• BpodHardware

  • Driving solenoid valves with higher current requirements

Hi Sanworks and Bpod community,
We recently got a Bpod state machine r2+ to setup our behavioral experiments. We already have several pinch solenoid valves (SIRAI S104-10 Z031A, nominally 12V, 4W and SIRAI S104-10 Z031H, nominally 24V, 8W) which we liked especially for the hygiene aspect.

We tested a 12V one with a Port Interface Board connected to one behavioral port on r2+ which is powered by USB and the accompanying 12V power supply. We noticed that when we toggle the VLV open, the valve reacted but do not fully open.

On the product page (https://sanworks.io/shop/viewproduct?productID=1036) it was stated each valve output can have "250mA sustained" current, which would be less than 12V/4W = 333 mA. We measured the current flowing through using a multimeter and it reads something like 0.32 A, close to the one expected.
Our question is, would you know whether it is possible to still drive this valve? Is it due to the current limiting circuit within r2+? I saw that the ISO1H811GAUMA1 documentation said the power switches are "able to
handle currents up to 625 mA". Or maybe that the valve just need slightly higher supply voltage? Is it as simple as using a power supply with higher voltage say 13 or 14V? Or does the valve need higher initial peak current, maybe helped by adding a capacitor on the power supply circuit?

Any help would be appreciated!

Hello Aaron,

I wasn't able to find datasheets or spec listings for those parts. Do you happen to have them?
Where did you source the part from?

If you're using the 12V wall adapter we ship with Bpod, the current rating is 1.5A, which should be more than sufficient.

The valve is directly driven by the ISO1H815GAUMA1, which according to its datasheet should be able to supply up to 1.2A/channel. Our lower rating of 250mA was chosen as a precaution due to thermal dissipation concerns, as the chip is not actively cooled and is located inside a plastic enclosure.

If the valve can handle the extra voltage, it is safe to try a 13V or 14V supply.

-Josh

    Hi Aaron,

    The datasheet doesn't have much information about the drive current, unfortunately. Is it possible that the part is broken?

    I'd try a higher voltage. If that doesn't work, I know that these do. You can also use nResearch part# 225P011-21 from here.

    -Josh