Looking for some help coding (I'm a CPA so know nothing...ha). I've been reading some but think I would be better off working from a pro's code than spending hours working on my own. Trying to open/close a linear actuator based on time. I have the basic code to open the acuator 3s then close then delay for 8hrs, in loop. And this may be enough, just worried it'll eventually get off a standard timing doing this twice a day for 90 days. Was hoping to run at the same time twice a day, everyday.
Project: Setting up a linear actuator to open/retract a sliding gate door for a specified length of time, say 3 seconds and then close/extract, done twice a day at 630am and 630 or so pm. The normal position of the actuator is extended so that the door is closed. The actuator won't hit the fully open/retracted limit switch before it needs to be reversed to the extended/closed position. This is a sliding gate type door, that will retract/open, drop feed for cattle, then extend/close the gate to cover the opening to stop the flow of food.
Equipment: I have an UNO, a 2 channel relay, 12v battery w/solar charger, a RTC (although not sure it needs to be this complicated). Simple 2 wire actuator with limit stops.
I'm handy, not technical so much. Appreciate any guidance/thoughts. And of course happy to pay for help.
Thanks
If it's working now, based on the RTC, most likely it will continue to work indefinitely. You may have to do things like adjust for daylight savings (or not, up to you), but it's unlikely that it will suddenly stop working.
Now, if what you have is not using the RTC, then the time will drift after a few days, so you'll end up eventually feeding the cattle at midnight. If that's the situation, send me a PM, it's not a huge project. The biggest issue I usually end up with depends on how the client wants to set the initial time & date and the on/off times. Good User Interfaces can be tricky to get right.
Sorry, my post may be misleading, nothing programed, no parts connected, nothing working yet, haven't even started other than acquiring the simple start stop sketch that was online plus me trying to understand the logic. All my reading gets me wrapped around the axle as far as complexity goes. I thought it would be very simple to do, maybe it is, just the more I read the more complex it may need to be. Why I went ahead and bought the RTC in case I need to go more advanced.