Hi, I attempted to follow along using an Arduino Nano, and it started smoking when I powered up. Could you give me a little guidance on which pins I should try on the Nano? I think I used the wrong pins. Thanks much
Yikes! You can use the same type of signal pin, but you’ll definitely want to power the actuator using an external source. The smoke was likely due to the actuator pulling more current than the Arduino could provide.
Hello, thanks for the great video! I am currently using a larger actuonix, but am having an issue where it only extends, does not retract. Using writeMicroseconds should have the actuator go to fully CCW (retracted) at 1000 and fully CW (extended) at 2000 correct? Any advice?
Hmm . . . that is strange. I would check the documentation for your model and see if/how it differs from the PQ12. It may be that a different pulse time is required to extend/retract.
Hello, i am currently building a robotic hand and very inexperienced with this stuff is it possible if i could reach out to you over email to ask some questions?
Hey, what's the pin configuration to the Arduino Mega (could this also work with an Uno/Nano?) when you use the power supply board (which I'm assuming is a Ywrobot Power Supply board)?
If you want to use the Ywrobot Power Supply (or any 5-6V DC supply, for that matter), tie the GND's of the actuator, power supply, and Arduino together. Connect the VCC of the power supply to the VCC of the actuator and connect a PWM pin from your Arduino to the actuator signal pin. This should work for any Arduino with a PWM pin - so yes, it will work with the Uno/Nano.
@@ironpine5815 btw. How would your setup work if multiple pq12-r actuators were used? I'm trying to develop a bionic hand so I wanted to know if something like a multi-servo channel board (like those 16-channel ones) in conjunction with the power supply breadboard (like the Ywrobot) would work. I'm planning on utilizing a battery source likely a power bank
@@pigeonbass11 - I've never used a servo breakout board like you're describing - I would recommend doing things the "manual way." To control multiple actuators, you can do what I described above for each actuator. You could use a single power supply, but you'd need to ensure it can handle the current draw if all your actuators were loaded simultaneously.
I'm trying to follow your code to have the actuator extend, hold for ~3 mins, retract, and end there. How would I edit your code to do this? I tried just changing the last delay to exit(0), but since doing that now it won't retract.
David, The Arduino is probably capable of powering the actuator for pressing the button on your garage door opener. However, I would recommend using a 6V external supply just to be safe. An easy way to get 6V is to buy a tray to hold 4 AA batteries in series - you can get them for about $6 on Amazon.
Hi thanks for your tutorial. How do i control the retract and pull up of the PQ12 according to the data given by user on Console？ For example, if i enter a number 50, it will pull up to the middle. The next second i enter number 0 it will retract to the end?
Twist, I'm not sure I fully understand your question, but I'll do my best . . . To get the actuator to extend halfway, you might try a 1.5ms pulse. Not sure if this would work, but it's worth a try. I've only ever used it fully extended or fully retracted. To extend/retract the actuator based on user commands from the serial monitor, console, etc., try something like this: if (consoleInput == 100) actuator.writeMicroseconds(1000); // fully extended else if (consoleInput == 50) acutator.writeMicroseconds(1500); // half-way extended else if (consoleInput == 0) actuator.writeMicroseconds(2000); // fully retracted
@@ironpine5815 Thanks for replying! Actually what i have is PQ12-30-6-P linear actuator. It has 5 ports instead of 3. There are two more pins and i don't know how to set up those pins. Could you please tell me the connection and coding of PQ-12 P series?
@@twisteugenie7208 Ah, you have the PQ12-P! I can't advise you on programming it (since I don't have one), but the Actuonix data sheet details the five pins: www.actuonix.com/Actuonix-PQ-12-P-Linear-Actuator-p/pq12-p.htm. It looks like you may also need an adapter (www.actuonix.com/PQ12-Cable-Adapter-p/cable-adapter.htm) so you can wire it to an Arduino. What's your application? Do you need the PQ12-P, or would the PQ12-R suffice?
@@ironpine5815 Thanks for reminding! I have already solved my problem, and be able to control it now. The last question: how do you control the speed of extending or retracting by coding? The PQ12 extending too fast, i want to slow it down on 5V condition.
@@twisteugenie7208 Glad you got it working! The speed of the actuator is determined by the load - see the top left chart on page 2 of the actuator data sheet. Your version (the 30:1 gear ratio) happens to be the fastest - if a slower speed is critical, you might try the 63:1 or 100:1 gear ratios, or add an additional load to your 30:1 actuator.
Hi, I attempted to follow along using an Arduino Nano, and it started smoking when I powered up. Could you give me a little guidance on which pins I should try on the Nano? I think I used the wrong pins. Thanks much
Yikes! You can use the same type of signal pin, but you’ll definitely want to power the actuator using an external source. The smoke was likely due to the actuator pulling more current than the Arduino could provide.
is n20 motor used inside this actuator?
Can the program be changed to control the position of the actuator or is that one strictly in/out?
I believe the actuator is strictly in/out. A 1ms pulse extends the actuator, and a 2ms pulse retracts it.
Hello, thanks for the great video! I am currently using a larger actuonix, but am having an issue where it only extends, does not retract. Using writeMicroseconds should have the actuator go to fully CCW (retracted) at 1000 and fully CW (extended) at 2000 correct? Any advice?
Hmm . . . that is strange. I would check the documentation for your model and see if/how it differs from the PQ12. It may be that a different pulse time is required to extend/retract.
Hello, i am currently building a robotic hand and very inexperienced with this stuff is it possible if i could reach out to you over email to ask some questions?
can you please make a video for p type linear actuator
Hey, what's the pin configuration to the Arduino Mega (could this also work with an Uno/Nano?) when you use the power supply board (which I'm assuming is a Ywrobot Power Supply board)?
If you want to use the Ywrobot Power Supply (or any 5-6V DC supply, for that matter), tie the GND's of the actuator, power supply, and Arduino together. Connect the VCC of the power supply to the VCC of the actuator and connect a PWM pin from your Arduino to the actuator signal pin.
This should work for any Arduino with a PWM pin - so yes, it will work with the Uno/Nano.
@@ironpine5815 btw. How would your setup work if multiple pq12-r actuators were used? I'm trying to develop a bionic hand so I wanted to know if something like a multi-servo channel board (like those 16-channel ones) in conjunction with the power supply breadboard (like the Ywrobot) would work. I'm planning on utilizing a battery source likely a power bank
@@pigeonbass11 - I've never used a servo breakout board like you're describing - I would recommend doing things the "manual way." To control multiple actuators, you can do what I described above for each actuator. You could use a single power supply, but you'd need to ensure it can handle the current draw if all your actuators were loaded simultaneously.
I'm trying to follow your code to have the actuator extend, hold for ~3 mins, retract, and end there. How would I edit your code to do this? I tried just changing the last delay to exit(0), but since doing that now it won't retract.
I would use a while() statement - basically put your code in an endless while loop.
Hi, I want to use a PQ12 to click a Merik remote control (to open garage doors), is it enough load to damage my arduino?
David,
The Arduino is probably capable of powering the actuator for pressing the button on your garage door opener. However, I would recommend using a 6V external supply just to be safe. An easy way to get 6V is to buy a tray to hold 4 AA batteries in series - you can get them for about $6 on Amazon.
Hi thanks for your tutorial. How do i control the retract and pull up of the PQ12 according to the data given by user on Console？ For example, if i enter a number 50, it will pull up to the middle. The next second i enter number 0 it will retract to the end?
Twist,
I'm not sure I fully understand your question, but I'll do my best . . .
To get the actuator to extend halfway, you might try a 1.5ms pulse. Not sure if this would work, but it's worth a try. I've only ever used it fully extended or fully retracted. To extend/retract the actuator based on user commands from the serial monitor, console, etc., try something like this:
if (consoleInput == 100)
actuator.writeMicroseconds(1000); // fully extended
else if (consoleInput == 50)
acutator.writeMicroseconds(1500); // half-way extended
else if (consoleInput == 0)
actuator.writeMicroseconds(2000); // fully retracted
@@ironpine5815 Thanks for replying! Actually what i have is PQ12-30-6-P linear actuator. It has 5 ports instead of 3. There are two more pins and i don't know how to set up those pins. Could you please tell me the connection and coding of PQ-12 P series?
@@twisteugenie7208 Ah, you have the PQ12-P! I can't advise you on programming it (since I don't have one), but the Actuonix data sheet details the five pins: www.actuonix.com/Actuonix-PQ-12-P-Linear-Actuator-p/pq12-p.htm.
It looks like you may also need an adapter (www.actuonix.com/PQ12-Cable-Adapter-p/cable-adapter.htm) so you can wire it to an Arduino.
What's your application? Do you need the PQ12-P, or would the PQ12-R suffice?
@@ironpine5815 Thanks for reminding! I have already solved my problem, and be able to control it now. The last question: how do you control the speed of extending or retracting by coding? The PQ12 extending too fast, i want to slow it down on 5V condition.
@@twisteugenie7208 Glad you got it working!
The speed of the actuator is determined by the load - see the top left chart on page 2 of the actuator data sheet. Your version (the 30:1 gear ratio) happens to be the fastest - if a slower speed is critical, you might try the 63:1 or 100:1 gear ratios, or add an additional load to your 30:1 actuator.