Newbie feasibility question

Projects General Guidance
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Hello all! Let me start out by saying I have zero experience with coding (great, right?). I am wondering if I am able to use one, or two arduinos for my upcoming project.

To start out, I need to control a linear servo over CLI, opened and closed by a user operated mechanical switch, with the target stroke length able to be increased and decreased by a user input of some mechanical type (increment/decrement buttons or the like).

Also, I will need to pick up two sensor inputs: a photoelectric laser eye pair, and a Hall effect sensor for RPM. The photoelectric cells will indicate product flow, and the hall sensor will indicate minimum RPM, if both of these conditions are met, while the switch for the servo is engaged, I need to activate a 5v relay.

Doing this all at one location will get me up and going for now, but eventually I would like to see the on/off switch, increment/decrement buttons, and relay operated via bluetooth from around thirty feet away, and a GNSS signal input to vary my stroke length from a target to actual ground speed (say I want a two inch stroke IF my ground speed was 65 MPH, it could increase or decrease proportionally if actual speed was 60, 72, etc.).

I would love to hear thoughts from this very knowledgeable community on this.

Thank you so much ahead of time! - Luke

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Words, words and words but no technical information, diagrams....
Please read this link and use it: How to get the best out of this forum - Using Arduino / Installation & Troubleshooting - Arduino Forum

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It sounds like we need to know more about the end goal. If not, as it often does, it turns into a moving goal post where the number of changes exceeds the number of suggestions. Can you tell us in a nutshell what the end goal is? Hydraulic controls on an RC vehicle? Can you give us specifications on the electrical and mechanical items? How much force is applied by the servo, what your intended UI will be, RPM range you're expecting, etc.

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Railroader, thanks for the link, I'll try and get more specific. I don't have any diagrams drawn up yet, but I'll get on it! I'm a mechanical guy, not electronic, so all I really know is that I don't know anything. I do have an Uno and a Mega 2560 sitting on my desk laughing at me, but I'm not sure if that's the correct hardware to even start with.

I'm developing a spreader for granular products that will be powered with a Honda 10 HP engine, so I will have 12V DC to work with. The master on/off will be a toggle switch mounted in the cab of the machine.

My actuator is a 8 - 32V DC UltraMotion A2 Industrial Servo Cylinder with the industrial controller. The servo will open and close an iris valve, so I can change my orifice size, thus increasing or decreasing product flow rates. Looking at the specs, the most feasible way to control it is with CLI through its RS422 input. I don't really understand the Tx- Tx+, Rx- Rx+ on the servo. I thought you only needed one Tx and one Rx line. Maybe you folks see a better way. I'll need some way to change that opening size in the field, without getting into the software directly.
https://www.ultramotion.com/servo-cylinder/

The Photoelectric sensors are a Banner Engineering Mini-Beam emitter/receiver pair that are 10-30V DC. https://www.bannerengineering.com/us/en/products/part.26951.html#specifications

When product flows through the valve the beam (directly underneath) is interrupted, giving one of two positive indications. The second indication comes from the Hall sensor. The spreader wheel is belt driven from the Honda engine, I will pick up points for RPM off of the spreader wheel for the hall sensor, thus verifying the engine is running smoothly at roughly max RPM, and I don't have a broken belt condition.

If both of these conditions are true, I would need to engage a 5V relay, to connect a continuity circuit that lets the GPS system know we are actually applying product, and it will begin to "paint" on it's screen. The GPS system is otherwise a self contained system.

This is the "good enough for now" part. If I could dream, I'd like to switch on/off, make the rate changes, and get my relay output remotely from the cab of the machine wirelessly "on the fly", so I thought bluetooth would be the best bet. The GNSS input to vary my rate with groundspeed proportionally would be the "best thing since sliced bread" type of scenario, but I have NO idea what that would entail software wise.

Please don't mistake my lack of knowledge for a lack of effort, I'm willing to give whatever is needed (mostly).

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Link to the datasheet, please.

Can You try and draw a logic block diagram showing the system?

I back off from reading words, novels.

It tends to end like told in reply #3, a never ending story. Get to a specification please.

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Here is the spec sheet, Model A2, with the "P" industrial controller.

Working on trying to figure out Eagle to get you a schematic now.

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Can it be the N style? Might be easier to integrate.

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Unfortunately, it's already sitting on my bench...

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It sounds doable over all. It's mainly a question of time and budget at this point. Housing(s), GPS, sensors, voltage level shifters for sensors if needed, user interface elements, programming, etc.

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RS422 uses differential signals to increase immunity to external electrical noise. You would use an RS422 module at the Arduino to translate. For example:

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ARDUINO SCHEMATIC.pdf (70.7 KB)
This is pretty crude, but hopefully conveys the overall idea. Obviously this is the most basic version with one controller, no GNSS, and no bluetooth components.

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ARDUINO SCHEMATIC
ARDUINO SCHEMATIC1698×736 36.8 KB

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That's good news at least! I'm in so far over my head already that I wanted to make sure I wasn't chasing the impossible before I even started. I looked at the Portenta H7 as an option, since it has the bluetooth and GNSS capabilities already built in, and using the max carrier because it has the RS422 onboard. My thoughts were even with the added initial expense, I had more options in the long run towards my end goal. Would you agree?

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ARDUINO SCHEMATIC 2
ARDUINO SCHEMATIC 21698×736 28.5 KB

This would be the ultimate setup for this machine. I can't think of anything else it would ever need to do.

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Post a larger image of the block diagram.

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IMG_D6AEC836A860-1
IMG_D6AEC836A860-11284×972 88.3 KB

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I think the H7 and max carrier should be fine. I don't think you'll need two controllers either unless I missed something.

What is your time frame on this? You have a LOT of individual items to integrate without previous experience. You may want to consider a consultant if you are on a short time frame.

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This machine will be suspended underneath the helicopter, so two controllers that would communicate over bluetooth over a 25' span would be ideal, that would eliminate a physical wire harness for improved safety.

A consultant is almost a must at this point, as much as I would love to learn this skillset, I think a project of this complexity is probably not where I should be starting, as well as my focus on the rest of the business needing my attention.

Where would one start with finding a consultant?

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Lol. That end goal question was referring to things like this.

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There is a section on the forum for paid gigs. Where are you based out of?