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Rails
Power rails model the electrical capacity shared by Helioduino actuators.
A rail can reject an actuator request when the configured power source cannot safely support another load.
A simple rail limits the number of active devices.
This is useful when the connected loads are similar enough that a device count is a reasonable proxy for power usage.
Example:
A DC supply may be able to run two identical linear actuators at the same time but not four.
The simple rail can enforce a maximum active count.
A regulated rail uses:
- Maximum power
- Power-usage sensor
- Limit trigger
This gives the controller a measurement-based capacity limit.
It is more appropriate when the tracker has a mixture of loads such as motors, heaters, covers, wipers, and electronics.
An actuator attached to a rail asks whether it can enable.
This means the panel or driver can request motion without assuming that the electrical supply is unlimited.
Motors often have a high starting current.
A controller that commands several axes or several synchronized actuators at once can create a load much larger than the steady-state current of one motor.
Rail logic gives the software a place to coordinate those resources.
The configured values should include real startup behavior and measured system margins.
Rail logic is not circuit protection.
Use correctly sized wiring, fuses, breakers, motor drivers, current limits, grounding, and emergency isolation suitable for the hardware.
The rail protects scheduling decisions. Hardware protection deals with electrical faults.
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