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Question Smoothing problem

Discussion in 'SimTools Pro & Entertainment Version' started by Martyn, Oct 26, 2017.

  1. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    Yes, both videos is same - speed 10000 / accel 200 (like i used all the months before)..

    Summary of what i ´ve tried so far:
    Reinstall simtools - working fine till first restart.
    Different USB cables and ports - no change
    Played with drivers (all possible - COM ports, Mainboard, even with Graphic) - no change.
    Disconnected every other hardware (pedals, wheel etc) which could interfer with simtools - no change
    Playing with COM ports settings - no change
    Clean install Windows - working fine till first restart.
    Checked all wires - disassembly and assembly connections - working fine till first restart
    I´ve tried even 2 more different computers - no change, still same
    Bought even new rS485 adapter - working fine till first restart
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2017
  2. yobuddy

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

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    accel of 200 seems really low?
    Can you try setting it half way and see if things change?
    yobuddy
  3. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    I was using 200 all the time, worked fine for me. The main thing is that both videos above (working and not-working) are with exact same settings, so that´s not an issue.
    Anyway, i tried even accel 500.. Not good..
  4. yobuddy

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

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    I'll try to replicate the problem again today.
    But so far, I have not been able to replicate the problem.
    See what happens today after I get some coffee in me.
  5. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    This would be great.. If you have an SCN6 also, could you please be so kind and make me video how is your´s acting with 10000 speed - 200 accel - 100% smoothing? In DOF output testing..
    I have recieved new power source today - no change.. I also tried to reset the acurator controller via TBVST - also no help:(
  6. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    yobuddy i know you are busy, but PLEASE can you try that for me?
    I was doing on it a lot more hours but did not moved nowhere:( somehow i make it work again, but really do not know how. I disassembled / reassembled every connections, check cables inside scn control box, everything looks ok.
    I deleted all com ports, tried old ftdi drivers, reinstalled simtools again, no helps:(
    When it was accidentally working i have it disconnected all for some time, then connected it again and it worked. I could turn on / off simtools, add another DOF´s, it worked ok. But only till i tried to LOGOUT (not even restart necessary), and back to broken mode again:(
    I tried to run simtools as administrator and even change windows language to english (i know stupid, but i´m really trying everything now)....
  7. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    MAJOR update here.. I (probably) know how to make it working..
    Need to disconnect acurators AND their control boxes completely. Leave it for some time (5 mins do not work, 30 seems like do - worked for 3 times in a row). And then after reconnection it works!!! But still always pnly till first restart...
    So question is - what can be causing that? I´ve searched in some ooooold threads, and there was mentioned some ILK PIN and Z DIODE, could it be that?
    There has to be some memory in acurator or control box which is cleared after some time...??
  8. yobuddy

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

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    This is interesting, as I have not been able to replicate the problem.
    If it was a software problem, I would think it would do it with every restart.

    It sounds more to me like some sort of alarm is being triggered on the actuators that causes them to go into a slow mode or something.
    What do you have your axis limiter set at?
    Maybe set it to 70% and give it a try.
    Just to see if its triggering something after the first startup?
    may be worth a try?

    Take care,
    yobuddy
  9. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    Problem occurs after every windows restart (or logout).

    Usually i have axis limiter at 90, but now i tried to set it to 50% (before test on "working ok" mode), tested, restarted and back to "not working":( - no change there,
    I also checked for alarms at TBVST - no alarms triggered..

    Right now i bet for power cables, that´s really the last thing all acurators have in common and which i did not replaced yet...

    Thank you anyway that you are trying to help..:)

    Attached Files:

  10. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    I have this power connection from Frex. I have checked the cables, but can not find there any Z diode or resistors. Could it be a problem? That might explain it...?
    Can somebody please help me and show me on diagram where to put Z diode and resistors? Also, diode should be 27 volts, but how many Watts - they are different. And i have all three acturators supplied by one power source and via one cables - shall i put diodes and resistors on all cables? (three diodes and resistors or just one is fine..?)
    Many many many thanks!!!

    Attached Files:

    • frex.PNG
      frex.PNG
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    • Disagree Disagree x 1
  11. yobuddy

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

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  12. nclabs

    nclabs Active Member Gold Contributor

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    Hey there, I will try to replicate that as well with my setup and I will report the results.

    For your information, due to the fact I have one controller board toasted, I started to play around my tester to see what happen on the board and I saw something strange. When you disconnect the power source, the board keep a good number of volts for minutes, something like 5 minutes or so. It loses power very slowly, so that might be a reason about you need long time to "reset" it.

    Another thing, you should always cut the power when you are not using your motion rig, this could reduce the wearing on the electric component and it could prevent some damage in case of power overflows in your grid.

    BTW, how that controller board was toasted it's still a mystery to me. I didn't used it for years, and now is broken. WTF
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2017
  13. nclabs

    nclabs Active Member Gold Contributor

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    Ok, I tried to replicate the problem but I couldn't. My SCN6 goes the same way with or without the smoothness on the game profile. I spoke with Dustin as well and he confirmed that the smoothness on the games profiles can't affect the output testing, so the first thing to do is dig up this aspect. What is causing it? Is it smoothness for real? Did you tried something else? Can you change one thing over and over again and change the output testing behaviour every time? Did you checked the wire diagram?
  14. wimpo`

    wimpo` Member

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  15. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    Ah so my scn´s are really acting weird..
    Well on the game profile - i think you have to add smoothing on default profile to affect it output testing?
    I do not know what you mean if "smoothness" is for real..
    As i said i tried everything, i do not know what to try more unfortunately:(
    Wires seems ok (bought the wire kit ready from frex, but i double checked it and add the Z diode and resistors which were not present - but that does not change anything..).
    I have read on "other forum" that i can test scn´s comunication somehow with Putty program, but unfortunately can not find any info about how exactly to do it:(

    i tried in summary (by "working fine" i mean when i add 100% smoothing it runs fast and clean like on this vid (dunno why is it tilting when i upload it:( )
    Reinstall simtools - working fine till first restart.
    Different USB cables and ports - no change
    Played with drivers (all possible - COM ports, Mainboard, even with Graphic) - no change.
    Disconnected every other hardware (pedals, wheel etc) which could interfer with simtools - no change
    Playing with COM ports settings - no change
    Clean install Windows - working fine till first restart.
    Checked all wires - disassembly and assembly connections - working fine till first restart
    I´ve tried even 2 more different computers - no change, still same
    Bought even new rS485 ftdi adapter - working fine till first restart

    recently i played with only one acurator which seem to work when i disconnect everything and let it go for some time, but when i try all three and do the same thing i can not make it "work" even after disconnecting:(

    One more thing i´m using FTDI RS485 converters, originaly the 4 port one (https://shop.clickandbuild.com/cnb/...atalogue-product_info-null&prodCategoryID=311)
    but i´m also experimenting with the 1 port (Premium Cord but uses ftdi chips).. Makes no difference:(
  16. nclabs

    nclabs Active Member Gold Contributor

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    As I already said, speaking with the developer of the software, what you do on game or default profile should not affect the output testing. The output testing tool is there only to check if the actuators are working in a general sense. Try to replicate the same issue without changing anything or even trying other effects in the default profile. As you already thought, try one actuator at the time, and than add one at the time and see what happens. It might be a faulty usb hub if you are using one, try to use the ports on your motherboard.
  17. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    Well as you can see, mine smoothing really affect output testing:)
    Ok today did some more tests. As i arrived at first - it was working ok (computer and psu was disconnected from power all night, otherwise everything connected together) - no problems, could play with smoothing and no change in output filter. Then i jumped to assetto, then back and again the same issue - smoothing very very slow and jerky in output testing:( other filters does not seem to make any change, only smoothing..
    Ok so i tried all three motor one by one - no change. Every single motor behave the same - slow and jerky.

    Well then i spent some little time looking for some decent motion - it looks like it will work ok but i had to put down main filter in game manager - seems like something like 75% will do the job. All other filters in axis assigment at 0, 15k speed / 200 accel.

    But any other strange thing happened:D i order about week ago another FTDI RS485 (exactly same 4 port like i use) - so i gave him a try, but i cannot connect that one at all:D i deleted the old one completely (because when i connected new on the com ports assigned were bigger then 10), connected the new one and nothing... Even the TBVST or simtools can not connect to any SCN. It looks like it is "touching" at it (red and green diodes are flashing), but simtools does nothing and tbvst reports error in comunication finally. Strange, because it is exact same device like i use normally with exact same settings / drivers on same computer..
    There are no jumpers to choose connection type there..

    Attached Files:

  18. nclabs

    nclabs Active Member Gold Contributor

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  19. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    That looks exactly like the "premium cord" i got for testing..

    Attached Files:

    • pc.PNG
      pc.PNG
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  20. Martyn

    Martyn Member Gold Contributor

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    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, SCN6
    I will have some time tommorow so i will try to tune it from scratch.
    What do you say on using the game manager main filter to like 80%? Probably not ideal i know but it seems like it really calm the rig down...
    I know now how the axis assigment and tuning center work, but never played with game manager setting so we will see:)

    Btw what do you say on setting which so far seemed fine and just needed tuning values improvement..
    Speed: 15.000, accel 200
    Axis 1+2 - Surge and Sway 40, Roll, pitch and heave 15%,
    axis 3 - extra 1 - 100%.
    Game manager main level 80%...
    No filters at all.

    Thanks again:)