Version 4 Micro Processor Pulse controller

[CLaNZeR]

Well played alot this weekend and it worked well.

I seriously need to get the Variant routines done as found I could only increase the speed of the wheel to a limit with the Pots but they worked, which is the main thing
I need it to read the RPM of the wheel or use the Variant timing between two opto switches so I can decrease the trigger delay as the wheel speeds up.

Find attached a Video showing 4 magnets and the controller pulsing a very small solenoid coil that pulls not alot of power.
Excuse the TV in the background, is the kidz watching TV LOL

I also am going to draw up a module that has just 7 extra Opto Inputs, so anyone just using 1 or 2 coils can still take advantage of the extra Opto Inputs.

Regards

Sean.

[CLaNZeR]

The opto only board is a great idea.  I did not really look at the 15 pin buss that close to see what you are doing, assume power, com.  But a multi-sensor/opto board that can tell which driver board to fire is a good idea.

Now that opens another question.  Why not a main control board, multi-driver board (I know heatsinks) and multi-opto board.  But future idea.  The making of the single board will wear you out LOL.

That would be another good module though. 

Will you ever sleep?  hahaha..  I am so stressed at work, wish I could do more than ideas and build the boards up to play.  But you have to do what you have to do..

Anyway, you are doing a great job.  I will be working on work projects tonight and a broken car..  Maybe tomorrow night. 

Some good ideas there mate, will add to the list LOL

There is never enough time is there, I had a 3 day weekend this end in the UK as today is a Bank Holiday, so now got to go pack my bags as it gone 10:00PM uk time and up again at 3:30am to Fly out to work grrrrrrr, but atleast it is a short week

I was expecting to finish with current client on the 1st June and want to take a month off to spend at home, so counting the weeks, but got an email the other day asking what I am doing for the next couple of months grrrrrrr, dunno if I can take 2 more months after 1st June of early Monday starts and hotels, it does my head in, when all I want to do is play with this OU stuff!!!!

If only we could get paid for all this time and effort LOL!!!!

Have a good week that side of the water and good on you for spending time with the family (and the car!).

Cheers

Sean.

[CLaNZeR]

Go back and read my last post, I did an EDIT at the bottom, figure you might not check in for a bit.  Sorry..

The config I have is the magnets are in attraction mode.

So letting the Rotor magnets get pulled in by the stator magnet (on a slider) and then when it hits the sticky point I pulse the small coil to pull the Neo back and hence overcome the sticky point.

I mainly used the trigger Pot to get the delay right, but it is sat here running fine now for a couple of hours and the heatsink has not even warmed up as the coil pulls such small current.

I now want to speed it up, but the only way I see this possible is to monitor the speed of the wheel and as it increases then decrease the trigger and Pulse Width Time, but need to finish the code to do that.

If you need any wheels knocked up, give me a shout with the dimensions and will cut you a couple of Plexiglass ones, no problems. If you go for the ones with slots cut in them, you can change your magnet configs to suit what you are playing with.

[CLaNZeR]

That is pretty slick.  What is the solenoid part number?  Maybe I will copy your project  and play, that one I can get one of my boys into as well. 

Hi Mike have sent you a PM!

Regards the solenoid. The small ones I got were from Rapid
http://www.rapidonline.com/productinfo.aspx?kw=solenoid&tier1=Electronic+Components&tier2=Relays+%26+Solenoids&tier3=Solenoids&tier4=PCB+miniature+solenoids&moduleno=29536

They only have a bout 3mm movement but only draw 1.5watts so correct me if I have my calculations wrong but:

1.5 watts/12 volts = 0.125 amps
1.5 watts/6 volts = 0.25 amps

Which is pretty low compared to the current a bigger coil would pull to do the same work of pulsing a wheel.

Regards

Sean.

[CLaNZeR]

Yep I reckon there is a few different configurations to get it there yet, but it proves the concept so far that with little power you can turn a wheel with badly placed/weak magnets and get them to move.
I think finding the best configuration now with all Neos to get the best torque is the next step.
Also getting the variant timing done in the code so we can get it spinning faster!!

While playing with my Torbay replication  effort, the torque is incredible with the configuration used:


With above if all the arms are locked down and I lift one arm out the way the Roto shoots past 2-3 of the other arms. So be interersting to maybe lock all arms down and then replace say 3 or 4 of them with the Solenoid sliders. Be interesting to see what torque it could then pickup and whether 3mm of movement will be enough to cause enough change.

Cheers

Sean.