Tutorial SMC3 Arduino 3DOF Motor Driver and Windows Utilities

Hello,

do you an example of wiring with Simtools+Arduino Uno+ 3Driver Leadshine EL5-D1000-1.

thank you very much! I probably understand

SMC3 and Simtools are communicating and moving the rig correctly, but my motor isn't responding to the game. The lights on the arduino are twinkling as if it's receiving data, and the game manager says its connected to the game. I'm only using one motor, is this an issue? My regional settings are correct (as I hear this is a common cause of this issue). The only thing I can think of that I might be messing up is my axis configuration...

I hope this doesnt add confusion to my issue, I'm not sure it's related, but on occasion when the sketch loads it reads " Avrdude stk500 get synk():not in sync 0x00". I have to reset the arduino and rerun it a few times to not get the alert. Another thing I noticed is that when the game starts my motors high pitch frequency sound stops.

The STK500 sync message is, unfortunately, pretty common with Arduino if it's using the serial port to xfer data to the PC. What's happening is the Arduino boot loader is watching for a magic message to know to go into firmware update mode, but mixed in with the message is Arduino data. You can also get this message if you are running a U type Arduino chip (the ones with built-in USB, like the Leonardo or Teensy, if the Arduino code doesn't return to Loop often enough (solution for those is ALWAYS press reset right before firmware update).

It happens far less often on a Uno (dedicated USB chip), but as I said, it can still happen if the Arduino code sends and receives data right as the sync is happening.

For the ultimate in hair pulling, try the ESP8266 where it won't update unless you have a note signed in triplicate from both your mothers priest and a death cult. I swear, half the chip is dedicated to ensure you didn't forge the signatures on that note...

lol thanks...and as far as the game not working with the motors? Any suggestions? Can only using one motor be messing me up?

The Arduino can't actually "see" a motor, only the value of the POT that reflects the motors position, ergo, if you placed a cheap pot on the second input, and manually twisted it, the software would think there is a second motor, and that it was moving.

I didn't see anything that would preclude it from functioning if only one motor was present, but I didn't look extensively.

If you had a scope, you could check the PWM from the Arduino, but I'm assuming you don't. So, A cute trick to determine duty cycle w/o a scope is an LED. If you connect an LED to the PWM pin (and ground), it will glow brighter for a longer duty cycle and less bright for a lower duty cycle. If it doesn't glow at all, try reversing the LED before thinking your Arduino is out to lunch.

I would verify the Arduino is outputting PWM on the pin you have connected to your motor controller.

OK, It's outputting PWM as you expect. On the motor controller, ensure your R_EN and L_EN pins are connected correctly, and that you have actual voltage going to both sides of the board (motor voltage on the motor side, and +5V from Arduino on the digital side.

If you have a voltage meter, disconnect the motor and check the voltage on the pins that would have gone to the motor (while PWM is running). Do you see voltage?

If you see voltage, use your meter to check the resistance of your motor. Does it read 0.00 or infinite resistance? (if so, bad motor. A broken or shorted coil will read open or short on a voltage meter in resistance mode).

Anyway, that'll narrow it down to where exactly the problem is.

The motors run correctly with the SMC Utilities software and Simtools, so this tells me everything is wired up correctly and nothing should be baked as of yet. The audible tone of the motor lowers, almost goes away when the game launches (not sure of the relevance). Something in my gut is telling me this is some sort of retarded mistake regarding patching or how I have my axes configured.

Just in case, did you Capture Max Min in the Tuning centre?

What do you mean?

For each game, you have to use the tuning centre to capture or you set the Min and Max values that a game can produce. If I recall correctly, the default values are some very big numbers that may cause what you are experiencing now.

You can check this page for details
http://www.xsimulator.net/tuning-centre/

I went to the tuning center and tried to capture new max and minimums, but the game wasnt sending any data to it.

if SMC3 and Simtools have motion then you are going fine so far

it seems like you have not made a profile for the game.

I just had to run it as Administer, seems to be working now. Thanks guys

Hello everyone.
I had finally got time to come back with my hobby.
Is that motor noise normal in ''zero''position?
SMC3 Utility - Square out mode.


Im sorry for unprofessional pot bracket

I'm up and running again.

I'm new here, but yeah I'm pretty sure it is. You can dim the frequency of the noise by increasing the FPID to 2 and or the FPWM up to 35 on the Utilities software. The noise my sim produces disappears when the game loads

well done. Thanks.
for me works fpid2 and frwm 20 - noise gone!!

Smoked the H-bridge. The increase in KD and PWM cooked he

Is their an H-Bridge that can handle more current then the BTS7960 that works with SMC preferably mode 2. I've read about a version of the LBT-2 that can handle 68a, but I've heard it's the same as the 48a but it can just handle peaks a bit longer. I'm running a 500w motor. 24v*20a

Surprised that happened. A N watt motor will typically peak at about double before stall, but that's still a bit under the rated current for the IBT-2.

Probably the cheapest way to go would be to run a pair of IBT-2 boards in parallel (PWM and enables duplicated between the boards, so that the FETs have matching On/Off intervals).

I wouldn't put faith in a board that uses the same chips but is rated at a higher current. Yes, a higher quality heat sink will allow it to survive larger currents, but it would still suffer increased electromigration (the die is only designed to move N current, pushing more, over time, will effect it chemically. After enough change, it shorts [fused junctions], and very quickly after that, the junctions break open [if lucky]. Electromigration happens regardless, it's accounted for in the MTBF, but pushing the silicon over rated capacity has a parabolic impact on how fast it becomes a problem. This is an issue with any doped system, not just silicon.).

Hi there, did you realy smoked the H-bridge . because i'm using the same IBT-2 with heavy load
They will fail (spikes) but in my case it was the 74HC244 buffer chip, replaced it and it works fine. IBT's don't get hot just warm on heavy load is my experience.
And yes they are cheap