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Smc3 issues

Discussion in 'Electronic and hardware generally' started by Richardamo1, Apr 22, 2023.

  1. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    Hi guys
    Well 6 hours later and my 1st demo run did not go so well.
    I really am struggling to set up the smce utilities and get the correct file in the sketchpad.
    Problem is I keep downloading the smc3 files and although I have the correct comm port in notepad when smc3 opens the comm port is wrong.

    My head is completely done for now,just going around in circles.

    Does someone have an idiot proof tutorial for setting up a sketchpad folder and getting smc3 installed

    My rig info is as follows
    2x 12vdc motors from motion dynamics
    2x ibt 2
    2x dps1200 server psu
    2x 180 degree hall pots
    Arduino uno 20230422_173717.jpg 20230422_173724.jpg 20230422_173731.jpg
  2. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    Have you set the correct Arduino IDE Board: Tools > Board > Arduino AVR Boards > Board > Boards Manager
    [​IMG]

    And Arduino IDE comport: Tools > Port
    [​IMG]
  3. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    Yes all good
    So now have one motor working as expected.
    Unfortunately motor 2 is not playing ball.
    If I move the pot by hand I get an expected signal.
    When connected and say on sine it just stays flat it does not move the motor or try to track the sine at all.

    Any ideas would be much appreciated 20230422_214605.jpg
  4. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    If one motor works and the other does not then first check the wiring.

    If the wiring seems OK swap the hardware from one motor to the other and report if the problem follows or not.
  5. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    OK so on motorc2 if I just push it up a little it will rotate until it goes over the trip.
    And if I re-enter it and push down on the lever it will rotate downwards until it hits the trip
    Then I just reset the lever to the middle and press motor 2 on...
    Same thing nothing happens unless I move the lever
  6. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    Are you sure the pot is properly centered on that motor?

    Disconnect the power from the motor.

    Disconnect the pot from the motor.

    Rotate the pot by hand while watching the SMC3 graph to ensure it is centered.

    Reconnect the pot and then motor power.
  7. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    Screenshot_20230422-224650_Chrome.jpg
    Ok so double checked wiring ..all ok
    But ..in the picture below ,when uploading mode 2 there is also some other text below the mode 2 paragraph,does that have to be modified as well?

    If so what numbers in the sketch are they
  8. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    Yup all works as expected when the pot is disconnected and is centered as well for sure
  9. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
  10. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    OK guys I'm now 15 hours in and no closer to finding the fault.
    I have 1 motor running on my 2 dof mock up rig all ok...
    But the 2nd motor is no go...
    I have swapped power supplies,ibt2 over,potentiometers over and still no go.

    I have included my sine of both motors ,one motor tracks great the other has a solid green line.
    The green line for the pot moves fine if I move it by hand,I get the expected results.
    Unless I have dodgy code the only other thing is maybe the arduino uno maybe.

    Any help at this point would be great fully received 20230423_135600.jpg 20230423_135528.jpg 20230423_085627.jpg 20230423_135600.jpg 20230423_135528.jpg 20230423_085627.jpg 20230422_173731.jpg
  11. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    When you swapped hardware did the problem follow or not?
  12. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    No.
    I have now swapped the 12v motors from one side to the other.
    So the motor curcuit that was all good and working,I just connected the pos and neg wires to the motors over and swapped the pots as well.
    Same result.

    You would think motor maybe,but across 12v it goes fine..
  13. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    Did you swap the IBT2s side to side and is the Arduino genuine?
  14. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    yup ibt side to side and yes genuine,
    im now considering a potential motor failure ,when testing it will not move under sine or manual ,if i just nudge the lever it has tension on it ,just like voltage is holding it but not moving it,if i nudge the lever on the motor a little bit more it will rotate until it goes outside clips
  15. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    You indicated that you had swapped the pots, did the issue follow, and was that independent of any other changes?
  16. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    Nope ,fault still stayed on the same motor,
    Will get another uno 3 tommorow and just try it...
    Beyond that I'm out of ideas
  17. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    If you have exchanged each bit of hardware side to side individually and the problem remains then that does sound like a wiring or Arduino fault.
  18. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    Agreed,I will pick one up tommorow ,and see how it goes,
    Thanks for all your input
    • Like Like x 1
  19. Richardamo1

    Richardamo1 Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino, JRK, Motion platform
    OK new uno board ...still no go.
    I am totally out now,is it possible there's a code error?
    motor 1 works fine.
    As I say there is some sort of holding voltage on motor 2 its just not reacting at all.
    Have checked wiring again and us all good,even checked continuity between single wires all good

    Help..
  20. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

    Joined:
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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    The code has been used by heaps of people so the only change that could affect it is any you have made. But to be sure you can download and install the SMC3 code again.

    Can you check the voltage output with a multi-meter, to be sure power is supplied as it should be to te motor that is giving trouble.