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Extensible 2dof aluminum profile rig with AC servo's

Discussion in 'DIY Motion Simulator Projects' started by Will0214, Apr 11, 2020.

  1. Will0214

    Will0214 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2020
    Messages:
    17
    Occupation:
    Software Development Engineer
    Location:
    Seattle & Hangzhou
    Balance:
    79Coins
    Ratings:
    +7 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino, Motion platform
    Hi forum,

    This is Will. I have been lurking around the forum for a long time, longer than I can remember lol. I finally got the time and resources to build a rig customized to my needs.

    I wanted a rig that is rigid and adjustable. It needs to be rigid so that when I step on the brake, the pedal box does not deflect and the support for the wheelbase is strong enough to handle direct drive wheels. The frame also needs to able to handle g forces as I plan to add motion to the rig. The rig needs to be adjustable in all possible ways because I tend to do long sessions. I want to adjust the height and angle of the pedal box, wheel, and the seat. Also the distance between each of them. I also want more room between the wheelbase and seat so that I don't need to climb in and out of the seat. With those considerations in mind, I chose to use aluminum profiles. Since I am not heavy(60kg, 125lbs), I used 2040 profiles for the main structure, and 2020 for small supporting platforms for the pedal box and wheel. I also used two pieces of 2060 as the main support for the wheelbase, because it is wide so it provides more leverage.[​IMG]
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2020
  2. Will0214

    Will0214 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2020
    Messages:
    17
    Occupation:
    Software Development Engineer
    Location:
    Seattle & Hangzhou
    Balance:
    79Coins
    Ratings:
    +7 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino, Motion platform
    thought I could edit the post, but nope lol. Let me if anyone knows how.

    Add a photo for my rig. This is Stage 1 which does not have motion. I'll post the motion part in the following posts. rig1.jpg
  3. Will0214

    Will0214 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2020
    Messages:
    17
    Occupation:
    Software Development Engineer
    Location:
    Seattle & Hangzhou
    Balance:
    79Coins
    Ratings:
    +7 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino, Motion platform
    Let's get to the existing part, motion! The same principle applies here as well, rigid and extensible.

    Hardware

    I've decided to use linear actuators long before the project. I like its simplicity with all the moving parts being encapsulated in the actuator itself. It is versatile; it could be used to build any type of rigs, be it d-box or seat mover, so the component is more future-proof. As I did not want to spend too much money on it first, I started with 2dof but with the extensibility in mind. I decided to build one of d-box style first after reading articles here on the forum and inside racing. Also with the more powerful actuators, I can convert to seat mover in the future without buying expensive actuators again.

    The linear actuators are of foldback style. I chose this style because of the compactness and the ability to adjust the gear ratio to achieve different speed and torque, although the belt does add a little noise. The rated speed is 420mm/s and rated pushing force being 1500N with 150mm stroke. The rated speed and force is achieved with a 750W AC motor.

    Considering the weight of the rig and driver, the actuators could be attached to the frame directly. But I chose to add two pairs of 2040 to support the entire rig so that I don't rely on M5 screws to support the entire rig. This also allows me to adjust the mounting points of actuators. The two actuators are mount to the rig via two CNC machined aluminum plates. I played a little with the placement of actuators. I prefer to put them in the back near me so that I can feel more movement. The front is supported by a universal joint foot cup. (see the pic, I don't have a good translation for this lol)
    rig2.jpg
    The "wheelbase" and "track" of the rig can be adjusted easily by moving the supporting 2040's and the CNC machined aluminum plates. rig3.jpg
    • Like Like x 1
  4. Will0214

    Will0214 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2020
    Messages:
    17
    Occupation:
    Software Development Engineer
    Location:
    Seattle & Hangzhou
    Balance:
    79Coins
    Ratings:
    +7 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino, Motion platform
    the universal joint foot cup mentioned above rig4.jpg
  5. Will0214

    Will0214 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2020
    Messages:
    17
    Occupation:
    Software Development Engineer
    Location:
    Seattle & Hangzhou
    Balance:
    79Coins
    Ratings:
    +7 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino, Motion platform
    Electronics

    The actuators are powered by 750W servo motors driven by AASD15A servo drivers. I chose these because they are well supported by Simfeedback software with Arduino and simtools with the AMC-AASD15A controller developed by @Thanos. If my plan to write my own controller with Arduino fails, I can still use those. Fortunately, I did it! Many thanks to @RacingMat and @Grigory for posting their code, which led to me use port manipulation to generate pulses after trying multiple ways with all failed. If people are interested in the code, I'll clean it up and upload it.
    rig5.jpg
    • Like Like x 1
  6. Will0214

    Will0214 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2020
    Messages:
    17
    Occupation:
    Software Development Engineer
    Location:
    Seattle & Hangzhou
    Balance:
    79Coins
    Ratings:
    +7 / 0 / -0
    My Motion Simulator:
    2DOF, 3DOF, AC motor, Arduino, Motion platform
    • Like Like x 2
  7. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2014
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    20,461
    Occupation:
    Innovative tech specialist for NGOs
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    St Helens, Tasmania, Australia
    Balance:
    144,602Coins
    Ratings:
    +10,741 / 52 / -2
    My Motion Simulator:
    3DOF, DC motor, JRK
    Great to see your rig in action :thumbs