Okay...

Imagine a circuit with 1 switch and 3 solenoids. I would like the switch to fire 1 solenoid at a time, but also retract the up-coming solenoid. e.g...

Press button, solenoid 1 protrudes, solenoid 2 retracts.
Press button, solenoid 2 protrudes, solenoid 3 retracts.
Press button, solenoid 3 protrudes, solenoid 1 retracts.
Press button, solenoid 1 protrudes, solenoid 2 retracts.
Etc...

How could we do this?

I obviously suck at real-world stuff, but I would say...use relays?

First relay should be obvious (A protrudes, B retracts), then link a second relay to the first one (when relay 1 activated, protrude B and retract C) and a third one (when relay 2 activated, C protrudes, A retracts, activate first relay again) to the second relay.

Erh...I don't even know what a solenoid is, so don't mind me if this is gibberish.

Are you wanting a purely electronic solution, or is mechanical ok too?

Given mechanical as an option, I'd probably link the button up to a circular wheel deal, so when you press the button it mechanically advances the wheel. The wheeel would have one spoke out that would contact the first solenoid. The three solenoids are equidistant and the wheel rotates 120 degrees per press.

That's the easiest way I can think of. err...unless I read that wrong, and you want 2 solenoids to contact while the third is offline. You could use the same setup, just with 2 contact points on the wheel instead of one.

For a purely electronic means, I'm not sure. My electronics class was basic.. we dealt with resisters and crap like that. Something that might help is some software we used... it's called MultiSim.

http://www.ni.com/multisim/

It allows you to play with electronic circuits.. create them, test them, measure them, etc. We used it extensively in my electronics course. If you come up with a purely electronic method you think might work, multisim would be how to test it, how to figure out specifically what components you need, and it would let you send plans to someone else to actually build the thing if you wanted to.

It's expensive, but there are alternative ways to acquire a copy. Like being a student.

Thanks man.

Unfortunately it has to be electronic. I don't have the energy, mechanically to help this.

I assume my suggestion made no sense whatsoever?

no no, none of that sillyness.

I think i need to go down the micro-controller route. Which I know squat about. I think there are kits of some kind that you can play with and program with your PC. I think actually you need 3 things..

- Programming kit (PC interface)
- Assembler language (free and simple apparently)
- Breadboards and shit

My god this is something that would take me personally maybe 20 hours, and an expert 1 hour for figure out.

I need an expert!!!