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Laptop Freezes/Lags when powering BTS7960 (DIY FFB Steering Wheel Project)

Discussion in 'DIY peripherals' started by Alansyah, Feb 3, 2026 at 05:16.

  1. Alansyah

    Alansyah New Member

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    Hi everyone,

    I am currently building a DIY Force Feedback Steering Wheel and I’ve run into a major issue where my laptop starts lagging and stuttering heavily as soon as I turn on the power supply for the motor.

    Here is my hardware setup:

    • Microcontroller: Arduino Leonardo

    • Motor Driver: BTS7960

    • Motor: RS 550 DC Motor

    • Encoder: 600 PPR Rotary Encoder

    • Power Supply: 12V 20A

    • Software: EMC Lite

    The Problem:

    When I connect the Arduino via USB (without the external 12V PSU turned on), everything works fine. The software detects the board and the encoder reads correctly.

    However, the moment I switch on the 12V 20A PSU to power the BTS7960 driver, my laptop immediately becomes unstable. The mouse cursor freezes/stutters, and the operating system becomes very laggy. If I turn off the PSU, the laptop returns to normal instantly.

    What I suspect:

    I suspect this is a Ground Loop or heavy EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) noise feeding back into the laptop through the USB cable.

    Questions:

    1. Has anyone experienced this specific lag with the BTS7960 and Arduino Leonardo?

    2. What is the best way to isolate the noise? Would adding ferrite beads or capacitors to the motor terminals help?

    3. Is a USB Isolator necessary in this case?

    Any advice or wiring tips would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks!
    Alansyah, Feb 3, 2026 at 05:16
    #1