Getting Started

As for the dip settings those look right for what I have as dip2 off sets analog feedback from pots.

Now when it comes to these commands you will have to bear with me as I have zero prior experience with motor control and input commands/coding.

As for understanding the "interface" field Ill just write out what I assume it mean and you can correct me where I'm wrong. (1,<Axis1><10>2,<Axis2><10>) so the first "1" identifies motor "1" in the sabertooth then the ",<Axis1>" uses the comma to associate motor "1" with "<Axis1>? As you said if I enter <10> in that same field that just tells the software that a new line starts with new commands?

yes <10> is a new line.
In a windows terminal it is controlled one line at a time. so we need a <10> in between commands.

Right on, that was what I was assuming. Now that I'm home from work I will have to see how the sabertooth/DEScribe software has the "home" location set. Right now it knows the high and low limit through the switches and has the mV range for those as well through the pot so one would think I could set the "origin" or "home" to whatever value between the limits and the controller should know that is "home" from the commands.

Edit: also I was wondering what "bit range" to use in simtools. I contacted dimension engineering and they said it will accept up to 32bit range. In their documentation for "packetized serial" with the sabertooth it shows 7 different commands in "independent mode" but 17 total which include 6 "mixed mode" commands and 4 setting commands?

Edit2: Also working on getting Assetto and Rfactor2 to play nice with simtools and get virtual axis feedback, nothing yet, still trying options.

Edit3: Seems my g27 will no longer interacts with rfactor2 after using simtools with it again....hmmmmmm wondering if a game reinstall might do it. (Reinstall didn't seem to work which is odd since assetto corsa and netKar still function fine, might try deleting the controller .ini and letting rfactor make a new one)

Edit:4 yup seems to have been bad controller.ini files, got steering working in game again.

Alright so I have gotten the wheel to work again with all the games I have, and on top of that while playing rfactor2 in windowed mode with the virtual axis panel in view I could see "slight" movement of the roll and pitch sliders. So I believe I have simtools grabbing the game info properly, I just have to see now If the commands in the interface field are correct by seeing if I can get motion in the test rig.

I'm still a little unsure as to what units simtools is putting out and how I should define the saber/kangoo combo units, they are x=y in the DEScribe software with the "x" being the user defined value and "y" being mV from the pot feedback i believe. Any help on this would be awesome. You guys are making this possible for me

P.S the new skin for rc_1 is nice

First of you may find the Min Max values in the tuning centre to be a little high, these can be changed to suit your simulator (Test Bed)
Second Sim Tools sends the value in 8 bit 0 - 255, so the x value <Axis> will be a value between this and uses 63 as the centre point.
Other other side if required you can set Output bit range up to 16 bit - 0 - 65 536 with a centre of 65536/2. All depending on your needs.

Feeling a little over my head atm

Here are some pics of the DEScribe software where I can enter my limits and units and the fields I have filled out in simtools and gathered from rfactor for tuning.
In the range field it should be "mV" from the pot feedback and not degrees as I have labeled. At the moment I can't seem to get any motion from the motors in output testing.



Again my lack of knowing anything code related is becoming obvious.

Edit: with the command you are talking about 0-255 it seems they are "simplified serial" from what I have read in the kangaroo/saber manual. Right now though I have the saber dips set to 1 and 2 off for a "128" address in packetized mode which is what the DEScribe software said to use? In the saber manual it says that a dip setting of 1 on and 2 off gives "simplified" mode and 4 off give it a baud rate of 9600.

Edit2: This is from the saber manual in its section on "simplified serial mode"

Well feeling like a stranger in a far away land that is code and hex digits I think I am making some progress. After downloading a usb analyzer and seeing what is output by simtools to my usb port that is going to the ttl converter I believe I have found how its communicating. It seems that in the hex string of 8 pairs of digits (00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00) the second pair and seventh pair start at "7F" which is 127 in decimal form, the second and seventh pair are what change and I can assume are associated with each axis since when I move either axis 1 or 2 the second and seventh sets change value. Now these go from "00" on one end of travel with a decimal value of 0, to "7F" its midpoint and decimal value 127 and up to "FF" which is decimal 255, my thoughts as to why the software is not working with the kangaroo is that over the hex string if this is all truly working in "Packetized serial mode" then the sabertooth gets commands for motor 1 with decimal values between 1-127 and motor2 get its from 128-255.

Again the lack of experience here is a hurdle and Im trying to understand how to get the axis testing panel to actually move my motors as this is the last step I need before tweaking and actual setup can begin.

Thx for any replies.

I feel it needs to be sent in decimal not binary like selected in game engine , Interface Settings.

Just tried what you suggested, unfortunately nothing. Hmmmmm there is data being sent to com3 with the analyzer the kangaroo/saber just doesn't seem to want to work with it.

Hi, eorobbie
I am trying to connect my saber 2x12 with with kangaroo, can you please help me??
How did you connect USB serial converter to the kangaroo??
How did you connect POTS to the kangaroo??
Is any how you can sent to me some photos then i can have look how you connected them.
Thanks

this is contained in their own pdf, talking to developer on what we have set wrong. Maybe a little interface app is needed but they did say they looking into it, I actually dont have my sabertooth yet, damn it. Sorry fella's but we will get there.

Ok, Th problem i am getting Simtool (Game engine) is not recognising the kangaroo interface.
so i don't know how i am get it work, any help?? thanks

I did try ALL Output but i don't see any positive results

Hey Brighton, I have been having the same connectivity issues with the kangaroo and simtools.

I don't know what the stance is on what I'm about to say but, the "X-sim" software seems to recognize the saber/kangaroo combo and last night I was able to get rFactor2 bumpin my test setup.

I will say xsim seems to be a little more complicated in the settings but it did seem to see the kangaroo in the outputs section and it took the auto tune measurements.

The pot hookups are shown on page6 of the manual http://www.dimensionengineering.com/datasheets/KangarooManual.pdf
The middle pin of your pot goes to (A) on the kangaroo and the outer pins of the pot go to "5v" and "B" respectively.

Also wondering if there was a cheap or free software tool that might be recommended for chair/frame design, cad and sketchUP are options I suppose?

I started out with a really cheap software called DesignCad 3d. It got my feet wet and allowed me to learn many things. I think it sells for 20.00 USD. The drawback is of course that moving to a more full featured software requires learning how to do the same things all over again. I jumped to Solidworks (Student Edition), huge difference.

As to recommending X-Sim, some might be annoyed but if it helps another XSimulator.net member get their rig up and running than I see no problem with that. We are here to help each other in any way we can. But hopefully we can figure out a way to get both of you working with SimTools soon.

For beginners I would recommend sketckup, plus we now have documentation thanks to value1 on linking this to simtools to show motion in your model too.

For sure Historiker, this is a proof of concept for me that the saber/kangaroo combo actually works and can do in game data. I really like Simtools and hope I can be of any use to help get it working with the kangaroo as it was a really nice platform.

The chair design and layout is what I can full into now which is why I asked about the software, I'll check out design cad like you said, maybe they have a demo or limited use I could try.

Again love what you guys are doing, that's why I'm here.

Edit: eaorobbie, I did not know this. Is it a new development or in a thread I can check out?

Edit2: again sorry if it sounded like a recommendation, it was just an attempt to see if it was interface recognition in the software or not, I really don't mean to cause a fuss.

No fuss mate they just using what i had done previously , nothing new, busy on the Sim Tools manual then I can focus on getting the Kangaroo right here.
Link to Value1 post http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/how-to-connect-simtools-to-sketchup.4828