Do you have a multimeter that reads HZ?
Time to check the flow meter is actually pulsing, and that the cytron is actually outputting a PWM to the valve.
Check your valve polarity is correct, as in it opens when it should, and closes when it should, not the other way around.
I can test Hz, what frequency range should I be looking for?
I didn’t realize that PWM solenoids were pole specific, I will try reversing the controller wires coming out of the Cytron
Your flow meter is pulsing 142 times per gallons? Get a rough idea of your gallons per second and then times it by 142. My multi meter has an auto range setting so it will just display the hz if I probe the output pin and ground on the flow meter.
You just need to make sure the hz are in the expected range. It could be that a resistor is required.
As for the pwm solenoid? Is it a solenoid or a butterfly valve that you have your cytron connected to?
Remind me again Are you varying the speed of the pump by controlling flow of oil, or controlling the flow of product to the boom?
Also, in the photo above what is the 3 wire valve after your flow meter? And how do you control that?
Great I will check this tomorrow, by output pin, do you mean the PWM pin on the Cytron from the board or the MA/MB from the Cytron to the valve?
Per my conversation today with the company that manufactures the above pump, it controls the flow of oil through the motor that is connected to the centrifugal pump. So I guess I really need to select “motor” instead of “standard valve” or “combo close” on the product menu?
The 3 wire valve is a TeeJet electric solenoid valve. It is wired independently, and is there to prevent product from leaking out when the system is off or when using it manually in cunjuction with a bypass.
By output pin I mean the wire from the flow meter where you expect the pulse to come from.
You shouldn’t change the setting to motor. Although a motor is controlling your pump, a valve is ultimately controlling the motor. The cytron closes and opens this valve multiple times per second to modulate the flow of oil and subsequently the speed of the hydraulic motor and ultimately the speed of the pump and flow of UAN.
Be sure the teejet value is open when you are running your tests and calibration. And that your bypass is closed too I assume.
I’d be really careful with the raven flowmeter wiring. Here’s what I went through few years ago.
I’m glad I didn’t make that mistake, its very easy to do based on some of the imagery out there. I did discover that if signal and power are reversed it will cause the entire board to malfunction.
Could that have caused a short? When I attempt to use my Hz function on my multimeter, per @Hman 's advice I get no reading. But I get 350mV when the board is powered with no flow and ~2.6-2.7V when flowing, does this mean it is outside my meters range? I can read 3 phase electric motor framerates with it… It is a Klein Tools CL700.
You mentioned valve polarity earlier, it seams as though my valve is functioning backward, but when I reverse the MA/MB connection from the cytron it doesn’t appear to change anything. Is there some other way to reverse polarity?
A solenoid can’t really function backwards.
I’m 90% sure you have a solenoid valve controlling oil flow.
All it does it open and close really fast to allow oil to flow.
The cytron is varying the time it’s open and closed to allow more or less oil through. (Many times per second)
Polarity is important on a motorized butterfly value because the cyteon opens or closes it by varying amounts to control the flow - your valve doesn’t have varying positions like this.
The voltage reading from your flow meter, does it change with flow? Higher volts with more flow, lower volts with less?
Checked out your multi meter. It should work. Did you have the HZ range set on auto ?
Might be time to start putting photos up of your setup. It’s going to be something simple but it takes a while to get to the bottom of it.
You really need to get the system working one thing at a time.
Get the flow meter working, then focus on the solenoid valve, then bring it all together.
Based on what you’ve said it sounds like I have a standard valve.
As far as the flowmeter, the voltage stays between 2.6-.27 volts at higher flow rate. If I use a hand valve to turn it down to a trickle the voltage starts jumping between a much higher range 1.8 to 3.4 volts.
I agree. I was thinking the flowmeter should be first point of attack. This really has me frustrated and I would be lost without all the support from this discourse.
I am using the following pump/valve combo:
Here are some photos, if I need to post a picture of something else please let me know:
Straight away I can see some issues with the wiring to the cytron.
You don’t need direction connected for that solenoid valve. It just needs ground and a PWM.
You also have something connected to both RT1 and RT2 but as you only have one flow meter I can’t understand what the second connection is doing there.
You need to revisit the wiring diagrams from the RC GitHub and check you have the wiring correct. Maybe draw a wiring diagram on the board photo SK21 posted in reply 4 and then post it here so we can follow it end to end.
I would pull the flow meter off the board and get it working independently with a 5V power supply and then once you have a good pulse reading on the multi meter that checks out with the 142 pulse per gallon cal factor then carry on from there.
You will likely damage something if you test things while it’s all wired up, and maybe wrongly wired at that.
As Hman said a circuit diagram would be very helpful. Is the valve just before the flow meter an on/off valve?
Have you done the 3 steps in these videos?
UAN.zip (2.1 KB)
Try this setup file for the rate app. Unzip and use menu ‘Open’ .
I will get one drawn as soon as I can. It is a on off switch wired to the cab, mostly there to prevent product from just running out when the system is off.
I have followed the videos, and I am connecting with the module.
I loaded the config file, the master and section switches are staying green when I touch them. However the valve seems to be working in reverse. When hydraulics are activated the pump pressures up, then when you switch on the master it stops the flow.
In module config you can switch flow direction. ‘Flow on high’
For some reason this doesn’t seem to change anything. I have pressure when the master is red and doesn’t when it is green.
Here is what happens when I attempt to calibrate. It does this until I hit the stop button.
Did you try it when the flow button was both green and not green? Did you save after changing and then send to the module?
I did, I kept expecting it to change when I het the save changes button.
Until you get it wired properly you are wasting time trying to calibrate anything.
Going by the photos there’s multiple errors in your wiring so it’s highly unlikely you will get favorable calibrations until this is fixed
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