Hello!
I have a manual pneumatic regulator which I am planning to control by connecting a DC motor to it.
I can remove the cap and use a coupler to connect straight to the shaft. This is the easy part.
The regulators knobs allow for about 15 full rotation form the minimum to the maximum pressure settings and the torque increases considerably between the regulators being fully closed to fully open.
What I am struggling with is the initial setting of the regulator when I switch the system on. Encoders will not solve the problem unless they know where their zero point is.
First question is: do you know of DC motor with encoder that reports its zero point?
I though about rotating the motor anticlockwise until the regulator is at its minimum pressure. At that point the motor will stall. Is there a way to be able to detect that event with precision using some kind of sensor and an Arduino?
Or is there a better way of being able to detect when the regulator is at its minimum pressure using a motor?
I thought about using a pressure sensor like this or like this and leave the whole stalling business alone.
Can anybody recommend a cheaper sensor / way of doing it or a better way?
I am working with pressures between 0.5 and 10 BAR max.
Many Thanks
Michele