Looking for someone to build me a circuit...

paulktreg

Joined Jun 2, 2008
833
Well I don't think we'll see Ross1966 again and I can't really blame him so why jump immediately to the conclusion that it's a scam without knowing the facts?

WBahn "You may or may not fall into that category, we don't know yet." Bingo!
 
Last edited:

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,220
You are over-reacting, but since you don't have sufficient context to understand his remark, it's not too unreasonable or surprising, though you should still try to temper your responses
Yes, unfortunately even when when one puts things clearly in writing the intended tone is always missing, and things might end up looking harsher than they were meant to be. I suggest you act proactively regarding this incident and allow those of us willing to help you to lend you a hand, if you're still willing.
I've been designing machines for more than 20 years and what you're describing is not that complicated to make (for me at least). If you have some basic woodworking skills, I'm even offering my help for free, all you'd have to do is buy the parts and I'll tell you how to assemble them.
 

Thread Starter

Ross1966

Joined Dec 23, 2014
11
This is crazy all anyone can talk about is my reaction to the comments made towards me bla bla bla. I have been to multiple hobby shops, electronic supply stores, this forum and what??? Still nil? No one can tell me how to do anything just suggest that my ideas are wrong and that I should do this or that....

So lets start there, if its to be completely non electric like a train then how? yes I know what it looks like but I am to dumb I guess to create it so please how?

If its going to be another way then please tell me how? what switches, what diodes, what relays? How?

I have a point to point railroad switch that is 12 volts if someone out there knows how I could make it work considering I already own it then pleas tell me, how?

I stated in this thread that I was a total NOOB I don't know how much clearer that could be please if you can comment on everything but what I am trying to achieve then you are a know it all enough to tell me exactly how to do it.

so please tell me how??

I apologize to all of those I offended with earlier statements
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
What equipment or components do you have at the moment and have you assembled anything yet?
Is there a equivalent commercial product that can be linked to?
The nearest I have got to the egg industry is I serviced egg candling machines once. :)
BTW What part of Canada are you?
Max.
 

Thread Starter

Ross1966

Joined Dec 23, 2014
11
Hey Max

I am in Ontario up in cottage country. I currently have a peerless industries 12v point to point switch for model railroad and a 5 rpm 12v motor.
There is nothing that is out there on the market as far as I have seen. I just want to make an automatic perpetual teeder todder that can drive multiple trays through a linkage.

Ross
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
Ontario Cottage country for me is out at Kenora, Lake of the Woods.:)

What about the trays you mention, is this something that is out there or are you building this also, are you building all the mechanics or have access to a metal working or machine shop?
Max.
 

Thread Starter

Ross1966

Joined Dec 23, 2014
11
Ontario Cottage country for me is out at Kenora, Lake of the Woods.:)

What about the trays you mention, is this something that is out there or are you building this also, are you building all the mechanics or have access to a metal working or machine shop?
Max.
 

Thread Starter

Ross1966

Joined Dec 23, 2014
11
yes the trays are wood and mesh. I am building this whole project. I do have access to a metal shop and have used ti for some aspects of this build. I am in muskoka
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,978
Hey Max

I am in Ontario up in cottage country. I currently have a peerless industries 12v point to point switch for model railroad and a 5 rpm 12v motor.
There is nothing that is out there on the market as far as I have seen. I just want to make an automatic perpetual teeder todder that can drive multiple trays through a linkage.

Ross
Are you familiar with those toddler swings that rock back and forth using a motor? Is that the kind of motion you are looking for? If so, you can probably find one of them real cheap at a Salvation Army or Goodwill store. If nothing else, it will let you see the kind of mechanism that can be used.
 

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,220
Welcome back Ross... I'm glad to see that you've decided to check back in and follow this through...
My offer still stands, although I see that there are very capable people out there other than me willing to help you out with this project.
Anyway, would you do me a favor... would you please state in bullet points (or a numbered stepy-by-step) your requirements on this project?

From what I've understood so far, you want an egg-rocker with:
  • What speed and frequency, and for how long?
  • How much power? (how many eggs at a time to rock, for example)
  • Would your device need an alarm of some sort to tell you that a cycle has been completed?
  • Would you be willing to spend a little money and order parts through the mail?
  • Would you want to control temperature?
  • Would you later want to load/unload those eggs automatically?
  • And whatever other ideas you have in mind, Etc....
We would be taking this one step at a time, of course, but it would be helpful to contemplate your complete end goal from the very beginning
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Right here . use it with a couple of relays to switch the direction. A tit on the wheel will contact the switch; one tit will give you just a little less than 360 degrees before reverse. If you want like 180 degrees, add a second tit.
 

cork_ie

Joined Oct 8, 2011
428
Hi

I am looking for help in building a circuit that will make my electric motor travel in a clockwise direction then after hitting a switch travel in a counter clockwise direction. Think of it like a teeter todder, when the teeter todder hits the ground on the one side the direction of the motor switches and the teeter todder is told to travel in the opposite direction. Can anyone help me out?
Thanks
Ross1966
Have a look at the windscreen wiper mechanism in your car and you will get some ideas. As you will see a crank converts rotary motion into reversing linear motion. There is absolutely no need to cause the motor direction to reverse as it is already achieved in your crank. The sweep of the crank is infinitley variable depending on the lenghts of the rods.
 
Last edited:

blocco a spirale

Joined Jun 18, 2008
1,546
Have a look at the windscreen wiper mechanism in your car and you will get some ideas. As you will see a crank converts rotary motion into reversing liner motion. There is absolutely no need to cause the motor direction to reverse as it is already achieved in your crank. The sweep of the crank is infinitley variable depending on the lenghts of the rods.
I believe that I made this very same point way back in Post #6. This is essentially a mechanical project requiring no electronics at all.

Ross, you simply need to build the tray rocking mechanism (like a see saw where the trays share a common central pivot) and then take a link from one end to a crank mounted on the motor.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
Here is a picture of the mechanical solution. The rotary motion of the motor is translated into a rocking motion of the tray. Will this work for you?

RockerTray.png
 
OK, your a NOON and were at the other forum. Hey, I just don't have any time, but 5th graders use a PICAXE. www.picaxe.com.

So yea, you can do it with relays and limit switches or electronically. There are plenty of H-bride modes around such as this http://www.gamesalor.com/product_85...ve-Controller-Board-Module-Arduino-L298N.html one.

The trite table is usually
00 off
01 one direction
10 other direction
11 Coast

Some modules have coast and brake and need another input. Usually they have a resistor that sets the max current, so the gears won't get damaged. It's like a 2 W 12 V motor, so big deal.

You might need some help selecting par I don;t think we are talking about anything totally custom. Just some wiring and some obtainable modules.

There are two ways to handle the relay based system. One is direction and not enable and the other is fwd and rev. The former is preferable. An H-bridge, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H_bridge has transistors arranged in an H such that the motor direction can be changed. Brake depends on which way it was traveling. You do have to arrange the circuit such that the motor doesn't move when the system is powered up and "no program" is running yet, Speed is controlled by varyng the pulse width of the enable pin,

You can use polling or interrupts and may have to care about contact debouncing.

The pseodocode isn't hard.

More like:
Start: On power up check if at a limit and figure out which one. Set the initial direction based on limits. Assume 0 is at limit
00 - a problem
01 - go the opposite of 01
10 - go the opposite of 10

Loop: Move motor
Wait for interrupt on either limit switch (might need some glue logic) or you can wait on the one you expect.
Stop, wait a second or so. Start moving in the opposite direction.

Some other options:
the Basic Stamp: http://www.parallax.com/microcontrollers/microcontrollers-overview
Coridium: http://www.coridium.us/
The Arduino (way too much computer)
there is a language called fowcode that's graphical programming.

For high power motors it's essential to wait a short time at the limit.

==



For your application, it is EXTREMELY likely that this SIMPLE circuit on the last page here: http://www.nskelectronics.com/l293d_motor_drive_.html would work for you with a slight modification. A 2n3904 is a good transistor to use for the NPN.

The H bridge needs a 5V (logic) and a 12V (motor) supply.

The only change is to use a dual coil magnetic latching relay such as this one http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/V23079B1203B301/PB1085-ND for the direction switch. You could use the 5 V version as well. The coils would have to be clamped with a reversed biased diode. e.g. 1N4001, 1N4002.

The coils are polarity sensitive and usually labeled set and reset. Each limit switch would activate the set or reset coil respectively. The SPDT contacts will do the direction as in the application note.

A decent DRIVER board should have the ability to change a couple of resistors to set the max current, but the L293 doesn't have them, apparently.

The E signal would have to be tied appropriately or tied to a switch that supplies a logic high or low (0 or +5) and could act as a power switch.

That's what I would suggest.

It always helps to:
Provide a bit more info: i.e. motor specs. Unfortunately, there isn't much Some basic info is lacking from even where you bought the thing (the other forum thread), but a "phone call"/email should clear that up or "You could measure it under load.

In this case it's important to know what side of the "pond" your on. e.g. US, UK etc. I don't frequent here all too often.
 
Last edited:

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,220
Ross,

I'd like you to consider the following idea:
  • A series of parallel tubes, shown in gray, which could be PVC or any other material that you have available
  • With several rubber o-rings installaed at regular intervals, shown in blue
  • The eggs are placed on top, shown in yellow
  • The rods would be rotated all in the same direction (green arrows) using your motor, which would be coupled using a series of rubber belts and pulleys between the tubes and the motor
This design would let you rotate the eggs the whole 360 degrees, and you wouldn't have to change the motor's direction. This means you won't be needing any limit switches and only a timer circuit would be used. You could time the mechanism to rotate the eggs, say, by 90 degrees every hour or so.
Also, you could place a tray below the assembly which could collect any dirt present or generated, and the tubes and o-rings would be rather simple to wash and clean

Capture.JPG
 
Last edited:
Wbahn said:
Curious, why would you suggest all of this complexity when a geared-down motor with a two connecting rods will do the trick?
Because I learned a long time ago, to "brainstorm" and then take pieces from every idea. That method was further suggested in an editorial in a professional Publication, Intech, much later than when I discovered it.

Management, like you, seems very quick to discredit a particular idea and they don't understand the method,
I find usefulness in throwing out everything. Every idea has different constraints. An elegant solution is harder to come by.

An easy example is a solar panel. Space criteria dictates efficiency and weight. Domestic applications might put "a single person can handle the panel" up the ladder and on the roof as top priority.

In this case, I agree, that one of my proposed solutions is more appropriate for a larger motor.

I built and repaired stuff for use in a research facility. Modular, reliable, reuse ability, ease of repair were some of my top priorities. When I fixed stuff, i didn't want to have to fix it again, so I engineered solutions for that too. With that I used a Macintosh computer at the time and got 15+ years life out of it. The only "repair" was removing dust and a new floppy drive. The hard drive lasted 15 years and was still running.

When I fixed stuff, I never wanted to see it again.

A toxic gas safety system worked when it was supposed to, Maintenance was replacing lamps and cleaning a sensor.
Eventually, the manufacturer redesigned the product such that it trapped the heat of the lamps so the heat would break the lenses of the indicators and buttons. Their original design broke to some extent, but the new design forced me to change vendors. The manufacturer was changed at that point and LED lamps (24 VAC) were also used. I had like 200 of the broken style. Initially, the selection was cost driven. Later, it became a safety and reliability issue.

Another system was not put together by me and you could not even tell what set off the alarm unless it was continuous. It was hard to troubleshoot and many problems were loose connections and i refused to troubleshoot it until it acquired some characteristics. "they" also chose an air velocity sensor that did not have a numeric readout. A wind burst would cause the system to shut down, there was lost productivity and you could not clean the sensor preventively.
 

blocco a spirale

Joined Jun 18, 2008
1,546
If the definition of "brainstorm" is to propose the most complex solution to a simple problem, run with it and recommend it above all others... well, you definitely did that.
 
Top