News Can we work on a solution for VFD and 3 Phase Motors

Anyone who frequents this website and plans to use VFD and AC motors may be aware that Thanos' AMC1280USB Motion Controller costs AUD$500, Speedy's SMC3 PCB needs a bug fix and its likely that you have looked high and low and finding a controller to mate to an Arduino to signal a trio of VFD to run AC motors is tricky.

Has anyone tried a Mach 3 CNC board such as: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1746920658.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.52343c00xOkEeW ? I am just curious, can it be used to avoid an Arduino altogether? For example X-Plane outputs to simtools, ok - the CNC controller should technically interface with simtools and output the 0-10V, has build in terminals for endstops and it can probably even home the platform at the end of a ride.

I hate to say it - but a $500 motion controller is hard to justify as a purchase when its half the price of three Bosch inverters (Build quality up there with Hitachi). Now my head is up my ass a bit, because the bigger picture would suggest $500 isnt that much of a significant expense given the nature of the project - however there are designs (such as speedys PCB and the simaxe(?) pcb) you can use to make your own controller for....a fraction of the cost.

I havent etched the simaxe variant yet, but also havent found confirmation it works. Is anything particularly special or able to at least justify the cost of a fully-assembled ready-to-run controller? Thanos' is hands down the leader in this regard but with all due respect - I think he knows it and reflects that in the price, which I cant image has offset the amount of work he put into it (again my head is up my ass here)

Does anyone know of any middle ground solutions? E.g. the CNC controller noted? I dont mind a bit of set up to get it going but small price to pay if its a quality board (being a PCB that is not assembled by hand). Alternatively, please convince me and others here who are in limbo (over a year now) looking for some solutions.

I have at times read people asking about RS485's etc and they were told that was possible, but required another computer to carry out that operation between your desktop (running the sim and simtools) and the VFD themselves. Anyone familiar with that? We really need to ignite some technical conversation on the subject and identify some solutions.

The AMC1280USB was expensive as its very complicated controller with many combinations of sensors or output types. AC motors and VFD is just one of the possible uses for it.

But may I ask why still looking at AC motors and VFD inverters? We are at the point that servomotors (including servo drive) cost less!!!

Check out my new AMC controller that is plug and play with the least expensive servomotors in the market:
https://www.tindie.com/products/tronicgr/amc-aasd15a-servo-motion-controller/

To be honest, probably going to end up buying yours. I started 2 years ago, though. They may be low cost now but compare it to the torque of an AC motor with a gearbox. I'm working on a 3DOF with heave, I recall looking at servos but a 1HP motor and 50:1 gearbox combined cost much less - I think I came to the conclusion that 3 servo likely wouldnt provide the mobility of something like:



Keep in mind I am 100-110kg depending on what steroids (if any) I am on and a cockpit is perhaps another 20kg ontop of that. Also 6'6 so consideration had to be given to allow for other clearance so no pedals plow into the floor. I would have loved servos but the torque, speed and stroke length all failed to meet my criteria.

The 1HP motor is losing almost 50% in friction on those low efficiency worm gearboxes...

You can get more power from a 750w servomotor with AASD-15A drive and using a planetary gearbox like this
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32962968884.html

Servomotors are incredible accurate, but they shine on lower friction gearboxes or screw lead arrangements...

See here this example:

That's hindsight now. I only fly fighter jets, accurate motion isnt an outstanding necessity as much as angular displacement is - servo's could be used on future builds when I implement a more appropriate G-Seat to compensate for smaller motion. The oversized motor was selected to overcome things like 50% losses from friction etc. Are servos capable of any shaft output direct to a lever arm? Or restricted to actuators with threaded rods? Flight has much more fluid motion than driving I would imagine, airspace doesnt have potholes or changes in road surface like land.

For the record you know at least 10 fold what I do about ANYTHING related to simulators, I'm mostly speculating here. Just switching to servos this far in would be nothing short of a massive embarrasing financial loss. I dont doubt their performance.

Yes, all you need is

This servomotor/drive kit:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32973113245.html

This matching Planetary Gearbox:
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32962968884.html


And the AMC-AASD15A servo controller here:
https://www.tindie.com/products/tronicgr/amc-aasd15a-servo-motion-controller/#product-reviews


All plug and play together...


The AMC-AASD15A can set the rotation of the arm exactly to 180 degrees, and you can use external limit switch to set home position of each arm if you don't want to use hard stop.

With a setup like this you can easily build a very compact 6DOF platform like this:


Thanks
Thanos

Ugh. I was after some reference for the sim in that exact video for ages. I've taken note of all that, ty Thanos still have to finish my p.o.s. before I start on anything else. Hopefully I can scrap it for most of the parts needed for something like that or sell it to get some capital to buy the parts needed.

The 100:1 gearbox is an example I found that matches mechanically on that servomotor. For 750w servomotors its better to find 50:1 gearbox, something like this perhaps?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32974247613.html

Rated Load:80NM
Max Load:160NM

The Servomotor will give max 120NM if fully loaded (stall), so 80Nm is good safe operation rage, and this gearbox is less expensive as well.

Also reducing the 3000rpm of the servomotor 50 times, you get to the output 60RPM, with will allow 180 degrees travel of the arm in 0.5sec...
Also with an arm 15cm long it will be able to support up to 80kg (per leg of the 6DOF).


Anyway, thanks to @adgun for the advice on that...

https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...-no-linear-actuators-220v-servos.11839/page-2