Hi,
First time post - hoping I can find some help with a project I am working on. Not exactly "robot" related, this is a custom car project and I am controlling the doors/front clip/rear clip with 12v linear actuators.
I have an ISIS system controlling the car electronics, including 2 of their optional components that allow me to control items via an ISIS supplied RF transmitter as well as an android smartphone.
The actuators are controlled by an Autoloc motor controller. You can program the run time for an actuator and when the motor controller sees a ground signal, it runs the actuator for the programmed time and then stops. Next time the motor controller sees ground, it reverses the polarity and runs the actuator in the reverse direction for the same time. If at any time during the up/down travel, it sees a ground signal, it stops the actuator. When it sees ground again, it reverses the polarity and the actuator runs the same distance in the opposite direction.
The problem.
The motor controllers allow for a certain amount of adjustability for "sensitivity". Even on the controllers highest setting, it is sometimes not enough to operate the doors. There is no binding, the actuators have well over the weight rating needed and in fact work 100% of the time if I run power directly to the actuator motor. When the doors are acting up/stalling on the open cycle, very slight one finger pressure assisting allows it to run the full travel without stopping.
I have searched for other motor controllers that might allow more adjustability of the force, but have not found anything with the features I need. So I am left with trying to improve the ones I have.
Does anyone have any experience with these motor controllers or have any idea how I might modify them to do what I need?
Here is a link to see the actuators working:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHSa6tjS6PIAlso, I attached a picture of the different parts/how they work together.
Thanks!