Talking about the input circuit in the actuators I have on hand. It’s in two parts; the pickup, and the ‘limiter’ switch (the one I said was NO-normal open)
How it works: two small rare earth magnets on one of the gears inside the gearbox. Those pass close to a reedswitch and create a square wave signal in the circuit (5v, typical computer signal line) what the limit switch does is ‘cut’ that signal by sending it to ground. The processor (its not really a computer like in common vernacular of such) counts the peaks of the signal and is programmable to know how many peaks between start and stop.
Way too complicated for my needs.
BUT, I now know far more about this particular unit (and therefore, other similar units) and will have an easier time diagnosing issues with them. The upgraded unit (using the 2000xl arms, the 3200xl are the upgrade) has 4 signal lines, but I would imagine much the same process involved: a pulse generator and a step processor to know start and end travels.
Nope, no genius here, just a curious monkey that likes fixing shit. I like systems, knowing how they work, how the smaller systems all fit together to make a much larger, more capable one. Knowing how one little system works can make fixing the big one easier, or at least, more understandable why its fubar’ed.
And I find it curious that we make things far more complicated than needed because processors got stoopid cheap. Like the limit switch design I showed in last post: 2 switches, 2 diodes, pure function, ease of daig (does it work? No? What burned out?) Where the little system I described above has 2 processors, relays, 4 wires, two switches, 2 voltage levels with a common ground, and umpteen failure points. (Does it work? Nope? What burned or got shorted out? Processor fried in EMP lightning strike and took out the whole circuit? Reed switch burned? Replace entire unit because they dont sell ‘just’ that board.)
It’s all part and parcel of that planned obsolesence thing. Don’t make anything user servicable, period!!!
HA! Then their stuff runs up against curious little monkeys like me: the monks that wanna know how, so we can figure out the workaround. Or re-use, re-purpose, recycle. (And not because I’m Green. Its not so cavalier as that: I just don’t like waste.)
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Rainin’ outside. Tropical storm out of the Gulf is blowing through, lots of wind, some rain (so far, expecting worse) and my plans for day have been been superseded to ‘work on limiter switch box’, not ‘move the Buffalo’. I could still move the ol’gurl, but would rather not try to drag her through muck and mire. This hill gets damned slick with a quickness. (besides, Burnout has seen the text I sent earlier, but not responded, so I think I’m getting a bit of the middle finger from that corner of the world. reliable, he ain’t. probably recovering from last night after his kids left.)
Its that time of year. Weather will cause lapses in outdoor activities. Always have a backup plan in place or you’ll end up sitting, staring at the walls (and when you are an introspective spook like myself, that ain’t always a good place.) SOooo’sssss, knowing this winter is likely gonna be rough, I am buying a ‘toy’ to further my edumacational efforts. I know some of the capabilities of Arduino and Raspberry Pi boards, but programming/python? Not so much. And I can see such being another tool in my arsenal of “FIX IT”. (does it sound like I’m trying to justify buying ‘more shit’? Mehbe I am, mehbe I am,,,)
Self education is never a bad thing, so long as what you learn isn’t more bad habits. Never stop learning. Never stop doing. Even when the naysayers are giving you grief, keep at it, just hunker down and DO. Or as Heinlein used to say, “listen to those that say you can’t, then do it anyway.”
Love y’all.
Stay curious!
Live
Love
Laugh
Learn
LOAD!!!
