Problem with LabVIEW - Analog Output signal

vincenzolorenzo

Hi, Bit of a long shot but I have a problem that i'm hoping somebody out there might be able to help me with. I have a 3 port valve that i want to control using a Danfoss AME15 actuator. Basically the idea is that by varying the voltage supplied to it the valve position can be changed. My plan is to control this voltage using LabVIEW. The problem, I can't get it to work!

When the power supply is connected to the actuator it goes through a reset cycle whereby the spindle travels the full length of the stroke twice to determine the two end points. I can get LabVIEW to pick up the varying voltage here but then after the reset cycle when I try to supply a voltage...nothing. My system details are as follows:
Software: LabVIEW v8.5.
Hardware: NI cDAQ-9172 chassis with NI-9205 and NI-9263 modules.

Any ideas?

DublinDilbert

Is the NI analogue output giving out the correct voltage and the valve is not responding to it? or is the analogue output not giving any voltage out?? I'm not sure which is the case based on the above text.

Can you hook up a POT or a variable power supply to the valve input voltage and get it to vary position?

Can you hook up a meter to the NI Analogue output and make sure that lab-view is outputting the correct voltage.

vincenzolorenzo

Thanks for the reply. Should have been clearer in the OP. I've tried your suggestions and it seems labview is giving out the correct voltage so that seems ok. Tried connecting the actuator to an external power supply to see could i vary position with that but no joy. The signal was getting as far as the connection on the circuit board but still didn't work. So really it seems my problem is not with LabVIEW but with the actuator itself.

Anyone have any experience with a Danfoss AME15 valve actuator?

DublinDilbert

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. Should have been clearer in the OP. I've tried your suggestions and it seems labview is giving out the correct voltage so that seems ok. Tried connecting the actuator to an external power supply to see could i vary position with that but no joy. The signal was getting as far as the connection on the circuit board but still didn't work. So really it seems my problem is not with LabVIEW but with the actuator itself.

Anyone have any experience with a Danfoss AME15 valve actuator?

Sounds like progress, atleast now you know its the valve...

I've never used one of them valves, so I had a look at the datasheet:-
http://www.incalzire.danfoss.com/PCMPDF/AME15-16-25-35_ED95V802.pdf

How have you got yours hooked up? post your schematic!

What way are your dip switches set?

vincenzolorenzo

Here's a photo of the wiring on the actuator. The red wire coming in is connected to SP (24V). Black (0V) is connected to SN as well as terminals 1 and 3. Yellow connected to terminal Y for inputting control signal from labview, white wire is connected to terminal X and is output signal to indicate position.

The only DIP switch i have in the ON position is number 2 which should give me 0-10V control (as opposed to 2-10V if switch was in OFF position). Can you see if i've missed anything obvious there?

DublinDilbert

I had a quick look... i'm not sure why your connecting SN to terminals 1 & 3.

The user manual states:-
"Commissioning / testing feature
The actuator can be driven to the fully open or closed positions (depending on valve type) by connecting SN to terminals 1 or 3."

Have you tried it with nothing connected to terminals 1 & 3??

Also note they say "connecting SN to terminals 1 or 3" not "1 & 3".

Let us know how you get on...

vincenzolorenzo

DublinDilbert, you're a genius!! Disconnected SN form 1 and 3, job sorted. Have linear control over full range of actuator. Thanks a million for your help!

DublinDilbert

No Worries!!!

That's what engineering is all about, breaking the more complex problem into two smaller problems, get labview to output a signal (read with DMM), get valve to respond to a voltage from powersupply/pot, then put the two together

Good luck in the project....