Automate turning of manual rotary switch?
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From: Greegor on 1 Apr 2010 01:48 I bet the guy who engineered the Spindle Wizard thought it was a one-off as well. LOL I worked in a place once removing dozens of those and they made an amazing scrap metal pile. The tool and die guy I worked under looked at them as being like excrement. Were Spindle Wizards really a monstrosity in their day? What is the rotary switch actually controlling? Who are they going to blame for the Rube Goldberg like monstrosity they want you to make for them? You're going to maintain this Rube Goldberg for them too?? When you come upon such a nightmare don't you want to know just WHO designed it and why?
From: E on 1 Apr 2010 13:56 "markp" <map.nospam(a)f2s.com> kirjoitti viestiss�:81h5p0FkffU1(a)mid.individual.net... > Got a little problem. I've been asked to come up with something that turns > a manual 3 way rotary switch from one position to another and back again > under software control. The switch is one of those bulky things with a > pointer style knob. They basically want to control a piece of equipment > without modifying it in any way. > > Does anyone know of a switch actuator manufacturer? I'm looking for > something I can place over the switch with a motor or solenoid to turn the > switch (about 45 degrees per switch position). > > Thanks! > > Mark. > Perhaps proportional ball valve actuator, the kind you can put on a valve and control with 0-10V -ek
From: Robert Baer on 2 Apr 2010 18:06 Tim Wescott wrote: > markp wrote: >> Got a little problem. I've been asked to come up with something that >> turns a manual 3 way rotary switch from one position to another and >> back again under software control. The switch is one of those bulky >> things with a pointer style knob. They basically want to control a >> piece of equipment without modifying it in any way. >> >> Does anyone know of a switch actuator manufacturer? I'm looking for >> something I can place over the switch with a motor or solenoid to turn >> the switch (about 45 degrees per switch position). > > I'll bet that you're doomed to rolling your own, but I'd sure do those > suggested web searches. > > Motor -> gear -> adapter on the mechanical side, position feedback -> > processor -> software -> drive -> motor on the electro-software side. > > Can you remove the knob and attach directly to the shaft, or do 'they' > want you to leave the knob on? Does it have to work under manual > control when the software isn't diddling with it? How much individual > adjustment are you allowed? How can you anchor this gizmo to the > equipment? > > In principle this is a snap, but in reality there's some effort to make > it all work. > Fer example, controlled by grabbing the shaft on the top (feeding the shaft thru the stepper to the manual knob)? Or grabbing the shaft on the bottom. Oh, yes....do not forget to allow pinkies to be grabbed, pinched, mashed, flattened when contoller is doing its thing...
From: Robert Baer on 2 Apr 2010 18:09 Phil Hobbs wrote: > On 3/31/2010 5:18 PM, markp wrote: >> "Tim Wescott"<tim(a)seemywebsite.now> wrote in message >> news:5qednQCgAZgvCC7WnZ2dnUVZ_rGdnZ2d(a)web-ster.com... >>> markp wrote: >>>> Got a little problem. I've been asked to come up with something that >>>> turns a manual 3 way rotary switch from one position to another and >>>> back >>>> again under software control. The switch is one of those bulky things >>>> with a pointer style knob. They basically want to control a piece of >>>> equipment without modifying it in any way. >>>> >>>> Does anyone know of a switch actuator manufacturer? I'm looking for >>>> something I can place over the switch with a motor or solenoid to turn >>>> the switch (about 45 degrees per switch position). >>> >>> I'll bet that you're doomed to rolling your own, but I'd sure do those >>> suggested web searches. >> >> Indeed, but this is a one-off so a ahnd crafted solution would be OK (as >> long as it's reliable!) >> >>> >>> Motor -> gear -> adapter on the mechanical side, position feedback -> >>> processor -> software -> drive -> motor on the electro-software side. >>> >>> Can you remove the knob and attach directly to the shaft, or do 'they' >>> want you to leave the knob on? >> >> Ideally leave the knob on, but could remove it and replace it. I'm not >> sure >> whether the knob is press-fitted or screwed. >> >>> Does it have to work under manual control when the software isn't >>> diddling >>> with it? >> >> No, there will be a little control box with a manual override so all >> done in >> software. >> >>> How much individual adjustment are you allowed? How can you anchor this >>> gizmo to the equipment? >> >> Good question. There are some existing fixings I could attach to, I'm >> sure >> they could accept a few holes drilled in the panel that has the switch. >> >>> >>> In principle this is a snap, but in reality there's some effort to >>> make it >>> all work. >>> >>> -- >>> Tim Wescott >>> Control system and signal processing consulting >>> www.wescottdesign.com >> >> This might be quite a tough mechanical challenge, as you say it sounds >> easy >> but the devil is in the details. The switch has click positions, I may >> need >> a way to sense it has seated properly in a particular position. Also I >> don't >> want this to ever sit just off centre of a position in case the switch >> contacts arc. >> >> Mark. >> >> > For a one-off, I'd be looking at an RC airplane servo and a flexible > shaft coupling. You can get servos with nice titanium gears and brass > sleeve bearings for way under $100. The good ones have real genuine > torque. > > Cheers > > Phil Hobbs > OOOhhhhhhhh! *Real* _metal_ gears??? Almost sounds like 20+year old surplus stuff. Where?
From: Jon Kirwan on 2 Apr 2010 05:21
On Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:22:04 +0100, "markp" <map.nospam(a)f2s.com> wrote: > >"Jon Kirwan" <jonk(a)infinitefactors.org> wrote in message >news:pp87r5laes2vrg5at1g6mcsj9v8kl8juqp(a)4ax.com... >> On Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:54:50 +0100, "markp" >> <map.nospam(a)f2s.com> wrote: >> >>>Got a little problem. I've been asked to come up with something that turns >>>a >>>manual 3 way rotary switch from one position to another and back again >>>under >>>software control. The switch is one of those bulky things with a pointer >>>style knob. They basically want to control a piece of equipment without >>>modifying it in any way. >>> >>>Does anyone know of a switch actuator manufacturer? I'm looking for >>>something I can place over the switch with a motor or solenoid to turn the >>>switch (about 45 degrees per switch position). >> >> I don't. >> >> But you reminded me of a remove control TV I used to have. It >> used a few metal bars that were "hammered" when you pushed a >> mechanical button. (Basically, tuning forks.) These emitted >> a precise audible tone which was decoded and used by the TV >> set to cause the tuner to move left or right (you had one >> control for each.) The TV could be set while sitting in a >> rocking chair from across the room! The knob was _also_ >> designed as a standard manual tuner so the remote wasn't >> required, at all. You could, of course, use the TV as a >> "normal" TV of the time where you had to get up and switch >> channels by hand. >> >> Of course, manufacturers soon got rid of the manual tuner >> assemblies and digitized these and then began using buttons >> and remote controls which, today, seem more necessary than >> mere convenience, anymore. >> >> Interesting question. >> >> Jon > > Tuning forks to control tellies! Nice. I shan't be using > that method though > :) hehe. No batteries to replace. Can get tuning forks from the store if you need them laying about the house. Might even be able to learn to whistle it out without one, which means you are never looking around for the darned remote any more. It does have its advantages. ;) Jon |