1. Do not share user accounts! Any account that is shared by another person will be blocked and closed. This means: we will close not only the account that is shared, but also the main account of the user who uses another person's account. We have the ability to detect account sharing, so please do not try to cheat the system. This action will take place on 04/18/2023. Read all forum rules.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. For downloading SimTools plugins you need a Download Package. Get it with virtual coins that you receive for forum activity or Buy Download Package - We have a zero Spam tolerance so read our forum rules first.

    Buy Now a Download Plan!
  3. Do not try to cheat our system and do not post an unnecessary amount of useless posts only to earn credits here. We have a zero spam tolerance policy and this will cause a ban of your user account. Otherwise we wish you a pleasant stay here! Read the forum rules
  4. We have a few rules which you need to read and accept before posting anything here! Following these rules will keep the forum clean and your stay pleasant. Do not follow these rules can lead to permanent exclusion from this website: Read the forum rules.
    Are you a company? Read our company rules

Tutorial SPS - Sabertooth Packet Serial PID motor driver sketch w/SoftStart

Discussion in 'SimTools compatible interfaces' started by BlazinH, Nov 10, 2016.

  1. Patte83

    Patte83 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2018
    Messages:
    55
    Balance:
    24Coins
    Ratings:
    +6 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF
    Ok sorry. Did not know what kind of issue i got if it is my setting or Simtools.
  2. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2013
    Messages:
    2,145
    Location:
    Oklahoma City, USA
    Balance:
    16,568Coins
    Ratings:
    +1,831 / 32 / -1
    Its not strange at all. In the past this issue has either been from using cheep knockoff arduinos that can't keep up, an inadequate power supply, or one that malfunctions due to back emf. Usually reducing the baud rate to 115200 in Simtools as I suggested solves the com issue. And make sure other Simtools settings are as instructed in the tutorial.

    Possible reasons: SMC3 utilities doesn't send the same frequency of packets that Simtools does. You can try decreasing the packet rate from Simtools by increasing the rate above 10ms also to see if that helps. And game motion puts more stress on components than testing does.
    • Like Like x 1
    Last edited: Nov 5, 2019
  3. MENANDRO DALIDA JR

    MENANDRO DALIDA JR Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2019
    Messages:
    53
    Balance:
    51Coins
    Ratings:
    +16 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF
    After days frustrating to find the right codes for arduino and sabertooth, this really helps a lot. Thanks @BlazinH
  4. Garrick H. Woods

    Garrick H. Woods Simulator Noob

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2020
    Messages:
    27
    Balance:
    194Coins
    Ratings:
    +22 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, DC motor, Arduino
    Arduino: 1.8.1 (Windows 10), Board: "Arduino/Genuino Uno"

    E:\AAA_VR_Motion_Simulator\Arduino Code\SMC3_SPS-softstart\SMC3_SPS-softstart\SMC3_packet_serial_beta8a_softstart\SMC3_packet_serial_beta8a_softstart.ino:229:24: fatal error: Sabertooth.h: No such file or directory

    #include <Sabertooth.h>

    compilation terminated.

    exit status 1
    Error compiling for board Arduino/Genuino Uno.

    I'm getting this error while following the steps. Does anyone know how to fix this? I'm arduino illiterate
  5. Che Franklin

    Che Franklin im alot brighter than i look.. Gold Contributor

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2019
    Messages:
    36
    Location:
    Cape Cod Ma USA
    Balance:
    593Coins
    Ratings:
    +2 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, Arduino
    ok im lost...
    on the sabertooth what are the settings supposed to be??
    are you sure its only 2 wire attached to the Arduino????
    pin 13 ARD---------sabertooth S1
    GND ARD---------sabertooth 0v

    Arduino Baud is 115200
    Sabertooth Baud is 115200 Per DEScribe? Anything else need to be done in DEScribe..
    PWR is 12v battery with cap and car charger
    im using the sketch attached??
    WTF am i doing wrong i know it's pilot ERROR.
  6. 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
    Please do not post on multiple threads about the same related issue, it gets way too confusing to follow what is going on: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/smc3-help-and-sim-tools.14116/page-4#post-191854

    The best place to post is on your build thread, so all of the information is in one place.

    @BlazinH's instructions are in the first post: https://www.xsimulator.net/communit...ket-serial-pid-motor-driver-w-softstart.9277/

    What is not clear is which Sabertooth and Arduino you are using, and the corresponding steps you did or did not follow.

    I appreciate how frustrating this must be, but it really helps to take a step by step approach, and detail that for others, so members can assist with troubleshooting.
  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
    Are the wiper motors ground isolated: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/wiper-motor-mandatory-ground-isolation.25/

    Is the mega set as the default Arduino in the IDE settings?

    On the mega is Pin 13 to S1?

    Are the Dip switches set as per instructions?

    How are the Jumpers configured?
  8. Che Franklin

    Che Franklin im alot brighter than i look.. Gold Contributor

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2019
    Messages:
    36
    Location:
    Cape Cod Ma USA
    Balance:
    593Coins
    Ratings:
    +2 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, Arduino
    Ok we’re in the diagram does it show jumpers
    Other than 0v and s1
    I posted all this

    following the link step by step 1-9 can not get passed step 9


    Real ARDUINO mega
    Saber tooth 12/32.
    Dipswitch 1 off 2 off 3 on 4 on 5 on 6 on
    Wiper motors pots connected to A0A1 5v and. GND

    open DEScribe.exe click connect to deceive
    Confirm that under serial/usb tab that it’s 115200
    With 100/s
    Launch ARDUINO IDE
    Open SMC3 soft-start Sketch downloaded from the link you provided

    Upload SMC3 scketch
    open smcutility.ine confirm com port
    launch SMC3 utility
    Get error kp motor1
    I can hear the motors a tiny bit
    But SMC3 utility will not connect to the ARDUINO
  9. Arazok

    Arazok Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2018
    Messages:
    161
    Occupation:
    Computer scientist
    Location:
    Germany
    Balance:
    951Coins
    Ratings:
    +30 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF
    You need to install the sabertooth arduino libraries first, then you have all files and headers and it compiles.
  10. Typhoon56

    Typhoon56 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2019
    Messages:
    46
    Occupation:
    Engineering
    Location:
    Cambridge
    Balance:
    400Coins
    Ratings:
    +39 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino
    ok so iv started to try and get my motors turning on my 2DOF sim using SMC3, but im very useless on computers and software, and I am already struggling on simple stuff, how do change the comm port ? its on 1 now and my arduino s on comm port 4 ,the instructions state what to do and I can bring the notebook document and see comm port=8 do i do something with that ?
  11. 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
    The comm port your Arduino is connected to is used in the SimTools Interface Settings drop down, so SimTools knows which hardware it is talking to.
  12. Typhoon56

    Typhoon56 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2019
    Messages:
    46
    Occupation:
    Engineering
    Location:
    Cambridge
    Balance:
    400Coins
    Ratings:
    +39 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino

    Iv not even opened SimTools yet I'm unable to get Smc3 windows utilities to communicate with my Arduino.
  13. 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
    Is the correct arduino selected in the IDE settings and have you installed the arduino libraries from the first post of this thread?
  14. Typhoon56

    Typhoon56 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2019
    Messages:
    46
    Occupation:
    Engineering
    Location:
    Cambridge
    Balance:
    400Coins
    Ratings:
    +39 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino
    Screenshot 2020-02-09 at 11.22.18.png
    This is a photo of my screen and the problem I believe im having, and from what I read in the instructions about opening the SMC3Utils.ini with notepad to change the comport, I don't understand how to do that.

    my motors start to twitch with the Arduino program open in this state.

    I feel a little embarrassed about this all, as this is very basic stuff.
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2020
  15. 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
    In the unzipped SMC3Utils folder right click on the config file on Open With -> Notepad

    1.jpg

    Then change the Comm Port and save the file

    2.jpg
    • Friendly Friendly x 2
  16. Typhoon56

    Typhoon56 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2019
    Messages:
    46
    Occupation:
    Engineering
    Location:
    Cambridge
    Balance:
    400Coins
    Ratings:
    +39 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino
    @noorbeast thank you for your reply's very much appreciated, I have been doing the exact steps but does not chance the commport,I wondering if I have saved something in a weird location.
  17. Typhoon56

    Typhoon56 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2019
    Messages:
    46
    Occupation:
    Engineering
    Location:
    Cambridge
    Balance:
    400Coins
    Ratings:
    +39 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino
    Sorted it now, deleted and downloaded again, i think it was something to do with the desktop shortcut.
    • Like Like x 1
  18. Patte83

    Patte83 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2018
    Messages:
    55
    Balance:
    24Coins
    Ratings:
    +6 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF
    Hi there everyone.

    I got a 3 dof seat but can only use 2 motors atm with 2x32 sabertooth. Is it possible to add an extra 43A IBT-2 to get the 3 motor working?

    If there is please help i need help to know how do this

    Best regards
  19. Historiker

    Historiker Dramamine Adict Gold Contributor

    Joined:
    Dec 16, 2010
    Messages:
    2,158
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Michigan USA
    Balance:
    9,176Coins
    Ratings:
    +2,156 / 19 / -1
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, Arduino, Motion platform, 6DOF
    You can add an second arduino connected to the 43A IBT-2 I have a similar setup but using a motomonster for my third motor.
    • Agree Agree x 1
  20. Patte83

    Patte83 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2018
    Messages:
    55
    Balance:
    24Coins
    Ratings:
    +6 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF
    Nice well i need to figure out how to connect two arduino and make it work. do i need to code it as well?