Hi, I hope I'm asking this question at the correct place. I'm currently making motorized wings that open/close. I was trying to set it up with a garage opener actually, but I've run into an issue and it might be time to dive into arduino to get through it.
The motor I'm using is a simple linear actuator. However I found out it expands when the current flows one way, and retracts when I switch the connection and make the current flow the other way through the motor. I haven't found any remote controlled chips that do that so I figure I'll try arduino and maybe automate it further (I do want to eventually set up a second set of motors to make the wings move back and forth). Anyway, I don't know much yet so I wanted to know if it's even possible to set something like this up...
That calls for an H-bridge motor controller. Choose the motor driver based on the stall current of the motor and the motor supply voltage. The stall current can be several times the running current. The stall current will be drawn, briefly, every time that the motor is started. The stall current should be listed in the motor data sheet. In the absence of a data sheet, the stall current can be estimated. To estimate the stall current, measure the motor winding resistance. Zero your meter lead resistance before measuring the motor coil resistance. Take several measurements rotating the motor a bit between readings. Use the lowest reading in the calculation. The estimated stall current is the motor supply voltage divided by the measured resistance.
It is easy to interface and control a motor driver module with an Arduino.
A power supply capable of providing the proper voltage and current for the motor is required. No Arduino can power a motor.
Try to resist buying the cheap L293 or L298 motor drivers. Although they are cheap and plentiful, they are ancient and inefficient motor drivers. Vendors like Pololu have good lines of modern motor drivers for reasonable prices and provide great support for their products.
How do you plan to start the wing folding and unfolding? A switch, proximity sensor, ... ?
It might be worth mentioning that an H-bridge can operate in two different modes.
A: the mosfets for one or the other direction are turned on full.
B: A gate driver IC (ie [TC4427]) (https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/20001422G.pdf)
or a GPIO applies a PWM signal to the mosfets of one or the other direction, allowing speed control. In most but not all cases, this is preferred. The arduino
has PWM output pins so those would work with logic level mosfets but if an
H-bridge module such as the L298 (or the unpopular L293) are used , the logic
control inputs are TTL (5V) compatible and if pulled high instead of PWMed then
the motor is simply on full. The relationship between the inputs and motor
operation is as follows:
Software:
4.)Setting IN1 to HIGH and IN2 to LOW will cause the left motor to turn a direction.
Setting IN1 to LOW and IN2 to HIGH will cause the left motor to spin the other
direction. The same applies to IN3 and IN4.
In case it is not obvious, the H-bridge design is not size dependent. If you need more current you just supersize it.
This is a job for a twin relay module.
However if you merely want remote control, then an Arduino will not be required; a two channel remote control receiver with relays included and fobs to match, will probably do the job perfectly.
Hi, @gabeemoon
Welcome to the forum.
Please read the post at the start of any forum , entitled "How to use this Forum".
This will help with advice on how to present your code and problems.
Can you please post a link to the data/specs of your actuators?
How fast do you aim to operate the wings?
Can you please tell us your electronics, programming, arduino, hardware experience?
Thanks.. Tom... 
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.