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Panel Mounted Speed Regulator Module?

P

phaeton

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Hi,

Does anyone have any experience with these please?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/panel-mounted-speed-regulator-module-30310

I wired this up following the instructions, it didn't work. I was using a DC adapter 3-12v, to a DC 941D Series electric motor. Absolutely nothing happened after I wired it up.

One problem is that the twin wires coming from the adapter have no colour code, just black sheathing, so I cannot tell which is positive and which negative. But I swapped wires when the unit wouldn't work and it made no difference, inert.

Am a layman - hobbyist - definitely not electro savvy.

Help appreciated.

Thanks,

PG
 
Yes - don't try it on mains. :lol:

There should be polarity markings on the PCB itself (according to the datasheet.)
 
mattylad said:
Yes - don't try it on mains. :lol:

There should be polarity markings on the PCB itself (according to the datasheet.)
Click to expand...

The unit is clearly marked for +/- wires going into it and coming out of it. I followed these and the wiring diagram all the way. Nothing happened when I applied current and I rotated the pot from zero to full and back again.

Is it possible that there wasn't enough voltage coming in from the adapter which supplies from 3 to 12volts DC, I have misplaced the instructions now but I think the regulator has a minimum input tolerance?

Thanks.
 
You say 3-12v but what have you got it set to?
Another issue may be lack of smoothing in a cheap wall adaptor.
 
Spark123 said:
You say 3-12v but what have you got it set to?
Another issue may be lack of smoothing in a cheap wall adaptor.
Click to expand...

I went through 7.5, 6, 5, 4.5 & 3v to test for speed. Of course I unintentionally totalled the speed controller when it wouldn't work connected to the adaptor wiring, I would have to source a new one.

The multimeter instructions (web) are a bit confusing. There are +/- signs which come up for polarity. It says:

Using the 830B Digital Multimeter

If it is a DC supply use the 20 V DC range (unless the voltage is over 20 V - in that case use the 200 V DC range)...

Plug in [it states this] the supply and connect the test leads to the outer and inner of the plug on the supply* (you may need to use a bent paperclip to access the inner connection - do not short circuit the supply).

You can then check that the supply is delivering the correct voltage
(if there is no load it may be up to 25% high).

http://www.jbryant.eu/pages/DMM.htm[/QUOTE]

*BUT!

‘Wires & Cables’: - never check a wire or cable while it is connected to anything, in particular to any power source.
Click to expand...

The paperclip wouldn't apply because I removed the jack plug in order to connect up to the speed regulator unit. There is no other way. The speed regulator only has holes in it for raw wires to be attached - there's no way you can apply a neg/pos jack to it. But now I obviously need to work out which wire is neg and which pos, and mark them. The twin wires themselves are not colour coded.

Edit: I did not attach the supplied jack heads to the adapter cable. That leaves two vacant points - mini sockets - where you can insert wires. But there is no guide as to which point is '+' or '-'

Unorthodox yes, but how else can I control the speed of the motor?
Click to expand...
 
phaeton said:
Thanks. I've got a Sinometer M-830B, will that do the job please?
Click to expand...
Should you be fiddling with things like this if you don't know how to use a basic multimeter to do basic things?

It might be an idea to put it away until you've got a bit more understanding of circuits etc.


phaeton said:
The unit is clearly marked for +/- wires going into it and coming out of it. I followed these and the wiring diagram all the way.
Click to expand...
How do you know, if you are unsure of the polarity of the power supply output?


Nothing happened when I applied current and I rotated the pot from zero to full and back again.
Click to expand...
It's possible that if you connected it the wrong way round it is now broken.


Is it possible that there wasn't enough voltage coming in from the adapter which supplies from 3 to 12volts DC,
Click to expand...
I don't know.

Is it conceivable that you tried to use it with an adapter not set to 12V and which you had not first tried on the motor without the speed controller?
 
One problem is that the twin wires coming from the adapter have no colour code, just black sheathing, so I cannot tell which is positive and which negative.


If your not sure of polarity from your DC power supply, get a full wave bridge rectifier of the right rating for your purpose from Maplins at the same time as a new controller

http://www.maplin.co.uk/bridge-rectifiers-19088

Connect the DC leads from the power supply any way round, it doesn't matter, into the AC terminals (marked with a wavyline) of the rectifer, positive and negative are marked on the rectifer and these go in the respective connections of the speed controller.

Using a rectifer does reduce marginally the voltage availabe at the speed controller.
 
I think before jumping in with both feet BAN should read the instructions that came with the controller.

I would agree no circuit diagram and it requires some guess work but seems it uses a very high frequency so a multimeter would be of little use.

I would guess similar to the model train controller where it sends out a pulse and measures the back EMF to work out if the train has started to move. These would only work with wound field as with permanent magnet fields the pulses could destroy the permanent magnets.

It should not matter if outputs were wrong way around the drill should still work. If diodes used like in trains then could go backwards but would still work.

From the instructions given there is very little one could do to fault find without an oscilloscope so in real terms very little can be done.

With the trains because it could damage the magnets I built a voltage regulator not as good controlling as pulse unit but better than just using a rheostat. I used a 2N3055 transistor to take load.

Was a circuit diagram provided as there is not one on website?
 
redpis said:
One problem is that the twin wires coming from the adapter have no colour code, just black sheathing, so I cannot tell which is positive and which negative.


If your not sure of polarity from your DC power supply, get a full wave bridge rectifier of the right rating for your purpose from Maplins at the same time as a new controller

http://www.maplin.co.uk/bridge-rectifiers-19088

Connect the DC leads from the power supply any way round, it doesn't matter, into the AC terminals (marked with a wavyline) of the rectifer, positive and negative are marked on the rectifer and these go in the respective connections of the speed controller.

Using a rectifer does reduce marginally the voltage availabe at the speed controller.
Click to expand...

Many thanks - that looks cool ;)

I'd take the adaptor with me so they can see / advise on the bridge I need.

Have replaced the old regulator with a new one plus am in touch with the manufacturer who seems to be willing to give some tech support.

My adaptor runs from 3 to 12v but the speed regulator inputs 6 - 15v so I need to keep the voltage up to 6.

Incorrect polarity won't harm the unit - it has "polarity protection" - it just won't work if the polarity isn't right.

Thumbs up so far.
 

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