I am using a 357-radiotrap-4s1 to control portable target systems. A customer would like to add a timer feature would this be possible?
Hello @BalcoDefense,
The documentation states that the radiotrap has “4x relay changeover contacts”.
Yes, a timer could be interposed between the radiotrap and the target system.
However, the contact toggle time is unknown. Is it for the duration of button press, a pulse of fixed length, or something else?
Either way, a traditional time-on delay or a time-off delay is problematic. Also, I also suspect your customer would like a random delay. These requirements place us in either the small PLC or DIY microcontroller domains. In this case, the PLC would detect the pulse from the radiotrap, wait a random amount of time, and then activate the trap.
Please let us know how you would like to proceed.
Sincerely,
Aaron
We are currently only using two of the relays on the board which leaves two relays left over. The goal is to have a timer that can be set to a time duration that when the button is pressed it flips and then returns after the timer is expired. For example the user presses the button and the target flips then after 5 seconds it automatically flips back. I’m not sure if we need to add a timer to the target or to the controller. The ideal situation is to have a simple add-on timer that we can add to the target itself using the two open relays. This could possibly be programmed using a two button remote for one button to work normally and the other to work with the timer. This might also be able to be achieved in the remote also and only time the signals, not sure what would be the best.
Jeff
You should be able to add an off-delay timer to the target. When it’s turned on or triggered by a relay from the receiver module, it will turn on for the programmed duration and then turn off. Then, when power is removed or the trigger is cleared, it resets and will behave the same way when it again is triggered.
Here’s a link to timers with Off-delay capability. Many of these have other functions as well. Note that they come in many form-factors, power supply requirements, relay types and current ratings, time ranges (I included those with minimum of <2s and maximum of ≥10s), and time adjustment methods.
The following Timer Relay should work for you: 600XU-A-1-CU-ROHS if your switching load is AC.
It is a multi-function timer relay. From the looks of the table Functions Delay On Break, Single Shot or Retriggerable Single Shot should do what you’re looking to accomplish.
I chose it partially because it accepts a 12 ~ 240VDC voltage supply, since your radio base module already is running off DC voltage.
EDIT: I’ve been advised Single Shot is probably the way you want to go.