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Originally Posted by dez250
The only way i have seemed to get a pneumatic piston, like those in the kit that only have 2 ports to move to more then 2 positions well requires multiple pistons. Take 3 pistons, and put them in series (like one after the other). So when you have the all retracted its on the first length, piston a extended and piston b and c not extended is length 2, piston a and b extended with piston c not extended is length 3, having a not extended with b and c extended is length 4, having a and c extended with b not extended is length 5 and having all a b and c extended is length 6. Its actually works really well you just have to tweak it before it goes on the bot. So like resistors in series, you can get pistons in series in a way to act together like a single piston with multiple positions...
Hope that helped..
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Sean,
I agree with Mike.
This is the best method I can come up with.
Get 3 different length pistons.
(I recommend as small as you can.)
Put them in series. As long as the pistons are all different lengths, you now have a 6 position shifter, with a high repeatability (the important thing.)
The only tricky part would be pulsing through the gears without the shifter "back hopping" on it's way forward. (as in, if you have a .5 and 1" cylinder, 2nd gear would be .5 out, 1 in... 3rd gear would be .5 in, 1 out... so to shift from 1-2 you'd need to grind into 4th or into 1st.)
With this method, you could shift both gearboxes at once to save on the total # of cylinders on the robot. Mount the cylinder centrally, and run it to both gearboxes, such that it pushes out, or pulls in on both equally.
Another option is "pulsing a pneumatic" using 2 solenoids on the same cylinder. I am NOT a pneumatics whiz, but someone else can tell you the pros and cons of this method.
Also... what about a servo?
How much torque is required to shift?
I always think of pneumatics as being better for shifters, but I hear 226 had some luck converting their tranny to servo actuated. Maybe that would be good for your application.
Also... Sean... 6 speeds? Is the field a 1/4 mile strip now? Do you know something we don't?
Take Care,
JV