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Knowledgebase

    Can a Baseline Valve biCoder Damage a Solenoid?

    Valve biCoder

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    No. There is no way a biCoder can cause a solenoid to "burn up" prematurely.  

    As part of the solenoid testing and development, Baseline connected a significant sample of valve biCoders in 1, 2, and 4 station configurations to various solenoids.  We then simulated 80 years of normal usage by switching them on and off in one-minute duty cycles for a six-month period.  The resistance and the current used to actuate each solenoid was monitored during the test period. The test demonstrated that the resistance and the current for the solenoids remained consistent, and all solenoids functioned correctly through the entire test.  

    The total current passing through a solenoid controlled by a Baseline biCoder is only 120 milliamps, which is much less than the 250 milliamps of current drawn by solenoids on a conventional wire system.  The power dissipated in the solenoid is equal to the current through the solenoid squared multiplied by the resistance.

    For example, on a conventional wire system, 250 milliamps x 26 Ohms = 1.62 watts.

    The same solenoid driven by a Baseline biCoder is 120 milliamps x 26 Ohms = 0.41 watts, which is only 25% of the power drawn by the conventional wire system.

    In fact, if you were to feel the temperature of two solenoids that had been powered for a long period of time, one connected to a conventional wire system and the other connected to a Baseline biCoder, the solenoid powered by the Baseline biCoder would feel cooler.  

    If you are experiencing failure on a solenoid that is connected to a Baseline biCoder, the failure is not being caused by the Baseline system.  More likely, there is some mechanical or other types of failure occurring in the solenoid itself caused by something like water incursion.