Tutorial SMC3 Arduino 3DOF Motor Driver and Windows Utilities

1. Disconnect the motor power supply
2. Make sure Simtools is not running – we’re not ready for that yet!
3. Wire up the Arduino (with SMC3 installed) to your H-Bridges and connect to your computer via USB
4. Run the Windows SMC3 Utility software and make sure it communicates with the Arduino (There is no need to set baud rates, they are not configurable)
5. Set the Kp, Ki, Kd, PWMmin, PWMmax, PWMrev to 0 for ALL motors (This will make sure the motors don’t move)
6. Set Clip to 255 (you need to do this first) and Limit to 255 (This will give you plenty of margin if something goes wrong while setting up)
7. Turn on the power to your motors – nothing should move at this stage!
8. Set Kp to about 400
9. Now slowly, increase PWMmax… at some point the motor should start to move. When it does check the “Green” feedback line is moving toward the “Blue” target position.
   • If it is then that motor and feedback is wired correctly - proceed to test other motors.
   • If it is moving away turn off motor power immediately (or quickly reduce PWMmax again). In this case you need to either reverse the wires to the motor being tested –OR– reverse the +5V and GND wires to your feedback pot for the motor being tested (do not do both). Restart the test from the beginning.
10. Do the above for each motor

and please, screenshots, photos, videos...many users are thinking "I have all done rightly" but at least this is not true

Here are some pics...I'm only running one Hbridge right now, do you think this might be the problem? I still can't test my axis's in simtools, and as this is my first time using smc3 configurator i'm not exactly sure how it's suppose to make my motor behave. It shifts back and fourth in increments of 15 degrees. I can control the speed via increases pwm max, but not direction or rate of travel. Any help would be good

@kimballfount ...
So 15 degree limitation response comes from a feedback pot ... What kind of pot do you use ? Do you use gears with it ?...

And, Try using Motion output in the utility ...


you also have Sine , Triangle, Square, Motion, and Manual testing output modes ...


In SimTools use CAPITAL LETTERS here ...

Capital Letters! CAPITAL LETTERS!!!!! Yeah that solved it man, been messing with this thing for two days. Thanks man

Nice ... now for further troubleshooting the 15 degree issue ... please start your own new thread and post more pictures for the mechanical setup there ...

Great problem solving @Pit and @Speedy. You provide great support in this (and other) threads. Much appreciated!

Thank you for sharing a compliment, "but" all credit is going to other members like @noorbeast, @speedy (see the last postings) etc. etc. as well. I keep in mind that you have written this great piece of software and you have spent a lot of your spare time, so we all advanced members should help when our help is needed by new inexperienced members (except commercial builders, that goes without saying)

Ditto to @speedy............I would still be dead in the water without his continuing help...............

hi, I'n new here!!!! this is my sim... I'm undestanding the wiring for the 3 dof... mode 1... I can't find the complete diagram for the wiring!!!! help!!!!

I just burn 2 monster moto and 1 arduino jajajjaja my power suply is 12v 30a... is it enough?? the motors seems to be insolated... but I'm a mechanical engineer don't undestand electronics so much...

hi, FI you will find all information on the first page... How can you power on the MMs before you did not check the wiring finally? And how you can be sure that you burned two MMs?

I don't have idea of what I did... well... the motor was shorted jaja I went to see a friend and he point it out... but how do a wire the 3th motor??? with the 2od MM??

and I have another problem... the motors rotate faster in one direction ¿?¿?

Hi, I'm not sure should I post to this thread or start a new one because my problem is regarding my motor. Since I'm using the SMC3 tools, so I try posting here first.

This morning when I start up my SMC powered seat, one of the motor cannot fix to the start position and can freely rotate it around 10 degrees. Firstly I think it is because I forgot to plugin the USB to the computer. After I plugin the USB and start up the PC. I check the motor again and found out that I can freely rotate it but the other motor has successfully lock to the start position.

Then I start the SMC utility to check the green feedback, and I can see the greened back move correctly when I manually rotate the problem motor. Look like the all is working just the motor has no power driven it.

Then I switch the connection between the 2 motors, the working motor is working but the problem motor still has no power and free to rotate it manually.

So is this mean the motor was burn or something else?

I'm using this motor
https://www.motiondynamics.com.au/worm-drive-motor-12v-24v-200w-180-rpm-20nm-torque.html

Thanks for the help in advance.
Mike

Hello RufusDufus
I would like to ask how the case without using the potentiometer, directly in code settings to achieve non-linear scaling and scaling values defined?

Can you give some more detail I don't understand what you want...

SMC3 Scaling is only useful if you use a POT, otherwise just adjust the settings directly in Simtools.

Pot output is equal to Clip Input value ？

The POT is used to "scale down" the values that are sent from simtools. If the POT is turned to Max then the values from simtools are left 1:1 (no scaling). as the POT is reduced the values from simtools are scaled down either linear or nonlinear depending on software config. When the POT is at minimum the values from simtools are effectively scaled to zero so there will be no motion and the motors will sit in center position. Note it only works on Motors 1 and 2.

I use it to quickly fine tune the amount of motion from car to car. I tuned simtools with the POT at half scale so I can easily increase or decrease from default.