Linear Actuator Jaycar

[Dorthea Seate]

HiPeter_I, did you have any luck with your questions about the actuator? I have the same questions. Is it ok to leave them powered at the end stops? Do they need to cool? Did you drive them with 12V or less?

No it is not OK to drive them hard into the stops for unlimited time. The control circuitry in the car applies 12V to the door locks for only a second, or less. If you do it for longer, they will probably overheat. I think they may even have a limit of 60 actuations in 1 minute must be followed by 5 minutes rest. Datasheets for this must exist but they probably aren't available to you unless your surname is "Ford."

I have had some luck adding feedback to the door locks from Jaycar. The 'master' lock has simple switches on it to detect full travel. The slave door locks can fit a 50mm linear potentiometer inside for analog feedback and total proportional control.

How would I reverse the polarity of the linear actuator and electromagnet programmatically? Both elements can be reversed at the same time so would I be able to get away with a single 2 channel relay module?

To reverse the polarity with a relay you would need a DPDT relay or possible 2 SPDT relays operating together. Total 2 DPDT or 4 SPDT.

Cheers Bob

PS. I have not looked but I would be surprised if that motor control board you linked did not look after the reverse switching for you.

Hi LokSang

There is something wrong with your battery connection. What flavour of Arduino are you using and exactly how is everything connected together. A drawing or sketch would be useful as any diagnostic information would be only guessing with the info you have provided.

Cheers Bob

Perhaps one of the Core support staff can jump in here as I am not familiar with that motor controller.

Core please look at this as it could be a grave error if this board is meant to sit on any Arduino. These pins in that order are on all Arduino of that format I think. There again I might be altogether wrong here.

Cheers Bob

See that now. I was only going on the pics of the boards.

Cheers Bob

Add.

Sorry I did not go further than the pics. I assumed (wrongly) that the board connections connected across, silly me for thinking they might. I did not look in enough detail as I have no immediate intention of using this board.

You may have found this page online by searching for linear actuator Australia, or you may have come to eBay direct, but either way, you'll find exactly what you're looking for without even having to leave your chair. Gone are the days of plodding from store to store, looking for exactly the right model linear actuator, or phoning bored customer service attendants who have no real knowledge about store stock or the parts you're interested in. With the click of your mouse, you can compare models simply and easily, and best of all, lightning fast.

Always check the individual listing to confirm exactly what features the specific linear actuator has. Some listings have the linear actuator controller included, while others offer just the linear actuator itself. Confirm that the linear actuator is the correct size that you are looking for, and that clear instructions are included. Be sure to also look for a high quality build and durable construction.

Features included in your linear actuator will depend on the brand and specific model, but they may include a wide input voltage, convenient wireless control, a distance control mode, or a four key remote control to provide more stability. Other features may include a self locking control, limit position control, overtime protection, programmable remote controls, and the ability to control more than one linear actuator at once.

Once you've found the right option for you, check out eBay's great range of linear motion systems and linear actuator controls to find suitable accessories or other kits worth your investment. Time to check it out!

Electric Mechanical Actuators incorporate a lead screw or ball screw to provide push or pull actuation, in effect, converting rotational motion into a linear push pull motion. Typically electric actuators are supplied as 12, 24 volt VDC, or on occasions 230 VAC is available. Replacing hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders with electric linear actuators provides a simpler installation, convenient control, higher accuracy and less maintenance.

It's important to know that other than the connection cable, all of the differences are internal. Linear actuators and linear servos are indeed identical when viewed from the outside. They function exactly the same way, in and out.

An actuator operates in the same manner as an electric motor. When power is applied, the motor will spin, and when power is removed, the motor will stop. Actuators are exactly the same. They are simple devices that only recognize on or off. They are incapable of position control on their own.

A servo actuator is different in that it can receive a command to go to a specific position, and then act on that command. It's not a simple power on-power off equation. A servo can be told what to do and then do it on it's own.

Though they look the same, they're actually quite different in how they function. This makes them ideal for different applications.

Actuators are ideal for projects and situations where what you need is the same range of linear motion all the time. You can apply power and it will extend until the end-limit switch shuts off the power. Reverse the polarity and the same will happen in retraction.

Linear servos are ideal for more complex applications where you need the device to respond to an external command for a certain position. This is how standard RC servos work.A linear servo must have 3 or more wires. Power, ground and a signal wire to tell the servo what position it should go to.

Looking at the pictures below, it's easy to understand how some might be a little confused.

ConclusionSo to summarize, an actuator is a simple device that can not complete a task without being told to do so, and a servo actuator is 'smart' in that it can accept an input signal and go to that position on it's own.

It's actually fairly simple, but this distinction can cause some confusion. I hope this article has helped you understand the difference and hopefully give you the foundation you need to choose the best device for your application.

Whether you're a hobbyist, engineer, or industry professional, Actuonix is here to help you find the best linear servo or linear actuator for your design. From initial concept to final implementation, their team of experts is dedicated to helping you achieve your goals efficiently and effectively. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or need a hand choosing a device.

All of our actuator families are available with a servo control option with the exception of our S20 line. L12-R, L16-R and PQ12-R are plug and play linear servos. The P8-R, P16-R and T16-R require the use of our EXT-R board which is included when you select the -R option, and a 12V power supply.

Hopefully this article has helped you better understand the differences between linear actuators and linear servos. View our collection of actuators by model or industry today. As a leading manufacturer and innovator in the micro motion marketplace, Actuonix services companies big and small in a number of industries including aerospace, medical, robotics, RC and more. Get in touch with us today to submit an order or to submit an inquiry.

OverviewThe LD Series of linear actuators by Concentric International (formerly Iowa Export-Import) are 12V DC gearmotors that use a worm drive to move a shaft back and forth along its length. The worm drive ensures that the shaft will hold its position even when unpowered. Two limits switches safely stop the motor at either end of its range, while integrated diodes allow it to reverse direction after reaching a limit point if the supplied voltage is reversed. The actuators are mostly metal, and the entire case is sealed to protect against dust and water (rated IP63).

Using the actuatorTo test-drive the actuator, simply connect a power source of up to 12 V to the motor leads. Reversing the applied voltage will reverse the direction of motion. A motor controller or motor driver is required for electronic speed and direction control. We recommend our Jrk Motor Controllers for use with the feedback actuators and the Pololu Simple Motor Controller 18v7 for controlling the actuators without feedback, though many of our other motor controllers and motor drivers are capable of powering this actuator.

These actuators have a stall current of 10 A at 12 V, but they will, on average, draw far less than this when used within their load ratings. They draw around 500 mA with no load and can exceed 3 A at their maximum rated dynamic load, so we have found they generally work well with our lower-power jrk 21v3 motor controller with feedback (see the bottom of this page for more information using this controller for closed-loop linear actuator position control). Note, however, that the actuators can briefly draw close to their full stall current when abruptly started or on a sudden change of direction. Such current spikes can be dampened if you take steps to limit the acceleration of the actuator (many of our motor controllers offer optional acceleration limiting).

Diagrams of the linear actuators are shown below. The versions that include potentiometers have a larger gearbox, so their overall size and weight is larger. For more detailed information, including the retracted and extended lengths of each version, see the appropriate datasheet (click the Resources tab above).

Each actuator has a 3-foot-long cable. On actuators with feedback, this cable is terminated with special female connectors as shown in the left picture below, one for the three potentiometer leads and another for the two power leads. These connectors match male versions on the extension cable for LD linear actuators. Actuator versions without feedback have two unterminated, stripped power leads as shown in the right picture below. Linear actuators without feedback do not have cables that are compatible with the linear actuator extension cable.

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