The target device should be operated using the buttons on the panel – this is referred to as manual control and is the subject of the first intermediate assessment/checkpoint. Ensure that your project meets the following requirements:

  1. Control mode selection
    Switching between manual and automatic mode (which you will create later) is done via a toggle switch on the panel. When the switch is in the upright position (0), automatic control is activated. When it is tilted (1), the device can be controlled via the buttons.

  2. Motor Selection
    In manual mode, the operator must be able to control all motors/actuators. Use the upper black buttons to select the active motor, and the lower ones to move the motor/actuator in the corresponding direction.

  3. Blocking Rapid Direction Changes of Actuators
    In practice, care must be taken as sudden and rapid direction changes of actuators can damage the structure they are mounted on. Therefore, quick direction changes must be disabled. This is achieved by allowing the actuator to move in the opposite direction only after a certain delay (e.g., 1 second).

  4. Protecting Relays (only for shift-direction motors)
    Each direction change of a shift-direction motor causes a relay to switch in the training model's circuit, which shortens the lifespan of the relay. To extend its lifespan, we want the direction bit to only switch when the direction actually changes. So, if this bit is set to 1, it should remain so even when the motor stops moving (i.e., when movement is 0), and it should only be set to 0 when we want to rotate the motor in the opposite direction.

  5. Safety
    Each device has several limit switches that serve to ensure safety and prevent damage to the device (e.g., one switch per axis on the robotic arm, switches on the pushers in the two-device line, and the pneumatic system at the output of the rotary table). Make sure to consider them in your design.