Hi,
Just to set the tone - I'm a complete electronics novice, but I need to build something quite ambitious!
Basically I need to build a driver box to power up to 700 solenoids (and ideally expandable for more), and to power and action each solenoid in time with signal from PC.
The solenoids will be similar to these: http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/001d/0900766b8001d64e.pdf
So far, after an hours Googling, I have determined the following:
PC runs software which sends signal to an attached digital output board/module. The digital outs carry a c5v low milliamp signal which I can use to power a mosfet per output, and off the load side of each mosfet my solenoid valves.
SO: PC > Digital Output Module > MOSFET > Solenoid.
The above would seem simple enough but how on earth do I expand it to operate several hundred solenoids? It seems crude to use individual outputs and mosfets for so many solenoids, a bit like using an individual circuit to power each pixel on a screen would be crude.
Is there a better approach to this? In my head I'm imagining there should be some sort of component that can 'plot' a power signal across several hundred circuits and do the job of all the individual outputs and mosfets.
Any help at all would be appreciated. I am a complete novice but also a quick learner and keen to make sense of all the finer details. I just want to get on the right track initially.
David
Just to set the tone - I'm a complete electronics novice, but I need to build something quite ambitious!
Basically I need to build a driver box to power up to 700 solenoids (and ideally expandable for more), and to power and action each solenoid in time with signal from PC.
The solenoids will be similar to these: http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/001d/0900766b8001d64e.pdf
So far, after an hours Googling, I have determined the following:
PC runs software which sends signal to an attached digital output board/module. The digital outs carry a c5v low milliamp signal which I can use to power a mosfet per output, and off the load side of each mosfet my solenoid valves.
SO: PC > Digital Output Module > MOSFET > Solenoid.
The above would seem simple enough but how on earth do I expand it to operate several hundred solenoids? It seems crude to use individual outputs and mosfets for so many solenoids, a bit like using an individual circuit to power each pixel on a screen would be crude.
Is there a better approach to this? In my head I'm imagining there should be some sort of component that can 'plot' a power signal across several hundred circuits and do the job of all the individual outputs and mosfets.
Any help at all would be appreciated. I am a complete novice but also a quick learner and keen to make sense of all the finer details. I just want to get on the right track initially.
David