ELECTRICALResources / Electrical symbolsUpdated 29 Oct 2026

Battery, source, fuse, breaker and ground symbols

Where the energy comes from, how the circuit is protected and where it is referenced: batteries and sources, fuses and circuit breakers, earth and chassis ground.

SymbolANSI / IEEEIEC 60617What it is

BatteryA battery of cells: each pair of a long and a short plate is one cell.

DC voltage sourceAn ideal source of DC voltage, with its positive and negative terminals marked.

AC voltage sourceA source of alternating voltage, marked with a sine wave.

FuseS00362A fuse protects a circuit by melting when the current is too high for too long.

Circuit breakerS00287A circuit breaker opens automatically on overcurrent and can be reset.

Ground (earth)S00200The connection to earth, the reference point for voltages and the path for fault current.

Chassis groundA connection to the metal frame or chassis of the equipment, which may or may not be earthed.

Power, protection and ground: ANSI and IEC

Sources and grounds are drawn alike in both standards. Fuses and circuit breakers differ: an S-curve or arc in US practice, a rectangle or a switch with a cross in IEC 60617.

Frequently asked questions

Which power, protection and ground appear on a electrical schematic?

This legend covers battery, DC voltage source, AC voltage source, fuse, circuit breaker, ground (earth), chassis ground. Project legends may add more.

Are these symbols different in IEC and ANSI?

2 of the 7 are drawn differently. Each symbol page shows both forms side by side.

Can I download these symbols?

Yes. Each symbol page has free SVG files, and the hub has printable PDF charts.

Every relay, breaker and motor on your schematics, tested before energisation.Deskely holds the inspection and test records and punch items for every electrical and instrument tag on your project, checked against the register as they are signed.

In production since 2014
Thousands of daily users
On MODEC FPSO projects since 2016

See Verify on your project How Verify works

Other categories7 symbolsResistor, capacitor and inductor symbols 5 symbolsDiode, LED and transistor symbols 7 symbolsSwitch, push button, relay and contact symbols 8 symbolsLamp, motor, meter and wiring symbols ComparisonIEC vs ANSI electrical symbols

Power, protection and ground: ANSI and IEC

Frequently asked questions

Autonomous engineering runs on Deskely.