Solenoid valve control


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Hi, 

I want to control a solenoid valve (120VAC) using Daqfactory. 

I connected the valve with Labjack U3-LV and RB12 with a 70G-OAC5A relay.

According to the Labjack forum(https://forums.labjack.com/index.php?showtopic=6716), 

it seems I have to make a function to change the digital direction (output↔ input).

 

Please let me know how to do this.

 

Thanks,

Soohwan

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For the U series devices there is the DAQFactory - LabJack Application Guide which is installed with DAQFactory.  This covers most everything you need to know.  To control an output, you just need to create a Channel in DAQFactory with device type Dig Out.  DAQFactory will switch the pin direction for you in this case.

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The comment you are seeing in LabJack forum topic is about directly controlling a solid-state relay (SSR), which is best done using "sinking" control.  When you do that you need to change the DIO between input (relay off) and output-low (relay-on).

https://labjack.com/support/app-notes/Controlling-Relays

With the RB12, however, you just change the DIO between output-high (module off) and output-low (module on).  The following is from the RB12 Datasheet:

"The RB12 behaves with inverted or negative logic.  For output modules that means the applicable LabJack DIO must be set to output-low to enable the I/O module.  Output modules will be disabled with the DIO set to input or output-high."

https://labjack.com/support/datasheets/accessories/rb12

 

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  • 10 months later...

I would also like to comply with the guidelines for controlling relays published by Labjack. @LabJackSupport says:

Quote

When you do that you need to change the DIO between input (relay off) and output-low (relay-on).

Does this mean the correct way to control relays (to comply with app note) is:

// to turn off
myChannel.strIOType = "Dig In"
myChannel.restart()

// to turn on
myChannel.strIOType = "Dig Out"
myChannel.restart()
myChannel = 0

...instead of just using a Dig Out type channel:

myChannel = 0 //off
myChannel = 1 //on

 

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I'm going to let LabJack comment on what should be done on a hardware level.   But if you do, in fact, need to change between Dig Input and Dig output, you'd be better off just making two channels with the same channel #, but different I/O types, and using read(digInChannel) to do the digital input, and digOutChannel = 0 for the digital out.  Doing channel.restart() all the time is not very efficient.

 

 

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