My 2dof project for $200 and NO welding (+$100 for Traction Loss + $200 for G-seat)

Ah yes! That's what happens exactly. It turn for maybe a few seconds and stops completely (I didn't check the heatsink temp). I'll try the motor to the known good board. It's great knowing that I'm not the only with this problem. I actually hope it's the board, as that is easier to replace than taking the motor apart. Thank you!

ok! so i tried different configurations and combination of monster moto shield, psu, and motors, and this is the conclusion:

motor1 - has been driven by a GOOD monster moto shield
motor2 - FAULTY monster moto shield - goes backwards slowly, if at all
motor3 - FAULTY monster moto shield - very random in many ways

and the kicker is that i bought the MM boards more than a month ago and therefore cannot return them...
i should have read the forums before, because now i see that many people have had this problem and Noorbeast recommended that we test them out first.
okay, i'll be ordering some boards from Amazon, as they have fast shipping and the return policy is good. also in the meanwhile, i'll be ordering some boards from China -- maybe a handful of the cheapest ones? or should i buy just 2 from a recommended seller?

I would go with this... Maybe 1 china board for testing, but not for the real deal.

here is a pic of my PSU and board placement. wires are everywhere


*SIZZLE* *SMOKE* -- i accidentally fried the ONE good board i had yesterday....
i ordered some more MM boards, and will not be able to do anything until they arrive...

ah yes, sounds good - i'll see how the boards from Amazon do first --- but in the meanwhile, i'll order a cheap one from China as test/backup

Oh noes... This is the worst part on DIY. Awaiting for the darn 1 missing part.

Oh no!!! Ugh, the board issues are so frustrating, it cost me a few weeks early in my build and I'm running through similar issues again now.

I have a few china version dual-chip boards that have one chip that are bad each. I can test and mark what are good on mine and send a couple to you if you are stuck waiting for weeks on china boards, PM me if you are interested - should be able to get them to you in a couple days

What a generous man you are! pretty awesome

ah, if the MM boards coming my way all fail, i might have to go this route

does anyone know if these boards are any more reliable than the MMs?

IBT-3 DC 50A Stepper Motor Driver H-Bridge:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBT-3-DC-5...%3Aa3e3e0ef15f0a7e12a01eb3bfffb65ac%7Ciid%3A1

So Armpit kindly sent me a handful of MM boards, and i also received some boards from Amazon. With a total of 2 double boards and 9 single boards, i was able to find 3 working chips -- so, 3 out of 13, or 23% success rate... it took some time to test all of them, but now i'm finally able to move forward! Thank you Armpit!

Here is the pic of the casualties:


Next is putting heat sinks on them and wiring them up -- the finish line is in sight!

Glad I could help progress move forward, I'm really excited to see it move sometime soon!

Hi
Very nice your project. Have you fix the problems?Do you have a result? Can you tell me Which Arduino code do you use? I have a 2dof and want a traction less to.

Hello! the heat sinks are on, and the wiring is done, and it works! now i need to put the pots on
The code I used for Arduino is the SMC3 that Illuis directed me to prior:
https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...3dof-motor-driver-and-windows-utilities.4957/

i hope your traction-loss addition works out well without problems

HEEELLLPPP!

i put the pots on using J & B weld to the screws that i installed on the wiper motors, and everything from SMC3 utilities is working great!
HOWEVER, after installing Simtools, and installing the Assetto Corsa plugin, i CANNOT get the Traction Loss to work.
here is what happens:

- Surge, Sway, etc. all work fine on the 2dof wiper motors, and i can drive without problems in-game and feel all the forces.
- When i put "Extra1" for Axis 3, the Output Testing works flawlessly when i move the slide "Extra1", however, in-game, nothing happens
- When i put "Extra1", "Extra2", and "Extra3" under Axis 3, the Traction Loss motor goes crazy and random in-game. For example, it moves when i shift gears, and also moves randomly, like it's fighting itself at times.
- This also happens when I put on just "Extra2" -- the craziness is there in-game.
- When i put "Yaw" as the force on Axis 3, it works perfectly.

I noticed that on the plugin, it says, "Extra1 - Traction Loss LV", "Extra2 - Traction Loss V18", and "Extra3- Traction Loss Direction" (you can see it in the picture)
hmmmmm... which one is the right one, and how do i use these functions?

My super-low budget rig works better than I expected! I still can’t get traction loss to work, but that is a software problem (which hopefully I can solve later). I tried driving with Assetto Corsa using the first low-powered car in Career Mode, and my impressions for my rig was “Meh…”, and I regretted spending all that time making it. However, after adjusting the Axis values, I tried the low-powered car and thought, “not bad.” Finally, after thinking about why the motors arms weren’t moving that much, I tried driving a super-car. WOW! I was blown away by its power and speed, and even felt some fear about crashing the car (for my well-being). It was that immersive, and it redeemed the hours sacrificed in making the rig. In fact, the results are beyond my expectations!!

I will post the following in the coming week in no particular order:

1. Post some reflections about my building experience
2. Post a video of my rig in action
3. Post some thoughts about the TOTAL COST

Just curious, is my rig the lowest costing build documented on this site? Maybe this is hard to answer, as I hear that the desire to improve the build never ends… I’m already thinking of more stuff to add...

It's all about the tuning! If you actually are around $200 for the entire build, it's probably close to the cheapest I've seen here.
Make sure you're hitting 100% in your game profile, that's where the payoff is for motion.
Really hoping to see motion soon, even if it's glitchy motion!

For those interested in the TOTAL COST because you want to do a budget build, here is some information to consider when calculating your estimated cost:

Total cost of 2dof = $204
Total cost of Traction Loss = $97

Tools I had:

• Miter Saw
• Electric hand drill with a basic drill bit set
• hammer/ wrench/ screwdriver/ wood chisel/ etc.
• J & B weld (playdough-like puddy that hardens to high strength)
• soldering iron set with flux
• handsaw for cutting metal
• super-glue
• wood-glue

If you don’t have these tools, you might have to borrow them from friends or include the cost of the tools into your budget. The miter saw is the only thing that cost me more than $50 (craigslist).

Tools I bought, which was part of the build budget

• ⅜ inch cobalt drill bit $4
• ¼ inch titanium drill bit $4
• 3 inch wood screw box set $4.50
• Wood screw box set = $5

If you already have these tools/items, it can reduce your budget by $17.50. I bought the whole box of wood screws because I figured I’d use more in the future. You can also opt to buy just what you need for less.

Other items I had:

• left-over wood pieces
• 450w PSU with two 12v rails (which is probably connected… so one rail)
• broken PSU (to harvest the fan, heatsinks, and wires)

If you don’t have these items, it can increase your budget. I had about $15 worth of wood left-over pieces, a server PSU can be had for $17, and a broken PSU can be found probably for $5, if not for free.

If I was more patient and prepared, I think I could have spent less on the Monster-Moto boards. Success rate for me for the MM boards was about 23%, but I might have been able to buy from more reputable sellers (pointed out by Noorbeast in another thread).

Some Conclusions about COST:

• Items like the metal arm rod and heim joints ($3 per one!) can be bought for cheaper on Ebay from China if you are willing to wait.
  
  
• If you attach the motors to the back of the motion rig, you might not have to buy the metal support that I bought for $10, as well as the extra wheels for $7.
  
  
• I also bought some nuts and bolts that I thought I needed, but didn’t end up using. I was too lazy to return them (these $1-2 items were not included in my budget, as I could have returned them…)
  
  
• All this is to say that if you plan better, you will save money. If I planned perfectly, I think I could have saved about $40

Conclusion:
So, can a successful 2dof be done for $200? If you already have the right tools, the answer is a definite “YES”!
Can Traction Loss be added for $100? The answer is also a “YES”!

(This is all assuming that you have a seat and frame like I did...)