hello, i have been trying to make a stick catching game. the issue i have is that the magnets are not at full power because the arduino doesnt give enough power. i found out i can add transistors and resistors but i dont know how to add them and make it that they power the magnets and the arduino is only for the code and direct the magnets. can anyone help me? thank you
Do you have a soldering iron and are good at soldering?
That can all be done, but only if you can tell us the resistance of the coils of your electromagnets. Did you make the magnets or did you buy them? If you bought them, did you know beforehand the current requirements of the magnets?
Also it may be important to know how warm you can let the magnets get while the current is flowing.
Your topic does not indicate a problem with IDE 2.x and hence has been moved to a more suitable location on the forum.
Without an annotated schematic I have no idea what you are doing. The following should help you.
Gil's Crispy Critter Rules for Processor Hardware:
- Rule #1: An Arduino is NOT a Power Supply!
- Rule #2: Never connect anything inductive (motors, speakers) directly to an Arduino!
- Rule #3: Avoid connecting or disconnecting wires while the power is on.
- Rule #4: Do not apply power to any pin unless you are certain of what you're doing.
- Rule #5: Do not exceed the maximum voltage ratings.
- Rule #6: Many Arduinos cannot power transmitters directly.
- Rule #7: Before powering your project, take a break and double-check the wiring.
LaryD’s Corollaries:
- Coro #1: When starting out, add a 220Ω resistor in series with both input and output pins to protect against shorts.
- Coro #2: Invest in a Digital Multi-Meter (DMM) to measure voltages, currents, and resistance.
Note: Violating these rules can turn your Arduinos into crispy critters. For optimal performance, keep your wires under 25 cm (10 inches).
Additional Tips:
- The L293 motor driver, though common, is inefficient as it can lose around 3V as heat when driving both legs of a motor. Consider using a motor driver with MOSFET outputs to reduce heat loss and conserve battery power.
- For more on powering Arduino boards, explore this guide: Powering Alternatives for Arduino Boards.
hey jim i saw you helped someone else with the same issue and i watched his videos. i orderd everything from this video video i coppiedi am not that good in soldering but i have one can you help me please i am making this work my work at a event company
i have 6 6v electro magnets i coppied this video video i coppied but i dont know how he made the protoboard and i am not that good at soldering
But, you can certainly learn by practice. How do you think the project in the video was made? Not likely to have been the very first time. Practice, practice and do it again. And likely burn a finger, like I did yesterday.
if i am watching the video i dont really know what to connect to eachother
Perhaps that is telling you to start with a project that has more information on how to connect stuff.
but i am making this for my work and they want me to finish this asap this is the last step can you maybe help and look at the video?
Always approach new projects one step at a time. NEVER create something whole and expect it to work immediately.
Start with ONE magnet and one transistor and program code to make just the one device work they way you want!
He used 12V magnets. So what do you have?
i orderd everything from this video
So you have:
TIP120 transistors
510 resistors
1N4007 diodes
yes i have that times 6 and the power supply and the male and female plugs.
i made it like his protoboard
you cant really see it but it is the same now my problem is i dont know how to solder the bottom and i think i used to much resistors because i saw in his video he used 2 per magnet but i found out that was because he didnt have 510 ohm resistors so tomorrow when i am at work i will get those out but then the problem still is i dont know how to solder the bottom. do i do it like per row or do i connect them all?
i used one magnet but that is a good one thank you
Follow the project schematic. There is one, isn't there?
Your input wires, especially on the left, are asking for a short...
I strongly recommend you take the 6 channels further apart. If the transistors need a cooling body, it will not fit...
They need separate cooling bodies, since the collector is connected to the cooling tab.
Tip120 is a darlington. So high voltage loss. At 12V your loss will be relatively smaller...
You can remove the 220 ohm resistors.
On your pic there already are 510 ohm redistors, so why go to work to get them?
Underneath you need to follow the schematic. For gnd and plus it is easiest to lay a blank tinned wire along the pins that should be connected. Then solder...
You said you bought 510 ohm resistors
What about these 6V magnets you have, as I already said he used 12V magnets.
How much current do your magnets draw.
we are a event company so we organise events and one of our games will be stick catching. we dont have any schematic its just my research