My first Arduino prosject.

I would keep the voltages low and make double sure you insulate all connections.  Gun powder is not something to play with.

I used to load shotgun shells for my father back in the 1960's.  Back then it took a good amount of effort to pull the lever to run the load activation.  I have no doubt that the modern version is probably easier to use, but you should do some testing to find out the energy needed to run the device.  That information should give you some data for selecting your components.

Next I would use a lot of sensors to make sure that everything is set before you make the shell.

A friend of mine had a neighbor help reload his dad's shells and at the next trap shoot each shell went boom boom, but would not break the clay pigeon.  Once we opened a shell, we found that it had been loaded twice with powder, but no pellets.  They made great prank rounds, but they were useless for hunting or competitive shooting.

Good luck,

DAB

I would keep the voltages low and make double sure you insulate all connections.  Gun powder is not something to play with.

I used to load shotgun shells for my father back in the 1960's.  Back then it took a good amount of effort to pull the lever to run the load activation.  I have no doubt that the modern version is probably easier to use, but you should do some testing to find out the energy needed to run the device.  That information should give you some data for selecting your components.

Next I would use a lot of sensors to make sure that everything is set before you make the shell.

A friend of mine had a neighbor help reload his dad's shells and at the next trap shoot each shell went boom boom, but would not break the clay pigeon.  Once we opened a shell, we found that it had been loaded twice with powder, but no pellets.  They made great prank rounds, but they were useless for hunting or competitive shooting.

Good luck,

DAB

Having now worked on a part of this project, and ist a bit on the way.

Have replaced the sensors with the NC micro switches as it was easier to get to work.

My program looks like this so far:

/*

** Automatic Reloading.

*/

#define SOLENOID_1 4

#define SOLENOID_2 5

#define ENDEBRYTER_BOTN 6

#define ENDEBRYTER_TOPP 7

#define KULE 8

#define HYLSE 9

#define KRUTT 10

#define STARTSTOPP 11

#define MANUELL 12

#define MANUELL_LED 13 //  LED on 13

#define av false

#define paa true

#define TIMEOUT 5000 // Timeout , if the sylinder uses more than destenated tilme from buttom to top it shuts off.

bool status = av, manuell = av, stempel_stoppa = false;

long siste_start;

void setup(void)

{

  pinMode(SOLENOID_1, OUTPUT);

  digitalWrite(SOLENOID_1, LOW); // So the sylinder does not start when you turn on the power button..

  pinMode(SOLENOID_2, OUTPUT);

  digitalWrite(SOLENOID_2, LOW);

  pinMode(MANUELL_LED, OUTPUT);

  digitalWrite(MANUELL_LED, LOW);

  bryterpinne(ENDEBRYTER_BOTN);

  bryterpinne(ENDEBRYTER_TOPP);

  bryterpinne(KULE);

  bryterpinne(HYLSE);

  bryterpinne(KRUTT);

  bryterpinne(STARTSTOPP);

  bryterpinne(MANUELL);

  // Here it shoud be set to some kond of start position.

  nullstill_presse(); 

}

void loop(void)

{

  if (status == paa) // So that it does not start by pressing or activating the swithes...

  {

    if (bryter(STARTSTOPP)) // Turn off

    {

      stempel_stopp();

      nullstill_presse();

      status = av;

      while (bryter(STARTSTOPP)); // Vent til ein slepp knappen før ein går vidare.

    }

    if (bryter(ENDEBRYTER_BOTN)) // Stempelet er heilt nede og pressa er i utgangsposisjon.

    {

      if (stempel_stoppa) // Stempelet er allereie stoppa

      {

        // Skal alle ting vere på plass når pressa er i utgangsposisjon? Dvs. skal kule,

        // krutt, hylse og hette vere tilstades slik at det berre er å køyre ein runde?

        // Og er ein runde alltid stempel opp + stempel ned?

        if (manuell) // Er vi i manuell-modus?

        {

          // Ja, vent på eit trykk på start/stopp-knappen

          while (bryter(STARTSTOPP) == false);

          while (bryter(STARTSTOPP) == true);

        }

        else // Nei, "auto"-modus. Då ventar vi 500ms før vi snur stempelet.

        {

          delay(500); // Vent 500ms

        }

        if (bryter(KULE) && bryter(KRUTT) & bryter(HYLSE))

        {

          stempel_opp();

          delay(300); // Her må vi vente lenge nok til at stempelet har begynt å

          // bevege seg og endebryteren er slått ut! Elles vil løkka sørge

          // for å stoppe stempelet igjen før det eigentleg har starta...

        }

        else

        {

          // Her burde ein gi melding om kva som er gale. Enten med nokre

          // indikatorlamper eller eit LCD-display.

        }

      }

      else // Endestoppbryteren er trigga og stempelet går framleis

      {

        stempel_stopp();

      }

    }

    if (bryter(ENDEBRYTER_TOPP)) // Stempelet er i øvre posisjon.

    {

      if (stempel_stoppa)

      {

        if (manuell) // Er vi i manuell-modus?

        {

          // Ja, vent på eit trykk på start/stopp-knappen

          while (bryter(STARTSTOPP) == false);

          while (bryter(STARTSTOPP) == true);

        }

        // Må ein her sjekke noko? Kule, krutt etc? Eller kan vi berre

        // snu stempelet? Eg går ut frå det siste.

        stempel_ned();

        delay(300); // Som over, vent til stempelet har begynt å bevege seg.

      }

      else

      {

        stempel_stopp();

      }

    }

    // Timeout. Dette fungerer slik at kvar gong ein snur stempelet så noterer ein seg

    // eit tidspunkt (i millisekund). Så sjekkar vi her om det har gått meir enn X ms

    // utan at ein av endebrytarane er aktivert. I så fall kuttar vi lufttilførselen.

    if (timeout())

    {

      stempel_stopp();

    }

  }

  if (status == av)

  {

    stempel_stopp(); // Berre for sikkerheits skuld

    if (bryter(STARTSTOPP)) // Slå på pressa

    {

      nullstill_presse();

      status = paa;

      while (bryter(STARTSTOPP)); // Vent til ein slepp knappen før ein går vidare.

    }

  }

  if (bryter(MANUELL))

  {

    delay(50);

    while (bryter(MANUELL));

    manuell = !manuell; // Sette manuell-status til det motsatte av det den var

    digitalWrite(MANUELL_LED, manuell ? HIGH:LOW); // LED-en på pinne MANUELL_LED indikerer manuell-status av/på

  }

}

// Sette ein pinne til INPUT og aktivere intern pull-up

void bryterpinne(int pinne)

{

  pinMode(pinne, INPUT);

  digitalWrite(pinne, HIGH);

}

// Sjekke status på ein bryter. Forutset pull-up og bryter kobla mellom pinne og jord.

bool bryter(int pinne)

{

  return digitalRead(pinne) ? false:true;

}

// Nullstille pressa.

// Eg veit ærleg talt ikkje kva som trengs her, eller *om* det trengs.

// Men eg ser for meg at ein berre køyrer stempelet til utgangsposisjonen.

void nullstill_presse(void)

{

  if (bryter(ENDEBRYTER_BOTN))

    return;

  stempel_ned();

  while ((bryter(ENDEBRYTER_BOTN) == false) && !timeout());

  stempel_stopp();

}

// Stoppe stempel

void stempel_stopp(void)

{

  digitalWrite(SOLENOID_1, LOW);

  digitalWrite(SOLENOID_2, LOW);

  stempel_stoppa = true;

}

// Køyr stempel opp

void stempel_opp(void)

{

  digitalWrite(SOLENOID_1, HIGH);

  digitalWrite(SOLENOID_2, LOW);

  siste_start = millis();

  stempel_stoppa = false;

}

// Køyr stempel ned

void stempel_ned(void)

{

  digitalWrite(SOLENOID_1, LOW);

  digitalWrite(SOLENOID_2, HIGH);

  siste_start = millis();

  stempel_stoppa = false;

}

// Sjekke om stempelet har tima ut

bool timeout(void)

{

  if (millis() - siste_start > TIMEOUT)

    return true;

  return false;

}

I will transelate this as son as i get the time.

#define SOLENOID_1 4                    Relay for making the sylinder go one way

#define SOLENOID_2 5                    Relay for making the sylinder go the other way

#define ENDEBRYTER_BOTN 6       Microswitch bottom position

#define ENDEBRYTER_TOPP 7       Microswitch top position

#define KULE 8                               Microswitch bullets

#define HYLSE 9                             Microswitch shells

#define KRUTT 10                            Microswitch powder 

#define STARTSTOPP 11                 Start/stopp button

#define MANUELL 12                       Button for manuell mode 

#define MANUELL_LED 13 //           Led for showing manuell/auto mode

Can you see some obvious misstakes in this program, i cant get it working.

Hi,

I would never use regular switches(sparks), use fully sealed reed switches. They use a magnet for switching and the contact(spark) is inside the sealed area.

So when sparks occur I am not the one tell my neighbor I blew up my shed.

Also don't use any plastics without investigation of electrostatic build up and discharge. Electrostatic discharge can setoff the gunpowder.

Ok sorry forgot to mention when you want to be safe checkout the ATEX requirements. These tells you about voltage and current maximum values for controlling, handling and monitoring explosive materials with electronic equipment.

Thank you for your concern and consideration but I have thought of this and sealed the powder so that the sparks from switches shall not have the ability and egnite the gunpowder.

Am also considering the finished product for safety's sake.

Have updated a bit transelating.