Electrical Design Software | Elecdes Design Suite by Scada Systems Ltd

Importing Excel Datasheets

Instrument Manager can import datasheets of the same format as the datasheet output diagrams produced by Instrument Manager. Datasheet importing uses a template for a datasheet output diagram as an import map file.

Instrument Manager looks for matching sheet tabs in the template and the datasheet that is to be imported. If your datasheet has sheet tabs with different names to the template then the data from those differently named sheets will not be imported. This is a problem if you rename sheet tabs to instrument names. However, if both the template and the datasheet to be imported contain only a single sheet then the data will be imported regardless of the name of the sheet tab.

A warning will be displayed if there are no sheets in the datasheet with names that match those in the template.

Procedure

  1. Select "Import Data" from the Instrument Manager file menu.

  2. Select the tag table into which the components should be imported. In a project database created from the default database template there will be only a single tag table.

  3. Select "Excel Datasheet" from the list of "Types of Files to Import".

  4. Click the [Next] button.

  5. Select the template for the datasheet. This is the same as the template used to generate the datasheet from Instrument Manager.

    NOTE: You must select a datasheet template that is assigned as the default datasheet template for one of the component folders. The components will then be imported into that folder. If you select any other datasheet template then the components will be imported as "Generic instruments".

  6. Click the [Next] button.

  7. Click the [Add File] button. Select one or more datasheet files to import and click the [Open] button. This adds the files to the file list. Any number of files can be added here. Files can be removed from the list by selecting them and clicking the [Remove File] button.

  8. Click the [Finish] button to import the datasheets.

  9. NOTE: If the datasheet template contains relational aliases in the formulae, for example #<Size>#, then data cannot be imported using those formulae. (Other formulae that do not use aliases on the same datasheet template will work normally). A warning will be displayed if relational aliases are found on the datasheet template, with the option to cancel the import operation.

  10. If the imported datasheets contain component names that already exist in your project database, then you will be asked if the existing component data should be overwritten. Existing components will not be completely overwritten. Only the data that is mapped from the imported files will be overwritten.

Drag and Drop

You can now drag the files that are to be imported and drop them onto the "Select Files" dialog rather than browsing for those files.

Limitations

Data can only be imported from cells in the datasheet template that contain Simple Formulae. You may still use formulae containing expressions for generating the datasheet to achieve the desired appearance, however you will not be able to import changes back from those cells.

  • For reliable results, use Simple Formulae that contain a single field, and no prefix or suffix text.

    Simple Formulae that contain more than two or more fields with delimiter, prefix, or suffix text, can only be imported reliably when the delimiter, prefix, or suffix text is not repeated inside the data desired to be imported. For example, a cell with the Simple Formula #Type#-#Number# can reliably import a value of FT-101 from the datasheet (FT into the Type column, and 101 into the Number column), but the same formula cannot reliably import a value of FT-1-01, because the software can't assume which - is the delimiter, and which is part of the Type or Number.

  • No data will be imported into a column if there are multiple references to the column but the data in the cells is inconsistent.

    e.g. The formula #Tagname# appears in two cells on a datasheet but one contains "FT101" and the other contains "FT-101". No data will imported into Tagname.

See also:

Importing Data

Generating Datasheets

Output Diagram Templates

Component Operations, Edit with Excel