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X-Sim support for SCN5 actuators

Discussion in 'XSimulator Q&A/FAQs - Outdated' started by yobuddy, Jul 18, 2008.

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  1. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Thats an interesting point. Reading your post, it seems that the frex guys dont sell enough SCMs anymore, and rather want to invest their time into more profitable issues than support for already selled units :D
    Everyone who has spend some time with X-Sim, and tried to capture some data, especially with memory reading tools, knows that it takes some time to work it out. That's why we are convinced, that it would be best, to grow to a big community with plenty of supporters, who engage themselves in finding offsets in upcomming game titles, than waiting for any company to release driver updates. With the power of many active members, we will release game support for upcomming titles way faster than any company, which is only intended to sell units.

    Dont get me wrong. I am not saying any bad word about the frex guys. They made really great products with the SCM and the other stuff on the hardware side.
    But I think regarding game support, and especially games that are a bit older or not that popular, a community of enthusiats could do a way better support I think.

    I hope we are able to collect those 400$ soon. Perhaps some more than 10 of you are willing to support. It would even reduce the single donation for each of us under 40$.

    Regards
    Christian
    egoexpress, Jul 21, 2008
    #21
  2. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Hey Ringo!

    I have seen your post, where you offered your SCM, some time ago in the GTR30 Forum, and have been really puzzled.
    Reading your complaint now, enlighted the matter alot. Now I can understand what you meant when you described your SCM as dust catcher.

    Without continous support for games the SCM is quite useless ;P

    Afaik, the Frex needs an driver update for each game update.

    X-Sim works for most game titles without changes even after game updates :thbup:

    Regards
    Christian
    egoexpress, Jul 21, 2008
    #22
  3. yobuddy

    yobuddy Well-Known Member Staff Member Moderator SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Are we going to need to buy cables?
    From the diagram at the top of TBVST-Manual2004.pdf it looks like we will need:

    1 ADP cable – RP9050-010 (2 when we have a second actuator attached)
    1 Connector Converter – ADP-2 (we can connect 2 actuators to this board?)
    1 SIO Cable – RP9041-010
    1 RS232/485 Converter – ADP-1

    These cables are expensive from http://www.automation4less.com, so maybe we all could look for a place to get the cables we need cheaper, or we could look for pinout diagrams and make them?

    yobuddy
    yobuddy, Jul 21, 2008
    #23
  4. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    I think the 'cable or not' question isnt that important.

    Let's see how many supporters will donate for now :cheers:
    egoexpress, Jul 21, 2008
    #24
  5. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    You will need a cable between your computer and the SCN5.
    Though I am not sure about the need of an RS323 RS485 converter mentioned in the SCN5 manual...
    egoexpress, Jul 21, 2008
    #25
  6. MasterYoda

    MasterYoda Active Member Gold Contributor

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    I know what you mean.
    Unfortunately, I believe Frex doesn't have the skills needed to develop sw.
    Have you ever seem their sw, its so amateur... It is actually sad!

    I have two options, sell my SCM and build my on sim or make my SCM work with x-Sim in an open development platform.
    Just believe Frex is too worried about their new FFB wheel, and don't have or is interested in spending resources supporting SCM anymore.

    Guys, I still would like to understand what I need to do to make my SCM work with x-Sim.

    Cheers,

    Me
    MasterYoda, Jul 21, 2008
    #26
  7. MasterYoda

    MasterYoda Active Member Gold Contributor

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Thank you!

    Isn't there any solution for two RS485 (2 actuators) to USB? :)[/quote]

    Would something like this work???
    http://www.rs232-converters.com/dual_us ... erters.htm

    Thanks!
    MasterYoda, Jul 21, 2008
    #27
  8. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    USB or Comport is really trivial and just a cosmetic aspect I think. There are some RS232->USB converters available...

    Looks like we need just a cable between computer and SCN5.

    We will look some deeper in that matter together with Sirnoname and Thanos when there are some more supporters :)

    Btw, the converter you've linked is way too expensive...

    Regards
    Christian
    egoexpress, Jul 21, 2008
    #28
  9. charlypro

    charlypro New Member

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    charlypro, Jul 21, 2008
    #29
  10. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Page 9 in the cycleoperation manual pdf shows the pinoutput diagramm...

    PS, the converter you linked looks way better :thbup:

    And there are plenty more of them...
    http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid ... +to+RS-485
    egoexpress, Jul 21, 2008
    #30
  11. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Currently we have 6 supporters:

    Christian
    Yobuddy
    Thanos
    Ringo
    MasterYoda
    charlypro

    We need at least 4 supporters more to reach the 400$

    And every additional supporter will decrease the ammount of every individual donation.

    EDIT: Maybe an additional supporter more for the shipping cost from USA to Sirnoname :D

    Regards
    Christian
    egoexpress, Jul 21, 2008
    #31
  12. charlypro

    charlypro New Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Mr Sirnoname I think I have every thing for start to test the SCN5 with X-Sim if you give me some tip or idea who to configurate the interface for serial output may be I can start to test becouse I have the SCN5, the converter RS-232 to RS-485 and the cable so only need some help from you for start to test but any way I will put my $40 for the SCN5 thank you

    Charly
    charlypro, Jul 21, 2008
    #32
  13. tronicgr

    tronicgr

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Hey, maybe we could design our own USB to RS232 to RS485 circuit. There is available lots of info around internet about it.

    We could use this to make the USB to RS-232 conversion (look at the bottom of the page the application areas...):
    http://www.ftdichip.com/Products/FT232R.htm
    with this module: http://www.ftdichip.com/Products/Evalua ... UB232R.htm

    And this info to to convert RS-232 signals to RS-485 network compatible signals!!
    http://www.lvr.com/rs-485_circuits.htm

    What the heck we could even use a MAX485 chip from MAXIM that is more widely available: http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/an_pk/367

    EDIT: I already found this chip in ebay... why not in my local electronics supply shop?
    http://cgi.ebay.com.my/1-x-MAX485_W0QQi ... dZViewItem

    (I got these from a quick search... there must be much more info available out there... :thbup: )


    Regards, Thanos
    tronicgr, Jul 21, 2008
    #33
  14. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Both (ft232r and max485) are available for small money at reichelt.de as well :thbup:
    egoexpress, Jul 21, 2008
    #34
  15. charlypro

    charlypro New Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Hi Thanos that you say is right we can make own converter, but if you check the price for one ready is allmost nothing I think that is no worked losse time making that we can get one for around $5 dollars check in ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/Hardware-Device-Com ... dZViewItem

    same guy sale usb to 232 for only $2 dollars.

    Charly
    charlypro, Jul 21, 2008
    #35
  16. tronicgr

    tronicgr

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Its not about the price.

    I know there are ready converters out there. But most use this conversion: USB --> RS232 --> RS485

    With my idea, we can bypass at all the RS232 conversion and end up with something like this: USB --> RS485

    And using FTDI D2XX driver DLL we can control directly the MAX485 chip without the need to create a virtual COM port. Also we can give a unique USB PID name to the device, i.e: x-scn_driver !!!

    What about that? :D

    Regards, Thanos
    tronicgr, Jul 21, 2008
    #36
  17. yobuddy

    yobuddy Well-Known Member Staff Member Moderator SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Sounds excellent to me!

    Besides, allot of us would build it simply because we like to build stuff.
    Would we need to build one for each actuator?

    Thanks again for all you do tronicgr!
    yobuddy
    yobuddy, Jul 21, 2008
    #37
  18. charlypro

    charlypro New Member

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    For my is ok too but what I am try to do is that we put all the focus in make to run one SCN5 firts and them go for the periphirial but off course that is better like Thanos say one board that do every thing

    Charly
    charlypro, Jul 21, 2008
    #38
  19. tronicgr

    tronicgr

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    Hi,

    I wanted to also post here my reply on Charly's PM, as it will help others too understant why we need to get a SCN5 motor for Sirnoname.




    Hi Charly,

    No I don't think that you can use the USO, in the form it is now, to control directly the SCN5 motors... There are much more parameters that needed to be sent beside just positions.

    Sirnoname can make a special USO module or plugin that can drive SCN5 with the appropriate commands leaving us the choice on what input data we need from the x-sim profiler!

    That's why I suggested making a custom FTDI driver with RS485 output with unique PID description, that x-sim can recognize and configure aytomatically. For all this job to be done, Sirnoname needs to have a SCN5 motor to make this interface and test it himself, as this will accelerate much the developing process.

    Of course the results will benefit all the current frex owners and perhaps the rest of the motion sim community since we all have an option to use a proven motor solution that is now easily available worlwide...

    I'm just an interface developer (hardware side) and programming the software is outside my expertise.

    Regards, Thanos
    tronicgr, Jul 21, 2008
    #39
  20. Ferrari_Man

    Ferrari_Man Member Gold Contributor

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    Re: SCN5 available online

    I will also support it with 40$.

    (On wednesday I am going traveling in Califonia for the next 4 weeks, but I will look in forum when I can)

    Regards Ferrari_man
    Ferrari_Man, Jul 21, 2008
    #40
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