the route optimisation function to route through conduit segments that would normally be impassable restrictions because they already contain pulled or issued cables. The restricted segments have been marked in the route with the suffix (BKP). Check that the raceway network around the restricted segments provides sufficient alternative routes in addition to those that already contain pulled cables. |
| Allowed cable to pass through power bottlenecks |
A useable route has not been found. Paneldes allowed the route optimisation function to route through segments that would normally not be used because they have incompatible power values. The restricted segments have been marked in the route with the suffix (BKV). Check the raceway network around the restricted segments and ensure that your network has the capacity to carry the number of wires or cables that you want to place. Check that the raceway around the restricted segments does not have any incorrect power values. Raceway with no overlap in power values cannot be connected together. NOTE: Raceway segments with no overlap in power value can never be directly connected together (not even when allowed to pass power bottlenecks). |
| Allowed cable to pass reversed connections |
A useable route has not been found. Paneldes allowed the route optimisation function to route through segments that would normally not be used because doing so would require that the cable make a 180 degree change in direction, or double-back on itself. The restricted segments have been marked in the route with the suffix (BKR). Check that the raceway network around the restricted segments also provides a straight path for this cable. |
| Allowed the cable to jump between disconnected networks |
A useable route has not been found. Paneldes allowed the route optimisation function to make a connection between two networks of raceway segments that would not normally be connected together. The join was made between the two segments that are closest to each other between the two networks. The joined segments have been marked in the route with the suffix (BKN). Check that the raceway around the restricted segments does not have any incorrect power values. Raceway with no overlap in power values cannot be connected together. Check that you have placed all of the required raceway segments, i.e. that you have not inadvertently omitted part of your raceway design. |
Details in the Route report
The Details column of the route list report shows any error or relevant information about each route.
Detail messages may be concatenated together if more than one applies to a route.
| Incomplete Locked Route |
The route has been locked (or issued or pulled), however not all of the raceway segments specified in the locked route list could be found on the model. The route will be reconstituted from the remaining segments as well as possible to ensure correct length and viewing. No route optimisation was done – it was simply reported from the locked route list. |
| Locked Route |
The route has been locked (or issued or pulled). No route optimisation was done – it was simply reported from the locked route list. |
| Found in reverse |
The route was found by tracing from the second component to the first component because a shorter route could be found faster in this order. This is not an error – just information. |
| Bottleneck problems |
A useable route has not been found. Paneldes allowed the route optimisation function to route through segments that would normally be impassable restrictions, or bottlenecks. The restricted segments are marked in the route segment list with a suffix: (BKF), (BKS), (BKP), (BKV), or (BKR). |
Details in the Wire or Cable Cross Section report
The Warnings column of the route segment cross section list report shows any filling errors or warnings.
| Duct not used |
No wires or cables are placed in this raceway segment. If all of your wires or cables are routed successfully, then your model contains redundant raceway. You can remove raceway that is not used. |
| Duct overfilled |
The raceway segment has had more than the allowable number of wires or cables placed into it. This is only possible when too many cables are locked to routes passing through this segment. Check your locked cables and routes to ensure that they are correct. Consider using larger raceway in this area of the model. |
| Overweight |
The raceway segment has had more than the allowable weight of wires or cables placed into it. This is only possible when too many cables are locked to routes passing through this segment. Check your locked cables and routes to ensure that they are correct. Consider using stronger brackets or more parallel runs of raceway in this area of the model. |
| 0.0 cable factor |
This raceway segment has a CABLEFACTR attribute of "0.0". This enables infinite raceway filling for this segment. |
| 0.0 weight factor |
This raceway segment has a WEIGHTFCTR attribute of "0.0". This enables infinite raceway filling by weight for this segment. |
| Bottleneck problems |
A useable route has not been found. Paneldes allowed the route optimisation function to route through segments that would normally be impassable restrictions, or bottlenecks. The conductors that have experienced bottleneck problems are marked with a suffix: (BKF), (BKS), (BKP), etc. |
See also
Automatically suggested connection settings
Check the raceway connections in your model.