SimXperience II - 2DOF Driving Simulator With SCN5's

Hello bvillersjr. After reading a lot in this forum I finally decided to build a 2DOF sim.
I'm trying to use the lest space impact design and I think 2DOF is the best for that.
I'm software engineer and I have a lot of experience in hardware control an MCU programming.
I also develop a lot of software and middleware.
When 1st time I proposed to build a motion simulation, I don't know the existence of this forum and after find it I saw that I can be guided with people with real experience building systems like these.
So, as soon I start my project I will create a new thread with it and I hope the people that already have their systems working can lend a hand with my sure future problems.
And of course. If I can help with my experience to the community don't doubt to ask for help :

Welcome Bulkie,

I would be glad to help.

I'm on a dilemma.
As an engineer, I wonder to develop my own control circuit (controlled trough UDP messages) and use it with cheap (breakable) actuators like firgelli ones but is more quickly use the SCN5's with integrated control.
I think I need more reading yet :?

I realize that egoexpress had the Firgelli actuators working for some initial testing, but I do not believe that they will last long. I spoke to a Firgelli Engineer about a year ago who told me sorry, we dont make a product capable of the movements required for a 2DOF simulator. He suspected that internal actuator overheating and resulting failure would become an issue. I'm not saying that it isn't possible, but I am suggesting that you are likely to have issues with the Firgelli's.

The SCN5's are proven performers and if you can afford them, I think you will find that they outperform any other solution in the same price range for a 2DOF simulator.

What worried me was rather that the firgelli's ACME nut could wear out fast, resulting in much play within the thread. The motors kept quite cool using 24V and Thanos' PWM/PID control.

However, I agree, you should use SCN5 to get a reliable solution.

Its like comparing a tractor with a Bugatti Veyron

regards

I like that video on Glen, i buy it right away and get the radical on it in Iracing !

If I finally build a control board for N actuators controlled by Ethernet. What is the best process to integrate with x-sim?
I can sniff the commands and react in consequence, but is more efficient to create a piece of code and integrate into system like a profiler plugin or so.
Is sirnoname to who I must talk for coordinate the development of this driver?
I'm very excited with the idea of create an Ethernet control board. I've the skills and the help of another engineer to the analog electronic part of the board.

I have been toying around with an off-road profile. It has ALOT of room for improvement, but has been fun so far. I'll post some updated vids once I get it dialed in. Also, something in the YouTube Conversion process caused the wording at the bottom to cover more of the actuator than in muy original video here. I'll make sure that doesn't happen in future vids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhE7gKOYMJI

rFactorCentral.com, it is call ORR 2. (Off Road Racing 2) The mod comes with a few tracks, but can download dozens of additional tracks at rFactorCentral.com. Once I get some more time, I will add it to my SimUpdates software. It's like windows updates except for racing some vehicles, tracks, skins etc... I have been planning to release it for free to the X-Sim community as my way of saying thanks, but I just haven't had the time. If you are interested, send me a PM, and I can get you an alpha version. It makes installing these mods a one click process.

I finally got a Race 07/ GTR Evolutionj profile put together that has a better balance of smooth motion and severe collisions. PLease remember that this as an F3000 car, so the g-forces are very high and the motion is somewhat eratic as it would be in real life. I will make some videos in kesser vehicles to demonstrate the smothnes of this profile in lesser vehicles.

This profile also includes fixed speed and acceleration settings in the Synaptrix, which should take the guess work out of it for other 150mm users.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RMrq2Z2AuE

The movemets look way better than with previous profilies :thbup:

Thanks for the video update!

Could you tell us the accelleration value you've assigned for this profile please?

Regards
Christian

The profile was added to my profiles thread, which is here: http://www.x-simulator.de/forum/post11617.html#p11617.

While the acceleration value is important, the combined speed and accleleration values are what makes the difference. At one point, we were trying to set a speed of 100%, and find a fitting acceleration value. I later discovered that find a suitable speed, and then finding a fitting acceleration was a better approach.

Once the values are applied by the Synaptrix, the SCN5 Plugin shows Speed:16911 and Accel:601 By ratio, (as speed increases, acceleration should decrease) this is similiar to the 100% speed values with an acceleration in the 100-300 range, but it feels more realistic imho.

Great job on your simulator. I was wondering if you could show us what your sim looks like when you drive over bumps, low
speed crashes, bump into walls, low speed speed brake lock-ups.... I'm interested in the sensetivity when mentioned conditions are performed. Thanks, Brian

@Brian

I will make another video sometime next week. For now, you can see some of the things you are looking for by studying the current videos carefully. It may help to turn the volume up fairly high in order to hear when I bump something. I intentionally bumped a few cars and went over some rumble strips, etc.. in my latest Race 07 video which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RMrq2Z2AuE and watched in HD. I also, wrecked at the end of the video. I wish I could say that was intentional as well :lol:

If you watch and listen closely, you will see at least 3-4 occasions where I intentionally bump other vehicles at various speeds though. With only 29.97 fps in the video, it is hard to see some of the minor movements. Unfortunately, that is the best I can do with YouTube and my current video camera. If it helps, I am satisfied with the current minor movements, bumps, etc.. except for rumble strip effects. I intend to fill in these minor effects (rumble strips, very minor wall scrapes, engine vibration, etc.. with either a buttkicker or an iVibe. The buttkicker does a good job, but I am interested in trying out an iVibe when they become available.

One of the greatest risks for damage to SCN5 actuators is that you retract one too quickly and damage the pin inside the actuator which I am told is not a servicable component. There are several ways that you can make this mistake:

-Miscalculate your actuator angles.
-Use too high of a speed with too small of a decelleration ramp in your settings
-Overload it (maybe an overweight friend for example)

Here is a way that you can help to guard against this. I made up some actuator bump stops out of a fairly soft rubber. I haven't had an instance yet where they got put to use, but I feel better knowing that they are there. If you decide to make your own, make sure that they just begin to touch at 100% travel with your 25% limiter disabled so that your simulator calibrates correctly!

Good idea. If you retract from full extend at full speed, it is possible with your weight and increased momentum that the SCN5 might not have enough braking power to stop before the limiter, causing you to hit the hard stop. Definitely having some sort of rubber stop is a plus.

Here are some pictures of my prototype actuator covers with the space built in for a variety of dampening mechanisms. I am still testing various dampening materials and do not yet know which will be the best. One of my favorite features is that the length is hand-adjustable so it's easy to level the seat when I experiement with various actuator angles, which are also fully adjustable.

Everyting is made of steel, so it's fairly ridgid. I think I could stand on the actuator covers vertically.