Hello everyone.
I am an electronic newbie, and I hope to post this on the right forum. My apologies if this is not the right place.
I am playing with a project that would use a huge number of magnets to move objects on a sort of "magnetic table." The number of magnets I'd like to be able to control is over 500. But they don't need to be powered up simultaneously. I could get away with just firing them up one at a time. What I am trying to accomplish is to find the best way to do that. I am just using a simple Arduino Uno as a controller, 74HC595 shift registers and L293D motor chips plus some capacitors and resistors to stabilize the currents. Each magnet may take from 20 to 32v with a max current of 500ma each.
Starting with the basic concept that I can drive 4 magnets with a single 74HC595 and two L293D, as described from the graphic idea below:
I am wondering what's the best way to drive over 500 magnets with a single L293D by just "re-routing" dynamically the power to the single magnet I need to power up, as shown in this other graphic idea below:
I am exploring the possibility to use analog switches to re-route the power to the single magnet I need to drive, but I have no idea which ones to use and how to "chain" them together to connect so many magnets without having too many ICs. In other words, is there a way to connect so many magnets with the less number of components and electronics? As I said, I don't need to power more than 1 single magnet at a time.
Any thoughts and suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks in advance to anyone!
All the best,
Fab.
I am an electronic newbie, and I hope to post this on the right forum. My apologies if this is not the right place.
I am playing with a project that would use a huge number of magnets to move objects on a sort of "magnetic table." The number of magnets I'd like to be able to control is over 500. But they don't need to be powered up simultaneously. I could get away with just firing them up one at a time. What I am trying to accomplish is to find the best way to do that. I am just using a simple Arduino Uno as a controller, 74HC595 shift registers and L293D motor chips plus some capacitors and resistors to stabilize the currents. Each magnet may take from 20 to 32v with a max current of 500ma each.
Starting with the basic concept that I can drive 4 magnets with a single 74HC595 and two L293D, as described from the graphic idea below:
I am wondering what's the best way to drive over 500 magnets with a single L293D by just "re-routing" dynamically the power to the single magnet I need to power up, as shown in this other graphic idea below:
I am exploring the possibility to use analog switches to re-route the power to the single magnet I need to drive, but I have no idea which ones to use and how to "chain" them together to connect so many magnets without having too many ICs. In other words, is there a way to connect so many magnets with the less number of components and electronics? As I said, I don't need to power more than 1 single magnet at a time.
Any thoughts and suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks in advance to anyone!
All the best,
Fab.