(light) switches and controllers

[jocca]

Nice work on that switch box. I use doorbell buttons for momentary and a toggle switch from an auto parts store when I want something to stay on of off. All connected to Apex. I just twist/wire but all of the commons together and run one pigtail to then single common on the breakout box.


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[jacksonpt]

Thanks guys. I'm headed back to the electrical supply store this afternoon to get the last few bits for this project. I'll connect all the grounds inside the project box, then run a single ground to the BOB.

Then the coding fun begins.

 

[jacksonpt]

Something just occurred to me...

I'm using the 2 red push buttons (momentary switches) to trigger my water change program. I'm using 2 as a safety measure to help ensure the program isn't triggered unintentionally - my water change system is reliant on buckets, so starting the program with a bucket not in place, or the wrong bucket full, would be bad.

Anyways...
I'm using 2 switches to trigger my water change program. I had planned to wire each switch to separate terminals on the BOB, then program based on the status of those terminals. However, could I wire the switches together inside the box, then run a single wire to the BOB? That would free up 1 terminal on the BOB for some other use down the road, AND it would make programming a bit easier.

Yea, obviously I know nothing about wiring/electricity.

 

[Member No. 1]

Wire them in series.
In other words, wire from BOB + to one side of switch, wire from other side of switch to one side of second switch, other side of second switch to BOB ground. You would need to hold both switches to activate the program.

 

[jacksonpt]

Perfect, thanks.

 

[jacksonpt]

Wire them in series.
In other words, wire from BOB + to one side of switch, wire from other side of switch to one side of second switch, other side of second switch to BOB ground. You would need to hold both switches to activate the program.

Does that work even if the ground is tied into to the ground of the 4 toggle switches?

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[Gorgok]

Wire them in series.
In other words, wire from BOB + to one side of switch, wire from other side of switch to one side of second switch, other side of second switch to BOB ground. You would need to hold both switches to activate the program.

And then the day you get tired of having to free up your other hand you can tape down the 'safety' button like on not so OSHA approved tooling.


Not sure what you mean by the ground on a momentary switch, it only has 2 contacts both are technically 'hot.' You need to wire BOB to switch 1a hot, switch 1b hot to switch 2a hot, switch 2b hot back to BOB. If they have a real ground terminal for the housing or something, that isn't part of the switch function, so it doesn't matter. Also with low volt stuff (like the BOB) thats pretty much irrelevant.

 

[Member No. 1]

Does that work even if the ground is tied into to the ground of the 4 toggle switches?

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Yes

 

[jacksonpt]

Yes

Ok, thanks. I'll have to recheck my wiring in they morning. Currently, only 1 button needs to be pressed to close the circuit and activated my water change program.

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[jacksonpt]

I'm an idiot. The wiring is fine, my logic is wrong.

The switches' default state is closed, so pressing either opens the circuit. Wiring is fine, programming is fine, I just need different switches to make it work the way I want.


Thanks for the help everyone... much appreciated.

 

[Member No. 1]

Not an idiot, that's how we all learn. You're one step closer to being an Apex wiz!
But at my age, every time I learn something new, it pushes something old out of my brain.