Where are you getting the 10 amps from?
G
3s lipo via a voltage booster. lipo can provide 20-30 amps.
Just carried out another quick test and the solenoid fires perfectly when connected to the voltage booster. Its got to be something to do with the MOSFET and wiring.
danjr1:
both cables on the solenoid are black so I've assumed it can be wired either way?
It can but the diodes can't be. However I don't see any diodes or solenoid in your Fritz.
aarg:
It can but the diodes can't be.
I haven't been using one so will need to pick some up. If I'm testing without one, I don't understand if it was wired up properly why it wouldn't fire?
danjr1:
I haven't been using one so will need to pick some up. If I'm testing without one, I don't understand if it was wired up properly why it wouldn't fire?
Because the back EMF from a coil can reach hundreds or sometimes thousands of volts and wreak general havoc.
aarg:
Because the back EMF from a coil can reach hundreds or sometimes thousands of volts and wreak general havoc.
Ah, I see! thank you! I'll get some diodes and give it a go.
Hi,
Can you post a picture of your project please?
What is the voltage booster specs?
Can you please post a copy of your circuit, in CAD or a picture of a hand drawn circuit in jpg, png?
PLEASE, draw a diagram, you FRITZY , from what you have told us, is nothing like your circuit.
PLEASE include the "voltage booster" and all components and label pins.
Tom.... 
TomGeorge:
Hi,
Can you post a picture of your project please?
What is the voltage booster specs?Can you please post a copy of your circuit, in CAD or a picture of a hand drawn circuit in jpg, png?
PLEASE, draw a diagram, you FRITZY , from what you have told us, is nothing like your circuit.
PLEASE include the "voltage booster" and all components and label pins.Tom....
Hi Tom,
Voltage Booster specs can be found here (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-DC-boost-converter-Constant-Current-Mobile-Power-supply-10A-250W-LED-Driver-/191827311442?hash=item2ca9cc7b52:g:9KoAAOSwv9hW6Aft).
Attached is a drawing of the circuit. As before the low voltage side of things (laser and audio) works fine, its just the high side that's giving me issues.
These diodes look suitable for my application at the solenoid end to my untrained eye: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15A-45V-10A-1KV-5A-100V-60V-3A-200V-1A-1KV-Blocking-Schottky-Rectifier-Diodes/172575893157?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=471415060733&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
Hi,
OPs circuit
Have you measured the LiPo voltage when you try to activate the solenoid?
10A out of the booster, although it says 8A Out, is pushing its capabilities.
24V * 10A = 240Watts dissipation in the solenoid.
Your LiPo will provide 11.1V,.
So
240Watts/11.1V = 21.6Amps, actually more because your booster is 96% not 100% efficient.
Can you LiPo supply that sort of load?
Tom...
The lipo can provide 20a constantly with a 10 second continuous burst of 30a when required so it should be fine. When I tested the circuit without the mosfet by touching the solenoid and voltage booster contacts, it works fine. I'm also only trying to fire the solenoid for a tiny amount of time (0.1 or 0.2 seconds, can't remember at the moment and I'm on a different computer) so I would have thought the action I'm after is within the capabilities of the components.
Hi,
Try instead of pin7 outputing to 3 devices, use three outputs, one to each device.
Can you post a picture please so we can see you component layout?
Have you got the booster input wires connected directly to the battery, and your other power supplies as well, in a star type connection at the battery.
Tom..
Hi,
Can you label on your picture what each part is please, use PAINT.
I cannot see the gnd of the 24V supply being hooked up to the gnd of the controller.
How have you got your MOSFET connected, the pins from the front with the part number facing you and pins down, are Gate(leftpin) Drain(Middlepin and tag) Source(Rightpin)
Consult the data sheet.
Tom...
That photo isn't the complete circuit as I'd taken the solenoid mosfet part apart. I'm just waiting on the diodes at the moment so I'll wire up as per my earlier drawing with each output having its own pin and see how it goes. Everything in that photo works though so will report back once I've tested the revised layout and code.
So this evening I wired up the circuit exactly as the earlier drawing shows. Made sure to get the MOSFET pins right and had two crocodile clips on the pins whilst soldering, put in a diode on the solenoid, changed the code so that each output had its own pin...............yet the solenoid still doesn't fire?!?!?! The only thing I can think of now is that the gate pin doesn't have a resistor on it connected to 0v?
Hi,
Can you now post some pictures of your project, label the devices.
With a DMM measure the gate voltage with respect to controller gnd.
With a DMM measure the drain voltage with respect to controller gnd.
With a DMM measure the source voltage with respect to controller gnd.
Each with gate activated and not activated?
Thanks.. Tom..
Hey,
Won't have time for testing until the weekend but attached are some photos of the layout with labels. Also below is the new code. On the solenoid side, I might try changing the FQP30N06L MOSFET that I have been using for a STP55NF06L. This is the same type which is operating the laser and I have a suspicion that might help things......
Cheers
Dan
const int buttonPin = 5; // the number of the pushbutton pin
const int laserPin = 6; // the number of the laser pin
const int recoilPin = 7; // the number of the recoil pin
const int audioPin = 8; // the number of the Audio pin
// variables will change:
int buttonState = 0; // variable for reading the pushbutton status
int buttonStateLast = 0; // variable for recording last button state
void setup()
{
pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT); // initialize the pushbutton pin as an input
pinMode(laserPin, OUTPUT); // initialize the laser pin as an output
pinMode(recoilPin, OUTPUT); //initialize the recoil pin as an output
pinMode(audioPin, OUTPUT); // initialise the audio pin as an output
}
void loop()
{
buttonState = digitalRead(buttonPin); // read the state of the pushbutton value
if (buttonState == HIGH and buttonState != buttonStateLast) // Determine when button pressed
{
digitalWrite(laserPin, HIGH); digitalWrite(recoilPin, HIGH); digitalWrite(audioPin, HIGH); // turn Laser, recoil and audio on
delay(100); // wait for a tenth of a second
digitalWrite(laserPin, LOW); digitalWrite(recoilPin, LOW); digitalWrite(audioPin, LOW); // turn everything off
delay(1000); // should mean the gun wont double fire as easily without having to use debounce
}
buttonStateLast = buttonState;
}
Changed the MOSFET as proposed and its all working now! thanks guys for all your help. Just need to fit it all inside the playstation move gun now!