BlastGateServo

Blast gate servo controller for Arduino

See 3d printed parts at : https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3301904

Features

• Allows a single push button to switch between different blast gates, with only a single one open at a time
• Currently open blast gate is indicated by an LED
• Optional automatic control using AC current sensors to detect active tools
• Debug output support for troubleshooting
• Configurable servo positions for precise gate control

Hardware Requirements

• Arduino Uno (R3 or R4)
• A servo for each blast gate (up to 5)
• One push button
• Optional: An LED for each blast gate
• Optional: AC current sensors from http://moderndevice.com/current

Development Setup

1. Install Visual Studio Code
2. Install PlatformIO IDE extension for VSCode
3. Open this project folder in VSCode
4. PlatformIO will automatically install required dependencies:
   • Servo library (v1.2.1 or later)

Building and Uploading

1. Connect your Arduino Uno to your computer via USB
2. In VSCode:
   • Click the PlatformIO icon in the sidebar
   • Under Project Tasks:
     • Click "Build" to compile
     • Click "Upload" to flash to Arduino
   • Use "Monitor" to view serial output (when debugging is enabled)
3. Serial monitor is configured at 9600 baud

Operation Modes

• Normal Mode: Use the push button to cycle through gates. After selecting a gate, wait briefly and it will open automatically.
• Meter Mode: For calibrating AC sensors:
  1. Power off the Arduino
  2. Press and hold the button
  3. While holding the button, power on the Arduino
  4. Release the button after power-up
  5. LEDs will now act as signal strength indicators:
     • Each LED corresponds to an AC sensor
     • Turn on a device on the cable being calibrated
     • Rotate the sensor clamp around the cable
     • LED will blink faster (or become solid) when sensor is optimally positioned
• Debug Mode: Enable detailed serial output by setting DEBUG flag (enabled by default)
• LED Test Mode: Enable by uncommenting DEBUG_LED_TEST in Configuration.h. Flashes each LED in sequence to verify connections.
• Servo Test Mode: Enable by uncommenting DEBUG_SERVO_TEST in Configuration.h. Opens and closes a specified servo with each button press without initializing other components. Set TEST_SERVO_INDEX in Configuration.h to select which servo to test (1 = first servo, 2 = second servo, etc.). Useful for testing servo functionality and calibration. The system will properly handle disabled servos (pins set to -1) by controlling only the LED while skipping servo movement.

Configuration

All settings can be adjusted in Configuration.h:

Basic Settings

• Number of gates (NUM_GATES) - up to 5 supported
• Number of AC sensors (NUM_AC_SENSORS) - typically one per gate
• Number of LEDs (NUM_LEDS) - typically one per gate
• Button pin assignment (BUTTON_PIN)

Timing Settings

• CLOSE_DELAY - Time it takes for a gate to close (ms)
• OPEN_DELAY - Time after last button push to open gate (ms)
• MAX_BLINK_LEN - LED blink rate (adjusted automatically in debug mode)

AC Sensor Settings

• NUM_OFF_SAMPLES - Number of samples for checking average sensor off values
• NUM_OFF_MAX_SAMPLES - Milliseconds to sample for max off value at startup
• AVG_READINGS - Number of readings to average when triggering gates (max 50)
• AC_SENSOR_SENSITIVITY - Trigger threshold multiplier (2.0 = twice max off reading)

Pin Assignments

• Servo pins (SERVO_PIN_1 through SERVO_PIN_5)
  • Set any servo pin to -1 to disable that servo while maintaining the gate numbering
  • Example: Setting SERVO_PIN_2 to -1 disables the second servo but keeps gate 3 as "gate 3" in the UI
• AC sensor pins (AC_SENSOR_PIN_1 through AC_SENSOR_PIN_5)
• LED pins (LED_PIN_1 through LED_PIN_5)

Servo Position Configuration

• SERVO_MAX_x - Maximum position for each servo (typically 180 degrees)
• SERVO_MIN_x - Minimum position for each servo (typically 0 degrees)
• GATE_CLOSED_AT_MAX_x - Determines gate orientation:
  • Set to true (default) if gate is closed when servo is at max position
  • Set to false if gate is open when servo is at max position (inverted)
• Set any servo's MAX/MIN values even if the pin is disabled (-1) to maintain consistent configuration

Project Structure

• src/BlastGateServo.cpp - Main program file with setup and loop
• include/Configuration.h - All user configurable settings
• include/GateServos.h/cpp - Servo control and position management
• include/AcSensors.h/cpp - AC current sensor reading and threshold detection
• include/Debug.h - Debug output macros and configuration
• platformio.ini - PlatformIO project configuration and library dependencies

Created 2019-01-02 - Greg Pringle Updated 2019-01-20 - Greg Pringle - Added AC sensor support Updated 2025-01-26 - Added VSCode/PlatformIO support Updated 2025-02-16 - Added detailed configuration documentation and converted to proper C++ structure Updated 2025-02-26 - Added support for disabling specific servos (set pin to -1) while maintaining gate numbering Updated 2025-02-26 - Fixed button timing logic to properly open gates after selection Updated 2025-02-26 - Improved timer logic to ensure gates open/close reliably, reduced OPEN_DELAY to 800ms Updated 2025-02-26 - Implemented proper button debouncing and state machine for more reliable operation Updated 2025-02-26 - Fixed issue with servos not moving when button was pressed Updated 2025-02-26 - Enhanced gate selection to automatically skip disabled gates when cycling through options Updated 2025-02-27 - Fixed compiler warnings in Configuration.h (removed redundant header guard and corrected version number format) and in GateServos.h (fixed signed/unsigned comparison by changing opendelay type to unsigned long) Updated 2025-02-27 - Added gate orientation configuration (GATE_CLOSED_AT_MAX_x) to support different physical gate setups where gates may be open when up or closed when up