Controlling Solenoid Speed

[hasin5]

Am I able to control the solenoid / piston speed through Java, and if not directly, is there an indirect way to do it (like controlling the pressure of the air release).

[cgmv123]

You can't do it in software, but you can add a Flow control valve onto the actuator input in place of a regular fitting.

[notmattlythgoe]

Does the speed need to be variable or once you set it is it going to stay the same? If you can just set it once you'll want to go the route cgmv123 is sending you. If you need to do it in your code you could toggle the solenoid on and off repeatedly and see if that gives you the functionality you are looking for.

[cgmv123]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

If you need to do it in your code you could toggle the solenoid on and off repeatedly and see if that gives you the functionality you are looking for.

I wouldn't recommend that. Solenoids are mechanical devices. Just like Spikes, pulsing them is not a good idea.

[FrankJ]

in breakaway we had multiple cylinders on our kicker. We had a half speed by firing on cylinder.

[Ether]

Originally Posted by cgmv123

I wouldn't recommend that. Solenoids are mechanical devices. Just like Spikes, pulsing them is not a good idea.

The analogy may lead to an incorrect conclusion.

A Spike receives a small electric signal and switches a large electric current by opening and closing electrical contacts.

A Solenoid receives power on/off and switches pneumatic flow on/off by sliding a mechanical valve open/closed.

They are somewhat analogous but not necessarily "just like" Spikes concerning the effects of switching.

In a given application, it may be possible to find a switching frequency for the solenoid which avoids problematic resonances and stresses and yet provides the desired flow regulation.

I'd be curious to know if there are any teams who have had success doing this.

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by Ether

The analogy may lead to an incorrect conclusion.

A Spike receives a small electric signal and switches a large electric current by opening and closing electrical contacts.

A Solenoid receives power on/off and switches pneumatic flow on/off by sliding a mechanical valve open/closed.

They are somewhat analogous but not necessarily "just like" Spikes concerning the effects of switching.

In a given application, it may be possible to find a switching frequency for the solenoid which avoids problematic resonances and stresses and yet provides the desired flow regulation.

I'd be curious to know if there are any teams who have had success doing this.

I know 1610 used something like this last year but I'm not sure it was to the extent that we are talking about here. They would turn the solenoid on and off to only fill the cylinder up a certain amount to control the angle of their shooter. I'm not sure how quickly they toggle the solenoid though.