Circuitry, etc for

Patty O'Furniture

Photo #1: Incorrect circuit for two solenoids, altho only the one on the right has one attached. Well, it seemed right to me, but at the time I didn't know the difference between a voltage regulator and a transistor. Ah, well...
Photo #2: Correct circuit, utilizing an IRFDC20 HexFet suggested by Jim Gadd. There's also an LED in each circuit so that I can monitor results without hooking up an air supply and making the thing jiggle all over the place. I soldered small "plugs" on the ends of the solenoids' wires. This really helps, as there was frequent plugging/unplugging when we were optimizing the circuitry.
Photo #3: Overall shot of circuit board coupled to Basic Stamp. I was taking power for the solenoids, their FETs and the Stamp from the Stamp's Vin bus, but I've since switched over to an external power supply (not shown), because the Stamp's wall wart didn't have enough juice to activate more than one solenoid at a time.

'{$STAMP BS2}
set_up_variables: 'Written with the excellent assistance of Jim Gadd
time_on VAR Word ' on Sept 5, 03
time_off VAR Word
time_on=300 'solenoid pulse time
time_off=2000
initialize: 'NOTE: pins 0 thru 7 are toast...
LOW 10 'turn off solenoids
LOW 11
LOW 12
LOW 13
LOW 14
LOW 15

start:
'gosub sub1 'pulse solenoid #1 once
'gosub sub2 'pulse solenoid #2 once
'gosub sub3 'pulse solenoid #s1 - 4 together once
GOSUB sub4 'pulse each solenoid in sequence
GOSUB sub5 'extend left leg, tap toe twice, retract
GOSUB sub6 'extend right leg, tap toe twice, retract
GOTO start
END

sub1: 'this works to make solenoid #1 run repeatedly, but not in
LOW 10 'a form that works once only in a callable subroutine. Furthermore
PAUSE time_on 'sub2 has no effect on solenoid #2...
HIGH 10
PAUSE time_off
RETURN

sub2:
LOW 11
PAUSE time_on
HIGH 11
PAUSE time_off
RETURN

sub3: 'this runs solenoids #1 thru 4 at the same time
LOW 10
LOW 11
LOW 12
LOW 13
PAUSE time_on
HIGH 10
HIGH 11
HIGH 12
HIGH 13
PAUSE time_off
RETURN

sub4:
HIGH 10
PAUSE time_on
LOW 10
HIGH 11
PAUSE time_on
LOW 11
HIGH 12
PAUSE time_on
LOW 12
HIGH 13
PAUSE time_on
LOW 13
PAUSE time_off
RETURN

sub5: HIGH 10
HIGH 12
PAUSE time_on
LOW 12
PAUSE time_on
HIGH 12
PAUSE time_on
LOW 10
LOW 12
PAUSE time_off
RETURN

sub6:
HIGH 11
HIGH 13
PAUSE time_on
LOW 13
PAUSE time_on
HIGH 13
PAUSE time_on
LOW 11
LOW 13
PAUSE time_off
RETURN