Category Archives: Industrial Automation

DIY Automatic Transfer Switch

I created an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) using a DPDT (2 switchover contacts) relay and 2 motor contactors linked with a mechanical interlock module.

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Barcode Format Converter

I’ve been working with systems that use 10-digit barcodes. Different systems require that the data be stored in different ways, and I usually can’t decode the values in my head, so I wound up creating a spreadsheet to do the … Continue reading

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MQQT using Node-RED

When I started searching for how to transfer data between 2 computers using MQQT, I saw articles talking about Node-RED, but I dismissed it as being some sort of toy for children. That was probably a mistake because once I … Continue reading

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Raspberry Pi Data to Google Sheets

A Raspberry Pi 3B is configured to bring in sensor data through a ADC (analog to digital converter) connected to the pi’s I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) serial interface. (I’m using the ADS7830 module that came with a kit that contained all … Continue reading

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Ignition User Pop Up Data Entry Box

If you want a data-entry pop-up in Inductive Automation’s Ignition, you just call the function to open an input box. This seems simple to computer programmers, but it is different than how typical industrial automation systems accomplish the task. Ignition … Continue reading

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Getting Ambient Weather Data into Ignition

I wanted to learn how API’s work, so I figured bringing in some of my weather station data to an Inductive Automation’s Ignition project would be a good task to learn on. I wasted a lot of time trying to … Continue reading

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Canonball Speed Sensors

A customer wanted to use industrial photo eye sensors with a piece of lab equipment to measure the speed of a projectile shot out of a air cannon.  I assembled a small box with the parts needed to power it … Continue reading

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Long Range Vehicle Sensor Using Data Radios

Here is another fun project I just finished up.  My client wanted to be able to know if a vehicle (a train actually) is coming from a mile away.  We used a Banner radar sensor in retroreflective mode, a Banner … Continue reading

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Full Size Remote Control Boat

Here is a fun project I did for a client that needed a way to safely crash a boat for a test.  I used an inexpensive model RC transmitter and receiver, two robotics motor controllers, a linear actuator, a DC … Continue reading

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Convert Allen Bradley Logix 5000 Time to Unix Time (Epoch)

My favorite time format for time stamping events is to use Unix Time.  The AB Logix 5000 controllers offer time in a format that is similar, but requires some conversion.  Here is code for a RedLion device that does that … Continue reading

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