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Broken GS-4 Gseat that needs to be resurrect

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Projects' started by lilted86, Dec 18, 2019.

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  1. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    Hello guys,

    I own GS-4 gseat and use it heavy for 3 years..and last week it died. I have done all necessary action to fix it but failed. I had contacted the company (sim experience) asking for help and they say most probably the controller has died.

    Long story short, i have seen some few people making a DIY gseat, it made me thinking maybe i can resurrect my died GS4 using same principle a like them.

    all the servos are in great condition, so what i need to do now is to make a new controller and using sim tool to control the GS4 seat.

    I dont know where to start but i have a couple of MM drivers and Unos laying around

    Died GS4 that need to resurrect:
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-18 at 19.16.58 (1).jpeg

    The main controller, Servo control 4.1 from yost Engineering.
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-18 at 19.16.58.jpeg

    Trying to get a better ideas where to start
  2. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    ouch, that's unfortunate... sorry for you :confused:

    First of all, make sure that it's dead! because resurrecting it, is interesting but will require a lot of work (depending on your electronic and coding skills).
    Please share how this happend? what were the symptoms? Maybe it's only the power supply?! or a fuse (if we are optimistics) :)
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  3. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    its 200% dead now.:cheers

    the board received power but it can not communicate with my PC. I have diagnosed it using their circuit diagram and multiple test has been done including using brute method to connecting TX/RX directly to its atmel micro controller.

    The board actually sell separately by the maker (yost engineering), but the problem is to get the coding from simexperience and burn into the chip. i dont think they will provide it. They will sell the board together with burned firmware with higher price definitely.

    so yes, im 100% certain to with simtool hug:
  4. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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  5. sberns

    sberns Member Gold Contributor

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    Should be fairly easy to do it with a bit of wiring and probably only one Arduino uno/Leonardo is needed. It will be a bit of a pain to sync up all the servos.
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  6. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    Thanks @noorbeast , i have a look now. I just dismantle the servo cover. So the GS4 have 2 plates for back and 2 plates for bottom. 1 plate is controlled by 4 servos which is 2 servos are coupled together.

    Backrest plate servos
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-18 at 23.41.09 (1).jpeg

    Bottom plate servos
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-18 at 23.41.08.jpeg

    The servo model
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-18 at 23.41.09.jpeg

    yes i hope so too. Because im planning to use simtools together with my future motion system. Im not sure if simtool can control both Gseat and motion together
  7. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    Yes SimTools can control both.
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  8. SeatTime

    SeatTime Well-Known Member

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    Yes, doable (but not simple). Have done something similar in the past.
    G-Seat Servos.jpg
    Gseat update1.jpg

    For syncing each bank of servos, just wire them all in parallel. You then can adjust for any initial small mechanical misalignment with adjustable servo arms. Also will need to modify the Ard RC code @noorbeast referenced to give positive only servo movements and control the limits and start position.

    Attached Files:

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  9. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    Thanks @SeatTime , will do that! so atleast it does clear things up and giving me hope to bring the GS4 life again

    Awesome! good news to me!!!

    BTW Merry Christmas guys. So today im going to upload the code into arduino and test my servos. Will update soon!
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  10. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    So this is my 1st official trouble im facing,

    SimTool cant communicate with my servo. I have downloaded the "Rcmodel.zip" from @eaorobbie https://www.xsimulator.net/community/marketplace/rc-model-code-for-arduino-uno-2dof-expandable.89/ and use his .ino file upload into my ard uno.

    I had follow the same setting simtool interface setting. BTW im using the latest simtool 2.4 and aware of the axis output command "R<axis1a> etc etc. And also setting all the axis assignment to Surge/roll. When i try to test in output testing, nothing is moving.

    I connect and tested both pin 4 & 5 and none of it move the servo

    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-21 at 16.40.54 (1).jpeg
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-21 at 16.40.53.jpeg

    My hitec HS-805BB servo are using external power originally from GS4 power supply.
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-21 at 16.40.54.jpeg
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-21 at 16.40.55.jpeg
  11. MarkusB

    MarkusB Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    You need to connect the GND of your GS4 power supply to the GND of the Arduino. Otherwise the signal line does not have any reference point.
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  12. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    Aahhhhhh.. that make sense, silly me..thanks @MarkusB , i will try it next morning
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  13. MarkusB

    MarkusB Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    And don‘t forget to disconnect the servo levers, so that each servo can rotate freely.
    After you got them moving, you will have to synchronize them by editing the Arduino sketch.
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    Last edited: Dec 21, 2019
  14. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    Yup i have already disconnect all the level just in case. Thanks

    I need help. i have done like you said earlier, to connect GND from GS4 to my arduino. But unfortunately the problem still the same. Tested on all my servo as well but nothing works.

    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-22 at 20.37.03.jpeg
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-22 at 20.37.09.jpeg

    what did i do wrong?
  15. GWiz

    GWiz Active Member

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    Try changing the arduino code line from:

    const char kEOL = '~'; // End of Line - the delimiter for our acutator values

    to:

    const char kEOL = ']'; // End of Line - the delimiter for our acutator values

    Re-upload to the arduino and then use this for Interface Output in Simtools:

    [R<Axis1a>][L<Axis2a>]

    That's how I have mine set up. There may be a way top get it working with the '~' but I think something changed since the original servo code with a Simtools update which stops the original code from working.
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  16. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    in this case, you'll have to change it accordingly in Game Engine interface settings

    by the way, if you use ] then you don't nedd to add [
    this will only slow the code

    R<Axis1a>]L<Axis2a>]
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  17. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    Found it!

    The culprit is my arduino. I have 2 units and both are broken but somehow i can upload .ino into it,weiirrddd... anyway, borrowed my friend's arduino,test it and now all working!

    Merry christmas to all!!!!
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  18. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    Thanks! I'll keep that in mind

    Thanks mate.
  19. lilted86

    lilted86 Member

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    hello guys,

    so today i made some progress. i have finally move 1 of the flap in GS4 but i encounter some problem which that i need to ask.

    regarding this
    i have tried to sync 2 of my servos by taking both signal wire and do parallel wiring like below image, but when i turn on supply 1 of the servo when crazy and it does not response to adjustment in simtool.

    yes, i already check into the arduino code as well. so far when connecting 1 servo it working like it should.

    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-29 at 18.29.21.jpeg

    this is what i do to make both servo working, and of cause i did some adjustment to the arduino code and simtool output script.
    WhatsApp Image 2019-12-29 at 18.29.21 (1).jpeg

    i can use this 2nd method of connecting servos to arduino but i have to write a long script in simtool output example like this :

    A<axis1a>~ B<axis1a>~ C<axis1a>~ D<axis1a>

    this is just for left moving plate in GS4 which is has 4 servos divided by 2 group, normal and inverted servos. A and B is inverted servos.

    i read somewhere if i write the script very long (A+B+C+D=left flap) + (E+F+G+H=right flap) + (I+J+K+L=left bottom) + (M+N+O+P=right bottom) , the simtool will process the script slowly and giving the feedback real slow. can any one confirm this?

    btw i am sory as english is not my native language. i hope you guys still understand what im trying to explain here:p:p:p
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  20. MarkusB

    MarkusB Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    Some time ago I used RC servos and did this parallel signal wiring. It worked without problems.
    One difference in my setup was that I connected the Arduino to an external 9V power supply, so that it did not rely only on the power provided by the USB port.
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