Hi all
I am an absolute beginner (!!!) and I would like to reproduce this fish feeder project I found on YouTube
I believe there is an error in the wire connection. It looks like the creator connected the relay to 5V on the arduino (I understand that part) but then also connected the always open part of the relay also to the same 5V. Is that correct?
I believe I have followed all steps and connected everything as shown in the video but when I turn power the relay Is constantly clicking and the led of the relay is also blinking. Obviously the motor doesn’t move.
I would appreciate any help and thanks in advance
The arduino should not be used to power anything more than an led. For a relay you should have an independent power source which you switch using a transistor or MOSFET. There will be lots of schematics on this forum if you search. You should also understand that you need fly back diodes as the collapsing magnetic field of the coil can induce significant voltage spikes which can mess with your uC.
Have a look at the post called “how to get the best out of this forum” which is at the top of every section. It will tell you what to post for the most helpful answers
In the video, an external 5V is being used to supply the Arduino module, the relay, and the load (motor for the feeder auger). That should be ok and the schematic appears correct. The "relay" being used is actually a complete relay module so the coil of the relay is not being driven directly by the Arduino but by an onboard circuit as pmagowan has described. There MAY be a flyback diode on that module as well. If not, you should consider adding one across what the schematic calls "load".
The code used is so simplistic that I doubt there is anything in the code causing your project to simply click the relay module. If you are not using an external 5V as shown in the project (USB cable) then you are probably experiencing power problems because you are overloading the Arduino 5V supply.
