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Motors getting stuck after using SimTools Output Testing with SMC3

Discussion in 'SimTools DIY Version' started by gcheydle, Aug 3, 2016.

  1. gcheydle

    gcheydle New Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2016
    Messages:
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    Location:
    Ann Arbor Michigan
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    203Coins
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    +0 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    Hello All,

    I am new to the motion sim scene and my first motion sim just arrived. (A Dynamic Kit Pro) I am in the debugging phase right now and am trying to get it working with my system. I had it running and was testing it in the Output Tester and it seemed to work great. Then I goofed up and moved the cursor past the edge of the window while testing which made the scroll bar snap back to the middle. The motor then got stuck at it's maximum position and won't move from there. I then used the tester more to try and find out what had happened and I managed to lock the other motor up. I restarted Simtools and that fixed one of the motors but not the other. In trying to fix this myself I managed to lock the first motor back up. This time in the minimum position. Now they are both stuck and I can't seem to unstick them. Here's a picture of the final position.

    The kit uses an Arduino Uno with two H bridges and two electric worm gear motors. The Arduino currently has RufusDufus' SMC3 firmware loaded onto it. I used this because that is what the kit maker recommended. The firmware is in mode 2. I used the SMC3 Utility and followed the initial setup steps to initially make the motors behave.

    After this point I have tried in various combination restarting SimTools, restarting the computer, cycling power to the board, cycling power to the motors, reinstalling the Arduino firmware, and messing around with the SMC3 tool. The only fix I have thought of but haven't tried is just applying power directly to a motor to move it away from the max, but that sounds like an excellent way to break the motor or the potentiometer, so I would rather not have to do that.

    My suspicion is that this is some sort of limit issue with the potentiometers where the snap from Max to neutral tripped a safety feature. Do any of you have any idea on how to fix this?
    gcheydle, Aug 3, 2016
    #1
  2. Radioproffi

    Radioproffi Active Member Gold Contributor

    Joined:
    May 15, 2014
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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, DC motor, Arduino, Motion platform, 4DOF, 6DOF
    Hey, why do not you write an e-mail? Download SMC3Utils utility and take a few screenshots.

    Perhaps it is necessary to reduce the value of Max Limits to 10 and Clip Input 100

    In the utility SMC3Utils motors move? You turn off SMC3Utils when run Simtools?
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2016
    Radioproffi, Aug 4, 2016
    #2