Hello, I am building a computer controlled sprinkler timer. I would like to find out if I can use a Maestro and a Pololu RC Switch with Small Low-Side MOSFET to activate the water valve solenoid. The solenoid runs off of about 18VDC and should never draw more than 700mA. I am assuming that I can simply connect the valve power supply and valve to the RC switch and connect the RC switch to the Maestro(set to servo output). Is this correct?
Hello.
That should work. One concern is that the flyback diode on the RC switch is rated for 20V, and it sounds like you will be close to this limit. If your voltage has spikes that exceed 20V, you should use an external flyback diode with a higher voltage rating. Also, you will need a separate power supply for the Maestro since it has a maximum supply voltage of 16V, and the servo power must be less than 7V (to stay within spec for the RCIN pin on the RC switch); you can use a single supply for both servo power and Maestro board power if it is between 5 and 7V.
- Ben
Thank you very much. I will give this a try.
Good luck with your project. Please let us know how it turns out and don’t hesitate to ask if you have any further questions!
- Ben