Relays

[Laser]

As you know i've almost finished my bot, but do i need a relay for the lifter?
If so how can I make one?

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Relays

i dont understand the question. Are you wanting advice on how to control the lifter?

[daliad100]

Re: Relays

Your best bet is to buy relays.

http://www.technobotsonline.com/rela...dt-10a-5v.html A couple of those should do the trick, however, if you are worried about current draw then there are some larger relays avaliable.

[attachment=0:2tjxf4yn]Lifter.png[/attachment:2tjxf4yn]

If you remove the motor from a servo and wire where it was attached to the points on the diagram one relay will trigger when the servo should be rotating in one direction and the other when it should be rotating in the opposite direction due to the two diodes. Due to the wiring of the relays the lifter motor is off when the servo is in a neutral position and can be driven in both directions.

You can centre and glue the potentiometer in the servo/replace it with a pair of resistors to provide no feedback and have only directional control of the motor (fwd/off/bwd) or attach the potentiometer/a different potentiometer to the lifter arm in some way to make the motor act as a giant servo. I remember seing this done quite cleverly on a simulator chair without having to remove the potentiometer so it might be worth a look if I can fish out the link.

[Laser]

Re: Relays

Thanks for the advice, I was asking how I could build a relay.

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Relays

why bother? Far easier and ultimately cheaper to buy one

[RogueTwoRobots]

Re: Relays

Relays aren't something that people tend to build, unless they work for a relay manufacturing company. They are very much off-the-shelf components that are used to form part of an overall control circuit or something. You could build your own one but you'd have to make your own miniature coils of wire and source tiny pieces of copper connections, as well as devise a manufacturing process to make the case etc, but it'd be much easier to buy one from one of the many places that sells them.

EDIT: ^ What Gary said ^

[Laser]

Re: Relays

I've got a relay at home(forgot to add) and I just wanted to know if i could build a battleswitch.

[RogueTwoRobots]

Re: Relays

A Battleswitch is similar to a relay in the sense that it is just one of those off-the-shelf components that everyone buys. Making one wouldn't be worth the hassle/cost/specialist equipment.

I've never used a battleswitch or relays for a lifter but as far as I'm aware, if you're controlling your lifter with those components you will need, two battleswitches and two relays to provide up and down motion. The battleswitches themselves contain relays but these aren't likely to have a high enough current rating to control whatever you're using to actuate your lifter (as a question, what are you using to actuate it?) so you'll need to have one battleswitch activating one bigger relay to move the lifter up, and the same with the other battleswitch/relay to move it down.

Alternatively you can get a dual battleswitch from Technobots that would save you having to buy two separate individual ones: http://www.technobotsonline.com/doubles ... ay-8a.html
You would still need two individual larger relays to connect to though.

[Laser]

Re: Relays

I'm using bang-bang motion for controlling the lifter and the battle switch would be to activate it. So would I still need the battle switch?

[blazerbotics]

Re: Relays

The easiest way to control a lifter is with one of these http://www.robotcombat.com/products/0-TD-RCE225.html this will give you the direction control, and it also have inputs for limit switches. You can make one with a servo/microswitches and relays. A normal battleswitch from technobots wont do it as they are only single operation.

[Laser]

Re: Relays

So I use my servo's bang-bang normally and use this: http://www.robotcombat.com/products/0-TD-RCE225.html
for The relay to activate it?

[blazerbotics]

Re: Relays

The RCE225 plugs into you rx and will control your actuator, nothing else needed. The only thing i can remember is that these dont usually come with the RX lead/plug so you have to solder one on.

[Laser]

Re: Relays

O.K. So would i still be able to use the limit switches to control the amount of movement?