My goal is to teach the group how to use a pneumatic system.
I wonder if it is possible to use a voltage regulator module with an Arduino to regulate and obtain the voltage needed to operate an actuator?
Second question: Can the Pneumatic Control Module also be used with the Arduino to power a pneumatic system?
You don’t need any fancy electronics to do a pneumatics demo system.
The compressor can be controlled by the pressure switch and a battery. Most solenoids can be fired manually or just a simple switch (assuming its a 12vdc solenoid)
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VRM are not the correct devices for what you want to do. The PCMs require Canbus commands to work. A different layer of complication. You can use the one of the many Arduinoi DO/relay shields to control the solenoids and compressor. Or due what Sam says.
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For our 24vdc solenoids couldn’t we put two batteries in series? The compressor from one battery and the solenoids from the two batteries? Then we don’t need the pneumatics hub 24V supply (but it might be easier to use the hub than an extra battery).
you can just put 2 9vdc in series, 18 will be enough to fire most solenoids.
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thank you Sam!
Merry Christmas.
I am a mentor for an FRC Robotics team, and I have a question about using a pneumatic system with an Arduino microcontroller. Specifically, I want to teach my team how to control 2-3 pistons in the system using sensors, in a closed-loop system with logic gates, so the pistons can be fully controlled as needed.
Could you please provide guidance on how to achieve this?
THIS RELAY gets you much of the way there. The datasheet referenced on this product page even has how to connect to Arduino.
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I would give it to my programmers and say make this work 
Sorry I’m a mechanical guy. I hope somebody else chimes in with advice on doing that.
BTW they are cylinders not pistons.
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“If I succeed, I will send it to you. I just need to find the parts.”
Is this your board that you have now but are trying to get to work? Or is this something you saw somewhere (where?) and want one but don’t know how to do it?
In the photo, the three different methods to find the limits are clever but it’s so much easier to use cylinder internal magnets and the slide-in or strap-on hall effect sensors. Pricey but easy. I think the lead time on magnets in cylinders is somewhat long, though.
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“Yes, this is for my friend. It took them many days of work. The main goal is to give the kids an example of how a factory works. I thought that by using old parts, such as the Pneumatic Control Module, we could create a small simulation of a pneumatic system, which would be helpful.”
If I’m understanding correctly, you would like to build a pneumatics board similar to the one pictured above and you don’t have any parts now except an Arduino. I’m not sure how closely to a factory you want to demonstrate.
At the least you want one cylinder, maybe flow control valves on the cylinder, one solenoid (double or single), maybe a limit switch or two and indicator lights, air tank, tubing, tire pump (or shop air or electric compressor), Arduino, relays (like I posted above), small power supply for the indicator lights and Arduino, small power supply for the solenoid, and depending on your air source - pressure gauge and regulator and safety pressure switch and relief valve.
If you are using a current FRC pneumatics hub then you want the CAN connection but that might be tricky on the Arduino but I see posts about teams doing that but then you don’t need the external relays since those are in the pneumatics hub.
- CAN Bus Communication: The PCM uses the CAN protocol (ISO 11898), which Arduino Uno cannot natively communicate with since it does not have a CAN transceiver.
- PCM requires proper termination on the CAN Bus. can you attach a posts about teams doing that