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Thread: Breakout Box switch input specs

  1. #1
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    Breakout Box switch input specs

    I know the switch inputs are spec'd to be dry contact to ground, but what is the real input characteristic? Typically they are really some logic circuit's input and really have a voltage spec, like a TTL or CMOS input, and thus could possibly be driven from a compatible systems output.

    My question however is for the purpose of using an illuminated switch on the input. If I had an LED lit switch and appropriate sized resistor going from the input to a 5 volt (or 12 v) supply, then when the switch is closed to ground, the LED would come on.

    Joe T.

  2. #2
    Master Control Freak RussM's Avatar
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    The signals are sufficient to sense continuity or lack thereof - whether a connected float switch or other form of dry contact is open or closed. They cannot provide power. Don’t attempt to do so.
    Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.

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    I understand Apex official advice on this, but as an electrical engineer, it is an insufficient answer. However, I won't attempt something that would damage the Apex. However, if I had the proper specs, I'd know for sure what can, and can not be done, which is why I'm asking. There are other ways I can accomplish this, but a simple pull-up to external power is the simplest.

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    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    Nothing is publicly available beyond that they are 3.3V TTL and they can't be used to power anything. I would suggest using double pole devices and use the second pole on a seperate circuit to power the LED on its own isolated power supply.

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

  5. #5
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    Attachment 7957
    I got my switch panel built for my new Apex. The left three are pushbutton switches, and the right three are rocker switches.
    My goals here are:
    1) Big Red Button - an emergency stop for ALL pumps, because others besides me will be dealing with the tank often and I need an easy way for them to hit the panic button if something is wrong.
    2) Two "Feed" buttons to initiate manual feed cycles, again for easy use by others.
    3) Multiple other switches for whatever comes up.
    4) Later goal to figure out how to make the lights on the switches work. This will probably take some external circuitry to independently monitor the switches to drive the lights accordingly, maybe something like this...
    Attachment 7958

    The only problem I was having is the response time. The Apex doesn't appear to recognize the change of state of a switch for 20-30 seconds, where others had indicated 2-3 seconds should work. What I found out is that the Apex responds quickly to the switches, it's just that the web displays (Fusion & browser) are very slow to update, which made simulation testing very confusing.

    I did get the programming working to make the pushbuttons latch properly. There are lots of threads with RussM, Zombie, Simon P and others with programming for this, and I thank them.

    Here is the programming. I'm using a VO to test programming instead of a switch, once that worked, I changed it to the real switch and it worked fine.

    V_Sw1
    Set OFF

    Reset
    Set OFF

    AllSTOP
    Set OFF
    If Output Reset = ON Then OFF
    If Output V_Sw1 = ON Then ON <<< would be replaced with "If Sw1 CLOSED Then ON"

    Return_Pump
    Fallback ON
    Set ON
    If FeedA 000 Then OFF
    If Output AllSTOP = ON Then OFF <<< this line added to all outlets that need to be on emergency stop

    __________________________________________________ _____________
    Turning on V_Sw2 will turn on AllSTOP, but only after being kept on for 20-30 Seconds

  6. #6
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    I think you transposed something wrong. With the old style of programming there shouldn't be a set OFF in the latching outlet. With the advent of the when statement, you can use a single virtual outlet with this code.

    Set OFF
    If Sw1 CLOSED Then ON
    When On > 000:01 Then ON

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

  7. #7
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    Thanks Zombie. I had already discovered the problem of having the Set OFF statement there that did prevent it from working correctly. I can see the advantage of the new WHEN statement (although it took me a while to find the documentation of it to understand how to use it), particularly in this kind of emergency stop usage, but it doesn't work well in a latching output if the output needs to be able to be switched back on with programming. In my case, I want to be able to use another physical switch on my panel to clear the stop without using Fusion. I will be adding something like "If Sw6 CLOSED Then ON" to the "Reset" programing above to do this.

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