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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. TyCrawford

    TyCrawford New Member

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    Updated schematic that shows how my BTS7960 driver circuits and pots are powered

    Attached Files:

  2. Pierre Lalancette

    Pierre Lalancette Sir Lalancelot Gold Contributor

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    I think you are at the point of switching part to find defect.
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. TyCrawford

    TyCrawford New Member

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    I guess I'll work on that today. I have already swapped out an Arduino and saw no change. I know the firmware is flashing and saving becuase that Arduino did not have SMC3 on it when I wired it up. I'm gonna work on a test rig for my BTS7960 units today with a small motor and power supply.

    I guess my confusion is just coming from the fact that no where else on the internet do I see anyone wiring these units up and driving the PWM and EN pins like is being done here. At such a point I can see it work with that wiring and driving code, even on a small scale, I'll put these suspicions to bed
  4. TyCrawford

    TyCrawford New Member

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    Update; I swapped control wires from my #1 module over to my #2 module and it immediately started working in both directions. Still gonna build that test unit though just to make sure my #1 unit is bad, and see if any other units I have are bad. I feel like these cheap chinese units are bound to be a shot in the dark and so I'd rather know before installing them if they're good or not
  5. Pierre Lalancette

    Pierre Lalancette Sir Lalancelot Gold Contributor

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    If I remember well, those are the unit @SilentChill used to make is first simulator and he quit them as they had too many defects.
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 12, 2023
  6. TyCrawford

    TyCrawford New Member

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    Ill look into his posts to see what I can learn but at such a point the MonsterMoto shield isnt being made anymore and these cheap chinese h bridges suck, what units are folks using today?
  7. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    IB
    IBT2 and Cytron are popular, but there are other possibilities such as JRKs: https://www.xsimulator.net/community/faq/motor-drivers.11/category
  8. Gadget999

    Gadget999 Well-Known Member

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    a trick that may help you diagnose the problem is to fit leds on the pins for direction and pwm - you can test the chip is outputting this way ;)
  9. Pierre Lalancette

    Pierre Lalancette Sir Lalancelot Gold Contributor

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    I use sabertooth. But they are expensive. Beside melting my wires, I had no problem from my 3 units.
  10. TyCrawford

    TyCrawford New Member

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    Ok so I impulse bought some more of the BTS7960s when I first suspected mine was bad, so Im gonna run those til dead.

    I got both axes working snd moving yesterday! Super stoked. However getting a lot of noise on my feedback pot, especially in the uphill direction. That is to say. When the motor is just letting gravity take care of it, movement is very smooth and the feedback pot matches the desired position in SMC3Tool very well.

    Did some reading and found that if using mechanical pots, the way to go is 10k linear. Turns out Im using 50k linears. I might go to hall effect at some point but I can get 10k linears in stock in town today and will do so just to see if this is improved. Im also running non shielded cable to the pots and that might need replacement as well.
    • Like Like x 1
  11. Thomase123

    Thomase123 New Member Gold Contributor

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    I got also a problem
    The motor, when i connect the pot and try the "sine" in smc, it just spins and keep spinning.
    If i then take the pot in my hands og center it, if i turn it, the motor keeps spinning in that direction.

    Ive installed new pots, new ibt's - Nothing change.
    Im using the official picture for wiring and the code is changed to mode2.
  12. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    Can you please specify exactly what motors you are using and also post pictures of all of your settings.
  13. Thomase123

    Thomase123 New Member Gold Contributor

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    Some 150w worm gear 12v motors
    The black and purple is going to the nr 3 pin

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  14. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    You don't seem to have Max or Clip limits set.
  15. Pierre Lalancette

    Pierre Lalancette Sir Lalancelot Gold Contributor

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    Make sure your pot is wired correctly. I hade an issue with a pot that the variant pin was not in the center.
    • Agree Agree x 1
  16. Thomase123

    Thomase123 New Member Gold Contributor

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    I know, but it does not change anything when i set it
  17. Thomase123

    Thomase123 New Member Gold Contributor

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    Ohhh, that could be it. Let me try that
  18. Thomase123

    Thomase123 New Member Gold Contributor

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    Is there a way i can check it?
  19. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    What pots are you using and how are they connected to the motor?
  20. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    My Motion Simulator:
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    You can move the pot by hand and the movement should show on the SMC3 graph.