Help Solenoid Programming

[team2987]

My team is using the solenoid valve from Fesco the one VUVG-L10-V52-T-M7-IP3. As you know it has one intake that pushes air into the pnuematic cylinder and pulls it out of the cylinder. We are trying to program it so we can push air in and suck air out for a kicking mechanism. I have the compressor working but I can not get the button to trigger either pushing air in or pulling air out of the cylinder. I was wondering if someone could help with this issue... Pictures of a solution using labview would be awesome. We have the intake into the cylinder connected to solenoid port 1 and the outake to port 2.... hope you can help and sorry for the spelling.

[umangv620]

(kinda) same problem bro.

We have the air compressor hooked up to a tank hooked up to a solenoid hooked up to a piston-type-firing-thing. We know the solenoid works because we can push the button, and the piston thing shoots out, then back.

I have REALLY basic code for solenoids. Basically:
I have a get ref. for solenoids outside THE loop in robot main. inside, i wired a boolean switch(i can change it to true/false on the front panel) to the Solenoid Set.vi
When we run the code, the piston thing doesn't shoot out, so it is a code error. Just like team2987 said above, a screenshot of working solenoid code would help us tremendously.

Edit(cause i know someone will tell me this): yes, everything IS wired correctly.
And I do not have any examples installed in LabView(either that, or i cant find em), so i cannot test the "solenoid with compressor example vi" and see if it works.

[reversed_rocker]

solenoids are programmed a little differently that the drive, joysticks, analog inputs, or digital inputs that you're used to so i'll just write the code you need to initialize it and then give you an example of how to let air in and how to let air out. I'm going to assume that you're using the simple robot template, if you arent this code will still work but it will be placed in a different part of your code


//defines the pointers as part of the solenoid class, goes in class RobotDemo: public Simple Robot {

Solenoid *kicker_kick;
Solenoid *kicker_return;

//initializes solenoids and gives them a channel on the relay section of the IO board goes in RobotDemo(void):

kicker_kick = new Solenoid(1);
kicker_return = new Solenoid(2);

//pushes the kicker out, remember not to let the two sides of the solenoid fight each other, goes into the while(IsOperatorControl()) {

kicker_return->Set(false);
kicker_kick->Set(true);

//pulls the kicker back in
kicker_kick->Set(false);
kicker_return->Set(true);

[team2987]

Sounds good was wondering if you could post a picture of it because I'm new to programming and seeing something in text confuses me a bit so apicture diagram would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance! Ummmm have been trying to create another solenoid in the Begin.vi but for some reason I get an enumeration error when calling the channel it is set to solenoid 2 wondering if someone had a solution to this?

[umangv620]

Originally Posted by reversed_rocker

solenoids are programmed a little differently that the drive, joysticks, analog inputs, or digital inputs that you're used to so i'll just write the code you need to initialize it and then give you an example of how to let air in and how to let air out. I'm going to assume that you're using the simple robot template, if you arent this code will still work but it will be placed in a different part of your code


//defines the pointers as part of the solenoid class, goes in class RobotDemo: public Simple Robot {

Solenoid *kicker_kick;
Solenoid *kicker_return;

//initializes solenoids and gives them a channel on the relay section of the IO board goes in RobotDemo(void):

kicker_kick = new Solenoid(1);
kicker_return = new Solenoid(2);

//pushes the kicker out, remember not to let the two sides of the solenoid fight each other, goes into the while(IsOperatorControl()) {

kicker_return->Set(false);
kicker_kick->Set(true);

//pulls the kicker back in
kicker_kick->Set(false);
kicker_return->Set(true);

This thread is posted in the LabView section. That is def. not labview code.

[team2987]

So no help for me using lab view?

[ngould]

To team 2987,

Im new to programming too, but i'm pretty sure i fugured out the enumeration error for adding solenoids.

when you have your solenoid icon that says Open on it (should be green, just like the other one) on the left side hover over the edge until the little box thing says solenoid channel. right click on that and go to create -> constant. this will give you the option of choosing what number solenoid you have. be sure that if you add more solenoids to the begin etc... VI that you add the same amount with the same names to the rest of your VIs...

hope this helps.

Tasha

[team2987]

Yea thanks much ngould I believe I have everything figured out now and I hope when I test it on the bot tommorow the kicker kicks! I'll just have to wait and see let me know if you got any questions I'm getting the hang of this...

[JP Carlin]

i've been trying for a few days trying to get our solenoid working so that it could lock our robot in place after pulling itself up and i think i was able to make it work doing the same thing. Although i wont be able to test it until tomorrow i'm glad that i figured it out.

[team2987]

As of right now we have have a single solenoid attached to our breakout with the cord connected to the intake in port one and the cord connected to the outake in port two. We are trying to use this setup as a pneumatic kicker that pushes the arm out of the cylinder and pulls the arm in to reset. I feel my programming is the flaw. I'll have pictures up later but for right now a description of what i have in labview. In begin.vi I have two solenoids both set to "solenoid 1" and then set to slot 8 and 7 because it doesnt allow slot 1 and 2. In finish.vi I have the "kick solenoid" and "return solenoid" closing. Then in teleop to achieve the push button mechanism I'm calling the joystick and then calling button 4. Then I have a true false system setup so that when button 4 is true it kicks and when button 4 is false it returns, or atleast I think i have it that way.... I would love it if someone could put up labview diagrams of a working solenoid button press system to kick and return. Thnaks in advance!

[team2987]

UPDATE: We now know signal is going to our solenoid from the button pushes how ever nothing is happening as in the valves arent actuating and dont seem to be anyone have a possible solution?

[JP Carlin]

i have been able to get the solenoid only to extend out by programming it in a case structure and controlled by a button on the joystick. although we are using the solenoid only to activate a pneumatic in the end to lock a system in place while lifting ourselves, it would be nice to figure out a way to program it to retract by pushing a button so we do not have to do it manually after the competition is over or just in case it is accidentally released we can retract it so we can still lift ourselves at the end.

[Mark McLeod]

Here's a quick sketch of one way to extend with one button and retract with another.
The False cases do nothing.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by team2987

UPDATE: We now know signal is going to our solenoid from the button pushes how ever nothing is happening as in the valves arent actuating and dont seem to be anyone have a possible solution?

How do you know the signal is getting to the solenoid?

The pneumatic solenoid valves are "pilot activated" and will not move unless they have enough pressure. Make sure there's 40 PSI or more getting to them.