Getting Started

This is the output of DEScribe which works good

And here is what simtools is outputing (keep in mind the values for positioning are different as here I have it in 10bit mode


I hope this helps

As stated I'm not extremely knowledgeable with this but the obvious is the slow output from simtools. Did you set over 30 ms delay in simtools? It also looks like maybe simtools is not outputting the <13> properly.

I think the 1 byte is when a carriage return executes in describe. In simtools it sends as 64 bytes. Maybe that's where the delay happens. The buffer could be waiting to time out.

Edit: Only problem with the 1 byte statement is that the raw data column is showing different values for it. If it were always a carriage return the raw data would always be the same.

Edit2: However, there is a direct coalition between the execution times and the number of bytes of data sent.

Edit3: It appears simtools is waiting until the 64 byte buffer fills before it sends out the data where describe is executing byte by byte.

Edit4: It just dawned on me that Describe software uses packet serial where we are using simple serial. That's probably why it is sending out 1 byte data. That's how packet serial works on the kangaroo apparently, just like on the controllers. Since simple serial on the kangaroo sends texts commands, not single bytes, it will take several bytes to represent the command being sent to the kangaroo. But 60ms execution is way to much. I still think simtools possibly is not executing <13> properly and it has to wait for a time out to occur. That is if you don't have a large delay set in the simtools output. On the other hand, if the 60ms execution and the 64 bytes data represent several commands being sent out and executed, then it might be just fine.

Edit5: simtools is sending out a 13. I can see it in hex as 0d even though is looks like a period in the text output. I think this means simtools is working okay.

Making Interface in simtools 30ms instead of 10ms like I had took the latency down. Its better but still not as good as DEScribe

EDIT: I have also only been able to get movement when using 12bit as it seems that the unit conversion is a little funny as well, since I can only get movement between 2000mV and 3200mV when It gets a signal within the 4096bit range.

My brain is breaking atm.

I hate it when that happens!!!! LOL


Edit: simtools output about 8 kangaroo commands in that 66ms time at the 10ms delay setting. Thats actually over 100 updates per second. That's not bad when the kangaroo will be handling the actual motor adjustments at a much faster rate!

This is gathered by cause you dont have actual access to the software.

@eaorobbie If you are referring to the post two up than yes this is correct. The estimate was based on only a single 64 byte stream of data that is shown above by StebanJigs who doe's have simtools. I didn't intend to imply that simtools was not working properly by that statement if that's how you took it. Hope I didn't offend!

Sorry please excuse my harsh comment, I'm a little protective of this great program. Your help is wanted and accepted with open arms mate. Just thought someone might had leaked a version to you. I thought thats what you base your calc off beware speed of machine can make this seem slow or ultra fast, All my tests done on a AMDx8 3.9 machine which gives different results but in all this is designed to have as little impact on the machine as possible so we may enjoy our games more.
Please I did not mean in any way to offend you. Sorry again.

Yea if I shouldn't be posting snippets of code please let me know and I will refrain from doing so in the future.

Hi!! Thank you so much guys for you help, i am give up the Kangaroo because i tried everything to see if i can get it going but it didn't work for me so i am give up.
I was thinking to use JRK but because i wonna use 24V motors and the JRK is 16V max i was gonna use 16V power supply then little be more power than 12V, So guys any other options to get my 24V motors going with simtool?? I don't want to use an ARDUINO i find to imprecated to program it.
Please if you have other options let me know. Thanks guys

Not sure what you mean by "Arduino i find to imprecated to program it"? There are several people here who would be willing to help you set up an Adruino with a Sabertooth.

The Jrk12v12 will run fine on 16v, I actually would recommend using a dc deep cycle marine or car battery on them, You wont get the same speed as they would run on 12v but will and promise can be wired and setup in under a hour as long as you already have the motors and pots ready to go. My system is using a 50amp/hr DC Car Battery hooked to a trickle charger, giving me 13.8-14.1V for about 6 hours of full on continuous racing out of it before any slowness of the battery going flat, and within a hour or so from finishing i notice i can turn off the trickle charger because the battery is full. Cheap and effective system. By the way if you are planing on running them that high cooling becomes an issue, a good heat-sink and an adequate fan is needed on top, I use a 120mm fan on each of mine.
Please don't give in on the Kangaroo, I will have my sabertooth in 2-3 weeks and I begin to sort through the issues myself, if a third party program is needed to be create I can do that too, so in the future, I apologize to yourself I understand your in a rush to join in the fun, I hope to have the Kangaroo running for myself as my next project will be to build my own 24v linear actuators.

Hi
Do you have the Delink usb to ttl converter, Does it show up in the device manager

Have you downloaded and run the Describe software tool?

Ooooo @eaorobbie you will have to let me know about how you go about building your actuators as I would be really interested.

EDIT: I have found that if in DEScribe the units are left as 1=1, then if you go into simtools and have the units= string in the interface and try and use the motors, then go back to DEscribe none of the position values show change or the "units" tab either, but using the live test when it boots up a channel shows that the values got changed by simtools to the 10bit or 12bit modifier(1023/4096 multiplied by my mV max min values).

Now I don't know if this is causing a bit of my issue on how the unit zeros and translates values as I didn't have to use the unit string in the Xsoftware(although that is sending packetized so it might not be of any significance)

P.S: keep the faith Brighton we can do this

Hi. The describe software is acting as I predicted it would. Units values are not important until you have your kangaroo tuned. They are only need so the kangaroo knows how to respond to a position call. That's why earlier I said they are only needed when you do a live or custom test in describe. That's moving the sim (motors) with the kangaroo. It appears that the kangaroo is storing the units value after all when it is programmed from simtools. When you run live test, it uploads the current values from the kangaroo so it can move correctly with that particular kangaroos tune. That is why the values in describe don't change until then. If it didn't work that way, if you hooked up a different kangaroo with a different tune to the software, it would not work correctly because the values in the software would be wrong for that kangaroo. The manual still states that you must send the units each time you restart the kangaroo for some reason though.

Have you considered trying a re-tune of your kangaroo or have you already tried that?

p.s. It's not a problem posting code snip-its, etc., like you did as long as it doesn't infringe on copyright laws. Those are often necessary in order to be able to help people out!

@eaorobbie No problems here my friend! Since I don't have simtools yet can you please tell me if there is the option to run simtools on a secondary computer? Also doe's simtools have a way to load and save game profiles the way the old software offered here did (Profiler2 .rn2 files) or is that handled differently? Is it possible to change game profiles while the game is running or do you have to restart? Thanks

@BlazinH yea I have since retuned and still same issues of lag and the zero point are there.

@eaorobbie If the kangaroo's motion control will work in the correct manor needed for using with simulators, a 2dof type system is achievable without a plugin in simtools, without doubt. For any other type, it will need a plugin or third party software unless simtools has a native way of using multiple COM ports in its SER output. Using packet serial commands may allow the use of multiple kangaroos on one COM port, but I don't think this is possible from what I have deduced so far. If that's true any system over 2dof will need access to multiple ports. My guess is that this will require third party software. I could write it myself, although it would be using VB6. It would work easily with SER output but it would probably need some modification if another method is used to make it compatible with .net code.

If the kangaroo won't do the job, I can help you with developing a plugin that will work directly with motor controllers if your interested. With packet serial on motor controllers you can access up to 8 controllers (up to 16 motors) with one COM port. The challenge here would be that we will need to design our own PID control though. One way or the other it's do-able however.

@StebanJigs Send me a screen shot of what is showing in describe under the control tab when the advanced button is pressed please. There might be something in there I can use to help you!

Screenshots are fine.
Ah Sim Tools can setup 6 Interfaces on Ser so that gives us a total of 12 motors that could be available if the Kangaroo works.
I actually here the other software is not too good using the Kangaroo.
Yes we can change the game profile live here in SimTools, Hopefully wont be too long and it will be publicly released.