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DIY 2DOF simulator - proof of concept model

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Projects' started by Iain Dodds, Oct 17, 2020.

  1. Iain Dodds

    Iain Dodds New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2020
    Messages:
    7
    Occupation:
    N/A
    Location:
    Michigan USA
    Balance:
    78Coins
    Ratings:
    +9 / 1 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, Arduino, Motion platform
    I am in the process of build a 2DOF platform at scale to learn about simulator rig configurations, building and software.

    Started off with buying some simple core parts off of amazon.

    Bill of Material.
    • Hobbypark Metal Aluminum Long 25T Servo Horn Single Sided Steering Arm M3 Threads for RC Car Truck Off Road Buggy Accessories (Blue)
    horn.jpg
    • 2 Sets 20KG RC Digital Servo - Large Torque High Speed Full Metal Gear - Waterproof 180 Degree Servo Motor with 25T Servo Horn for RC Robotic Arm Model DIY Baja Car 1/10 Scale Crawler Truck
    servo.jpg
    • 10PCS ShareGoo Aluminum M3 Tie Rod End Ball Joint Link Ball Head Holder for Tamiya HSP Traxxas Axial SCX10 1/10 RC Car Truck Buggy Crawler
    ball-ends.jpg
    • ZXHAO 10mm/0.39" to 10mm/0.39" Inner Dia Rotatable Universal Steering Shaft U Joint Coupler
    coupler.jpg
    • uxcell M3 x 100mm 0.5mm Pitch 304 Stainless Steel Fully Threaded Rods Hardware 10 Pcs
    rods.jpg
    • Standard Servo Mounting Bracket/Protector (Silver Finish)
    servo-bracket.jpg
    • MakerBeam XL Regular Starter Kit Clear Anodized Including Beams (15x15mm), Brackets, Nuts and Bolts
    maker-xl-kit.jpg


    Software & Control

    Modified example Arduino code to work with Adafruit 16-Channel 12-bit PWM/Servo Shield - I2C interface.


    Initial Testing
    Video to come soon.....
  2. Iain Dodds

    Iain Dodds New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2020
    Messages:
    7
    Occupation:
    N/A
    Location:
    Michigan USA
    Balance:
    78Coins
    Ratings:
    +9 / 1 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, Arduino, Motion platform
    • Like Like x 2
    • Old Old x 1
  3. ivan jack

    ivan jack Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2019
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    Balance:
    412Coins
    Ratings:
    +29 / 1 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    very nice ! Can you share the code please? I'm trying to do the same , but with stepper motors and adafruit v2.3
    • Like Like x 1
  4. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2014
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    Occupation:
    Innovative tech specialist for NGOs
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    144,620Coins
    Ratings:
    +10,741 / 52 / -2
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
  5. ivan jack

    ivan jack Member

    Joined:
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    Ratings:
    +29 / 1 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
  6. Iain Dodds

    Iain Dodds New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2020
    Messages:
    7
    Occupation:
    N/A
    Location:
    Michigan USA
    Balance:
    78Coins
    Ratings:
    +9 / 1 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, Arduino, Motion platform
    Here's my modified version of the code to make it work with the adafruit pwm hat.
    I commented out the portions from the original example so you can see where and how it was modified.

    Code:
    //********************************************************************************************
    // RC Model Servo
    // Original code By EAOROBBIE (Robert Lindsay)
    // Completely mangled by aarondc
    // PWM mod by Iain Dodds
    // For free use for Sim Tool Motion Software
    //********************************************************************************************
    
    #include <Wire.h>
    #include <Adafruit_PWMServoDriver.h>
    
    Adafruit_PWMServoDriver pwm = Adafruit_PWMServoDriver();
    #define SERVOMIN  80// This is the 'minimum' pulse length count (out of 4096)
    #define SERVOMAX  850 // This is the 'maximum' pulse length count (out of 4096)
    #define USMIN  600 // This is the rounded 'minimum' microsecond length based on the minimum pulse of 150
    #define USMAX  2400 // This is the rounded 'maximum' microsecond length based on the maximum pulse of 600
    #define SERVO_FREQ 50 // Analog servos run at ~50 Hz updates
    
    uint8_t centerdegrees = 45;
    
    //#define DEBUG 1                                    // comment out this line to remove debuggin Serial.print lines
    const int kActuatorCount = 2;                       // how many Actuators we are handling
    
    // the letters ("names") sent from Sim Tools to identify each actuator
    // NB: the order of the letters here determines the order of the remaining constants kPins and kActuatorScale
    const char kActuatorName[kActuatorCount] = { 'R', 'L' };
    //const int kPins[kActuatorCount] = {4, 5};                       // pins to which the Actuators are attached
    const int kActuatorScale[kActuatorCount][2] = { { 0, 90 } ,    // Right Actuator scaling
                                                    { 90, 0 }      // Left side Actuator scaling
                                                   };     
    const char kEOL = '~';                              // End of Line - the delimiter for our acutator values
    const int kMaxCharCount = 3;                        // some insurance...
    //Servo actuatorSet[kActuatorCount];                  // our array of Actuators
    int actuatorSet[kActuatorCount] = {4, 5};
    
    int actuatorPosition[kActuatorCount] = {90, 90};    // current Actuator positions, initialised to 90
    int currentActuator;                                // keep track of the current Actuator being read in from serial port
    int valueCharCount = 0;                             // how many value characters have we read (must be less than kMaxCharCount!!
    
    // set up some states for our state machine
    // psReadActuator = next character from serial port tells us the Actuator
    // psReadValue = next 3 characters from serial port tells us the value
    enum TPortState { psReadActuator, psReadValue };   
    TPortState currentState = psReadActuator;
    
    void setup()
    {
        // attach the Actuators to the pins
        //for (int i = 0; i < kActuatorCount; i++)
        //    actuatorSet[i].attach(kPins[i]);
        
        // initialise actuator position
        //for (int i = 0; i < kActuatorCount; i++)
        //    updateActuator(i);
        
        // put your setup code here, to run once:
        pwm.begin();
        pwm.setOscillatorFrequency(27000000);
        pwm.setPWMFreq(SERVO_FREQ);  // Analog servos run at ~50 Hz updates
     
    
        double setpulselen = map(centerdegrees, 0, 180, SERVOMIN, SERVOMAX);
        pwm.setPWM(4, 0, setpulselen);
        pwm.setPWM(5, 0, setpulselen);
        delay(1000);
        
        
        Serial.begin(9600); // opens serial port at a baud rate of 9600
        Serial.println("Init Complete"); 
    }
     
    void loop()
    {
    
    }
    
    void serialEventRun(void) {
      if (Serial.available()) serialEvent();
    }
    
    
    // this code only runs when we have serial data available. ie (Serial.available() > 0).
    void serialEvent() {
        char tmpChar;
        int tmpValue;
    
        while (Serial.available()) {
            // if we're waiting for a Actuator name, grab it here
            if (currentState == psReadActuator) {
                tmpChar = Serial.read();
                // look for our actuator in the array of actuator names we set up
    #ifdef DEBUG           
    Serial.print("read in ");           
    Serial.println(tmpChar);           
    #endif
                for (int i = 0; i < kActuatorCount; i++) {
                    if (tmpChar == kActuatorName[i]) {
    #ifdef DEBUG           
    Serial.print("which is actuator ");           
    Serial.println(i);           
    #endif
                        currentActuator = i;                        // remember which actuator we found
                        currentState = psReadValue;                 // start looking for the Actuator position
                        actuatorPosition[currentActuator] = 0;      // initialise the new position
                        valueCharCount = 0;                         // initialise number of value chars read in
                        break;
                    }
                }
            }
            
            // if we're ready to read in the current Actuator's position data
            if (currentState == psReadValue) {
                while ((valueCharCount < kMaxCharCount) && Serial.available()) {
                    tmpValue = Serial.read();
                    if (tmpValue != kEOL) {
                        tmpValue = tmpValue - 48;
                        if ((tmpValue < 0) || (tmpValue > 9)) tmpValue = 0;
                        actuatorPosition[currentActuator] = actuatorPosition[currentActuator] * 10 + tmpValue;
                        valueCharCount++;
                    }
                    else break;
                }
                
                // if we've read the value delimiter, update the Actuator and start looking for the next Actuator name
                if (tmpValue == kEOL || valueCharCount == kMaxCharCount) {
    #ifdef DEBUG           
    Serial.print("read in ");           
    Serial.println(actuatorPosition[currentActuator]);           
    #endif
                    // scale the new position so the value is between 0 and 179
                    actuatorPosition[currentActuator] = map(actuatorPosition[currentActuator], 0, 255, kActuatorScale[currentActuator][0], kActuatorScale[currentActuator][1]);
    #ifdef DEBUG           
    Serial.print("scaled to ");           
    Serial.println(actuatorPosition[currentActuator]);           
    #endif
                    updateActuator(currentActuator);
                    currentState = psReadActuator;
                }
            }
        }
    }
    
    
    double pulselen;
    // write the current Actuator position to the passed in Actuator
    void updateActuator(int thisActuator) {
        //Serial.print("actuatorSet[thisActuator]");
        //Serial.println(actuatorSet[thisActuator]);
        //Serial.print("actuatorPosition[thisActuator]");
        //Serial.println(actuatorPosition[thisActuator]);
    
      
        pulselen = map(actuatorPosition[thisActuator], 0, 180, SERVOMIN, SERVOMAX);
        pwm.setPWM(actuatorSet[thisActuator], 0, pulselen);
        
        //actuatorSet[thisActuator].write(actuatorPosition[thisActuator]);
    }
    • Useful Useful x 1
  7. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2014
    Messages:
    20,464
    Occupation:
    Innovative tech specialist for NGOs
    Location:
    St Helens, Tasmania, Australia
    Balance:
    144,620Coins
    Ratings:
    +10,741 / 52 / -2
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    Nice one, added to the FAQs here, with credit to yourself: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/build-a-working-model-to-test-your-design-ideas.216/
    • Like Like x 1
  8. ivan jack

    ivan jack Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2019
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    Balance:
    412Coins
    Ratings:
    +29 / 1 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    Thank you sir!
    Thank you for the time spent on this and for the infos. I'll try it today to see the results. Just woke up to this, such a great morning!

    Thank you for the time spent on this and for the infos. I'll try it today to see the results. Just woke up to this%
    such a great morning!
    Thank you for the time spent on this and for the infos. I'll try it today to see the results. Just woke up to this, such a great morning!
  9. Krzysztof Dej

    Krzysztof Dej Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2020
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    Location:
    Poland
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    1,020Coins
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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    hi a have problem and trying myself but fail to solve problem i ude this code and one servo i going counterclock and other two r going clock wise . what and where to change that all going clockwise?

    Attached Files: