Sim Tools issues

Hi all. Hoping someone might have dealt with the same problem I'm having with Sim Tools game engine the latest version 2.6, only downloaded yesterday. I had sim tools working very well yesterday. Took me hours of playing around (in the test output mode, (haven't loaded a game yet) but got it to the stage where I had my wife on the rig and all the axis (using in DOF mode with traction loss as a yaw output) were working no problems. Tested it for a couple of hours fine tuning axis limits etc. It was working great! Today I start everything up, laptop, Arduino, sim tools game engine with everything as it was yesterday and all I have is the yaw (my traction loss output option) working for about 5 mins. Then it stopped working as well. All settings from yesterday where saved and I've double checked all interface options and everything is as it should be, the same as yesterday. I even went through and cleared all the axis settings and then put them all back in, saved etc, but when testing, no motion at all in any axis in sim tools. Closed the sim tools game engine and opened SMC3 utilities and everything works as it should. Did this several times today between the two, as I kept thinking it was a hardware issue, but every time I loaded SMC3 utilities it works like a dream. I'm not running the two at the same time. I've tried restarting the computer, disconnecting and reconnecting the Arduino several times, but nothing works. The rig is dead in sim tools, but works no problems in SMC3 utilities. Anyone ever had this issue? Thanks.

Using Arduino and x3 IBT-2 43 amp double H bridges, one for each motor.

Is there a reason you are using Axis Limiting?

Hi @noorbeast . I could be wrong here, but the axis limiting is to dial down the actual range of motion your motor shafts move in yes? My setup/geometry means that in roll for example and this is the one that really needed taming, I have so much travel available in my geometry you could literally be tipped out of the seat testing the roll. I dialed the axis limits down so I limited the top frame travel so it had a nicer roll and pitch profile. Then I could relax without worrying about throwing my wife onto the floor. The axis limiting did exactly that, so I'm guessing that's what it's for.

https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/axis-assignment-percentage-totals.120/

Was running yesterday for a couple of hrs in test output at 40. But I also ran it at 30% across all axes and it also worked at the lower settings. This morning before I entered output testing, I actually dialed everything down to 25% after reading on the forum about keeping everything under 100% if possible, but when nothing would respond in the output test mode, I dialed it back up in case my lower % settings were the issue.

With the SMC3 utility closed start SimTools and let us know if Output Testing works as expected: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/which-way-to-set-simtool-axis-movements.230/

Tried this several times today, but no dice. It just won't move in Sim Tools using the output test mode anymore. I definitely have SMC3 closed when trying to use Sim Tools. But I would close Sim Tools and then open SMC3 and then check my motion axes as I was always second guessing something was wrong in the motors, or the iBT-2's, or the Arduino Uno, but once in the SMC3 utilities, all worked like it always does. Then close that, then open Sim Tools game manager and nothing would move once in output test mode.

Are there any error messages or computer sound notifications?

No beeps or error messages. Something I need to note, as this just came to me now. For a couple of hrs yesterday even though everything was working in Sim Tools output test mode, motor number one was always a lot lazier then motor two when it was required to pitch up. Also when testing the roll axis motor one did not respond as quickly as motor two. These motors are located at the front of my rig for reference. At some stage during the test process I shut the computer down for lunch or something. When I returned and rebooted the PC and went back into Sim Tools it was like BAM! suddenly all the motors were like they'd been powered with three phase power. They ran so fast and crisp and the difference between the two front motors was gone. They both worked in sync and were fantastic. I thought to myself at the time, maybe you need to reboot Sim Tools some times because of some kind of bug or the like.

Is the firewall or antivirus interfering?

Haven't had any messages about this but maybe? Just don't know why that would not have been an issue yesterday, but is today. I'll check this tomorrow. Where I'm doing these tests, my laptop is off line.

Could it be that I'm using windows 11 and it's not playing nice with Sim Tools?

Thanks for your help noorbeast.

@noorbeast. I will try all these fixes the next couple of days and report back.

I don't know how to set axis range in SMC3? It just has the slider and the three switches to send up, down and Centre. Are you saying you can adjust those ranges and save them in SMC3 and that cross's over to Sim Tools?? How do you do that, and how does that work if SMC3 has to be turned off when using Sim Tools?

Can you link me to the literature I'd need to learn this? I had no idea you could to do this.

@noorbeast thanks for that. I did read through all this before I downloaded SMC3, but I did not understand this is what those peripherals controlled. Cool. I'll play around with this tomorrow.

But how does this tell Sim Tools to obey those max limits? Is it via what is saved in the Arduino file after making changes to min/max limits?

@noorbeast oh, ok, I get it. Thanks for taking the time to help me out with this. I'm jumping ahead before the basics are sorted. It's a whole new world out here!! Hopefully once win 11 fire wall and defender are off,I'll get sim Tools working again. AFTER I get some limits sorted in SMC3. Thanks again.

@noorbeast if it comes to needing to reinstall sim tools with the win 11 stuff disabled, maybe I should give the sim tools 3 beta a try?

@noorbeast I have been spending some time in the SMC3 utilities and what I can't work out, is how do I save the changes you make SMC3. For example, I know through testing what my motors are all happy with as far as settings like the KP, PWMmax, PWMrev, and the max limits and clip limits. But I can't work out how to save and reload adjustments you've made. I've tried the save image button for each motor and it's settings, I've tried a save into the SMC3 folder via the save/load buttons, but no matter which one I try, when you open SMC3 it loads up with random settings. If I select load and go to the file I saved it comes up with an error. Do I have to save the file as an ini?

See image

I'm saving to the SMC3 folder any changes I make. Would be good to be able to load up changes without having to go through each motor and dial them in each time. I assume this is also important for running Sim Tools.

@noorbeast yes this is the issue. When SMC3 is loaded again even after saving before shutting it down, it reloads with different parameters than what was saved.

I’m using an Arduino Uno clone.

I have found other threads with uses having similar issues with SMC3 not saving, but these where related to uses of sabre tooth drivers with Arduino Uno controllers. I use IBT-2 drivers.

I can pick up a genuine Arduino from my local Jaycar. I’ll do this anyway as a part of the trouble shoot.

@noorbeast I’ll also double check I did download the latest code for the SMC3 with Arduino Uno.

@noorbeast when I do solve this, I’ll take the time to document what I did to get it working. Maybe even a quick video tutorial on how to use the SMC3 utilities and what possible issues you may have with controllers etc, in-line with my trouble shooting. I have not found any detailed video explanations on how to use SMC3 so might be helpful for others. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks.