Pneumatic Piston using Labview will not fire

[blincoln1534@gm]

Here's our dilemma,

We have 1 double solenoid powering 2 pneumatic pistons. The toggle for them firing is supposed to be a single button (the trigger aka button 1) on the joystick. However, when he hit the button nothing happens. The extend side of the solenoid is connected to the 0 port on the PCM and the retract side of the solenoid is connected to the 1 port on the PCM. The joystick for this system is connected to USB 1. I have attached our code thus far. Let me know if I can answer any questions.

I have tried several sites, but cannot figure out what is wrong. Thanks!

[orangemoore]

Is the PCM voltage jumper set to the same voltage as your solenoids?

We tried running 24 volt solenoids at 12 volts and they just didn't work.

[blincoln1534@gm]

yes, both the solenoid and the PCM are set to 12v

[DanielPlotas]

Are the red lights on the PCM lighting up next to the channel's connectors?

[orangemoore]

In begin.vi you have the solenoids are set as 1 and 2 NOT 0 and 1. That is likely your problem.

[blincoln1534@gm]

nope both lights are green

@orangemoore Let me see if that fixes our problem

[blincoln1534@gm]

now that i examine it further, there is a red light on the side of our PCM for port 1...But not for port 0...

[rich2202]

Can you write code to do the following:

1) Display the value of Button 1 (or whatever button you are using) on your smart dashboard. Print "pressed" when it is pressed, and "not pressed" when it is not pressed.

2) Send a signal to extend the pneumatic. Wait 1 second. Send a signal to retract the pneumatic. Wait 1 second. Repeat.

What are your results for #1? Does it display the status of the button correctly?
What are your results for #2? Does the pneumatic extend and retract?

[blincoln1534@gm]

Originally Posted by rich2202

Can you write code to do the following:

1) Display the value of Button 1 (or whatever button you are using) on your smart dashboard. Print "pressed" when it is pressed, and "not pressed" when it is not pressed.

2) Send a signal to extend the pneumatic. Wait 1 second. Send a signal to retract the pneumatic. Wait 1 second. Repeat.

What are your results for #1? Does it display the status of the button correctly?
What are your results for #2? Does the pneumatic extend and retract?

We're using Labview so we are not familiar with the java/c++ smartdashboard...However on the labview dashboard, when we press several buttons, there is a response from each of the buttons on both joysticks...I think either our begin.vi is corrupt or our teleop.vi is corrupt because only 1 red light shows up on our PCM and that is for port 1...

[MrTechCenter]

Originally Posted by blincoln1534@gm

We're using Labview so we are not familiar with the java/c++ smartdashboard...However on the labview dashboard, when we press several buttons, there is a response from each of the buttons on both joysticks...I think either our begin.vi is corrupt or our teleop.vi is corrupt because only 1 red light shows up on our PCM and that is for port 1...

You don't need to use SmartDashboard to run a simple button test. Just add a boolean push button to your front panel and wire it into a case structure on the block diagram. Boom. True/false statement triggered by a push button.

[rich2202]

Originally Posted by blincoln1534@gm

.However on the labview dashboard, when we press several buttons, there is a response from each of the buttons on both joysticks.

Then for part 2:

Can you drive the pneumatics directly in the code?

[jojoguy10]

Originally Posted by blincoln1534@gm

Here's our dilemma,

We have 1 double solenoid powering 2 pneumatic pistons. The toggle for them firing is supposed to be a single button (the trigger aka button 1) on the joystick. However, when he hit the button nothing happens. The extend side of the solenoid is connected to the 0 port on the PCM and the retract side of the solenoid is connected to the 1 port on the PCM. The joystick for this system is connected to USB 1. I have attached our code thus far. Let me know if I can answer any questions.

I have tried several sites, but cannot figure out what is wrong. Thanks!

We recently had this problem. Just to make sure, is the solenoid under PRESSURE while you're trying to switch? We spent about 40 minutes with this issue and we tried hooking up our compressor system to it and it switched perfectly.

[blincoln1534@gm]

Originally Posted by MrTechCenter

You don't need to use SmartDashboard to run a simple button test. Just add a boolean push button to your front panel and wire it into a case structure on the block diagram. Boom. True/false statement triggered by a push button.

I changed our code and added a case structure, I will test when I get to the workshop later and let you know.

Originally Posted by jojoguy10

We recently had this problem. Just to make sure, is the solenoid under PRESSURE while you're trying to switch? We spent about 40 minutes with this issue and we tried hooking up our compressor system to it and it switched perfectly.

Yes, the compressor is already hooked up to our system and running fine...If it helps with the troubleshooting, we can manually fire and retract the cylinders using the push buttons on the solenoid if the power to the robot/solenoid is off.

[ozrien]

So it sounds like the solenoid output is activated by the PCM if the side RED LEDs are turning on. To be clear I mean the LEDs mentioned in Section 3.2 of the PCM's user guide.

If a solenoid channel's output LED is illuminated red, then there should be Vsol measured across the red and black output of that channel's weidumuller pair.
Vsol will be approx battery voltage if the PCM jumper is in 12V mode.
Vsol will be 24V if jumper is in 24V mode or not present.
So use a voltmeter to measure the voltage leaving the PCM going into the solenoid harness. If the PCM is giving your 24V solenoid 24volts, then no amount of software is going to fix your problem, the issue is downstream and is likely the solenoid harness (happens to me once in a while) or just a bad solenoid.

[blincoln1534@gm]

Adding a case structure did it! Thank you to everyone for their help!