Standardizing motor control

Hi guys,

I don't know if anyone else has thought this when building your sims, there are so many options out there and everyone always makes something different, I don't have much programming knowledge and its very overwhelming to build a sim and have to worry about how the hell your going to get it to run!

What i really wanted, was to run jrks, but to me they are to small (if the manufacturer is surprised by how far you can push them, then to me that means they are to small)

My 2 dof sim runs with an arduino + sabretooth, i was lucky i found someone that wrote a code for me.

I would be surprised if there wouldn't be thousands and thousands of people out there that wanted to build a sim but with no experience it all looks to hard.

Wouldn't it be an advantage to the xsimulator team to say ok we support arduino and sabretooth (doesn't have to be these, they are just an example) have a code you can download, have some control software to download which you would use to setup the arduino, and thats it.

All the home user needs to do is buy a arduino and 1 sabretooth for every 2 axis they want, both of which are available basically everywhere, put the code on the card, use the setup wizard to configure the card, done... probly cheaper than a jrk, and you just buy the appropriate size sabretooth to fit your needs.

In the setup wizard, there could even be setup for a stewart platform

Yes ard and hbridge are cheaper than jrks, but size does not matter. Why is it that a small turbo 4 cylinder car can out run a V8.
Yes we all want to save money. JRK are for the code illiterate people here *point to himself* and thanks to the efforts of @eaorobbie we would all be otherwise stuck with codes, various boards and goodness know what other headaches.
We have proved over and over that the JRKS can run ridiculous power from such a small device. 40 + amps continuous is pretty high. Any more and you need to look at a frame redesign and or 24 or 240 v motors.
That and JRKS are 12 bit resolution and ards are only 8 bit. No code has been able to match the performance of a JRK. And because of that, even SCN guys are amazed at what a JRK and decent worm gear motor can do.
Yes we need a decent code to run ards and hridges, but with so many variants, it takes up peoples time.
I have suggested in the past one ard type and one hbridge type, but because of availability around the world and trouble actually getting various boards, it becomes a headache. And codes have to change.
There is a "kit" in development using a seat mover platform with JRKS and big 12v worm gear motors, but due to time constraints and money , its difficult to get that organized. Also people can usually source materials cheaper and usually do it them selves . Thats why we put basic plans up on site and also advise on variations on design. I have been through 12 + different builds getting certain scenarios right, and thats from motors behind at shoulders, motors at the feet level, motors at knees, motors under the back of the seat. From seat mover to full frame builds including a joyrider variant. I am currently building my 13th design at the moment. Another variation of a seat mover with motors at the front at about knee height.
The guys that made simtools are constantly at work getting extra features added to make it easier, but it does take time. I waited several months for a code for the dashboard. Give them a chance.
Also with saving money, does not usually happen as we tend to put that money saved into another area of the sim build and for go performance for looks or functionality. *don't I know that!*
JRKS are the easiest board to set up, hands down, yes they cost more, but I have amazed others with a transfer of k8055 or ard to JRK and the speed of setup and performance out of them.
As for stewart platform, look into the 6DOF threads, its already there, Simtools suits 6DOF perfectly with anything.
I night have missed something or incorrectly worded my response, so PLEASE correct me.
Again, please, if you want to save a few dollars, go for the ard and h-bridges.

Well realisticaly it doesn't have to be someone from simtools write the code, any generous member of the public could do it

The availability around the world is why i suggested the arduino and sabretooth, as they both seem to be an easy of the shelf item around the world.

The jrks are obviously good, and easy to use, if the power ratings were just a little higher i probly wouldn't have started this thread! But i suppose also having a separate motor driver allows any size sim with no change to code or micro controller.

My sim is up and running so it makes no difference to me if it happens or not, its just a suggestion.. i'm sure there would be many many people out there that already have almost exactly what is needed, the code mine runs is even close, it has a config program to set pid settings, park settings, max movement settings etc.. but i cant share it because i didn't write it!

The best thing about simtools is ease of use, if they could make a standard controller code that seamlesly integrated with there software... industry owned haha

Now I am interested, especially in your current sim build, do you have a thread for it?
As most sabertooths are only rated to 40 amps from memory , I could be wrong. So how can you need more power, unless you have a very heavy sim and need too much power.
JRKS are available as well right around the world.
I appreciate your suggestion, but if you cannot share your code, then you probably didnt get it from here. So thats not sharing and can either make people suspicious of your actions or ignore any of your info as you are hiding it. A generous member of the public would need to have extensive coding in regards to motion simulator software. Doesn't matter whether you wrote it or not, just ask the author if you can share it here.
Why say you have a code to match JRKS if you do not plan to share it?
And id like to see it in action if you have a code to match JRK performance, especially if you havent even used JRKS
Waste of time having this discussion.
Yes Simtools is the best out there hands down as I believe other commercial entities have interest in their own gear running simtools. Controller codes can be written, but as there are so many controllers out there, it can get tricky.

Please post and share mate , doesnt look good for you with "Ah look what I can do" and not to share, thats is not what this community is about.
Please contribrute instead of just showing off.
I challenge you to show the Ard running better than a Jrk, which we have producing 700mm/s out of 20Nm DC motors pushing 45amps, love to see it.
Details on the rigs electronic would be apprieated by all the members here, we all learn together.

Na not showing off at all! It is mearly a suggestion to make sim building easier. In fact the few years i've been watching and reading then building my sim for, i have noticed a big change in how all the info is coming together and i think it is getting easier and easier for someone to get into the hobby, this thread was just me saying hey this was the hardest part of the entire process for me, could there be something viable that can be done, that is all. I have no doubt the future will bring new and better ways to be running these things, you can argue with me if you want but it will happen!

I'm not saying mine is better or worse than jrk's, they probly would hve been fine, but when making the decision i decided jrks didn't have enough safety factor compared to the other options so i went with the sabretooth, according to the stats the jrk was 12A max 30A, and the sabretooth i went with is 25A max 50A (The sabretooth was also half the price to). You can get them bigger though i think they go up to a 60A max 120A version.. probly pretty irrelevant though lol. Anyway at the time (probly nearly 2 years ago!) i'm sure i was reading about people blowing them up, so i went the other way.

Na i didn't get the code from here, unfortunately i don't have permission from the author to share it sorry, he gave it to me in confidence. I believe he is doing something commercial with it, i just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Umm performance wise i have no idea on the mm/s its capable of, in theory the sabretooth should be able to handle more current i guess which should yield faster speeds, but whether that it the reality i don't know. I do know the arduino mega is looping at 55000 times per sec, it varies depending on the settings, but it loops at that speed where i leave it set, i also have no idea if that is good or how that compares to the jrk.. Oh the arduino is sending the signal to the sabretooth via serial 38400 baud rate, and connects to simtools with 115200 baud rate, if that tells you anything?

To answer bsft, i havn't got a thread sorry, in fact i don't even have a picture of it! But yeh it is getting pretty heavy.. wasn't originally planned to be like it is, it just kept changing as i built! Its nothing to flash, only 2 dof sitting on a central uni joint pivot.. the best thing i've done hands down, is to change to a projector and a big screen! seriously if you have the space, i cannot recommend it enough! it has made it 10 times the sim it was.. but takes up 10 times the space it did lol.

No worries, take some photos and post it, no matter how big, small, rough or good it looks.
Its yours to be proud of so share it.

Actually I need to voice an opinion we need to be open about motor controller support and not single any one out as bad or wrong, if they move a sim and the driver feels happy than they work. So please no standardizing motor controlers as really they are getting better and better every year, When I was first here, we has basic stamp controllers which grew into the AMC, just as buggy but worked, K8055 which was software driven (dumb controller), Jrks which I got working in 2009, Ard has played a big roll recently and now the Kangaroo and SimAxe are slowly joining the party too.
You see with the range of controllers avail the amount of people here building new and different simulators grew and thats what the community is about, not you have to use this only. So we should keep adding more and maybe more will get the oppertunity to build their own sim the way they want to build it and with the electronics they have choosen. Freedom to choose. And all can be supported.