AMC1280USB Motion Simulator Controller

Hi @Thanos thank you very much your quick answer. I used 3m usb extender cabel so you can be right. Really good idea. Thank you too @hexpod as you always help me.

But @Thanos you said me some weeks ago you are working on a circuit or a solution to bi-directional control to sabertooth. I would be very happy to get AMC board be safe with analog control finally

I'm working on prototype for that, I'll need to implement a bit a code for that. It will have a micro that its only job will be to translate 6 bidirectional inputs to 6 unidirectional. Most likely I'll use 32bit micro with hardware functions, to avoid having latency issues. It will be powered by same source as Sabetooth, to be always on the same time.

Thanks
Thanos

I have to say now it works with sabertooth for me. AMC1280USB with fw3.5, and hexpod 2.4. Im not finished to configure anything, but the motion can be smooth and hard enough too. Now I try to find the perfect PID config, and simtools axes tuning. Still I lost motion details a lot, for example tiny road effects. When I succeed I will make some video about it.

You can try to keep your P relatively high and simply apply less smoothing filter on heave effect in comparison to all others.
This way you should be able to choose the amount of road details you wish.

Cheers.

First attempt with AMC1280USB v3.5 analog control to sabertooth and using with hexpod v2.4. Its my first experience in motion cockpit ever.
Its getting better. PCars2, pimax 5k+

Wow, such a reactive 6DOF. Good job.

Its not far off for first time! It's motion quality is highly comparable to linear servomotor platforms:

Really well done for your first sim . Looks to be a power supply, or Motor driver 'brown out' near the end of the video. Maybe those Sabertooth 2 x 32 are on the edge of their limits . I know @SilentChill originally had 2 x 32 on his 6DOF and then upgraded to 2 x 60, which is what I also went with when I gave up on the MMs.

At the end of this video I crashed with some car in Monza first shicane, and I made a pirouette with formula renault on the air, The platform touched a bit on the first motor gear. I need to modify limit angles on hexpod interface. That time it was 170degrees... I think its too many
Anyway I think this configuration is strong enough. But the next days tell more...

@Gabor Pittner ,
Glad to see this compact and silent solution. The motion looks precise and very dynamic. I would definitely give a try applying some surge on pitch axis in order to simulate sustained accel/decel feeling.

If you try it, apply a big smoothing filter on this effect. Of course you may want to do the same with roll and sway for centrifuge forces.

Yes absolutelly agree, As I have never experienced this, it was my first thougt that something wasn't good enough with acceleration and decceleration. When I push the brake it comes a nice force to feel the brake, but it disappeares as fast as it comes. It caused me a bit of sickness in my stomach.
You know I haven't done axis tuning, or any of tweaking yet. I also need more roll effect in curves to feel centripetal force.
The next step I learn how to do that

I am just curious... what is the nominal torque limit of those motors? Could they handle 150mm crank levers instead of 100mm?

@Gabor Pittner ,
170 deg. You’re probably talking about a limiter for platform/leg angle. Exceeding 180 deg. the platform would collapse and lock mechanically being unable to produce any further movement.

This is there as a security for rigs with a big displacement capabilities.

They are about 70NM, 24V 490W motors with Rotomotive BOX050 1:60 wormgear. They are really strong but I dont think they handle bigger crank than 100mm.

Yes Im talking about leg angle limiter. I thought if I set it about 160 degree I would avoid hitting front motors.

Yes, maybe you’re right. The jump from 100 to 150mm would be more or less equivalent as putting a 70kg person on your laps. (Supposing you’re 90kg and all hanging cockpit parts are 50kg.)

If you experience mechanical collisions, you have to limit your platform by reducing the dof’ displacements in « limit Axis Intensities » column.

Cheers

180 means that one leg and the platform are on the same plane. I am not sure you can solve your issue like that. See if you can deal with Intensities.

yeah I Know he's back :-(
Was making some decent progress with Firmware 2.4 & actuator testing ,so then thought now is the time to try 3.5 V 1b. well mr ham fisted may have bricked my AMC cos now the LCD screen just shows top row of Characters as fully lit Squares with no comms to PC and No text at any point on the screen , I came across a Video @Thanos Posted and it looks like Bootloader Corrupted .. see attached Photo ....

Honest guys I have uploaded firmware several times now and had No issues but this time I think I accidently knocked the programming Jumper at the wrong point in the process or pressed a button out of sequence so im Buggered ..

so once again im asking for advice as to how to get my Butt outta jail one more time ( For now that is )

was trying to Connect to FlyPThexpod and realised I was using 2.4 Firmware so that's when the change / Mistake on my part occurred .

Any help guys would really be appreciated . note if this Board survives my Attemps to kill it I mean set it up then take that as a good thing Cos im not doing it on purpose

Hi Guys Problem sorted , @Thanos to the rescue , so just wanted to say Public thanks for putting up with my adventures. Firmware update now done , LCD back up and running , Full text on screen ,,,one piece of bacon saved .. might have been another cant see the wood for the trees moment But Happy to say I can continue to play

Hi @Thanos Now one little request ..can you post a vid of Encoder2pos with Optical encoder , -Amc barebones running with either Simtools , BFF or FlyPThexpod & showing rapid Movement left to right without encoder losing synch ,,

Beg Beg Please ... my set up works but rapid movement seems to Confuse Encoder output ?? and so actuator looses Position range or calibrated center.

Once its lost signal Calibration center or the calibrated range changes, then bad things could happen (Saved many times by Latching relay power cut off cct ) when i check the physical position of the actuator the analogue output count seems to usually wrong

Also when i check the AMC LCD analog Voltages on RHS of LCD it indicates the actuator should be in the middle of its travel range but its Not ?

I checked all the mechanical fittings < Couplers to Ballscrew and Motors and Optical Encoder and None are loose . its as though there was some mechanical slip But the fittings are all Tight ..

Also as im now driving 6 Optical Encoders , Uln2803a Limit switch pcb and 5V limit switch trigger relays , should i have a -7 to 12V Psu to feed extra current into the AMC128USB Controller?

So Far i have seen this same Situation ref Lost Position while doing Manual Actuator testing using Bff 6DOF and FlyPTHexpod . Im heading up to try simtools Via FlyPTHexpod to see if the problem repeats ..

I Noticed in one of your tutorial Videos You had a OLED display connected to the Encoder to Pos to read Live encoder info could you publish the Schematic of how you'd make one of these or can i check the Encoder Via Ard iDE monitor live whilst its running BFF, Simtool Or FlyPt ?
in each case once the count is scrambled the actuator position is different to the position demand Cursors for manual Position testing in the above mentioned Utilities

Yeah Yeah I know Long Post but i'll get there in the end