Animal Feeder

Thread Starter

OwenA

Joined Feb 15, 2014
1
I am making an animal feeder that will only provide access to food during the daytime. The food is under a bucket turned upsidedown. I am using a 12v DC motor to power the action. In the morning a timer activates power to the system the motor raises the bucket until it is stopped by a limit switch. After a few seconds the timer would turn off. In the evening the timer would reactivate and lower the bucket to cover the food. Again the action would be stopped by a limit switch and in a few more seconds the timer would turn off. My problem is that I do not know how to get the motor reversed. I need this action to happen every day without human assistance. I am a new user. Not sure if I did this correctly. Also I'm not sure how I retrieve someone's response.
 

inwo

Joined Nov 7, 2013
2,419
After all the diagrams in the other thread.:cool:

Every application is different.:D

Use 12vdc coil if timer outputs 12volts.

Edit:
Thanks to #12
-12 is the negative connection to battery. Sometimes called ground.
 

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#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
It took me a minute to notice the negative sign on one of the 12 V labels.
If the animal feeder is going to use a total of 12 volts, that terminal would be ground, or zero volts.

ps, tightest drawing of a chicken coop door controller I've ever seen. :D
 

inwo

Joined Nov 7, 2013
2,419
It took me a minute to notice the negative sign on one of the 12 V labels.
If the animal feeder is going to use a total of 12 volts, that terminal would be ground, or zero volts.

ps, tightest drawing of a chicken coop door controller I've ever seen. Never had schematic sw til I joined AAC recently. I've been going nuts.:D
If I draw enough, one might actually work. :)

Good catch. I've been tempted to use that -12 before and thought better.

Nothing better in my library.:( I often use a ground symbol.
Need one that says "Neg. from Bat." or such.

Depending on the experience of the user it might be OK.

I always try to draw simple diagrams without lines crossing, yet complete without grd symbols.

Now that I've been caught I'll have to clean up my act.:D

Actually a real plus/minus 12vdc system would reversing a lot simpler.;)

ps.
I only wish OP of the coop door thread would use a simple idea like this.
The premise of not having cont. dc power available is an extreme challenge.
Not to mention 50 post to explain...................
 
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#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Do you refer to the strantor coop?
The customer is happy.
When that happens, I forget the job in about 90 seconds. I can't even remember what year that was.
 

KMoffett

Joined Dec 19, 2007
2,918
Love that configuration. Only down side to that circuit is that the limit switches have to be able to switch/carry the maximum motor current. Probably not an issue in this application, but would be with a big motor where someone wanted physically small limit switches. Or if one needed dynamic braking.

Ken
 

burger2227

Joined Feb 3, 2014
194
My bench power supply has + and -, not common. Between them is ground, but I never use it. I had to change the BNC colors so that - was black too. That color originally was on the ground.
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
Good catch. I've been tempted to use that -12 before and thought better.

Nothing better in my library.:( I often use a ground symbol.
Need one that says "Neg. from Bat." or such.

.
I don't like using the term Ground much, especially the ground symbol, as in N.A. it also means Earth Ground.
Where I came from it is called Earth to distinguish it.
I tend to use Common, Chassis or 12vcom 5vcom etc especially if you have a schematic with mixed supply's that are galvanically isolated, if all are called 'Ground' and both have the earth ground symbol it can lead to confusion, IMO.
Max.
 

inwo

Joined Nov 7, 2013
2,419
I don't like using the term Ground much, especially the ground symbol, as in N.A. it also means Earth Ground.
Where I came from it is called Earth to distinguish it.
I tend to use Common, Chassis or 12vcom 5vcom sounds good etc especially if you have a schematic with mixed supply's that are galvanically isolated, if all are called 'Ground' and both have the earth ground symbol it can lead to confusion, IMO.
Max.
I agree of course.
I'm working with the limitations of my library.

VCC and VDD aren't correct.

The +12 or +DC symbols work great.
I need something for Common connections that is short.

The -12 is perfect but, as you say, not correct.:(

I guess just a generic port labeled "COM" is best.
With battery symbol also labeled "COM" and "POS".

Actually many industrial controls use +24 and -24 for COM which is confusing.
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
This is about sloppy use of words, and yes, I'm guilty, too.
I tend to do what I call, "concept" drawings. They show the principle of operation, but leave a lot to be desired for the noobs that really aren't familiar with how to make the common points and supply bypasses correctly.

Let's all do a New Year's resolution to be more explicit about things in the realm of common, ground, and neutral.
 
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