FlyPT 6DOF/Stewart/Hexapod Interface for linear and rotating actuators

It will be amazing, no doubt. I like it so much, thank you!!!

Hi @pmvcda

I set my rig dimensions up, but it seems I was wrong, or I don't understand correctly the range and middle degrees.
Before cranks reach low min position they jump 180 degree immediately on 3d show.
Can you try it with my config file?

That's some strange values...
Do you have an image of the rig? I would overlap the dimensions.
Using 180º range is to much. It means a full rotation, you can go 180º up and 180º down.
Might be a bug there, I see that changing the range affects the zero position...
Let me take a look.
Thank's for testing.

Maybe I was wrong I did it from my memory Of course full range should be about 160-170 degree. But I tried with that too.
As I back to home I will check the correct dimensions.

New version 1.6.1

Made some corrections and uploaded the version 1.6.1 Beta.
For download go tot he first post on this thread.

Could not test the changes as I wanted. Hope to have solved the serial communication problem.

I measured the whole rig and its still strange, I don't dare to test it

In doubt, please don't test!
The Gray line in the top structure of the 3D is supposed to be the front of the rig. Are you sure it's your rig configuration?
If you can share a photo, it would be easier to help.

Connection with Thanos AMC
(from Thanos post here: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/thanos-amc1280-help.6045/#post-136290)

Number of ports = 1
Type of output = Custom binary
Serial speed = 250000
Stop bits = 1
Interval = 10ms
Data bits = 8
PArity = None
Bit range = 16
Port/Board = The COM you have connected to AMC
Output string = AB<Axis1a><Axis2a><Axis3a><Axis4a><Axis5a><Axis6a>

Anyone willing to test?
Maybe better to use older version (1.5).

I made the rig according to Ga-Dawg design and plans from http://motionsim.freeforums.net/thread/176/dof-step-diy-project-blueprints
My rig is the same but every dimensions are 0,625 times smaller. Some pictures of it:

Some corrections on the above for latest firmware v3.5:
Interval = 2ms
Output string = <255><255><Axis1a><Axis2a><Axis3a><Axis4a><Axis5a><Axis6a><Axis1b><Axis2b><LF><CR>

Hi @pmvcda and @Thanos thanks for this Update and the settings for the AMC, I will try to test this out over the weekend now that I have some new settings to try ..

I must have missed that setup information @Thanos so I hope this is the reason along with some incorrectly set pparameters in the AMC Menu that has been causing Me at least so much Grief .. Hang in there Guys

Im now back to V2.4 Rev 7a and getting Analog out signals during test's at the correct levels , so maybe with these new settings I can Retry Firmware V3.5 Rev 1b

I Keep saying it and hope to verify that this AMC128USB barebones Interface will be great option for Motion sim crew , I really just need to get it working and understand it a bit better so I wont Bug Ya'll ..

LOL also gonna now print every page of the AMC help Post just to make sure

Hey Hey @Gabor Pittner that's a nice looking rig you have made , Great work , Almost there now by the looks of things , Eagerly awaiting 1st Movement Vids .. Looking dam Fine if I may say so .. Your Gonna love FlyPt Hexpod utility .

Hi @pmvcda had a crazy thought but ignore it, if its not practical. Instead having one Do it all Utility ( linear & Rotary) and maybe less Programming issues, i.e whilst trying to make the program more versatile , how about 2 separate Programs .. 1 for Linear actuator and say another specific to / for Rotary actuators .

Don't really have a clue when it comes to programming so maybe its a rubbish suggestion ( PS im happy this Great utility either way ) Cheers and as mentioned Never apologise for Bugs / Glitches etc , mate at the rate your developing this interface you wont hear any complaints from this crew LOL

I'm sorry for not being here much, but I have one of those flus...
Might be better tomowrrow.

When I change middle degree to 30 it looks good, at least strange movements are disappear. But about my rig geometry the middle position of cranks should be 41 degree from horizontal line.
Anyway, the middle position seems correct with 30degree on 3D show
Get well soon

Was trying your measures and decided to rotate 180º the vertical angles:

Those measures seem to work OK.
It seems there's an error in the angle calculation when the axis point outside.
The result should be the same.
Something I forgot somewhere. I have to take a look.

Used your fotos to explain the measures for others:


It's a bit confusing, I will make something better for the program.

For those who are into programming, that's just another class.
One class for linear and one for rotating.
Most of the code is shared for both cases, so if we make an update, it's for all, not just for one and I don't have 2x the work.
Separating the code, could make it marginally faster and with less memory weight, but it's a really small diference.

Hi guys,
I'm working on a new project and only now have I seen this discussion.
I would like to introduce you to my project and get information.
I am attaching the photos, I would like to change my brush motors with brushless motors, I have to use specific drivers for the program or is any driver good?

This has nothing to do with the interface.
You might be talking about Simtools.
The interface in this topic is only for 6 degree of freedom based on hexapod's.
To drive brush less motors you need a hardware driver for the motor and an interface, like an Arduino to control that driver.
It's not for this topic, you can take a look at my build thread, where I used brush less motors and make all the control with ESP32 boards and a "cheap" driver:
https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/flypt-6dof-brushless-diy-actuators.10799/

Thank you very much. It looks good, tomorrow I will try that. Only one thing I don't understand yet, the range and middle degres. ( ok two things) I set all motors about 150-160 degree range limit with smc3 utils. And the middle position is about 40 deg from horizontal or 50 deg from vertical . Like you marked those lines on my pictures they are clear. But as I can see you set range to 90 degree and middle to minus 20. Can you explain that? I was experimentig a lot with those values and tried to understand what was changing, but I haven't got it.

Anyway I fell in love with this interface. Very big thanks really.

OK, to look for the correct value, fallow this procedure:

Put middle at 0º
Put range at 180º

Now look what is the maximum and minimum angle before going out of range.
For that, move heave up and down.

I got for your rig this:

minimum = -136.5 º = -211 mm
maximum = 55.7 º = 61.4 mm

So if we want to make middle based on angle, we have:

range = (136.5 + 55.7)/2 = 96.1 º
middle = -136.5 + 96.1 = -40.4 º

This gives you a travel of:

heave up = 136.2 mm
heave down = 132.6 mm

So you are right, it should be -40º, but you will never get more than 96º range or the rig goes out of limits.



Meanwhile, I'm a bit lost, looking for the error that makes things different if axis is to the outside...