XMYC-1 Single Axis Solar Tracker Controller 12-24V Solar Panel Tracker Kit w/ Proximity Limit Switch

XMYC-1 Single Axis Solar Tracker Controller 12-24V Solar Panel Tracker Kit w/ Proximity Limit Switch

Description:
This is a simple solar tracking controller. It is suitable for a single-axis mechanical platform driven by a DC brush motor to track the sun. The platform type can be a flip type or a rocking type. The applicable voltage is 12-24V, and the maximum current is less than 15A (default 10A fuse).

Package Included:
- 1 x Solar Tracker Controller
- 1 x Wind Speed Sensor
- 1 x Remote Control
- 1 x Proximity Limit Switch

Note:
- Other items pictured are not included, for demonstration purposes only. Thank you for your understanding!
- Batteries are not included. 2pcs AAA batteries are needed for the remote control.

User Manual of XMYC-1 Single-Axis Solar Tracking Controller:
This controller is a single-axis solar tracking controller. It uses dedicated internal and external direction detection heads to detect sunlight direction. The detection head signal is analyzed and judged by the single-chip microcomputer circuit on the controller. And the process of tracking the sun is carried out by the corresponding motor on the controller platform through the relay combination on the circuit board.

At the same time, you can lay it flat in case of wind (wind speed sensor needs to be purchased), and it can return to the position at nights. English LCD screen is used to display the corresponding parameters, and the parameters can be set by the buttons on the controller or the buttons of an infrared remote control (remote control needs to be purchased).

The corresponding platform requirements of this controller are oblique single-axis platforms or column rotating platforms, and the driving motor of the platform is a DC brush motor, with a motor voltage of 12 or 24V and a current of less than 15A. Limit switches should be available in both directions of the platform.

Main Accessories of Solar Tracking Controller:
1. Main controller:

Mounting hole of the main controller is 4MM/0.2"; Hole spacing from left to right is 174MM/6.9". Hole spacing from top to bottom is 60MM/2.4".

It uses a waterproof box as the shell. It has 6 waterproof interfaces for line connection, and all the line connections on the motherboard adopt terminals for wiring, and the corresponding parameter status on the display screen can be seen through the upper cover, and various operations can be performed on the controller through the buttons.

2. Sunlight sensor:

The sensor is a one-piece structure with a transparent shell. Through the shielding of the fan-shaped module in the middle, the different sunlight radiation voltages generated in two directions, inside and outside, are transmitted to the motherboard through a 3-core cable. The sensor can be fastened with two M6 bolts, 40mm/1.6" apart. The whole is installed in a transparent plastic dome, which has a certain dustproof and rainproof function, and can meet the service life of ten years (with 3m/9.8ft cable by default). When it is tracking in north-west direction, the outlet hole is facing south.

3. Wind speed sensor (optional):

Wind speed sensor is used to detect the wind speed of the environment. When the wind speed reaches the protection value set by the controller, platform will be controlled and driven to a position that can shelter from the wind. The default wind speed sensor has a cable 3 meter/9.8 ft in length. (If you want to configure the wind speed sensor by yourself, a voltage signal type wind speed sensor is needed)

4. IR remote control (optional; effective range: 8m/26.2ft):

Note: The remote control is powered by 2pcs AAA batteries which are not included in the package.

5. Proximity limit switch (optional):

The limit signal can be detected and fed back to the controller. The length of the line is 1.2m/3.9ft.

Functions of Controller Board:

1. Remote control receiver
2. Buzzer
3. Sunlight sensor
4. Wind speed sensor  
5. Limit terminals (from left to right: ground, west limit signal, power supply +, ground, east limit signal, power supply +)
6. Fuse (default 10A)
7. Power supply input (DC 12-24V, positive end on the left side and negative end on the right)
8. Motor output
9. Output indicator light
10. Display screen
11. Operation button

Installation Method:
Installation of sunlight sensor:
The detection sensor is installed on the plane of the platform and moves with the platform. When the platform is centered, it is not parallel to the platform plane, but to the ground plane. At the same time, when the platform is centered and placed flat, the outlet hole on the detection head should correspond to the south of the geography (referring to the east-west tracking).

The sensor should be mounted on the eastern edge of the north side of the platform as much as possible.

Installation of main controller:
The main control box should be installed near the base post of the platform, and does not need to move with the platform. Try to make sure it's protected from rain, sun and other influences. The outlet hole faces downwards to prevent rainwater from flowing in. The installation should be located in a position which facilitates observation and operation.


Installation of wind speed sensor:
- The wind speed sensor should be installed near the platform, where it can be effectively blown by the wind. Keep away from walls and floors. A column can be used to support and mount the wind speed sensor.
- Wire the wind speed sensor to the main controller according to the mark, leaving room and installing it firmly.
- The wiring method of our wind speed sensor: black wire with white stripes to connect signal input IN, black wire to GND, and V+ power supply terminal disconnected.
- If you are using a wind speed sensor from another manufacturers, distinguish the V+, - and signal. Just follow the instructions for access. The wind speed sensor terminal V+ on this controller board is the power supply voltage (12-24V). The signal output must be voltage type and the signal range must be less than 5V.


Wiring Method of Limit Switch:
If you use a linear actuator with an internal limit, you don't need to install a limit switch, otherwise the limit switch is essential, and there are three ways to limit the position.

Method A: External limit switch is used. And the method of external limit is as follows: a micro switch with normally closed contact is arranged at the position that needs to be limited at both ends of the platform, and the power supply circuit of the corresponding motor is directly controlled to achieve the limit, as shown in the following figure:

It is necessary to pay attention to whether the carrying current capacity of the limit switch is sufficient.

Method B: The limit signal is introduced into the controller to achieve the limit, then the limit switch with normally open contact needs to be used. When a certain direction reaches the limit, the switch will be topped, the switch will be closed and conducted, the ground of the limit terminal will be shorted with the terminal in the corresponding direction, and the output of the direction will be stopped at this time.


Method C: This controller can also be connected to a three-wire NPN type proximity switch. When using this kind of switch as a limit, the power supply + end can be connected to the + end of the limit terminal, and the other wiring is the same as that of method B (When purchasing proximity switches in our company, the wiring definition: brown: +; blue: -; black: limit signal). Note that the top is a sensing area. When there is metal within 5mm, the limit signal will be output.


In the case of separate power supply without connecting the controller board, the drive motor of the platform should enable the smooth movement of the platform within the corresponding range. In this case, the motor can be connected to the motor terminal of the corresponding shaft on the control board.

Debugging:
After confirming that the sunlight sensor, wind speed sensor, limit, and motor are connected, you can connect the power supply to the control board for debugging. The power supply voltage is 12V or 24V (subject to the rated voltage of the motor used). The power supply current should meet the maximum current demand of the motor.

When the power is turned on, the controller should be powered to work, and the display should show:


The controller then will enter various states based on specific sensor feedback parameters.

Attention: The screen backlight can be lit by pressing a button, and the backlight will turn off after a 10-second delay. If you need to turn on the backlight of the screen for a long time, you can turn on and off the backlight by pressing and holding the QIT button for five seconds.

But at this point, we should first test whether the orientation of the motor is correct. So you have to go into the manual test first. Pressing the SET button once will take you to the following manual page (MT):


At this time, buttons →/← control the platform to move east/west respectively, and buttons ↓/↑ can control the platform to move east/west by locking, and stop when you press the button again. At the same time, the screen will display E/W to indicate the direction of movement. If the direction of action of the platform does not match the direction of manual control, the corresponding wiring should be changed. Test the full range of activity of the platform with manual functions, including limit status. Once all the tested functions are normal, you can proceed with the next steps.

When you manually control the platform, the corresponding output indicator light will turn on. Press the QUIT button to exit the manual control mode.

Parameter Settings:
Once we have made sure that the motor is wired correctly, we move on to the parameter settings. Carry out the necessary checks and settings on some parameters. When the interface is not manually controlled, press and hold the SET button for five seconds and release the button, and the device will enter the parameter setting page:

Attention: In the following parameter setting interface, you can switch the parameter options by pressing button →/←. Press button ↓/↑ to add/subtract parameters, and press and hold the ↓/↑ button to quickly add/subtract parameters. Press the QUIT button to exit and save the parameters. In order to facilitate your understanding of the meaning of the parameters, the following parameters are not presented in order. Please check the actual settings by yourself.


V2/T3/T4/T7: parameters related to wind speed protection.
When the signal voltage from the wind speed sensor is higher than V2, the device will enter the wind speed protection control state. It will immediately drive the platform to the west T3 time, and then executes the platform to the east T4 time. After performing the above process, T7 time is the holding time. During T7 time, the unit will remain in standby mode. If the wind speed continues to exceed V2, the T7 time will repeated. If the wind speed is lower than V2, the device will exit the wind speed protection state after the T7 time ends. If the weather is cloudy during the T7 countdown after the wind speed protection action is executed, the device will lock and will not exit the wind speed protection state.

By setting the above parameters reasonably, the platform can be executed to the angle and position desired by users when the wind speed exceeds the limit.


V1/V3/TX parameter meaning:
When the voltage detected by the sunlight sensor in either direction is higher than V3, the device thinks that it is sunny and the device will time it. If detected voltage continues to be higher than V3 for 10 seconds, the device will enter the sunny tracking state. The controller will control the motor movements of each axis to align with the sun. V1 is the tracking accuracy. The lower the value, the higher the accuracy. However, the mechanical accuracy of the platform is required to reach a certain level.

In the process of automatic tracking of the sun, an interval time (TX) is set to avoid frequent repeated tracking caused by small light changes when the sun is aligned. That is, after aligning with the sun, the axis will enter the sleep time, and after this time, the device will re-detect the position of the sun for tracking. The sun moves very slowly, so setting intervals can save energy.

TX: The intermittent waiting time to enter when aligned with the sun.

By setting the above parameters reasonably, it can ensure that the controller can quickly and accurately track on sunny days. Note that the time parameter (T) is in seconds. The threshold value (V) is measured in voltage (V).


T8/T9/T10 parameter setting: the setting of platform homing parameters on cloudy or night days. When the sunlight detector detects that the voltage in either direction is lower than V3, it will judge that the sunlight is weak. At this point, the device will sleep in place and enter T18 countdown (seconds). During this countdown time, if the sunlight value has not returned to be over V3, after the countdown ends, the device will perform a homing action, and its homing sequence is T9 time to the west, and then T10 time to the east.

By setting the above parameters reasonably, the platform will reach the angle or position desired by users when the sun is weak or at night. Note: The time parameter is in seconds.


After the parameter setting is complete, press the QUIT button to exit and save the parameters.

The device works automatically:
After the device is powered on, the controller will judge the data transmitted by the sensor for automatic control, including the following situations:
SH: If the voltage in any direction detected by the sunlight sensor is higher than V3, the device will enter the sunny day auto-tracking state after a total of 10 seconds.


In this state, the controller compares the voltage in the east and west directions of sunlight sensor in order to control the platform. When aligned with the sun, the device will enter the TX intermittent waiting time. At the end of this time countdown, the controller re-compares the voltage and the control platform for tracking.

SL: If the voltage in any direction detected by the sunlight sensor is lower than V3, the device will enter a cloudy or night state:


First, it will enter T8 delay. During the T8 time, if the detected voltage is higher than V3, the device will exit this state. If the time that continues to be lower than V3 reaches the T8 time, the device will perform the specified action, i.e., T9 time to the west and then T10 time to the east. In this state, the buzzer will sound at a certain frequency to alert users.

After the action is executed, the device will enter the state of waiting for sunlight.

FS: When the wind speed detected by the wind speed sensor is higher than V2, the device will enter the wind speed homing state:


When the signal voltage of the wind speed sensor is higher than the set V2 and lasts for 3 seconds, the device will judge that wind speed exceeds the limit, and the controller will perform the wind speed homing action. Its homing order is T3 time to the west, followed by T4 time to the east. In this state, the buzzer will sound at a certain frequency to alert the user.

After the homing is completed, the device will enter T7 locking countdown. During the countdown time, if the voltage of the wind speed sensor signal exceeds V2 again, T7 countdown will be re-timed and locked. If it is cloudy at this time, the device will be locked until sunlight returns.

In the above working state, the parameters can be displayed alternately on the screen by pressing button →/←. These parameters include: the voltage of sunlight sensor in the east-west direction, the signal voltage of wind speed sensor, current supply voltage, etc.


Meaning of Parameter Codes of LCD Screen:
AT: Automatic tracking. In this state, the device will automatically track the sun.
TX: Waiting period entered after the east-west axis is aligned with the sun in automatic tracking. During this period, the device will not operate.
E: East; W: West (indicates that the device moves in the corresponding direction)
V: Real-time voltage of power supply.
FS: When the wind speed exceeds the set value, the device will enter the flattening and homing state when encountering wind.
FS LOCK: The locked state after the wind speed is reset.
F: Real-time wind speed voltage in V.
SH: Automatic tracking in sunny days.
MT: Manual operation status. In this state, buttons 1/2/3/4 of remote control correspond to the manual movement of the north/south/west/east direction.
SL: Weak sunshine. This means that the current controller thinks that the sunlight is weak, that is, the device will go to sleep and wait for the sunlight to appear again.
SL LOCK: Sleep state when there is weak sunshine.
T3: The time (unit: seconds) for the device to drive westward when performing the specified action of wind speed exceeding the limit. (Recommended setting value: the time taken by the platform from east to west * 1.2 times)
T4: Performing the specified action of wind speed exceeding the limit, T4 is the time (unit: seconds) when the device is driven eastward after T3 time. (Recommended setting: The time it takes for the platform to walk from west to east to the east-west axis posture you want the platform to perform)
T7: After the device performs the specified action of wind speed exceeding the limit, T7 is self-locking time of the controller. The unit is seconds. The function is to prevent the wind speed effect from being intermittent and causing the device to perform frequent movements/tracking. During the self-locking time, if the wind speed exceeds the limit value again, the time will be immediately re-timed, so that the device will not operate frequently. (Recommended setting: 600)
T8: Weak sunshine duration delay value (Recommended setting: 1800).
T9: The time (unit: second) it takes for the device to drive westward when performing a specified action with weak sunshine. (Recommended setting value: the time taken by the platform from east to west * 1.2 times)
T10: When performing a specified action with weak sunshine, T10 is the time (unit) for the device to be driven to the east after T9 time (Recommended setting: The time it takes for the platform to walk from west to east to the east-west axis posture you want the platform to perform).
V1: Tracking accuracy setting. This value is the voltage in the tracking accuracy range, that is, when the voltage difference between the east and west detection silicon wafer is V, the controller will believe that it is necessary to move the device or point it at the sun. The smaller the value, the higher the accuracy. Otherwise, the accuracy is lower. Please set it according to the characteristics of the platform (recommended setting value: 0.05).
V2: Wind speed start control voltage. When the voltage output by the wind speed sensor is higher than V2, the controller thinks that it is necessary to immediately specify the action to protect the platform (recommended setting value: refer to the parameter correspondence table of the wind speed sensor. The recommended setting value for the sensor configured by our company is 0.12).
V3: Weak sunshine start control voltage. This value is the threshold set by the controller for weak sunshine. When none of the silicon wafer voltages in the two directions of the sunlight sensor is higher than V3, the controller will think that the current sunlight is weak and has no power generation value, and cancel tracking. If sunlight does not return after T8 delay time, the device will perform the specified action (recommended setting value: 2.0).

Our company reserves the right to change the hardware and software design of this controller without prior notice.

Parameter Table of Wind Speed Sensor (Wind Speed and Signal Voltage):