Proportional Joystick
Unlike an on/off remote control, this is a type of control that varies the movement speed steplessly according to how far the lever is pushed. A small push gives slow and precise movement, a full push gives fast movement. On the AXI HCT400 and HCT402 kits this joystick is used wirelessly and positions the motor with ±1° accuracy.
In proportional control the joystick angle is converted into a numerical command, and the control board turns this command into a speed or position target for the motor. In on/off control there are only two states (stop/full speed); in proportional control all the intermediate values in between can be used. The practical difference is the difference between opening the hydraulic lever a few degrees and giving a small flow and pushing the lever all the way.
- Precise work: in tasks such as lowering the implement slowly to the ground or aligning a load, there is no sudden movement.
- Speed: at the headland a full push gives a fast lift.
- Fatigue: the operator does not have to open and close the lever repeatedly to adjust the speed.
On the HCT400 and HCT402 there is an emergency stop on the joystick and communication is carried out over the XRF encrypted protocol specific to AXI. On the HCT402 the joystick characteristic is also different: millimetric precision in the middle region and fast response in the end regions. The combination of these two behaviours in a single control lets you do both precise and fast-transition work with the same lever.
The context where this term is used: Converting a tractor hydraulic lever to electronic control