Showroom FlyPT - 6DOF Brushless DIY Actuators

Have you tired closing the mover software and then relaunching it between steps 10 and 11? maybe when the ESP32 is disconnected and mover closed also go into device manager and rescan all devices then try steps 2 to 7. Seems to be an issue with the disconnect of the ESP32 or closing of the Mover software.

Been out all day, I will take a better look at this tomorrow, but are you sure the switch is good? Also try replacing or swap the level shifters.

Hi pmvcda, just want to let you know that I am seriously impressed by your 6DoF, and moreover by the extensive documentation that gives starting builders like me a change of ever realizing a proper simulator. So keep up the good work!

Hi pmvcda

Awesome build you have here.
I have decided to built a 6dof simulator. based of your design.
I have a few questions.

As i can find alot of cheap 4000W Cisco PSU in 48VDC i was thinking about changing the BLDC motors to the 48VDC version of the same motor you are using that Nanotec have made.
Can you see anything in your electrical setup that would become a problem with 48VDC instead of 24VDC ?

Also, are you still using the batteries ?
or did you find a way to protect yor PSU ?

If the batteries are required, how are they connected to the supply?, is it just directly in parallel with the PSU or do you have some kind of chargeing circuit between?

I think there's no problem, the controller goes up to 50V and 45A peak. Just stay under the 45A peak in the motor.
Are you speaking of the DB80 range?

My rig works without batteries.
But with the batteries, I get more punch, because all motors at the same time going up is to much for my 3000W 125A PSU. My motors can ask for 40A peak each, so that for 6 it's 240A peak for all the rig.
The batteries help, besides protecting the PSU.
I just connected them in series, and then in parallel with the PSU. Might put something to charge them with a switch. Still something I need to do.
I have a diode to protect the PSU. Look at the schematic in the first page. They are next to the controllers, one for each controller. In reality, I mounted just one.
I need to update that schematic.

Hi @pmvcda,

My rig is coming along, cut the steel for the base and the Ali for the top but a slightly different design.

Currently printing the actuator parts and waiting some more parts to be delivered from china, it's a serious amount of printing time.

Will start my own build thread soon to document the small changes I have made.

Just to note, the resistor setup for the switches on the first page is incorrect as having looked at it in more detail you're making a voltage divider so the resistor going from ground to the green wire (NC switch) should actually be going from the yellow wire resistor to ground with the green wire coming off in between them. I've updated the wiring diagram below to reflect this. (Hope you don't mind).

If anyone is having issues with the min max switches please try this resistor setup.

Thanks

Thank's, I will update the drawing in my post.
It's working in my rig, I just made the drawing wrong!

Thx for the reply

Its a new version of the DB59


But now im in a big dilemma if i should go the same way as you, or wait a bit a try the odrives.

@pmvcda
I've decided after doing quite a bit of soldering and been left with a bit of a mess I might get a couple of PCBs made up. Could you possibly reshare you files as they don't seem to be available anymore.

Also @Gabor Pittner are you able to share your files yet or are you still tweaking them?

Very much appreciated and about half way through printing all my parts, made a few modifications though due to using Chinese bits and different sized aluminium extrusion so needed M6 bolts.

I designed the PCB board with Eagle by Autodesk. I share all files with you in attachement:
It is tested and works correctly. I use it already.

Thanks for your great schematic. Having difficulties getting my home made board to run properly so I might get a few using your design. Quick question - What are the 'controller' sockets for vs the 'actuator' sockets? Having difficulty reconciling the general FlyPT drawing and your design.

So just trying to get to the bottom of this and get the firmware to run. I have wired directly through a couple of level converters just the one motor(actuator). When the ESP is reset the board goes through its startup sequence then attempts to home the motor. It starts rotation (ive slowed in the firmware to see direction better) towards what should be the min microswitch but the switch does not activate the calibration/reverse the motor. Pressing the top micro switch immediately stops the motion but does not appear to calibrate anything.

I have triple checked the wiring and is all as per the schematic - with the voltage divider sorted on the switches. I have tried different level converters and no joy. Mover connects with the ESP however the debug calibration values dont seem to change and there is no control over the motor despite the debug numbers rising and falling when the actuators are moved.

Here is a video to show what is happening. Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Are you using the latest code?
Please review the switch schematic! Take a look at this: https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...hless-diy-actuators.10799/page-26#post-192260

Thanks for the reply. So the code on the first page of the thread (6-02-2019) seems to hang with a solid blue light on the board. The code I was using was version 11 (27-10-2019) which has the problem as shown in the video. The switches are wired according to the 'new' schematic that has been modified to show correct voltage divider function and they test properly with a multimeter. I have also written a quick sketch in Arduino IDE to verify it is getting the data correctly and it shows that with the max switch pressed it is returning 4095 on the ADC and 0 with min pressed. It sits midway with no switches pressed.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Is there any kind of serial debug I can access to see what is happening during calibration not just the values from Mover. Also if I run the Arduino IDE serial monitor It just shows the standard ESP boottime info:

rst:0x1 (POWERON_RESET),boot:0x13 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
configsip: 0, SPIWP:0xee
clk_drv:0x00,q_drv:0x00,d_drv:0x00,cs0_drv:0x00,hd_drv:0x00,wp_drv:0x00
modeIO, clock div:1
load:0x3fff0018,len:4
load:0x3fff001c,len:1044
load:0x40078000,len:8896
load:0x40080400,len:5816
entry 0x400806ac

Many Thanks

I use 10pin com port connectors both for actuators and for motor drivers. Every channel have two connectors in parallel connection.
I used 2-ports com port ribbon cable to actuators like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-port-Mot...445443?hash=item2aa2a67943:g:3g8AAOxyQyJRm5yL

I use them for motor controllers too but cut the RS232 connectors. The RS232 connector is used for actuator side, and the ribbon is used for motor controllers. Between the controller box and actuators I used nullmodem cables. You can see the wire colors order in the pictures below.

Thanks so much for clarifying Gabor. I am getting some of your PCBs made up and hopefully can get to the bottom of the issues i'm having. Still not quite sure why its not calibrating. I have tried a different controller and ESP board too.

Please, make sure you are using this code: https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...hless-diy-actuators.10799/page-18#post-186795

I need to review this thread and update the first posts. Not much time between work and Mover updates... Sorry.

Thanks so much. I thought i'd read through this thread pretty carefully but pages 18-20 saved the day - you even wrote some neat test code for the switches and motor movement would have saved me some time yesterday! I was testing just 1 actuator so needed to set 1 actuator in the code settings section. I know you're a super busy chap but if you get a chance, maybe worth adding to a troubleshooting section on the first page - obviously mover is the priority!

I am looking to use the beefier NEMA 34 48V 86BLF03 motor (http://www.promoco-motors.com/products/BLDC/86BLF Series.pdf) so will test that now. It uses the same controller. I shall be running SFU1610 so hope the resolution will be ok - the speed certainly will be!!

You have 8 poles and 3 phases, more than my 6 poles and 3 phases.
But with the 1610, you loose resolution.

I have 18 steps per revolution in a 1605 ball screw, that's 5/18 mm = 0.28mm
You have 8*3=24 steps per revolution that's 10/24=0.416mm

@ rated 3000rpm you have 500mm/s,
I have rated 3500rpm that give me 291mm/s

Honestly, don't know if it's worth the extra speed. But it's up to you.

Hi Flypt ,

I finished my pneumatic actuator znd i have the same issue .

- i've got the latest fw
- i connected the limit switch as gabor said and it works ( your shematics doens't work )

when i connect the esp and when starting the calibration following what happens :
1- the actuator goes to the minimum switch ( the one according the schematics with 3 wires )
2-when hitting the switch the motor won't stop so ... damned ahahah emergency
3- when making another calibration and before hitting the min switch I activate the max switch , the motor stops and nothing happens .

Thanks for any help