0-10V Output Drive Port Extender

[Jnvd3b]

You can use a drive port to power a 12v dosing pump. I have 3 of them hooked up to drive ports.

Yes but I don’t have any free drive ports.

 

[ggdowski]

If the load is low power, FETs sometimes won’t turn off. But they tend to last longer. But for your application I’d go relays

Interesting. Most relays are electrically activated mechanical devices. Because of that... they tend to bounce more, they are audible when they open and close (sometimes I like that), they can stick as well, they typically require more power to activate and they take a little longer to activate. The main advantage of the relay is that your device is really not connected to the source when it is turned off. Both have come a long way in the last 10yrs. It used to be that relays were best for high current needs. However, the FETs in some circuits can now drive up to 5amps (that is pretty sizable for most aquarium equipment). I usually pick based on what I'm hooking up to them. If you are switching AC power, relays are the way to go. If you are switching DC power, I'd probably go with FETs. But even this is less of an issue these days. With the hydros my main concern has always been the amount of current it can deliver with the I/O lines. In my mind, that makes the FETs more attractive because they pull less current to turn them on and off.