Multiple pots switching with a mux

[Nickedemuz]

So I build this tig pulser and it seems to be working fine when testing it with a scope but I can’t get my head around the workings of two of the pots. They are simple enough, one is connected to + and - and the wiper goes out to an input on a mux and also to the other pot which makes the second pot a percentage of the first.
A picture says more

Here they are named TIG Pedal and Background Current.
I am switching the inputs on the mix with Arduino code and it actually works. The second pot gives a percentage of the first, from (roughly) zero to a hundred percent.
But when I do a little test in EveryCircuit I get completely different results since it sees the pots as serial connected ones (I guess).

I’d like to better understand what is actually happening and maybe I am looking at it the wrong way?

[paulpaulson]

Hello
Do you have a real schematic available too?

[johnerrington]

How to make a schematic you can post.

When you submit a question on the forum you will usually need to add a schematic (circuit diagram). The tutorial that follows will explain some ways to create a useful image; however lets start by explaining how to add the image to your post. Its easy. Having created the image all you need to do is : Save the image somewhere convenient - maybe your desktop Start your post, and place the cursor (insertion point) where you want the image to be shown; [upload image to forum] 3: click th…

[Nickedemuz]

I will come up with a proper schematic as well. Is the one from EveryCircuit ok?

[paulpaulson]

May be handdrawn.

[johnerrington]

The schematic is correct, perhaps your understanding is wrong?
The "Background Current" 5k pot is loading the "TIG Pedal" pot.
Change the "Background Current" pot in EveryCircuit to a big value - say 1M so it wont significantly change the value from the tig pot.

[MarkT]

A 1Meg pot near a welder is basically a noise antenna - I suspect the TIG pedal pot is quite low in value for the same reason. I'd use a much lower value like 20k for background current to reduce noise sensitivity

All those analog inputs need capacitors to short out any noise pick up from the wleder, welders put out copious noise and you need to be fanatical about shielding and screening and so forth.

[Nickedemuz]

I got a bit further when I made a schematic and saw what I did wrong.

However, I now discovered another issue. I have 9V coming in that I need to lower below 5V for my mux to be able to handle it. With one resistor and one pot it is straight forward as you can see in the schematic with the contact closed. But when I open it I have two pot and the resistor and then I don’t get the 4,5V to the second pot. Any ideas of how I would go about instead would be greatly appreciated