2DOF Arduino Moto Support needed!

Hi all,

This is our schools motion platform and Arduino setup, we have been working on this for some time with the help of Rufus, which we are really grateful for!

SMC3 moves each motor separately, the only problem we have is getting Simtools to work with it - we have a couple of questions that we would really appreciate some help with...

1. If we have two 9V motors on the moto shield, what voltage will the moto need to power both?
2. We have read the simtools axis assignments and setup guidance but still have no output to the moto - the arduino is getting instructions as the Rx light is busy flashing away, it just isn't sending messages to the moto from simtools (remembering that it works with SMC3).

If you can give any help or guidance we would really appreciate it - many thanks to Rufus who has already gone above and beyond in giving us help and advice!

nice prototype!
but 5mm/s is far too sloooooow

Yeah we know!

They should travel at around 9mm/s and its only for a flight sim for an airliner really - have already got plans for the next level if we get more funding from the principal!

Some screen shots of Simtools interface settings and axis assignments tabs would help people look for problems or confirm if correct, also a video may help.

1. Same voltage. (9V)
How you connect the feedback sensors to the platform?

1 Why do you have 9v motors on the moto when your actuators are 12v?
2 for feedback you will need to devise a way to mount the potentiometers to the actuators. they will need to reflect the movement of the actuator. linear gear and multi turn pot im thinking, but not sure how you would implement.

aliexpress.com/item/Japan-ALPS-12-8-cm-straight-slide-potentiometer-10K-axial-length-12MM-5PCS-LOT/32331090445.html

125mm sliding linear potentiometer

7€/piece

128mm: 26€ for 6 pieces

aliexpress.com/item/128mm-Single-Gang-A10K-10K-Audio-Taper-Slide-Potentiometer-Pot/32585236849.html

aliexpress is a gamble imo. that is definitely the best solution. I would be tempted to find them on ebay tho.

Hi, thanks for replying, we are a bit confused! We were under the impression that simtools could recognise the state of the motors from its output like SMC3 does, does it not do this?

As for the actuators they move with a 9v supply and to be honest we are trying to prevent any capacitor explosions at the moment so are working at that voltage short term until the thing starts moving properly.

If you can clarify the situation regarding the actuators a little they are the same as a normal motor as far as we know, so please put us right if they are different and need extra circuitry or I'm worried we have built a platform that is unusable!

You need to connect the feedback sensors with your actuators.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_feedback

also, is anyone good enough to show me a wiring diagram? would these replace the pots already on our circuit?

Hi, so if this circuit below is what we have set up, would these replace the pots or would be need a different setup?

Just replace pots and associate the movement of the slider with the movement of the stroke

thank you - will order some (ive found a school supplier that does them for about £5 each which is pretty decent)

myself and the students are grateful for your help!

by the way, if you have the lower mounts rotate the upper is to make a rotating too. It can achieve sway and surge effects, not only pitch roll and heave.

So we attached the sliding pots, but simtools still doesn't respond to our output testing - heres a video - any ideas?

Please post pics..... we love pics....
I would like to see lots of screenshots of your settings In simtools. Especially the interface and for settings.

one of the few things i could hardly see on your video is that you have configured a profile for a game and not the default profile (from the pop down game list in axis assignments) to do a manual output test.