Wi-Fi Control of High Current Linear Actuators

This article will show you how to use the PA-35 Wi-Fi control box to control actuators that require a large amount of current draw. A video demonstration of the PA-17 Heavy Duty Linear Actuator, being controlled using a smartphone, is shown below:

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A brief demonstration of our PA-35 WiFi Control Box controlling our PA-17 Industrial Liner Actuator. Check out our blog at our website to see how we did it!

A post shared by Progressive Automations (@progressive__automations) on Feb 2, 2016 at 2:36pm PST

The PA-17 Heavy Duty Linear Actuator and the PA-13 High Force Industrial Actuator both draw up to 20 Amps of current when fully loaded. We will use the PA-17 model as an example in this article. You can choose a control box rated to provide this much current, but what if you wanted the range and convenience of the Wi-Fi control box? The PA-35 Wi-Fi Control Box limits you to 10 Amps per channel. However, the solution to this problem is to use relays in conjunction with the control box, which allows you to control up to four actuators at any current rating, as long as the mechanical relays are rated to handle it.

Here is a list of components that were used in our demonstration:

• 1 x PA-35 Wi-Fi Control Box.
• 1 x PA-17 Heavy Duty Linear Actuator.
• 2 x DPDT 20A Mechanical Relays.
  • Optional: AC-28-30-12 DPDT 30A Relays.
• 1 x PS-40-12 110-230VAC 40A Power Supply.
• 1 x AC-15 110-240VAC 10A Power Adapter.
  • Optional: You can take +12V from the PS-40-12, as long as there is sufficient current to supply the actuators and control box.

Step 1

Unplug all power sources from the Wi-Fi control box before opening it up. From here, you can unscrew the 4x screws shown below.

Step 3

Lift the side of the circuit board that is opposite of the LEDs. This is to ensure that the circuit board can slide out without bending the LEDs. Note that the circuit board does not need to be removed completely – enough space is required to have access to the connection on the side of the board.

Step 4

Once the circuit board is exposed, we’ve labeled the outputs in reference to the wiring diagram of the physical circuit. This wiring diagram is illustrated in Step 5. The connections on the circuit board and labels are shown below for visualization.

Step 5

Wiring Diagram of the PA-35 Wi-Fi Control of the PA-17 heavy-duty linear actuator.

When all wiring is complete, power up the PS-40-12 and connect the control box with your smartphone. Here is a link to a video that explains how you can connect your Android/iOS device to the Wi-Fi Control Box: 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding actuators, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 1-800-676-6123 or email us at sales@progressiveautomations.com. Our experienced team of engineers is more than happy to help, the best way we can, with whatever you need.