Creating a Branch

Anthony Conte

February 19, 2026 15:17

Watch the Video

Open the video in a new tab (Creating a Branch, 40 seconds).

Command

Command	Description
`ATBRANCH`	Create a branch circuit from a device on the active circuit

Prerequisites

A FireCAD project must be open
An active circuit must be selected in the Circuits palette
The active drawing must be part of the project

Overview

The ATBRANCH command connects devices to the active circuit as a branch (a spur, such as a T-tap) off a device already on that circuit. The branch devices stay on the same circuit: they continue its addressing, and their load counts toward it.

Steps

Select the parent circuit in the Circuits palette
Click Branch in the Circuits palette, or type ATBRANCH
You are prompted: "Select a device on circuit '[Circuit Name]' to branch from:"
Select the device that will be the branch origin (passthrough device)
You are prompted to select devices to connect to the new branch
Select one or more compatible devices
Press Enter to confirm
The selected devices are connected as a branch. Their labels carry the branch number, for example P2•A1.1•68 for the first branch of A1

How It Works

No new circuit is created. The selected devices are connected to the active circuit and marked as a branch off the device you picked
Each branch gets the next branch number on that circuit (A1.1, A1.2, ...); devices branched in one operation share a number
The device you branch from is not changed
Branch devices count toward the circuit's current, device count and addressing, and the riser draws them as a spur

Example

A common use case is a notification appliance circuit (NAC) where a power supply feeds several branches:

Panel → NAC Circuit
         └── Strobe 1 (passthrough)
              └── Branch 1: Strobe 2, Strobe 3
         └── Strobe 4 (passthrough)
              └── Branch 2: Strobe 5, Strobe 6

Tips

The branching device must already be on the active circuit
Branch devices continue the circuit's address sequence; the branch number appears in the label
Use ATRELOCATE_BRANCH to move devices between branches
Use ATREMOVE_BRANCH to remove a branch and its connections

Related Commands

FireCAD is the industry-leading AutoCAD add-in for fire alarm system design — from circuit layout to wire routing to code-compliant reports.
Learn more and get started at getfirecad.com →

Inspect Point Integration — Fire alarm system device lists and bill of materials can be pushed directly from FireCAD into Inspect Point, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring every device is ready for inspection scheduling and ongoing asset management.
Learn more here →