Help Solenoid Programming

[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.