Cable Routing¶
Cable routing connects NetBox's native dcim.Cable objects to the physical pathways they traverse. This is the core integration point between NetBox's device/cable inventory and Pathways' physical infrastructure documentation.
Cable Segments¶
A Cable Segment represents one section of a cable's physical route through a single pathway. A cable's complete route is an ordered sequence of segments.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Cable | The NetBox dcim.Cable being routed |
| Pathway | The conduit, aerial span, or other pathway |
| Sequence | Order in the route (1, 2, 3...) |
| Enter Point | Geographic coordinate where the cable enters the pathway |
| Exit Point | Geographic coordinate where the cable exits |
| Slack Loop Location | Where extra cable is coiled |
| Slack Length | Extra cable length in meters |
Example Route¶
A cable running from Building A to Building B might have this route:
| Seq | Pathway | Type | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C-101 | Conduit | Bldg A Entrance | MH-001 |
| 2 | C-205 | Conduit | MH-001 | MH-002 |
| 3 | AS-010 | Aerial | MH-002 | Pole-15 |
| 4 | C-310 | Conduit | Pole-15 | Bldg B Entrance |
Conduit Banks¶
Conduit banks organize the conduit openings on a structure. This is essential for field documentation — crews need to know exactly which opening to use.
Bank Configuration¶
| Config | Layout | Total Conduits |
|---|---|---|
| 1x2 | 1 row, 2 columns | 2 |
| 1x3 | 1 row, 3 columns | 3 |
| 1x4 | 1 row, 4 columns | 4 |
| 2x2 | 2 rows, 2 columns | 4 |
| 2x3 | 2 rows, 3 columns | 6 |
| 3x3 | 3 rows, 3 columns | 9 |
| 3x4 | 3 rows, 4 columns | 12 |
| Custom | Irregular | Variable |
Bank Positions¶
Conduits assigned to a bank get a Bank Position using a grid notation:
- Row letter + column number:
A1,A2,B1,B2, etc. - Row A is the top row, column 1 is the leftmost
- Each position in a bank is unique
Encasement Types¶
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Concrete | Concrete-encased duct bank |
| Direct Buried | Duct bank buried without encasement |
| Bore | Horizontal directional drilling |
| Bridge Attachment | Attached to bridge structure |
| Tunnel | Inside a tunnel or utility corridor |
Conduit Junctions¶
A conduit junction models a Y-tee where a branch conduit connects to a trunk conduit at a point along its span. Conduit endpoints can reference junctions instead of structures, enabling mid-span branching.
Key attributes:
- Trunk Conduit — The main conduit
- Branch Conduit — The branching conduit
- Towards Structure — Which end of the trunk the junction faces
- Position on Trunk — Normalized value (0.0 = start, 1.0 = end)
Creating Cable Segments¶
- Navigate to Plugins > Pathways > Cable Segments
- Click Add
- Select the Cable and Pathway
- Set the Sequence number (determines route order)
- Optionally set enter/exit points and slack details
- Save and add more segments for the full route
Tip
Maintain consistent sequence numbering. Gaps are fine (1, 2, 5, 10) but the order must reflect the physical cable route.
Pull Sheets¶
Once cable segments are configured, the system can generate pull sheets — field documents showing the complete cable route. See Pull Sheets for details.