How do you generate voltage, current, or digital signals to drive actuators, solenoids 10-24vdc, I/P 4-20 mA?

[KevinUpthegrove]

Need to be able to use to run cycle testing on single acting and dual acting pneumatic cylinders switching outputs on and off based on linear transducer measurement or time. Can FlexLogger do this??

[Mike.B]

Hi Kevin,

This might be possible depending on the specs of the sensors, actuators, and transducers you're intending to use. What NI hardware are you using, or planning to use? Here's the hardware supported in FlexLogger 2019 R1.

Here's some documentation on how to configure AO and DO in FlexLogger. For AO, this includes both voltage output (not sure about outside +/- 10V),  and current output (such as driving 4-20mA transducers). For DO, simple high/low is possible, but digital data rates cannot exceed 100 Hz, meaning PWM output is not really feasible. Is this something you'd need for this application?

[Jarrod_S.]

FlexLogger also supports configuring events that can change output line values based on certain conditions, such as an input line passing a threshold. This can be used to set digital lines and analog output set points.

Currently, the only conditions supported are channel value changes (analog or digital). You can't configure an event based on time. Can you elaborate on this use case?

If you have LabVIEW, you can also set output values in FlexLogger using LabVIEW and Skyline Tags. A separate LabVIEW application could switch outputs based on sensor measurements in FlexLogger by reading and writing Skyline Tags published by FlexLogger.  This allows you to configure your I/O, logging and user interface in FlexLogger, while LabVIEW automates the output values. Note that tag communication doesn't support the tight timing and determinism required for rigorous control applications.

[KevinUpthegrove]

Very helpful, thank you

[KevinUpthegrove]

Very helpful, Thank you

[JKSH]

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@Jarrod_S. wrote:

If you have LabVIEW, you can also set output values in FlexLogger using LabVIEW and Skyline Tags.

The link is broken for FlexLogger 2019 R2.

Here's an older version: http://www.ni.com/documentation/en/flexlogger/1.6/manual/using-skyline-tags-to-exchange-data/