East limit switch no working

[Vintagesports]

Anyone has a hint on how to make east limit switch work on ajak motor? Strangely enough my west limit works properly but my east limit don’t. I switch cables and the east works but west doesn’t so I know both switches are fine.
Have used a vbox and Titanium and both behave the same.

 

[a33]

Firstly, two thoughts come to my mind:
- Is the diode over the switch OK, not shorted?
- Could it be that the two cables to the switch were switched, so that the diode is now connected in the opposite way as to how it should?

Greetz,
A33

Edit: when the two cables were indeed switched, a shorted diode may be the result. So both my thoughts might be true then, not just one of them!

 

[Vintagesports]

Thank you A33. Do you by a chance have a picture of the proper diode direction?

 

[Magic Static]

Here is a diagram of a limit switch circuit.

But when I built one it turned out a little different looking But the circuit is the same.

 

[Magic Static]

After studying the picture of your switches you posted I can see the wires to the East switch are reversed. This changed the polarity of the diode and rendered it useless. Switch them back

 

[Vintagesports]

Did I damage the diodes? Do I need to replace them?

 

[Magic Static]

Did I damage the diodes? Do I need to replace them?

I would think no. But you will know very quickly after reversing those wires

 

[Vintagesports]

Magic Static thank you for your reply. Those are a different set of switches from the ones I have. I am not much of an electronic guru so I would not know how to mimic that setup with the switches I have. The ones I have are those typically found in a normal ajak motor setup

 

[a33]

Different from the drawing of Magic Static, your setup might also be with the motor 'in the middle' between the limit switches, instead of at one of the ends.
This other setup I found pictured on this site: xxx.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm (hope this 'link' is allowed?)
(see subtitle "how limit switches operate").

After changing the wires on your east limit switch, you could check the diode function in this way:

While the motor is moving towards the east limit, manually switch the east limit switch, briefly is long enough.
If the actuator stops instantly, the diode is still OK.
If the actuator continues moving, then the diode is shorted and must be replaced; or still something else is wrong (that is the reason why I suggest only brief testing this way!).

BTW you could also first measure the one-way conductiveness of the diode with a multimeter, while it is not connected to the switch.
That usually gives the same result as testing a diode under operational conditions.

greetz,
A33

 

[Brct203]

Looks like the diodes are crimped with the wire connectors. So reversing the wires on the switch would also reverse the diode, so I don't think that would make any difference. I think what matters is the direction of the diode relative to the wires, not to the switch. If this is the original factory wiring, I'd suspect a shorted diode. But I would not rule out the possibility that someone redid the wiring and accidentally reversed some wires.

 

[Magic Static]

If it will help, here is a picture of the motor and wiring removed from the mount but the wires were all left connected. You can see the orientation of the diodes to the switches.

 

[a33]

Looks like the diodes are crimped with the wire connectors. So reversing the wires on the switch would also reverse the diode, so I don't think that would make any difference. I think what matters is the direction of the diode relative to the wires, not to the switch. If this is the original factory wiring, I'd suspect a shorted diode. But I would not rule out the possibility that someone redid the wiring and accidentally reversed some wires.

Ah, you're right!
I wasn't thinking straight.

I hope Vintagesports has a multimeter, to measure the diode (with an 'opened' switch, or disconnected from the switch).

greetz,
A33

 

[Vintagesports]

Got it working. I did the rewiring myself and put the diode in the wrong direction. Thanks to your insights That helped to figure it out Luckily the diodes were not damaged. You guys are awesome!