Help and Advice for a personal project.

[MOC]

Hello everyone. I am looking to get some help and advice on a personal project that has been going back and forth in my brain for quite some time.

I am looking for ideas on other components that could be used, or possibly other methods to achieve the same end results.

I have been drawing up ideas on paper to help me follow cirucit paths, but have been coming up with needing 8 to 10 in total so far. This will take up quite a bit of space, so trying to find ways to reduce the footprint to something smaller. Whether that be a different circuit design that would allow me to cut down the number of relays, or using different components that would take up less space.

So here goes. I am wanting to be able to control my air ride from my rear power window switches (on the driver's door). I want to use the window switches because they will give me 2 switches in one so to speak. I can do up and one function and down as the other. My actual power window switches are controlled through the canbus. But I will be interrupting the power coming out of the factory window module and the window motors. This will give my 12 volt outputs for the switches.

What another person and myself came up with is to use a 3 position rocker switch (On-Off-On) to allow us to toggle between the different circuit outputs. When the rocker switch is in the Off position, the rear power windows would function normally. With the rocker switch in position 1 On, one of the switches would control both the fill and dump valves for the front of the vehicle. The other switch would control the fill and the dump valves for the rear of the vehicle.

With the rocker switch in position 2 On, one of the switches would control all the fill and dump valves, while the other switch would send a negative pulse to my ride controller to allow me to toggle through the preset ride heights. The ride controller has 2 separate wires that would need to see a negative pulse depending on which direction you wanted to toggle through the presets. Going up through the presets would be negative pulse on one wire, and going down through the presets would be a negative pulse on the other wire.

The valve solenoids have 8 watt coils, so I will be under an amp each for controlling them. And the most I would technically control at one time would be 4 on a single button press. The power windows are currently using a 35 amp relay from the factory, so I will stick with something that matches or exceeds that output with my relays for the windows.

Some additional brainstorming I have been doing. LOL. After reading on the forums about the 4017 sequencer, I think it would be neat to incorporate something like that into my design. Then I could go with a single momentary push button to toggle the power to the different circuits and get rid of the 3 position rocker switch. I could add in 2 or 3 leds to tell me what I am currently set to. Does the 4017 have enough output to drive the coil side of the relays? Or would I need something bigger to be able to accomplish that? Also, does the 4017 rest to the beginning each time power is removed from it, or does it stay at its previous setting once power is restored to it?

My car currently has external window control modules that allow me to control my power windows from my alarm keyfob. They already have build in relay packs for this. I have been trying to find ways to incorporate those into my design to possibly remove some relays required, but not having any luck. They do not have any additional outputs similar to 87A on a relay, so I would still require a bank of relays to be able to toggle that circuit on and off.

My plan is to feed these relays off an ignition source to operate the coils. I believe this will also give me the benefit that when the vehicle is off, my external window control modules will still function as normal no matter what position I have this new switch set to.

Sorry for the long winded question, but wanted to be complete in my idea. So any advice or input would be appreciated. If there is a better way to do the same thing, let me know. I am just using automotive relays because that is what I am familiar with, but am open to other components being used. I would like to be able to shrink down the total footprint of this project, but still have something reliable. And if at all possible, be able to swap out components fairly easily when there is a failure. So if you are guys are thinking printed circuit board in your ideas, I would like to use a relay socket wherever possible.

If you guys would like, I can post up a picture I have been working on to show how I currently have it figured in my head.

Thanks for your time.

Shawn

 

[jackorocko]

Does the 4017 have enough output to drive the coil side of the relays?

What rating is the relay you are using? But, to give you a general answer, you will probably need to use a transistor and switch the relay that way. This is pretty common when you need to drive a larger load then the IC can source.

Also, does the 4017 rest to the beginning each time power is removed from it, or does it stay at its previous setting once power is restored to it?

It will reset every time.

 

[(*steve*)]

In my experience, I have not found a relay that a single output of the 4017 could drive.

It would be better to say that the 4017 "forgets" its state once power is removed.

I'm not aware of any specification that results in it being specifically reset on power on. If you want to do that, an RC circuit on the reset pin would be advised.

Indeed, the specifications hint at possible odd configuration at times (at power on perhaps?) with the statement

Automatic code correction of the counter is provided by an internal circuit: following any illegal code the counter returns to a proper counting mode within 11 clock pulses.

I have a device which uses a 4017 and it occasionally starts up with a weird pattern of outputs (or more often some output other than the first one) set. It's not critical in my case, but it could be in others.

 

[MOC]

Thanks for the replies.

So is there another way to do a sequenced circuit? Or is my 3 position rocker going to be my only option? I can make a toggle circuit with a momentary push button and some relays, but that is only 2 circuits. I haven't figured out a way to add a third as when you were to energize the third relay, it would turn off number 2 but it would also energize number 1.

So aside from the switch or sequencer, are relays my best and only option to be able to toggle between the different outputs to control my air ride?

Thanks

Shawn

 

[(*steve*)]

It may be easier to get an 8 position rotary switch and use that to select the function, then use the momentary contact button to "do" it.

Essentially the rotary switch will select the relay the momentary button will operate.

edit: 8 may be the wrong number of positions, but I hope you get the idea. You could have a position that is unused so that if you accidentally press the button, nothing happens.

 

[MOC]

It may be easier to get an 8 position rotary switch and use that to select the function, then use the momentary contact button to "do" it.

Essentially the rotary switch will select the relay the momentary button will operate.

edit: 8 may be the wrong number of positions, but I hope you get the idea. You could have a position that is unused so that if you accidentally press the button, nothing happens.

Hmm, not sure I follow. Using a rotary switch and a momentary push button would not allow me to use my factory window switches to control the air bags.

My attempt is to keep the car looking at factory as possible. A simple rocker switch can be hidden very easily.

I was just checking to see if there was something I was overlooking as far as materials to possibly take place of the 8 to 10 relays that would be needed.

I'm thinking my best bet will be to go with a pcb relay as they quite a bit smaller in size.

Thanks for the replies.

Shawn