I am not an electrical engineer of any kind and have been struggling to find any instructional information regarding my design idea.

Simply put I have a dc electric motor with an actuator arm. I need it to open and close with the use of a timer. My main issue has been in wiring the system to reverse the polarity.

I will need to wire a dc converter for the power supply, a timer, the motor and I assume a relay.

What is the simplest wiring diagram that could achieve this?

Tia!

 

What is the nature of the "Actuator Arm"?
How does it interact with the motor?

 

Is this a model servo rather a simple motor (as below)?

 

Simple actuating arm. Extends and retracts.

 

Need a Little more for a useful answer.

 

Linear motor similar to these https://www.ebay.com/itm/Linear-Act...-/264928357707?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

Also I should mention again I'm not an engineer and have no background in electronics so any explanations need to be in such a way as if you were explaining to a simpleton.

 

Looks like on the lines of this https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/linear-actuator-cycling-circuit-diagram.176690/
With some mods.

 

Similar yes. Timer goes off motor runs full cycle one way timer goes off again and runs full cycle the other way.

Parts I have:
- 12v 6" linear actuator motor
- 12v converter
- 12v timer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WR0ELC...abc_BY7FR5BF2WNNN98TTWD4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
- timer relay https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081N5NG8...abc_EZG9MVHBQF2Y1DHWTYQ0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I feel like I have the parts I need. I just don't know how to wire them properly.

 

So you need time delay, start motor FWD, motor runs until L.S., Motor stops, after time delay, motor runs reverse.stop on REV L.S.
So is this a repetitive cycling or one shot at a time, by some initiation P.B. etc?

 

Sounds right and it will be a repetitive cycle.

 

Looks like that relay timer does not have a external 'Initiate start' input.
Start is by front panel?
It needs to receive an output from the day timer, Yes?

 

Looks like that relay timer does not have a external 'Initiate start' input.
Start is by front panel?
It needs to receive an output from the day timer, Yes?

Yes that is all correct

 

So how is the day timer going to trigger the relay timer?

 

My very first question is about that actuator. Is it really only a motor with some gears or a mechanical arrangement, or does it already have some control electronics like that device in post #3? And the description of the function is not adequate. "Timer goes off" is not enough. From the other posts it seems that this thing will run to one end and wait some time period and then run to the other end and wait some time period. really, though, you need two timers, one for each direction.
But if your knowledge is not adequate how do you expect to connect things so they work, given only a circuit drawing?

 

I was hoping I wouldnt need two timers but if that is the only way I can get another.. How would you achieve that end with that motor?

 

It seems to me it the issue is triggering the timer relay from the 24hr day timer.
You may be better off looking at a cheap irrigation timer, it works with multiple outputs for certain periods during a 24hr period.
i.e. All-in-one unit.
Max.

 

All in one would be nice but i don't know what I'd be looking for. Irrigation timers I'm familiar with don't have electric outputs. Where would I look and what specs would it need to be able do what I am asking?

 

The irrigation timer generally has outputs to switch LV AC valves. IIRC it is 24vac, you could always pick up a relay from this and do whatever.

 

Where did the daily start come from??? I seem to not find that. And what sort of time interval is it going to have? Will it be seconds or hours? If this is for a chicken coop door it has already been solved. And are the time intervals the same? Half on and half off? THAT would make it simple to do with one timer. THat one has been solved also.There is not one word about the current rating for the contacts on the relay or on the timer and so there is no reason to believe that it will work for very many cycles.
That actuator does not have a listing of the current draw, either.
So what is needed is to locate an actuator with built in limit switches to stop it at each end of the stroke. Then this project may have a hope of working.

 

Follow the links!
One is a 7 day of the week interval timer, I have used the irrigation style I mentioned earlier, that sets the time of day period, and also the on/off period.
Outputs 24vac for 3 or 4 zones.
.