Tutorial 2DOF ( in future + Yaw ), based on Arduino Motoshield Windshield, 3d printed elements

OK, will do ASAP @noorbeast - since I get so far... THANK YOU for help, professional support with lots of tips and what was also really important - good word for encourage [ if you weren`t at Australia I would go with couple of beers, or schotch ] !!!
... after 2 weeks of work after work I must admit - it was sometimes really hard [ and many times wanted to throw my RIG out of the window... really ] , but in the end... worths all the effort !
still TODO:
- Motor Shafts need to be build once again with precise 12.0 mm shaft, [ for this I used 12x20mm threads but were 11,94 - 11,97 ], so need to weld 5mm thikness pusher,
- Need to use better 4mm thread hold [ looking for half shaft, half thread M4, like this 40mm just to cut 22mm, and left 18mm between shaft and reduction ]

- Reprint elements like Arduino holder, shaft holders, cooler holders, some new mountings, etc
- Tweaks of SimTools, and SimTools [ probably limits are too big, and motors stops after exceeding, so many times need to manually put them on in STools - also probably the sit is too far to back, and it happens I got 180 degree position / to straight top ] - maybe could lower the movement from 180 -> 160 degrees without a reduction gears ? but havent found in S/W such option.

I used SWAY and HEAVE since it is a good G force for a driver/pilot, and not forces like roll/pitch since cars doesn`t fly like and airplanes

- Buy good sport belts [ 4 point ]
- Finish Warthog extension and Handbreak [ plan to use Arduino in gamecontroller mode and potentiometer ]
- in the end DRIVE and FLY
- then to add 3 DOF

Hi!

Great movement in your rig!!

Question: Do you think, even the motors have so high RPM, can they produce also smaller movements?

Have you tried other axis assignments? I just discovered myself that you can and should!! assign all available forces to additional DOF's even they don't really have motors on them (software will calculate them on real motor axis...) I personally think that Heave was more or less disturbing on my 2dof, so i put only minimal % to it.... Sway and Surge is most important, imo.

Hi thanks !
I need to lower the Axis movement, since it is too large, now is 100% of potentiometer angle like: 0 - 180, so lot of torque is not effective at the ends.
Need to lower its range / set up limits in GameEngine to around 60-80%, also need to change motors config in SimTools, since now limit is: 100-150 - should be more like 1-20 [ low ], because when reached egdes [ green over blue line ] software sets the motors off for safety reasons - all the time learning and trying to understand all the logic behind it - to make all tweaks.
You know all is still new, so making many experiments, and I totally agree - after my first attemps Axis are already changed to: Surge / Sway.
Yesterday my shafts were also dissasembled - to make all measurements and prepare more precise copy, so today [ at evening ] should be able to mount it again.

The Forces [ accordingly to tutorial ]:
FAQ: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/dof-angles-forces.215/




SMC3:

I really like your build. Very similar in concept to my build. You seem way better on the electrics side so I'm going to learn from this.

I also had many doubts before doing this, really - but you don`t need to worry about anything such as electronics, since XSimulator - has all you actually need and even more [ like almost out of the box solutions - thanks to an efford of all involved People here ! ],
My way was like this:
1) Choose what you want [ I actually wanted a 3DOF, but just started with 2DOF - to feel it / if OK, then you can make a next steps ],
2) Buy required things: motors with gearbox / regulators / arduino / potentiometers - are many alternatives, also without any coding like JRC 12v12 - just plug and play without additional Arduino [ which actually handles the movement process / position of motor, so get where motor is from potentiometer - feedback and set up required further steps and direction, then push it to drivers for motors - all information about what to do takes from a serial feed and SimTools ]
3) Prepare the cables [ exactly as shown on many diagrams available here on forum and it simply: must work - if not, then check again the cables - very simple alghorithm ],
4) S/W is available for download ! and can be used as is [ just download, connect Arduino and in one click: compile and upload - all done / if you choose a B43A like me then just before compile you need to actually change a single line ] - since programs are already prepared and well tested [ by all users here ]
SMC3 comes with a great tool: SMC Windows Utilities- where you can check and configure all parameters live from PC @RufusDufus - thank you for this majestic, perfectly optimised software - runs at baud rate of 500`000 so is really fast and comes with plenty of settings [ I seen bit shifts ">>" which are less expensive than the "/" operator = nice programming ] !
https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...3dof-motor-driver-and-windows-utilities.4957/

For me the real problem was with building the frame and welding, so looked for someone who could help me with welding process [ just need to prepare a 3D project, measure the dimensions of profiles, cut the profiles - 3 hours maybe + 2 hour of welding this costs me an additional 1L J.Walker + 4 hours of drilling + countless hours of thinking, measuring, reading and asking good people here and waiting for all the packages - since we all begins without any experience ].
My first attempt / solution was around 150$ in total [ used motors and MM clones ] and an upgraded version costs me in total of around 250$ [ 2 potentiometers - 25$ each / 2 motors: 50$ / 43A is 20$ each, all metals maybe a 50$ [ you just need to search for good online shops and prices - best somewhere near your place / and may also need some drills, nuts, threads, couple of tools, etc and the most important a good motivation ].
Also if I hadn`t got a ready seat [ my Playseat actually ] I will probably buy this one for a 40$: http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/70250/10002/-1

Matthew I have seen your RIG and is nice, pretty rapid build !

I have fixed [ 3 new ] shafts - are better and more precise 12mm and 4mm hole - so all construction has almost none looseness and is less shaking

also need to change a potentiometer holder, my first 3D produced was common for both and now I changed to 2 * 3D clamp [ of 5mm thikness ], and each is mounted to dedicated motor.
my old one [ also broke during unmounting and mounting ]:

and the new clamp [ one on picture, second was still printing... ]

I received a DIY licence to SimTools - THANK YOU ! [ so started to install the plugins ]
Project Cars - no movement untill a tweak procedure of capture, reset, save - and DOF starts to move in my case [ Project Cars needs to be configured like this: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/projectcars.188/ ]
DCS - was more problematic ( since I have 2 versions: "2.0 alpha", and "1.5 beta" and the recommended for patching is "dcs" folder ) -> in my case need to patch on specific version "C:*\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta" and also the most important change was to set up a separator from "," to "." - in Regional Settings of Windows OS. [ STD case for DCS the path should be "C:\User\Your User Name\Saved Games\DCS" ]

Good to check the movements on "Utils" [ if SimTools - have proper communication with the Game and if patch is installed ]

@noorbeast suggest that next step to do is to set up a Min/Max for each game, in Simtools -> Tools -> Tuning Center -> Capture -> Reset -> [ a little play on game, without crashing - to capture right movement params ] and click Save [ FOR EACH GAME ! ].
Each game also should have a separate profile: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/steps-to-create-a-motion-profile.228/

I finally manage to fix the "shakes" problem ! Will try to explain for someone who could possibly have a similar situation - and how to FIX this.
The problem itself occurs on @SMC3 software in non USA localisation [ not English OS ], like in some countries of EU, [ seen this on Czech project, in PL, etc ]
I lost 2 weeks trying to figure out why is not working smooth [ as should ] on SimTools when does work flawlessly on SMC3Utils - [ was frustrating - since I tried almost everything and changed all possible settings without a success ] !

Symptoms:
- SimTools -> output testing, not smooth movement, like 20-40-60-80%, sometimes changing direction instantly, is going right, shakes, and shift to left very fast
- on Each Game was shaking all the time, most on neutral when trying to go straight it had fast amplitute of big changes without any reason.
I will use pictures of @fzxj520 who had same issue:


FIX:

Solution [ thanks to @insanegr - I personally wouldn`t figure it out and won`t ever think about it - probably ]
https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...tor-driver-and-windows-utilities.4957/page-38
- Set REGIONAL and Language Windows OS settings -> to English / USA ]

[ Probably in SMC source code - some calculations are based on dates [ using US date format - and software cannot work if not set - similar situation had with DCS with decimal separator ',' instead of '.' ! ]

Now my 2DOF is finally working as should [ already tested on PC, LFS, DCS ] and I really had FUN for the first time ! Thanks to the community of XSIM for support !

a little progress [ mostly on details, cooler mounts, etc ]

also after spending a little time in the "Tuning Center" [ examing different Min/Max settings in SimTools ] - I see values of 1 or lower were too sensitive and personally preferred settings in range: 1-4 [ manually set ] - since higher than 5-6 were too weak so I can no longer feel the real motion.

"@SMC3 Utils" settings are pushing probably my 12V motors to its limits, since using high PWMMax and KP - noticed that are now able to produce faster and stronger movement, like should [ also gives a good coverage in green / blue diagram ]:
Fpid/1
Kp 600
Ki 0
Kd 0
Ks 1
Pwmmin 0
Pwmmax 220
Pmwrev 215
Dead zone 0

You may want to add a little pwmmin. I use 3 or 4. Kd is also helpful. Stops the motor accurately. I used about 75% of kp

OK - I will try at evening, but have you noticed a difference with such high KD [ was handling better or behaves differently ] - becuase I didn`t feel that much difference to set this [ at range: 0 - 10 ] ?

My understanding is kp is how fast (hard) it goes to get there and kd is how fast (hard) it stops when it does. Kd should help and let you lower kp without having to add ki for correction. You will have to try on yours but if you kp is 600 is try kp 400 kd 300 or 200 and see how it looks on a graph. Min power should help with shakes if low

I am experimenting with different settings, last used higher KD and are also OK. Since I can play game without crashing, but each time someone want to try a DOF he is hitting a wall which is causing my platform to almost jumping. I can set min/max not to 1-2, but 10-20 which will lower the movement during crash, but also don`t want such settings as you cannot almost feel anything during normal driving/flying forces...
any workaround to stay with 1-2 min/max = good and precise movement, but cut all high values during crash - any suggestion ?

Last Video of my DOF platform [ with Pimax 4K HMD - instead of Oculus ]

What game are you tuning for? I was kinda disappointed in my wall crash but driving is almost too much movement. I've been tuning pcars and wonder if it has some type of crash filter.

Yes, exactly PCARS [ since waiting fot PCARS2 at September... haven`t even try AssettoCorsa on DOF, yet ] - each wall crash seems to be a real wall crash ! look at my last video [ I am unmounting my HOTAS - not risking potentiometer failure - when I`m driving ! ]
There should be possibility to make as you said some CRASH filter [ if a very fast changes with high amplitude of forward / reverse values - above normal movement => then filter it [ or smooth in 99% ]
- maybe someone [ of more experienced DOF users ] can help [ @noorbeast - any suggestion ] ?

Could you make some video on DCS with your platform? Is Pimax ok with DCS? Thank you for your answers.