Position Sensing Pnematic Cylinder Control ?

Archiver

I'm new to the group, researching a project, searched the archives
and didn't find anything relating to my question.

I'm trying to determine the feasability of using the Basic Stamp for
controlling position sensing pnematic cylinders. The concept is to
build a electro-pnematic controlled shifting system for a manual
transmission. There would be 2 cylindres; one for X axix, one for Y
axix. Using an electric switch as an input to the Stamp to change
gears, it would conrol the cylinders in a specified sequence to
select the appropriate gear.

Has anyone had any experience with controlling these position sensing
cylinders or could point me in the right direction? Any
thoughts/feedback/direction/guideance/help greatly appreciated!

Mark
www.mark.hargett.com

Archiver

I could have read your message wrong, but is your problem sensing the
position the cylinders are at? If so, a couple of possibilities I can think
of:
1. use a linear potentiometer
2. use magnets at set positions to trigger hall effect sensor (this
method limits you to a set number of positions)

If this is not the problem you are trying to solve then forgive my
misunderstanding.
- Alex

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Original Message

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From: mark@h... [noparse]/noparse]SMTP:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=X1cYqfamDwoM5qwnoSW2pfJ4QtaXdKkNBViLY4zAkt-7E9MAXjJNsUuyAE0MdLBy4Cv7_oBvdaQ]mark@h...[/url
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2001 11:37 AM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Position Sensing Pnematic Cylinder
Control ?

I'm new to the group, researching a project, searched the archives
and didn't find anything relating to my question.

I'm trying to determine the feasability of using the Basic Stamp for

controlling position sensing pnematic cylinders. The concept is to
build a electro-pnematic controlled shifting system for a manual
transmission. There would be 2 cylindres; one for X axix, one for Y

axix. Using an electric switch as an input to the Stamp to change
gears, it would conrol the cylinders in a specified sequence to
select the appropriate gear.

Has anyone had any experience with controlling these position
sensing
cylinders or could point me in the right direction? Any
thoughts/feedback/direction/guideance/help greatly appreciated!

Mark
www.mark.hargett.com



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Archiver

Thanks Alex. The problem is not sensing the position. The postion
sensing pnematic cylinders have a linear resistive transducer for
continuous position sensing. They output a particular voltage
depending on the position of the ram (0-5v I think).

I applogize because I should wait to ask my questions until I have a
greater understanding of the whole picture. I have ordered a bunch
of books and information material but you know how you get excited
about a project! What I am trying to determine at this point is
whether the Basic Stamp is the right choice to control my project.

Basically, this is how I see the system working: There will be 2
cylinders, one in an X axix and one in a Y axix (one for moving the
transmission selector right/left and one for moving it up/down).
Because the cylinders have a linear voltage output depending on their
position the system will know what the current gear selection is. For
example, if cylinder1 is at 1.2v and cylinder2 is at 3.4v that equals
1st gear. Now when a button is pushed signaling the system to change
up a gear, the system goes to a particular routine that says if you
want to go from 1st to 2nd gear, then acuate the cylinders to equal
cylinder1 at 2.3v and then cylinder2 at 4.4v and so on, and so on.

So, one question is does the Stamp take varried voltage signals as
inputs? Thanks again and sorry for not knowing more, but I will soon!

Mark
www.mark.hargett.com