Wire Harness Design Course

Lesson 1 • What Is a Wire Harness

Defines wire harnesses, their role in electrical systems, and how they differ from loose wiring. Establishes vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Harness Design Workflow Overview

Maps the end-to-end design process from concept through production release. Provides context for all subsequent chapters.

Lesson 3 • Industry Standards and Regulatory Frameworks

Surveys automotive, aerospace, and industrial harness standards and their design implications. Connects compliance requirements to practical design decisions.

Lesson 1 • Grounding and Return Path Design

Addresses single-point and distributed grounding strategies and their effect on noise and reliability. Connects grounding choices to harness topology decisions.

Lesson 2 • Voltage Drop Calculations

Teaches resistance-based voltage drop formulas and acceptable limits by application. Students verify that conductor length and gauge meet system voltage requirements.

Lesson 3 • Circuit Protection Fundamentals

Covers fuses, circuit breakers, and fusible links as harness protection elements. Students specify protection devices based on wire gauge and load characteristics.

Lesson 4 • Wire Gauge and Current Capacity

Explains AWG and metric sizing systems and how ampacity tables are used. Students select correct wire gauge for a given load and environment.

Lesson 1 • Block Diagrams and System Architecture

Explains how system-level block diagrams inform harness segmentation and connector strategy. Connects high-level architecture to harness topology choices.

Lesson 2 • Schematic Symbols and Conventions

Introduces standard symbols for wires, connectors, grounds, and devices. Establishes the visual language used in all subsequent design work.

Lesson 3 • Schematic to Harness Correlation

Bridges the gap between schematic data and physical harness geometry. Students translate circuit paths into wire runs and connector assignments.

Lesson 1 • Conductor and Insulation Materials

Compares copper, tinned copper, and aluminum conductors and common insulation types by temperature and chemical resistance. Students match materials to application requirements.

Lesson 2 • Fasteners, Clips, and Mounting Hardware

Covers P-clips, cable ties, adhesive mounts, and grommets used to secure and route harnesses. Students specify hardware that prevents chafing and maintains routing intent.

Lesson 3 • Protective Coverings and Conduit

Introduces braided sleeving, corrugated conduit, heat-shrink tubing, and loom tape for harness protection. Students select coverings based on abrasion, heat, and routing constraints.

Lesson 4 • Terminal and Contact Selection

Covers crimp, solder, and insulation-displacement terminals and their application ranges. Students specify terminals compatible with chosen wire gauge and connector housing.

Lesson 1 • Harness Formboard and 2D Layout

Introduces the formboard as the primary manufacturing layout tool and how 2D drawings drive it. Students produce a dimensioned 2D harness layout drawing.

Lesson 2 • Bend Radius and Flexibility Requirements

Explains minimum bend radius by wire type and harness diameter and the consequences of violation. Students calculate allowable bend radii for their designs.

Lesson 3 • Harness Branching and Breakout Design

Covers the design of branch points, breakouts, and trunk-to-leg transitions. Students produce branching geometry that is manufacturable and serviceable.

Lesson 4 • Routing Principles and Constraints

Establishes rules for routing paths, separation from heat sources, and avoidance of moving parts. Students apply these rules when planning harness runs.

Lesson 1 • Connector and Terminal Tables

Covers connector pinout tables, cavity assignments, and terminal call-outs in documentation. Students produce connector tables that fully define termination requirements.

Lesson 2 • Wire List and Net List Creation

Teaches the structure and content of wire lists and net lists derived from schematics. Students generate accurate wire lists with gauge, color, length, and termination data.

Lesson 3 • Assembly Drawing Requirements

Defines the content of a harness assembly drawing including views, notes, and BOM. Students create drawings that a technician can use without additional instruction.

Lesson 4 • Splice and Junction Documentation

Explains how splices, junction blocks, and inline connectors are documented in drawings and wire lists. Students correctly represent all junction types in their documentation.

Lesson 1 • Mechanical and Visual Inspection

Defines visual inspection criteria for crimp quality, connector seating, and protective covering. Students apply inspection checklists to identify non-conforming harnesses.

Lesson 2 • Insulation Resistance and Hi-Pot Testing

Explains insulation resistance measurement and high-potential dielectric testing for harnesses. Students apply correct test voltages and interpret results against acceptance criteria.

Lesson 3 • Automated Harness Test Equipment

Introduces dedicated harness testers, test adapters, and automated test programs. Students understand how automated testing improves throughput and reduces human error.

Lesson 4 • Continuity and Resistance Testing

Covers point-to-point continuity checks and low-resistance measurement techniques. Students use test equipment to verify all circuits are correctly wired.

Lesson 1 • High-Voltage Harness Design Considerations

Introduces design rules specific to high-voltage systems including insulation levels, color coding, and safety interlocks. Students adapt standard design practices for high-voltage applications.

Lesson 2 • Weight and Cost Optimization Strategies

Covers wire gauge optimization, aluminum conductor use, and connector consolidation to reduce weight and cost. Students quantify trade-offs between performance and cost.

Lesson 3 • EMC and Signal Integrity in Harnesses

Addresses shielding, twisted pairs, and separation rules to control electromagnetic interference. Students apply EMC design rules to mixed-signal harness designs.

Lesson 4 • Design for Manufacturability and Assembly

Covers DFM and DFA principles applied to harness design to reduce assembly errors and cost. Students revise a design to improve manufacturability without compromising function.