How to Control Your Linear Actuator Using Light Sensor

Step 1: What You Will Need

• Arduino UNO (Or any other Arduino)
• Linear Actuator
• LN298N DC Motor Driver
• Light sensor module
• Jumper wires
• Power Supply
• Visuino program: Download Visuino

Step 2: The Circuit

• Connect Power supply (batteries) pin (gnd) to motor driver controler pin (gnd)
• Connect Power supply (batteries) pin (+) to motor driver controler pin (+)
• Connect Power supply (batteries) pin (+) to Arduino pin (VIN)
• Connect GND from Arduino to motor driver controler pin (gnd)
• Connect digital pin(6) from Arduino to motor driver pin (IN1)
• Connect digital pin(8) from Arduino to motor driver pin (IN2)
• Connect Linear Actuator to the motor driver as you can see on the schematic
• Connect Light Sensor module pin [DO] to arduino digital pin [3]
• Connect Light Sensor module pin [VCC] to the Arduino pin [5V]
• Connect Light Sensor module pin [GND] to the Arduino pin [GND]

Step 3: Start Visuino, and Select the Arduino UNO Board Type

Start Visuino as shown in the first picture Click on the "Tools" button on the Arduino component (Picture 1) in Visuino When the dialog appears, select "Arduino UNO" as shown on Picture 2

Step 4: In Visuino Add & Connect Components

• Add "Speed and Direction To Speed" component
• Add "Dual DC Motor Driver Digital and PWM Pins Bridge (L9110S, L298N)" component
• Select "SpeedAndDirectionToSpeed1" and in the properties window set "Initial Speed" to 1 or any other speed value that you like
• Connect Arduino digital pin [3] to "SpeedAndDirectionToSpeed1" pin [Reverse]
• Connect "SpeedAndDirectionToSpeed1" pin [Out] to "DualMotorDriver1" > "Motors [0]" > pin [In]
• Connect "DualMotorDriver1" > Motors [0] Pin [Direction]" to Arduino digital pin[8]
• Connect "DualMotorDriver1" > Motors [0] Pin [Speed]" to Arduino digital pin Analog PWM[6]

Step 5: Generate, Compile, and Upload the Arduino Code

In Visuino, at the bottom click on the "Build" Tab, make sure the correct port is selected, then click on the "Compile/Build and Upload" button.

Step 6: Play

If you power the Arduino module the Linear Actuator will start to move in one direction and if you cover the light sensor module it will reverse.

Congratulations! You have completed your project with Visuino. Also attached is the Visuino project, that I created for this Instructable, you can download it here and open it in Visuino: https://www.visuino.eu