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Tutorial SMC3 Arduino 3DOF Motor Driver and Windows Utilities

Discussion in 'SimTools compatible interfaces' started by RufusDufus, Dec 1, 2013.

  1. lcturkey

    lcturkey Member

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    please help me :) !!!!

    I bought another motor driver pololu and I still dont get any data from Simtools. I connected all the motors and They dont move.
  2. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    Please open a new thread, describe all steps you have done so far and most important upload pictures of all you have. Without pictures / screenshots no support.
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  3. lcturkey

    lcturkey Member

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    Hi pit, I already send the screenshots and describe my problem on 33 page.
  4. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    Open a new thread helps us to sort out dedicated issues, within the SMC3 thread we can loose the track. For what I can see the feedback line (potentiometer) does not show anything meaning the potentiometer does not send any signal to the arduino.

    BTW Ks is way too high, please reduce to 1 first, and Fpwm try first 20 kHz
  5. welen123

    welen123 Member Gold Contributor

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    HI, i'm using the smc3 for may rig, and here is a little problem .
    when the car crash or shaking in the game,the axis 1 often stop moving , and i had to restart the arduino to move it back,is there anyone in the same problem?
  6. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    Which bridge you are using?
  7. welen123

    welen123 Member Gold Contributor

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    Hi,I used the monster motor ,is the problem with the cooling ? I used the cooling fins and a fan,and I changed another MM for the axis1,and nothing gone be better.but the axis 2 is rarely happens.
  8. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    If all would be correct installed, all would be soldered in a perfect manner (no loose contacts), if there is really no reason for any issue, than you have a "weak" MM output. Please show me your SMC3 settings of BOTH motors.
  9. welen123

    welen123 Member Gold Contributor

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    upload_2015-8-21_18-56-3.png
    here is the setting of the SMC3,both motors use the same setting. SMC firmware version 0.7 used.

    Attached Files:

  10. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    KP=500 is too high and probably not needed- Please reduce to 300 and try to tune the fast reactions within the SimTools tuning manager. If you are not satisfied by doing this, you can raise up to 330, 360 etc.
  11. gorzasty

    gorzasty Active Member

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    Hello

    Right now I'm building my first motion platform and almost ready (You can read about it here: http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/2dof-another-in-da-house.6764/page-4), but now I'd like to add two more motors to work as a part of G-seat, behind my back. So I've got two motors for shaking platform and I want two more for G-seat. SMC3 software is great and works marvelous, but can I use 4 motors with it? SMC3 utility shows only 3 ;(
    • Like Like x 1
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2015
  12. Pit

    Pit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gold Contributor

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    @gorzasty this issue can only to be avoided by using a second arduino.
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  13. gorzasty

    gorzasty Active Member

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    THX @Pit , I've got second Ardu but how to configure SIMTools then? You can enable two simtools windows in the same time (sorry, but I'm far away from my computer now to check it)? In one window of simtools You can put the data of one Ardu only.

    EDIT: OK, I've read manual and the solution is to configure interface_1 and Interface_2 with two Ardu's in the interface settings, right? What a great software!
    • Agree Agree x 1
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2015
  14. RufusDufus

    RufusDufus Well-Known Member

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    Following the tests @Pit has suggested... if you are still having problems I suspect it may be that the Arduino is shutting off the motor to protect them because it thinks they have passed the MaxLimits zone. This is an SMC3 safety feature to help prevent damage to motors and rig. Sometimes the momentum of a heavy rig is enough to carry the seat into this deadzone particularly in violent motions such as a crash.

    You could try to set the MaxLimits setting to 0 (effectively disabling this feature) to see if the motor stops shutting down. Although if this is what is happening then you may want to look at the design of the rig to help prevent it happening.

    Increasing the PWM reverse setting may also help if you want to keep the MaxLimits setting active - this is how hard the SMC3 tries to (brake) drive the motors in reverse when trying to avoid the Max Limits.
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  15. welen123

    welen123 Member Gold Contributor

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    thank you for your suggest ! hope the issue can be fixed.
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  16. welen123

    welen123 Member Gold Contributor

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    thank you, i'm confused with the problem ,why axis2 is rarely happens,only axis 1 to stop moving, and i tried to changed the analog pin A0 to A1,then the A0 motor alosl happens the problem , i will try @Pit's suggestion to see if that can be fixed.
  17. jaco73

    jaco73

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    Rufus thank you, program and share SMC3 :thumbs
    After reading several times around the post (not translators English and difficult to understand the things) or so I resolved all my doubts, the simulator right mind moves, just need to understand a little more SMCutils.mi configuration consists of:
    1-Arduino Uno R3
    3-43A IBT-2
    3 smolka 24v
    2 Dell PowerEdge 2950 Netzteil 750W (even 12v, but will put a 24v)

    it would be the recommended value in SMCutils fPWM =?

    Excuse me for my bad english :blush
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 25, 2015
  18. speedy

    speedy Well-Known Member

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    SMC3 Util. with the Arduino
    2015-08-21 06.20.16.jpg

    SimTools with the Arduino

    2015-08-25 23.22.16.jpg
  19. RufusDufus

    RufusDufus Well-Known Member

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    when you swapped A0 and A1, I assume you also swapped the Motor wires with them?

    I would focus first on trying to work out if the motor is being "shut off" for safety by SMC3 or if it is the hardware shutting down like the driver chip going into overtemp or overcurrent shutdown.

    To do this work with SMC3Utils and try to reporduce the problem by putting it in manual mode and jerking the slider on the right of the graph. If the motor shuts down and the button in the top left of SMCUtils says off then SMC3 software shut them down. If the motor stops but the button still says on then it is something inthe hardware shutting down.
  20. RufusDufus

    RufusDufus Well-Known Member

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    When using SMC3Utils both the TX and RX serial LEDs will light up because it sends position data to the SMC3 Arduino and also requests data back so that it can plot all the charts on the screen.

    When using Simtools the position data is only sent to the Arduino. Simtools has no need to know anything about the Arduino, it just assumes it is doing its job. Therefore only one LED will light up.
    • Informative Informative x 2