X-Plane 11 6DOF motion platform

I think someone here told me to put 1ms with output rate

@baykah
Thank you for the extra info Would you be able to share some screenshots of your SimTool settings for your flight sim? It might help me fast track a bit and take out some of the guess work

I'm having to spend a lot of time on work at the moment and haven't had a chance to try any settings

My home is in chaos (new kitchen ect ..) but I should be able to do this tomorrow night !

In the mean time go there
https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...iy-sabertooth-arduino.9392/page-3#post-130305
and there
https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/smc3-sim-tool-problem.10280/#post-132496

And if it works better for you too go thanks @SilentChill

@baykah
Thank you

I am a lot closer to getting the platform to move realistically when compared with the aircraft in X-Plane. For the record:

SMC3 Utility
PWM forward/reverse 220
Kp 200 and the other PID settings at minimum (Ki=0, Kd=0, Ks=1)
(These values gave the smoothest most responsive action with a random input)

Game Manager
X-Plane profile - all settings default (Main Level 100%, Extra 1,2,3 in the middle of the slide bar)

Game Engine
Axis limiting - 30% all axis. This was the value that keep the ball screw between the limit switches
Axis assignments - Extra2 (roll) 60%, Extra1 (pitch 30%), Heave 30%, Extra3 (yaw) 20%
Interface settings - the only change made from previous screen shots was the Output Rate was set to 1ms

X-Plane
UDP rate 99.9 packets/sec
127.0.0.1 Port 4123

Good news, the replacement power supply I ordered from Aus arrived and is now installed. I have also removed one of the 4 way power boards which provided power to the three power modules. The house switchboard breaker tripped a few times if I powered them all on at the same time. So now I turn on one module (a pair of power supplies) at a time.

I am going to try and get another camera so I can capture the monitor and the platform at the same time

Keep in mind to have the stop button close to you when sitting inside it

@baykah
My panic button is HUGE

@noorbeast @SeatTime @wannabeaflyer2 @baykah @SilentChill @yobuddy @RufusDufus @BlazinH
Thank you all for your examples, encouragement and support. It's been a wild ride

Mr President - just don't press the red button......- what this one?.

Your sim look so nice .. as soon as I finish the assembly of my IKEA kitchen, i'll update my post

very nicely done that man, quality construction and another great example of what a few years ago was considered way beyond the common man .. you guys push the boundaries in all the right ways ...congratulations on fulfilling your goal.

@baykah @wannabeaflyer2
Thank you so much I hope you don't mind that I put both of your names and the names of other Xsimmers that gave me inspiration and encouragement onto the sim.

Today I used SimTools output testing to put the platform into all the extreme positions and made some small adjustments to the limit switch positions. By the way, the panic circuit works perfectly (many times!)

@noorbeast what does the Game Manager 'Main %' slider do? I put it at 0% but it didn't seem to have much effect on the platform?

I added a small hand towel that can be washed. I found that my feet were making the chair quite grubby.

I hope to have my maiden flight tomorrow. In preparation, I have 'pimped my ride'

Edit: ha - I am going to have to modify that left hand 'winglet' otherwise I won't be able to use the throttle and collective. I only realised that once I uploaded the photos. Doh!

@noorbeast
Thank you! When I put it down to 0% I suppose I was expecting it to behave like an overall 'volume control' and reduce all movement to practically nothing. It did tone things down a bit, but it was more subtle that I was expecting. Thanks for the explanation

@SixDegreesOfFlight

Really great job ! wonderful !

I'm a little bit lost in your project, what are your final top and base blueprint ? and linear actuator travel ?

Thanks a lot

@dureiken
Thank you for your kind words

If you have been following the build you will have read that I used the actuator design by @SeatTime which @wannabeaflyer2 used in his project. I used the wonderful blueprints from @wannabeaflyer2 with some small modifications used by @baykah. So this build is not innovative rather a copy of previous designs taking into account my skill and knowledge.

As for the specs on the actuator, the theoretical maximum throw using this design is 500mm with a speed of approx. 400mm/s. In practice the bottom bearing and the ball nut assembly reduce this down to around 400mm. If you take into account gravity and inertia for the placement of the limit switches you will be around 300mm. That doesn't sound like very much but if you watch carefully @SilentChill when he uses his for rally driving most of the time the travel is small. It is the speed that is critical.

If you are using VR, as others have found, you don't need a lot of travel to get the sensation of movement that correlates with with what you are seeing in the headset. I discovered this today and have adjust the responsiveness down quite a bit.

Hope that helps

My maiden flight was tantalizingly close today but delayed as I had to prepare for it by doing more work on the platform and getting the camera set up. I made a temporary phone holder at just the right angle to get the platform and the monitor. We will see if it works. The step was always going to be needed as was the protective shield under the chair. In addition, I had to fix the little oversight with the left winglet access hole for my hand to reach the collective and throttle. I also lost time trying to find out why the second wifi keyboard not working - I was using the wrong USB dongle. Another doh!

Once all this was done I took the Cessna around the airport for some taxi practice. It was clear that the SimTool values that I had 'adjusted' to make them look like they followed the aircraft were way over done - too sensitive and too much movement once the headset was on. So back to the min/max values I recorded the other day. These will need further refinement once I actually take off!

I am also preparing to add the motion compensation software sometime soon.

@SixDegreesOfFlight

thanks for your reply. Do you use this blueprint for frames ?



thanks

@dureiken
Yes, I used that one but didn't include the middle part because I wanted to have the power supplies in three separate modules

@SixDegreesOfFlight

and what is the radius/shape of your top frame ?

that's my main problem : design top frame to put the seat in

thanks

@dureiken
The dimensions of the top frame are in the same pdf that @wannabeaflyer2 posted that you got the bottom frame from. I simply welded an angle piece about 100mm in from the corner to save weight and make it easier to weld. Have a look at my photos a few pages back where I lay it out on the floor of the workshop. If you look really carefully at @wannabeaflyer2 video you will see how he connected the rose joints. Also look at @baykah thread because that is where I got the corner modification idea from. I used 20mm square section 1.6mm thick. I am undecided whether this was a good idea or not - time will tell if it is too flimsy. @SeatTime recommended strengthening the joints so I used corner braces on some joints and bolts at every intersection as kind of security.

One thing to note is where to weld the short corner uprights that hold the bottom of the seat. If you look at @baykah you will see he welded his to the front cross member. I thought this might have been a mistake (?) as it makes the seat timber base too long and doesn't allow enough room to drop your legs to the pedals.

Seat dimensions vary so if I were you I would lay it out on the floor with your seat and take your measurements from there.