11-26-2017, 02:10 AM
First post here, thought I might start a new thread for visibility. Hope that's alright.
I wanted to use several feeders for different types of food, and to extend trips away from home. I was having difficulty triggering one reliably without changing the code, and didn't like having them hardwired. I chose to use common 3,5mm stereo connectors to link feeders together, and a 2N3904 to short the built-in feed button to ground when the signal from the controller went HIGH. A 10k resistor from base to ground keeps the NPN from triggering accidentally, and another 10k between the input signal and base limits the current. (I added an additional capacitor to power the feeder clock for longer if disconnected, but only because it was at hand.)
The wiring should be visible in the attached image, which shows a disassembled feeder in front of a finished unit. The jacks are wired in parallel. On the stereo plug, the tip is ground, the ring is the signal, and 3,3V is on the sleeve.
Hope this helps.
I wanted to use several feeders for different types of food, and to extend trips away from home. I was having difficulty triggering one reliably without changing the code, and didn't like having them hardwired. I chose to use common 3,5mm stereo connectors to link feeders together, and a 2N3904 to short the built-in feed button to ground when the signal from the controller went HIGH. A 10k resistor from base to ground keeps the NPN from triggering accidentally, and another 10k between the input signal and base limits the current. (I added an additional capacitor to power the feeder clock for longer if disconnected, but only because it was at hand.)
The wiring should be visible in the attached image, which shows a disassembled feeder in front of a finished unit. The jacks are wired in parallel. On the stereo plug, the tip is ground, the ring is the signal, and 3,3V is on the sleeve.
Hope this helps.
