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Question Why my motor is not moving?

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Building Q&A / FAQ' started by Jango, Nov 2, 2024 at 21:21.

  1. Jango

    Jango New Member

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    Hi everyone,
    I am struggling with motor 1, and it is not moving.

    So here's a summary of the situation:
    rig: 2DOF (Motor 1 and 2)
    motor: Wheelchair motor 24v

    Motor 2 works fine, but motor 1:
    - Makes crackling noises when the potentiometer line is brought near the blue line.
    - Then it either moves in a jerky manner or does not move at all.
    - I swapped IBT motor controllers, same issue - both IBTs work fine with motor 2.
    - I reversed the connections, but i have spikes and the motor cuts off.

    I am posting a few pictures here, let me know what you think.

    I followed the tutorial, by setting everything to zero and gradually increasing the values, but when i increase pwmax, nothing happens - but when i put on motion, then it makes the jerky movements.

    The motor seems ok, it does move, but the movement is quite erratic. i'm not sure what is happening.

    Thanks for your help.

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    Jango, Nov 2, 2024 at 21:21
    #1
  2. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    Innovative tech specialist for NGOs
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    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    The posted settings seem all over the place, for some the pot does not seem centered and for others, such as this, the clip and max limits are not set to 255 for testing, as per the SC3 instructions:

    [​IMG]

    Please follow the SMC3 setup steps and post a picture:

    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
    noorbeast, Nov 2, 2024 at 23:04
    #2
  3. Jango

    Jango New Member

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    Thanks Noorbeast, i didn't have proper sleep over it. I'll follow the instruction closely and also doublecheck the wiring.
    • Like Like x 1
    Jango, Nov 3, 2024 at 01:58
    #3
  4. Jango

    Jango New Member

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    Did some more tests. Still not moving.
    The Green line was moved by turning the POT. <-- So pot seems to be working fine.
    All parameters set to zero and clip limits to 255.

    For the above setup, only wiring to motor 1 and electricals were connected.

    When pwmax is increased, there is no movement.

    I'll check:
    - the motor - will connect it directly to the power supply to see if it moves.
    - Then the IBT
    - Finally the arduino and electrical connections.

    Will post the results here.

    Attached Files:

    Jango, Nov 3, 2024 at 05:01
    #4
  5. Jango

    Jango New Member

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    The motor works fine when connected directly to 24v power.

    It looks like it is either the IBT, Arduino wiring.

    I'll check a bit later.
    Jango, Nov 3, 2024 at 05:11
    #5
  6. Jango

    Jango New Member

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    Ok, some further tests:
    - Swapped IBTs, and they both work fine.
    - Now it looks like there was loose or faulty wiring to begin with.

    I noticed static noise on the motor at first (during the first test) - this can be a consequence of loose wiring.

    So, now the final test is to connect both motors and run them (after checking securing all wires) - then i'll solder everything up.
    Jango, Nov 3, 2024 at 06:26
    #6
  7. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2014
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    21,006
    Occupation:
    Innovative tech specialist for NGOs
    Location:
    St Helens, Tasmania, Australia
    Balance:
    147,740Coins
    Ratings:
    +10,872 / 54 / -2
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    Glad you got that sorted.

    Keep in mind other members have reported some issues running IBT2s at 24v, dropping a couple of volts seems to help with IBT2 longevity.
    noorbeast, Nov 3, 2024 at 06:49
    #7
  8. Jango

    Jango New Member

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    Thanks a lot Noorbeast, the moral support on the forum was crucial. I nearly gave up at 1am.

    I used jumper cables to connect the pins of the IBT, i guess i'll need to solder them.

    And yes, i have now lowered my voltage to 18.5v, plus have a cooling fan.

    Hope this thread will be useful to others also:
    - don't give up
    - the documentation is very good, youtube is not always right
    - troubleshoot 1 thing at a time and swapping to eliminate possible causes.

    All the best :)
    • Like Like x 1
    Jango, Nov 3, 2024 at 09:38
    #8