# Prop motor help



## jaws111 (Sep 22, 2021)

I am fairly new to prop building, but have made several continuous running props with wiper motors.
My new project is a skeleton that sits up, and lies back down.
My issue is that I want it to stay lying for 5-10 seconds before rising again, using the park feature, but I cannot figure out how to use a relay to trigger the motion again to run on its own without an external trigger. I would like it to run similar to an intermittent wiper on a vehicle.
I looked into the Picovolt, but you need an external trigger, but I just want it to run on a continuous loop with no triggering.
Thank you for any advice/ help.
And, of course, this is as of yet unfinished!
Can someone explain, or help me through the process?


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## stick (Jan 21, 2009)

I made the same thing and use the Picovolt and once I program it it does the continuous loop. It stays down the time limit I want. I think (but not sure on this) the park break only works when you cut off the Picovolt. It is hard to program to get it to stop at the spot you want with the turn knob. Contact Fright Props they are great at answering questions like this.


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## jaws111 (Sep 22, 2021)

stick said:


> I made the same thing and use the Picovolt and once I program it it does the continuous loop. It stays down the time limit I want. I think (but not sure on this) the park break only works when you cut off the Picovolt. It is hard to program to get it to stop at the spot you want with the turn knob. Contact Fright Props they are great at answering questions like this.


Thank you, I will give that a try!


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Looks like a good start! The picovolt would definitely work. You could possibly add some limit switches and have complete independent control of sit up / lay down times.

If you're looking for the very simple end, a timing relay would likely work. timer relay at DuckDuckGo

You can obviously go any price range from a simple bare board 'hobby' level to full industrial control. But the idea would be the same...every so often (be sure to get the proper time range...likely seconds or minutes as opposed to milliseconds or hours!)... The relay would trip for a few seconds sending power to the motor to get it started. The relay would then open and the motor would complete the cycle on the park terminal. The relay would just be there to trigger sort of a 'one swipe' function - like pressing the 'mist' button in your car.


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## jaws111 (Sep 22, 2021)

corey872 said:


> Looks like a good start! The picovolt would definitely work. You could possibly add some limit switches and have complete independent control of sit up / lay down times.
> 
> If you're looking for the very simple end, a timing relay would likely work. timer relay at DuckDuckGo
> 
> You can obviously go any price range from a simple bare board 'hobby' level to full industrial control. But the idea would be the same...every so often (be sure to get the proper time range...likely seconds or minutes as opposed to milliseconds or hours!)... The relay would trip for a few seconds sending power to the motor to get it started. The relay would then open and the motor would complete the cycle on the park terminal. The relay would just be there to trigger sort of a 'one swipe' function - like pressing the 'mist' button in your car.


Thank you! Using the picovolt, without an external triggering device, will it just continue to run the programed motion in a loop on its own?


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

jaws111 said:


> Thank you! Using the picovolt, without an external triggering device, will it just continue to run the programed motion in a loop on its own?


Guess it would depend a bit on what you mean by 'external triggering device', 'programmed motion' and 'in a loop'.

If you're talking 'triggering' like someone walks up and steps on a pad, or breaks a beam or triggers a PIR sensor, you don't necessarily need that. But something external will have to trigger the wiper motor (either timing relay, or the picovolt sort of acting as a timing relay).

Here is a good discussion on the wiper function. 



 In the end, 'something' has to momentarily trigger the relay to start the motor, then it would make a complete loop and park - waiting for another trigger. That could be either the pico or simple timing relay - with the caveat that the on time and off time need to be such that they don't overlap the park function of the motor.

With the pico you'd have the option for more complex programming....ie set up, wait for 5 seconds, lay down for 15 seconds, etc... or likely even include random times for sit up/lay down, etc.

If you don't have 'any' external trigger, then likely you'd have to feed power straight to the motor and just let it run in a loop.


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## jaws111 (Sep 22, 2021)

corey872 said:


> Guess it would depend a bit on what you mean by 'external triggering device', 'programmed motion' and 'in a loop'.
> 
> If you're talking 'triggering' like someone walks up and steps on a pad, or breaks a beam or triggers a PIR sensor, you don't necessarily need that. But something external will have to trigger the wiper motor (either timing relay, or the picovolt sort of acting as a timing relay).
> 
> ...


Thanks very much, I think the pico will work fine on the record function. I appreciate your help!


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