# ANSI/IEEE normally open contact symbol

Canonical URL: https://eloragrid.ai/symbols/ansi-normally-open-contact
Publisher: Elora Grid
Updated: 2026-10-14
Lookup label: NO
Drawing use: Schematic
Reference families: IEEE / ANSI, Manufacturer

## Symbol convention

Convention: IEEE / ANSI
Form: Autodesk IEEE-oriented Relays and Contacts functional form
Autodesk explicitly publishes this block under IEEE Symbol Preview. The counterpart is the matching functional concept; no equivalence of every detailed standard graphic is asserted.
Related representation: [Normally open contact](https://eloragrid.ai/symbols/normally-open-contact)

IEEE-oriented graphical reference for normally open contact, with public vendor evidence and drawing-reading notes.

## What it represents

The normally-open relay contact form describes an unoperated open connection in the named IEEE-oriented library. Device tag and terminal references establish which relay or operator controls it; the two conductors are followed as a control path independent of the coil's power circuit.
This is a convention-specific lookup based on the publisher's IEEE-labelled preview. The geometry here is independently drawn to explain the connection or operation; it is not a certified reproduction of the standard graphic.

## How to read it

- Read the stated reference condition before analysing the operating sequence.
- Read the selected library and the project legend together. A vendor block identifier is meaningful within its named library and is not a universal standard-symbol code.

## Information to show or reference

- Identify parent device tag
- Show terminal pair
- Cross-reference operating element

## Important distinction

Normally open is a contact state. A complete relay contains operating and contact functions that may appear on different sheets.

## Facts

- Convention evidence: Autodesk IEEE Symbol Preview — Relays and Contacts
- Public vendor block name: HCR21 (Autodesk identifier; not an IEEE symbol number)
- Standards context: IEEE/ANSI 315-1975 covers diagram graphics. IEEE lists this edition as Inactive-Reserved.
- Artwork scope: Original functional illustration; exact standard glyph and compliance are not certified

## Public references

- [Autodesk IEEE Symbol Preview — Relays and Contacts](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2021/ENU/AutoCAD-Electrical/files/GUID-F8EAC387-53CF-45FE-BE6A-C0C8FB3C1B22.htm) — Autodesk. Exact public IEEE-oriented category page verifying the component name and vendor block identifier.
- [IEEE/ANSI 315-1975: graphic symbols for electrical and electronics diagrams](https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/315/515/) — IEEE Standards Association. Graphic-symbol standards context and official status; not a source of reproduced artwork.

## Graphic scope

Independent original educational concept illustration by Elora Grid. Not a certified standards graphic or manufacturer footprint. Unitless; not to scale. Original artwork licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Publisher material is linked only.