Axminister dust collection current sensing

[Daniel_Brush_and_Chisel]

I'm currently building my own automated dust collection system with automated blast gates using a raspberry pi etc...

I wish to detect when a motor of a machine is operating so I can activate the corresponding blast gate. I see axminister sell this Axminster Professional Controller Unit Sensor Cables which clips onto the motor.

Exactly what is this sensor or is there an easy way to replicate this current sensing.

Thanks,

Daniel

 

[Sideways]

The Axminster thing attaches to the body of the motor so must be sensing the electical or magnetic field when the motor powers up.
The more traditional solution to this would be to use a current sensing relay with a separate or integral transformer that clips round just one live or neutral wire.
The Axminster package is something that can be fitted by someone with no electrical knowledge as it doesn't interfere with the machine at all.
Most / all other solutions I can think of require some expertise and expose the user to the risk of 240V wiring which could kill the unwary or cause a fire. When you start interfacing electronics to the mains you introduce a real level of risk that doesn't figure when you're designing 5v electronics.

 

[Yojevol]

There is an easy way to achieve your goal. Each of your machines to be powered by a master/slave socket such that when switched on the slave will provide a signal that operates the blastgate. Presumably the raspberry pie will be able to flip flop the gate open or close. Now comes the clever bit. Each of the m/c master/slaves to be fed from a multiway master/slave socket unit which will be used to power the DX when any m/c is switched on. However, to achieve this the multiway unit has to have its internal wiring reversed such that incoming power goes to the multiple slave sockets and the design master socket becomes the one and only slave - to power the DX.
To achieve this you will have to make sure the multiway unit is accessible. I know the Masterplugs are.
The big problem I foresee with scheme is that blastgates can sometimes need quite a bit of force to operate them, and they can easily get clogged up and become inoperable. Careful choice of unit required here.
Brian

 

[Spectric]

Unless you have a large workshop and many machines then why complicate matters with automating the extraction, just take a few steps and use the on/off switch. As Brian has said the gates may not be that easy to move, you need both actuation and also a feedback signal that will tell the controller the position of the gate, ie open / closed or neither so possibly stuck. You could go slightly more basic with something like this

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/KBIP665G.html
now you can operate sockets remotely.