DIY 2DOF Budget Build

I already had a 32" Phillips monitor that I got for $275 from MSY so I bought another one for the sim but then I wanted to try VR on the cheap first so I got an Oculus Rift DK1 which wasn't much good, then I got a DK2 which is much better and that works ok on Project Cars, AC, so far I have yet to try V Rally 4 and F1 2018 .
I'm still debating if a Windows Mixed reality might be any better or not but it does have more supported stuff than the DK2.
Rift CV1 or Vive are out of my price range atm.
But first I have to get this motion business working but I'm an idiot with electronic stuff and I am having issues which might be hardware or software related but I have to re do the lot to see what's happening.

How do you find getting in and out of the sim? Pondering the design of going to pedestal mount wheel like yours vs mounting on an arm from the front. I prefer the latter as im not sure it will be easy to get into/out, also not sure on comfort with the mount between the legs. What's your opinion?

I thought of an arm coming from the front but with a three pedal setup it would get in the way so I did the pedestal mount and then had to extend that and it could do with another 5omm.
added on as my knees hit on the wheels mounting adjusters. So mock it up first and cut and weld once.
Also having an adjustable seat is a bonus too if others want to have a go in the sim too.

My build has come a grinding halt with electrical issues that I am yet to pinpoint and even after getting lots of advice from others
I can't track down my problem.
It is either hardware or software and I have been over and over the setup steps etc a dozen or more times I still have the same issue.
So I am trying to eliminate each problem as I go and starting with the least expensive.
I got some spare linear pots to see if the Hall effect pots I have were at fault, but no, so on to the next suspect and that is the Arduino Uno.
So to test that idea I have got an Ebay clone on order to test that theory.
I have also been on to the Dimension Engineering help desk , the makers of the 2X25 v2 that I am using for possible ideas and that is a slow process by email when your on the other side of the world.
All very frustrating when electronics are not your thing and only so many places to go for help.
I suppose that I will get it sorted out eventually and I am not the first one to have teething problems.

I'm glad to see you back. I was afraid your decided to go find Mr. Ruger . I think trying another arduino is your best course of action atm.

Likewise, glad to see that you're still at it.

Not to worry, you aren't alone, as my build has slowed down a bit until I sort out some better electronics arrangements.

The enclosures I had printed off are just too tight to comfortably hold everything properly and safely...and I'm investigating other options.


Today I'm welding the axles and levers together, which is something you and others have inspired me to do by becoming a beginner welder.


Good luck with the new Arduino, hopefully that ends up being the fix, and I'm looking forward to seeing the completed build in action.

Cheers!

No I had not given up, just taking a breath and clearing my head.
I might get the Arduino clone tomorrow depending on the post which is slow as a wet weekend here in OZ.
Dimension Engineering have not been of much help so far and just telling me everything that I have already read or done.
I will see how I go with the Arduino.

Hopefully the new Arduino will solve your issues.

If not, have you considered switching your electronics over to a pair of JRK's for simplicity?
I realize that it would up your costs by a fair amount, but they might be worth it considering how far you've come with your build for what sounds like a very low cost so far.

Last night I configured mine simply by following the manual on Pololu's site, and several great posts here in the forums.
I chose JRK's over the Arduino + MonsterMoto or Sabertooth options specifically because I liked the fact that they are an all-in-one solution.

Sometimes keeping things like electronics simple is best, to reduce the amount of setup and troubleshooting.

My fingers are crossed for you that the new Arduino solves the problem and you can get yourself into the seat for testing.

Good luck!

Let me know if I can help - I'm well into the electronics stuff...

I can't win a trick.
I got the spare Arduino Uno R3 (Copy) and that has errors uploading the sketch and couldn't complete, so I reverted back to the genuine Arduino.
I got a reply from Dimension Engineering re my problems with the 2X25 v2 Sabertooth

At this point, I would recommend connecting the 2x25 to DEscribe and downloading the settings.
Then go to File > New (reset to Dimension) and click.

Upload the reset to the 2x25.
>>>>this step is required>>>> Power cycle the 2x25 (the Status LED must turn completely off)

Connect and download.
Then go to the packet serial tab and choose the baud rate that your utility is going to be using for the packet serial option of tuning.
Upload the settings to the 2x25.

>>>>>Power cycle the 2x25.

After done with DEscribe, prepare to use your tuning utility in Packet serial by verifying that the 2x25 DIPs are set 1&2 OFF for address 128. Or if using a different address, consult the 2x25 doc for the additional DIP setting for the address. Don't look at the simplified serial section for the DIP settings. Go to the packet serial section. In packet serial mode, DIPs 1&2 are always off no matter the address. Addresses other than 128 require additional setting(s).

so I followed the steps and continued on to set up the pots and run the SMC3 Utility.
So with my luck one of my Hall Effect pots is doing SFA now after I soldered the wires back on.
So now, meaning tomorrow I will try and find out what's going on or I will swap them out for some normal pots just to get this lump moving hopefully.

elnino I might take you up on that yet

Swapping to two JRK's would cost me more than one Sabertooth, that plus I don't have the money to spare.
The Sabertooth is no more complicated in wiring up etc but the Arduino stuff and different modes e.g. Packet Serial or Simplified Serial is what is my problem bar any hardware issues
Seeing that I have never read up on how to install JRK's I really am no judge

I do like the specs on the Sabertooth, and that seems like a much wiser choice over those horrible MonsterMoto knock-off's that people are so adamant about using.
Averaging a 1/10 ratio of finding a working one?????
No thanks!
I'd take a pair of JRK's or an Arduino + Sabertooth any day.

Oddly, even before I started this DIY motion platform project, I had 4 unused Arduino's here from buying those hobby starter kits on Amazon.
All I would have had to do was decide on the motor drivers.
But after reading about all of the stories about people's adventures on that combo (Ard + MM's), the JRK's seemed like the simplest solution, and so far it has been.
I'm sure had I gone the other route I'd be pulling my hair out by now.

I thought that Hall Effect's were the Holy Grail as far as feedback controls for our motion platforms, and am surprised to hear that one has crapped out on you.
Good luck with the pots.
The plus-side is that they are dirt cheap and if they work then just keep some spares on hand for when they wear out or break.

I'm using a pair of simple 10k 5w wire-wound ones, and so far so good.
I paid just under $12 CAD all-in for a 5-pack on Amazon, shipped directly from China.
This is what they look like, and yes they are quite large in size as far as pots go...I guess that's the nature of wire-wounds.

When I get a moment I will sit down and test the Hall Effect Pots and see if one is stuffed or not.
I have had other stuff to do today so it can wait for another day or two.
I do have some 10K linear pots that I modded to remove the hard stop and they are my standby pots.

I think I have solved it but I dare not jink myself as I thought I had it right before and fell on my sword.
I removed the suspect Hall Effect Pots which I think one is stuffed and replaced it with some garden variety 10K Linear Pots
I can now get each axis moving in the SMC3 Utility by selecting each mode .
So hopefully it is now onto the setup of SimTools which looks like more reading and I hope there is a Simple Tutorial for Dummies on the subject .

I've been slack and side tracked and haven't spent enough time reading up on how to setup Sim Tools and profiles etc.
Reason being is I bought and sold both an Oculus DK1 and DK2 then decided I neede the full experience with controllers for other uses
and ended up grabbing a new Acer Mixed Reality Headset and Controller pack for $300AUD.
I only got it yesterday and some issues with the setup as it didn't like V4.0 Bluetooth dongle and after many failed attempts I thought that I
might as well try my old V3.0 Bluetooth dongle, so I installed the software and dongle and bingo, straight away it recognized and paired with controllers.
So don't believe everything Microsoft tells you.
I spent the rest of the day learning how to use VR and some of it is amazing for an old fart like me and I had a blast playing with it.
Even more reason to my arse into gear and get this thing moving.

BTW, I am going to add some mounts for a Saitek X 52 HOTAS that I have got cheap for some space and flight sim fun and I am a Heli tragic too.

Hey, that's excellent news!
I assume that the 10k linear pots solved the issue???

See....I told ya that a more modern VR headset could be had for a somewhat reasonable price.
$300 w/ motion controllers seems fair.
Heck, you may have even made a buck or two on flipping the DK1 & DK2.
I think that you'll be MUCH happier with the Acer, plus it'll be a damn nice looking color-match with your motion sim frame too!
Almost exact if I'm not mistaken.

If you haven't checked out my thread lately, my motion rig is DONE and functional!!!!
I've been testing it since Halloween night, and am very pleased with the results so far.

Perhaps over the next little while we can bounce thoughts. ideas, solutions to problems, etc as we learn this stuff together.

Cheers, and congrats on everything coming together!

I'm still not counting my chickens yet as Murphy's Law is always waiting in the wings to stuff me up,
but replacing the pots gave two working ones and it enable me to get the SMCUtility to play nice and
was using the various modes like Sine, Wave, Motion etc to see if I was getting the right outputs and it
did so that is why I reckon that gremlin has gone to bed.
I have only just started to set up SimTools and I have not got that set correctly yet so I am not getting output
to the rig yet and I will just blindly work my way through it as usual.

As for the VR, so far just playing with other stuff that are not racing sims has not given me any motion sickness yet
so I am hopeful that it impact too much and maybe the more that I use it it might train my brain to cope with it all.
I just had a quick look at your build page and from what I saw it has some similarities to my build, like the motors look the same
and your pivot mounts etc look similar as well.
Out of interest what drivers are you using to control your motors and whose sketch as I am thinking if they are similar you might
be able to give some base settings for Simtools config which would save me a lot of headache.
I have LFS working but the how to getting it talking to Simtools is what is buggering me up so far.
I have to admit to having a very short attention/interest span and I often get pissed with stuff and walkaway before I snap especially with things that unfamiliar
to me, but stuff like fabricating and the like I am whizz and get it done in no time, and yet simple electronics and the like always give me grief.

Thanks Noorbeast I will get around to it sometime soon but I have been occupied doing other stuff today and playing with my new VR Headset, then I had ammo to reload for tomorrow's shoot at my pistol club championships.
Being retired is a busy time of life

It sounds like you'll be just fine racing & flying in VR, as the added motion from the rig (if it's done correctly) helps to trick the brain into what you are seeing.
If you're doing well in VR right now without motion, then it should be all the better with it.

Ahhhh, now I see the problem with our previous communication as far as electronics go.
When I mentioned that I'm using JRK's, you may have thought that those are also dependent upon also using an Arduino Uno.
They aren't, as they are an all-in-one solution...you just use one for each motor.

https://www.pololu.com/product/3146





All they require is to use the included configuration utility to set up the communication method, limits, speed, feedback, etc.
It's very intuitive when following the supplied guides and several threads here on X-Simulator.

When I first started the planning of my project I read all lot more horror stories regarding the Arduino/MM/Sabertooth setups vs the JRK ones.
Yeah, it did cost a few bucks more, but it does seem like a simpler solution.

I do have a few Arduino's on hand, so if I do decide to build another rig I may try that route next time of an Ardiuino + Sabertooth setup.

Hopefully you get it all sorted out soon.