My DIY Automatic Chicken Door

[Mouthpear]

First off I had planned to give you more diagrams but the harddrive I have them on crashed. I had a decades of work on that drive and I am trying to get it back in working order.

I did manage to upload some video so that may help.

Second. When I said Correct and Incorrect, I should have said Common Anode and Common Cathode. Neither are incorrect, both can be made to work.

Using the Common Anode version is the most commonly used configuration, in the vast majority of Linear Actuators with set limits.

You virtually can't go wrong with it.
The extend control goes directly to the extend limit switch
and
The retract control goes directly to the retract limit switch


Using the Common Cathode configuration is a less versatile version.

The wiring is backwards. AKA you have to Criss Cross the switches. Shown in this video. At this timestamp.
The extend control goes directly to the retract limit switch
and
The retract control goes directly to the extend limit switch

OR

You have to reverse the motor and reverse the power. Shown in that same video. At this timestamp.

And you really have to be mindful and be good at troubleshooting if the configuration is not wired correct.

Now on that note the

******************** Example #1 *********************

examples of 1

Is in fact INCORRECT.

In this simulator video I show the
same circuit with Common Anode (on top) and it works,
and
their circuit with Common Cathode (on bottom) next to their diagram and it does not work. Video IRL demo (BTW I did make a video using that exact diagram and how it fails.)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Example #1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

******************** Example #3 *********************

example of 3

It is a hard time to decide which is worse 1 or 3. 3 is just worse because they show how to wire it and label it but it can cause damage, if the diagram is followed.

This diagram is horrible because it doesn't even show how the direction is controlled. This will ONLY travel in ONE direction. AND it doesn't even stop in the direction. The only saving grace is that you will have to do more research to get it to work and doing that, you might find a good working diagram. (On a personal note. I would never follow anything that Progressive automations puts out. Want to know why? PM me.)

In this video I show (the top two) Common Anode that work in this ONLY one direction diagram. Then I show the Common Anode working with a complete Dual direction circuit.

The second set (middle two) are the NON-Working Common Cathode single and dual direction, as per their diagram.

The third set (bottom two) is how to make the Common Cathode configuration work.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Example #3 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

++++++++++++++++ Example #4 ++++++++++++++++
Finally: The only one that will actually work.

example of 4.

Now this company knows what they are doing. The kit they sell is showcased in this video. Theo only thing is that the kit has the diodes configuration backwards. Where the Anode is soldered to the Common and the Cathode is soldered to the N.C.. It is still a Common Anode configuration. However, I like to use the N.O. as an indicator light to confirm the door is open or closed.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Example #4 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



========================================
Which brings us to this.

Finally, I didn't indicate in my diagram in post #157 which is the upper or lower limit switch. But, as I said above, it's still not clear to me why that matters.

It matters because if you do not make sure the limit switches are in the right place you may damage things. Not indicating which is the upper or lower limit switch is an issue. Your diagram is not marked as to what switch goes where. You also do not have what timer controls what action. So anyone that uses it will be having to guess what goes where.

This will work. Again the Criss Cross mentioned above.

On the other hand if you don't label them correctly, as in example #1, then someone like yourself(tho I have a hard time thinking that you wouldn't try it first, you seem to have the foresight to test first) may install the system just as they show and will end up causing damage. BTW I did make a video using that exact diagram and how it fails. (Not happy with the video tho. Framing was off and I was rushing it. I should have made talking points. LOL )

========================================

+++++++++++++ Working Configurations ++++++++++++

These are all working configurations for both Common Anode or Cathode.

Note that the control timer connects directly to the limits switch in the same direction.
Left timer, Left switch
Right timer, Right switch.
To me it make it easier to Install, maintain and troubleshoot.
Common Anode in Parallel
Common Anode in Series

Note that the controls and switches are Criss Crossed. The control timer connects directly to the limits switch in the opposite direction.
Left timer, Right switch.
Right timer, Left switch.
Common Cathode in Parallel
Common Cathode in Series

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Working Configurations ^^^^^^^^^^^^

------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's not clear to me why this matters. I'm not saying there isn't an electrical or mechanical benefit one way or the other, I just don't know what that might be.

To sum it all up.

It doesn't matter and it does matter.

It Doesn't matter:

• If you are able to keep it all straight and get it the way you want it, and as long as others that will follow you know how it is all working.
• As in people you share your diagrams with and/or people who will have to work on it after you. But that's in a maintenance type situation where multiple people may be called out to fix something.

It Does matter:

• When posting a diagram and others to follow it, it needs to be correct. Like those examples, that are not.
• There is no "electrical or mechanical benefit one way or the other" but if you can't actually find a good working diagram (I mean other than mine) and people who are actually using it, then why try to use it. Especially when there are SO many examples of the Common Anode configuration in use and the fact that the vast majority of linear actuators use it.
• There is a huge benefit to keeping a consistent way of doing it.

Scenario: Say you are having trouble and it does not work. You call a friend that knows about linear actuators. You go for hours with him thinking it is the normal regular everyday Common Anode configuration. Because that's the regular setup.

Like you call a support line for some electronics gizmo. And they say
"ok there is 25 wires to connect. The green on goes to......... black to.... pink to...."

But you have to stop them and say

"um hold up there isn't any of those 25 colors. It looks like someone changed out all the wire colors for different ones."

Well you both are in for a long call. LOL.


In any case no matter which way you choose to do it, I will be more than happy to help as much as I can. Document it all in ways that you can easily transmit through here or email.


Dang that is a lot. Hope it makes sense.



Videos showing the Common Anode configuration.

Had to pull thumbnail out of the background

++++++++++++++++ Example #2 ++++++++++++++++

I haven't seen an example of 2,

Here is a Example of #2. The cathode being connected to the N.O. of the switch is unorthodox but it is virtually the same thing as connecting it to the Common since in the normally open IS connected to the Common. It works the same.

BTW toward the end of this video you can see the motor still going a bit after it hits the limit switch. If you use the non-diode way, this will be a non-issue since the motor will power lock.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Example #2 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Mouthpear]

Instead of SPST switches we could use SPDT switches

This is just FYI. Using SPDT switches, if you wire the power source to the Common of the switches, and the diodes Common Cathode, you can install an indicator light to the N.O. of the limit switch. Makes it nice to get a confirmation that the door is closed. Using timers it will only be on for as long as you set the timer to be on. However when using microcontroller (or a SONOFF or an MHCOZY 4ch smart switches), you can program to turn on the "close" action for a few seconds every so often. You can also send a command to turn on the "close" action, if you want to look out the window and confirm the door is down.