How to expand a 3DOF to a 4DOF using x 2 Arduino Uno R3's and 4 IBT-2 H bridges using SMC3? RESOLVED

@Rico Mortis and @noorbeast hang on guys. Maybe you just need to save each single SMC3 utilities setup under it's own comport location. example:- For pitch and roll motors, setup an SMC3 program with it's comport configured to the corresponding arduino with a working profile and save it. This will save that config to that arduino's eprom. Then open SMC3 again and setup parameters for the surge and yaw motors with that arduino's comport location changed in the ini file. These settings get saved to the arduino's eprom chip so that should then be seen by Sim Tools via the interface one and interface two axis allocations. I don't know if this will work as I'm still not up to this step yet (another couple of days away from finishing the new wiring for the 4 motors) but this is what I just thought of. Hope I'm making some sense. I could be completely wrong about how Sim Tools uses the SMC3 PWM and PID parameters saved into the arduino's.

@noorbeast hearing you on that one. That kind of confirms what i was saying. You need to set your SMC3 ini file com port location up individually for each arduino with its SMC3 PWM and PID params for those two motors saved in that SMC3 profile, save and close. Then open SMC3 again with the different ini file com port location assigned to the second arduino. Again, setup PWM AND PID params for those two motors, save and close SMC3. Then setup interface one and interface two accordingly in Sim Tools so Sim Tools uses the two saved SMC3 params via the two arduino eproms. I think thats how it will work.

i can make a copy of smc3 and add the correct ports to each but if i double click on one when the other is running it wont run 2 simultaneously?
is this normal?
if i make a copy adding the correct port so i can set up the motors does it just run both n the background when needed by simtools?

i have 2 copies of smc3 on desktop one for com 4 and one for com 6.
interface 1 on com 6 works fine in interface set up testing and in plugin.
interface 2 on com 4 which is set up identically in interface settings bar com port number wont work at all..
motors are working fine in smc3 set up.
i have allowed the firewall access as requested when firing up smc3 for the 1st time..

if im reading it correctly should i be using the same smc3 but saving under a different file name when i set up the ini port number

second ini port

unfortunately the only way you can create another ini file is by creating another complete smc3utils folder
you can create ini in the same folder by changing port number and name but it will only open the first one so you cant set up the other 2 motors that way

sim tools is seeing the com 4 interface it just wont drive the motors

@Rico Mortis i'm not quite up to testing yet so cant answer 100% for sure but! Sim Tools works from the arduino eprom information that is saved after you test and set up your motor PWM and PID loops. Its not SMC3 running in the back ground, its what SMC3 parameters get saved to the arduino's eprom that feeds information to Sim Tools. So you can just use one SMC3 program. You just need to assign the com port location in the SMC3 ini file one at a time. First save the corresponding ini file port location to the arduino that controls your pitch and roll motors. Get the parameters all tested and working, then save them. That writes that info to the arduino eprom memory responible for controlling those two motors (this is what Sim Tools uses from the arduino). Then close SMC3. Then change the SMC3 ini file to the surge and traction loss motors arduino port location (found in device manager). Test, setup and save those SMC3 parameters to that arduino eprom. To summarise. You can only setup two motors at a time using the SMC3 program with different com port allocations changed in the ini file for each arduino. Then in Sim Tools, assign the correct axis (A and B C and D) to interface one and two. Sim Tools will access the saved info on each arduino for pitch, roll, yaw and surge that you setup and saved to each arduino. I think that's how it should work.

I believe you are correct and i had already done this at the start and all the motors worked as they should while in smc3.
its not my first build either, this is my 4th but this one is obviously 4 dof.
i set up the new interface correctly as its the same as the first assigning the 3rd and 4th axis.
interface 1 worked fine in yest settings in simtools, interface 2 didnt work at all.
i have stripped all the wiring back to bare bones now and going to go back to 3dof on one arduino so i atleast have a functioning rig and add 4th axis on a single arduino.
hopefully i have some success..

thank you for your input it really has helped

Good luck @Rico Mortis. I hope you can get it working with the four motors. I just started today to get mine wired up again. Got the SMC3 sketch uploaded to the second arduino tonight. Will fire it up tomorrow and see if I have any luck getting four motors working in SMC3 and then Sim Tools. I'll let you know either way.

HOLY CRAP FIXED IT !!!!!!
I decided to revert back to 3 dof as mentioned and just run the one motor on the one Arduino.
rewired the system back up with 3 motors on the board and got that working again.

The 2nd board i got working in smc3, all good but still nothing from Simtools.
I deleted all interfaces and set one up for the sole motor board set axis as Axis1a and it worked, I then set axis as Axis4a and got nothing. tried 2a 3a still nothing.
it appears that the system senses how many motors are connected to the arduino so you cant add Axis motors that aren't there..
i then set up a new interface using Axis assignments B, put sole motor on AxisB1 Voila it works!!!!
you can only use Axis A,B and C on an Arduino as there are only 3 outputs.. so set 2 motors on assignments A and 2 on assignments B and you should be good
In test settings on either A assignments or B you can still test all 4 Dof's from there..

Be sure to use the surge axis on your a and b axis as it will give you a kick on gear change in high powered cars and lifts and drops the front under acceleration and braking all adding to the surge Dof.
changed my motor for a newer one today and it feels loads better.
you dont want too much play on your surge motor shaft and keep the lever short, mines about 80mm roughly from motor shaft to push rod.
thanks again for the help regarding smc3 etc
regards Rico

@Rico Mortis. This is great news Rico! Thanks for sharing your findings. I am just in the middle of testing all my motors with SMC3 today setting up all their PWM and PID allocations. I hope by the end of the day I will be able to test in Sim Tools. I will read through your experiment again to better understand what you are saying and what you have found. Thanks so much for posting the Sim Tools interface pictures. Very helpful person you are! Hey Rico, I would love to see a picture or a video of your 4DOF. That would be great to check it out.

no problem
just remember Axis assignments A represents one Arduino and B another, C would be a 3rd
you can only use axis 1 2 and 3 on each as Arduino only has 3 outputs

Thanks for the heads up. I have decided today I will be ditching the IBT-2 controllers and replacing them with x 2 2 x 32 sabretooths controllers. I am researching the necessary wiring and code needed for them to work with the 4DOF. It looks to be similar to running with the IBT-2's