12v trigger to run actuators

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Forum Name: Relays
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URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=128629
Printed Date: May 14, 2025 at 11:47 PM

Topic: 12v trigger to run actuators

Posted By: damonstevens
Subject: 12v trigger to run actuators
Date Posted: September 26, 2011 at 12:51 PM

Greetings,

I am doing a custom setup at home for a James Bond style weapons display. I would like the actuators to move off of a 12 volt trigger which will be a biometric fingerprint scanner, I am looking for some type of relay or controller that will accept the 12 volt trigger an extend the actuators full our, and when the 12 volt trigger stops, the actuators will retract. The actuators are firgelli track actuators, a two wire setup that reverse polarity to extend and retract and also have built in limit switches that are not adjustable https://www.firgelliauto.com/product_info.php?cPath=104&products_id=256 The actuators will be getting its 12v trigger signal from a Niles APC-2 https://nilesaudio.com/product.php?prodID=APC-2&recordID=Automated%20Switching%20Systems&categoryID=Switching%20Systems&catcdID=&prdcdID=FG00254

I was hoping to control the actuators through the trigger on the Niles. Initally I thougha Dakota Digital dual actuator controller would work, but it is wired for a 5 rire actuator and the Firgelli actuator is only two wires.

Any help will be appreciated, i would do a search but I dont know what I am really looking for.

Thanks in advance

Replies:

Posted By: KPierson
Date Posted: September 26, 2011 at 2:40 PM

If the limit switches are internal then this can be done with a couple simple relays.

For each actuator:

Relay 1:
Pin 30 - Actuator wire 1
Pin 87A - Ground
Pin 87 - 12vdc actuator power
Pin 85 - 12vdc switched to extend
Pin 86 - ground

Relay 2:
Pin 30 - Actuator wire 2
Pin 87A - 12vdc actuator power
Pin 87 - Ground
Pin 85 - 12vdc switched to extend
Pin 86 - ground

At rest (no 12vdc on Pins 85) the relay setup will constantly drive the actuator to the closed position. Assuming the limit switch is internal once it fully closes power will be shut off. When you apply power to Pins 85 both relays will energize causing the voltage to reverse to the actuator. Once the actuator fully opens it will hit the internal limit switch and again shut the power off. When the 12vdc signal on Pins 85 drops out the polarity will switch back causing the actuator to retract.

If the limit switches need to be wired to a controller it will be a bit more complicated.

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Kevin Pierson

Posted By: damonstevens
Date Posted: September 27, 2011 at 6:57 AM

Thank you so much Kevin! I really do appreciate your help!

Posted By: damonstevens
Date Posted: October 27, 2011 at 11:20 AM

Hey Kevin! I have one more question for you.

Everything so far has been working awesome, but I may have run into a little snag. When the signal power comes on the relays push the actuators out, and when the signal power is off the actuators close, just as it is suppose to do. During the design I have added another actuator that needs to stay open, when the signal power is off and close when the signal power comes on, so just opposite. Do I just reverse the wires from the actuator to the relay so they are opposite? or do the two relays need to be wired differently?

Thanks in advance

Posted By: KPierson
Date Posted: October 27, 2011 at 12:43 PM

You should be able to just swap the wires on the actuator so that it operates completely backwards from what you have now.

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Kevin Pierson