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Question Simtools with DCS strong shaking issue

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Projects' started by Lechtej, Jan 27, 2025.

  1. Lechtej

    Lechtej DCS 2dof sim for VR

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    Dear Sim Builders,

    This is my first post in this forum, so couple of words about my project.

    I am aviation enthusiast and currently I an virtually flying in DCS on VRs.
    About 3 weeks ago I realized that it will be great to build own 2dof platform.

    Based on your knowledge and dozens of posts I have started to make my own setup.

    Now I faced with Simtool - DCS problem - my rig is shaking dramaticly - please find below details of my setup, and on the bottom my issue description.

    MY SETUP;
    1. RIG is made from 4040 alu profiles
    2. Motors - 200 watt 12V 24Amp for wheelchair (at the begining I use 2 VW Golf wiper motors, but they overheated)
    3. Arduino UNO SMC3
    4. IBT-2 - to for every motor with rebuilded cooling radiators. At the beginning I used one IBT2 per one motor, now based on forum tip I have 2 IBT-2 for one motor.
    5. SIMTOOLS V2 and V3 - DIY License
    6.
    7. Seat is made from MDF for B737, but prepared for rig (without bottom part and made it very light). Still is not ready - I am waiting for foam parts.

    MY ISSUE
    I try to use my RIG in DCS but the it is strongly shaking.
    Currently I try to set it up only on ROLL axis - and it is moving - swinging from left to right.
    a. I have windows 10 - english US is installed and use as a main language.
    b. I have DCS plugin for Simtools 2 - DCS_Exp_GamePlugin v0.10
    c. Latest version of Simtools 2
    d. I tryed to connect pin 8 in AD UNO - but i thing this solution is for sabretooth, not for IBT-2
    e. Shaking apears in output testing too.
    f. In SMC3 utils I tryed several setting with load (myself - 85kilograms). In SMC3 motors are working smooth.
    I tryed to change a lot of Simtools settings - related to axis, tuning center - and also I tryed to change SMC3 settings. Nothing helped

    I stack after check hints and tips described in treads i fount in this forum - so finally I need your help.
    Here I attached screenshots, but rest - pictures and movies I have to add from my smartphone - asap.

    Attached Files:

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  2. Lechtej

    Lechtej DCS 2dof sim for VR

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    And more documentation

    Attached Files:

  3. Lechtej

    Lechtej DCS 2dof sim for VR

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    And finally movie - firs part: shakinkg, second: smc3
  4. Joe Cortexian

    Joe Cortexian Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF
    Do you have filters set up in SimTools? This can reduce or eliminate what I think you are describing. You sort of expect flight to be silky smooth but for sim racing there can be some very sudden moves.
  5. Lechtej

    Lechtej DCS 2dof sim for VR

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    Hello Joe,
    I tested three filters with different values:
    Smoothing
    Deadzone
    Boundary.

    What is weird for me, if more smoothing than more shaking.
  6. Joe Cortexian

    Joe Cortexian Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF
    What are the servo parameters? Do you have other games that work?
  7. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    Is Roll the only axis configured in Axis Assignments and did you Capture the Min/Max values in the Tuning Center?

    You also seem to have Filters in use, my advice is to treat Filters as the last tuning step, after all other issues are sorted, so don't use them until then, just default settings.
  8. Lechtej

    Lechtej DCS 2dof sim for VR

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    Good idea to check other games. I haven't rallye game, but first I trye to setup X-Plane.
  9. Lechtej

    Lechtej DCS 2dof sim for VR

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    Hello Noorbeast,

    I tryed to use all forces except yaw with percentage from 10% to 100% , but maybe much more important is that during output test the axis movement is not smooth at all.
    Then I setup only one force - means roll.
    I realized that the % of force in axis assignement has an influence for decreasing shaking.
    Result: 10% very violent movements during the swipe the bar left or right - when 100% still violent movement but much smoother.

    At the evening I will start from scratch and I will make movies with every steps.

    One thing - at the beginning I setup in SMC3 low values PWmax and PWrev (initial setup), then rig movements in Simtools was smoot and nice.
    But ater I put heavy load (myself - 85 kilograms) on the seat i had to increase PWmin, PWmax and PWrev to have enough power to move the rig from the extreme/max left-right position, than those shaking has started.

    The same story was in my previous wiper motors.
    I also replaced IBT-2 and then I duplicated them for every motor.

    Maybe is an hardware issue - I can replace Arduino UNO to Arduino MEGA - currenrly I have one MEGA at home - but I have to find code for this AD model.
  10. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    If you suspect possible hardware issues first try a shorter lever CTC distance and see if that makes a difference.

    If you are using SMC3 keep in mind it was specifically written for the Uno.
  11. Aerosmith

    Aerosmith Active Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, AC motor
    Before trying games or combined movements I'd test the motors with a pure sinusodial stimulus with different frequencies and amplitudes. For example, try 0.5Hz full stroke, 1Hz half stroke and 2Hz quarter stroke and so on. If there are any abrupt mevements or resonances you can find out without influence of the game or filters.
  12. Lechtej

    Lechtej DCS 2dof sim for VR

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    Thanks,

    I already shortend levers - not registered by photos. My engines are a little bit worm - 36-40 degree celcius after working with load.

    I bought new Arduino UNO - so I stop thinking about AD Mega;)
    • Like Like x 1
  13. Lechtej

    Lechtej DCS 2dof sim for VR

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    Thanks,
    I have to find out more about it - can I make it via SMC3 utils? If yes I set up different Hz value and under 20Hz sounds of motors was quite strange.
  14. Joe Cortexian

    Joe Cortexian Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF
    is there a way to change sin wave in SMCUtils or do you have some other utility?
  15. Lechtej

    Lechtej DCS 2dof sim for VR

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    I have SMC.

    Dear All - thanks for your effort and help.

    I think I solved my issue by installing Simtools 3 - plugin for serial interface for V3 had some bug fixes yesterday (language issue).
    Everything works properly in SIMTYOOLS 3- only it requires some optimizing. now I use all forces for 2dof. I only don't know, what about extra forces - but I will find out more soon;)

    Before I used Simtools 2 , I tryed to setup Simtools 3 without current knowledge - like language issue - in fact I thought that it is only related to SIMTOOLS V2. One week ago I cannot set almost nothing - even parking position did some unexpected behaviors.
    Today everythings works fine - but my issue in SIMTOOLS 2 in fact is still a mystery.

    Please find below links for testing rig in V3 - under V3 I also made some changes in SMC3 utils (for V2 nothing helped).
    1. Still exists problem in Simtools 2 - but I will not go back to Simtools V2

    2. SMC3

    3. SIMTOOLS3 and DCS plugin

    4. SIMTOOLS 3 and DCS with heavy load (only roll and pitch)
    • Like Like x 1