Hello everyone
I'm an amateur woodworker currently playing way out of his league with electronics, pneumatics and programming.
I'm reaching out to the Arduino community for support and - if someone has the time, courage and patience - guidance in my project. Please pardon my english, I'm belgian and french is my native language, so I'll do my best but I'd rather spend hours on arduino tutorials than on improving my English
My idea coming here is not to get a "ready to copy-paste" code and a full wiring schematic, but to get to:
- Find the best way to connect the hardware
- Structure my code so that it's not a tangled mess of instructions at the end of the process. Since I never programmed anything, I'll be the tough part...
- Help me understand why it's better to do it this way rather than that way.
Long story short:
I'm building an automatic dust extraction system based on the following:
- A 2,2KW ventilation unit sucking dust from the machines producing it through metal tubing
- Blast gates pushed or pulled by Pneumatic cylinders in order to orient the flow from the right machine
- Pneumatic cylinders triggered by Solenoid valves
- Solenoid valves triggered by an arduino mega, which receives its input from current sensors, push button or proximity sensor.
I'd like to be able to make the system evolve in the future, maybe add blast gates, machines,... so I need to really understand what I'm doing.
I did quite a lot of research before to dare coming to this forum, and here's the result of this research.
1. Dust sources
- 1 Planer-thicknesser
- 1 Router (same machine as the saw - different motor and dust extraction setting)
- 1 Saw (Same machine as the Router - different motor and dust extraction setting)
- 1 Band Saw
- 1 Lathe
- 1 Radial Arm Saw
- 1 floor extraction (aka "broom output swallower")
These dust sources will be connected to 100mm galvanized steel vent duct with DIY blast gates opened and closed by Festo DSNU 25-100 PPV-A pneumatic cylinders which are triggered by Festo CPE14-M1BH-5J-1/8 5/2-way Double Solenoid Valve (24V - 1,38w)
2. Arduino INPUT
I intend to use ACS 712 current sensors in order to detect when the machine starts or stop, but this leaves me with a few issues. My intention is to keep the "Arduino Unit" in one place (near the main electrical box of the workshop)
- The lathe is 1 phase and is connected to one of 8 "normal" power outlets in a circuit --> I'd have to put the ACS712 near the lathe, but I prefer to use a push button to start the dust extraction at that location
- The Router and the saw are basically 2 functions of the same machine, which is connected on 1 cable --> That could be solved measuring the current to detect whether the saw or the router started
- The floor extraction is not a machine and uses a manual blast gate --> I'll use a proximity sensor to detect presence 10-15cm away from the sensor and start the dust extraction.
3. Arduino OUTPUT
I intend to use a 16 relay module (Low Level Trigger) to connect the 14 solenoids of the 7 double solenoid valves and the 230V Relay which starts the Ventilation unit.
Schematic of the Workshop. Tubing in red.
The schematics of the Arduino Mega wiring (with some missing wires...) will be posted in the next message, since - as a totally new user - I can only add 1 image per post.
Notes:
- The solenoid valves I use are bi-stable --> If I send a signal to the "OPEN" side, it'll open and stay open even if the signal stops. Same for the "CLOSED" side.
- BG stands for "Blast Gate" --> BG3-O-R5 stands for "Blast Gate 3 - Open side - Relay 5"
- R=Router - S=Saw - PT=Planer-Thicknesser - BS=Band Saw - RAS=Radial Arm Saw
I didn't start the coding part yet (I'm still waiting for ACS712 current sensors). But I would already like to have your input, and specifically:
- Does the proposed overall solution sound OK?
- Do you see any "big issue" (like lack of power, impossible wiring,... etc)?
- Is the wiring (at least what's present) OK?
- How would you
- Handle the various stuff to connect to 5V (from a hardware point of view)
- Handle the various stuff to connect to Gnd (from a hardware point of view)
- Wire the push button for the lathe (idea is to push it once to start and push it once to stop).
Thanks in advance for your help,
Stan