X-sim software on joyrider using Velleman

Hello,

I'm Thanos from Greece

I'd like to ask for more information on velleman VM110. Can I use its analog voltage output ports instead of using the digital ports? I could connect it then to my Basic stamp based servo controller.

For now I'm using the basic stamp2 microcontroller in combination with HB-25 motor controllers to move my motion cockpit by reading data that computer sends thru serial port:


Full motion Flight Sim + TrackIR4 Pro on a F16
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBD9Juqx7PI

I already tried to directly read the serial data from your software but after a about a minute of motion the x-sim software returns error sending to the serial port on 4800bps rate. So I wanted to have the velleman to do the communication and then just send the X, Y motion values as voltages on its analog output ports and then read the position with ADC on the basic stamp.

I would't want to use relays as my setup is realy smooth as it is now and the motors are driven thru proportional code with ramping on the end stops. Just as a realy big servo!

Is Velleman capable of doing this or alteration on its HID code is required?

Regards, Thanos

Hi Thanos

Feel yourself wellcome in our forum!

Nice Sim! If you dont mind. I would like to see a vid of your sim in action without the trackIR unit. Because it would be easier to consider it, if the screen wouldnt move with your head. Just to see the syncro between simulator and simulation

Concering your question. Generally it is possible to get analog values out of the VM110.
But at this time, within the Profiler version 1.6, it isnt possible to get analog values out of X-Sim.

But dont back off. This, and additional features, will be implemented in the Profiler 2.0.
It will be released, after the Profiler 1.8 final is ready and tested.

So, you have to wait some time, still.

regards
ego

BTW: Please, dont use the translator. It produces horrible, ununderstandable sentences

I'll try to take another shot soon to see it. Its very synchronized since the software I use to retrieve the flight data has a refresh rate of 45ms. Way faster than the 300ms of the FSUID...

I might try building another serial interface based on AVR to replace the basic stamp2 at all.

If I came up with something good, I'll inform you so you can have an interface for your software, just for motor driven cockpits...

Regards, Thanos

As you asked I took another couple of videos without the TrackIr. In the video that I fly the Cessna I set a really bad weather with rain, strong winds and turbulence to see how it affects the motion of simulator. Did some crash tests also.

You may noticed on the 54second position of the Cessna video, I impulsively extend my hand to catch the rail because my mind was really believed that I was going to fall off the side even if the logic part knows that the cockpit is restricted from flipping over. You can't think of the immersion it creates... With an enclosure canopy will be really scary!!!


Full motion sim on F16 v2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SX_oBSGoKk


Full motion sim on Cessna v2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e44LdBINYWw


Thanos

Hi tronicgr

Unfortunately I cannot watch u-tube vids longer than approximatly 30 sec because of a flash plugin problem within my pc^^

But what I have seen from your Sim is great. It really moves quite smooth.

I assume you dont have support for dynamic speeds within you interface?
Maybe that could be a future project for your sim, as the next Force-Profiler will support analog outputs!

But I really like your construction. I would be pleased if you could tell us some more about the mechanical and electronic part

Perhaps we will make the hydranite controller compatible with brushed and brushless motors soon

regards
ego

I uploaded yesterday some of my videos on rapidshare, to give them to a Professor and use them on his lectures to students so you may download them too and watch them offline in dvd quality:

http://rapidshare.com/files/37535777/Fu ... ssna_2.zip

http://rapidshare.com/files/37546331/Fu ... kirf16.zip

http://rapidshare.com/files/37546332/mf ... orking.zip


My setup is actually have dymanic speed support that is handled inside the microcontroller. For example the bigger distance to next position (that FS2004 sends) the bigger the speed it develops to reach there. There is ramping between small position changes to protect the motor from bouncing backward-forward. But if the changes in position are big enouph it can perform hard full speed reversal that may break the motor appart or burn the power source.

Electronics:
I using a simple Basic Stamp2 that reads the flight data from serial port and in the same time drives proportionally the motors by setting their speed and direction and in the same time reads the position feedback potentiometers to know their position(angle). I just implemented a simple Big Servo Position controller. To convert the basic stamp2 servo signals to motor PWM drive values I use parallax's HB-25 motor controllers. The motors are simple 12v car wiper motors. And the power source for the motors are two computer 350watt PSU units.

Unfortunatelly the serial speeds that BS2 supports are lower than the one that your software supports so as I said above I might use AVR to be able to keep up.

Mechanical:
You can see photos of the course of my cockpits construction on my Greek Robotics forum in more than 14 pages: http://www.motionflightsim.eu.tp
Its in Greek but the photos can say it all.

Software interface to sim:
The software that interfaces to the computer side is Keith's Portdrvr. You can find more in on this here: http://www.etherealsounds.com/


Any questions are welcome.



Best regards, Thanos

Hi RaceRay

The total weight of both PVC and Dexion motor mount construction is around 40kg. Add another 10kg for the chair and the monitor. Its very lightweight in comparison to other 2DOF construction but still strong enouph to hold and move around a man that weights 110kg with ease.

Its a little balanced but that doesn't make much matter as the gearing of the wiper motors prevents it to backlash when not powered. It means that the motor is stressed only when performs motion and rests in the last position without absorb more power to maintain its position.

I was hoping using the x-sim software to convert it into driving simulator too. :wink:


Thanos

Hi Thanos,

Have you made some progress using the X-Sim software with your simulator?

Do you have some fresh pics or vids?

ego

I have ready new videos with LFS running! I'll post the links later today in the video/photo section of the forum.

Thanos

Is your interface with servo controller adaptable to other/stronger motors?

ego

Yes, the motor controllers can handle motors up to 0.5 HP Max...

...and Load Current: 25A Continuous 35A Surge (13.8v).

The Motor Supply Voltage is: 6.0vdc min - 16.0vdc max


See more details on the HB-25 here:
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=29144

Thanos

have you been able to manage the 1 sec. lag problem?

I am running the profiler and the game on the same PC.
Single core with hyper-threading. And the kernel time does not rise over 30ms.

It should be even work better with a dual or multi-core processor.

ego

h-bridge back emf regeneration

Hi Thanos,
You say you supply your H-Bridge motor output with switchmode power supply. Have you configured your wiring to avoid potential regeneration?
Possibly by running a gelcel in parallel - or some other cunning way?
Or is the wormdrive in the wipermotor strong enough to stop all freewheel regeneration?
In my DC motor setup they have a 40:1 reduction box so I get freewheel. Before I hook up my 28V 25amp units I'd like to make sure I do it right!
Do you have any suggestions?
cheers
Evan

I haven't found time yet to check this. I used a second PC to primaly make IL2 1946 work with x-sim because I could not get it work with only one PC!

I'll make more test with LFS soon and post the results (and videos).

Thanos

Re: h-bridge back emf regeneration

No I just connected the 12 volts from the PSU to the HB-25 motor controller that feeds the motors with power thru PWM.

Next week I'll buy a 12volt car battery TUDOR model TC10 to feed the motors with the max power possible since in sudden amper requirements the normal computer PSU stalls and lower their voltage.

The wormgear of the wiper motor block it from moving backwards when forced externally meaning it will move only when powered! No freewheel movement by hand!

Try bying a gear reduction box like this:



Regards, Thanos

Yep the battery should buffer any possible spike damage to the H-Drive units. My initial proto gearboxes are planetary and it's easy enough to factor in the freewheel within the washout return with micropic. It's just compensating for different body mass in the washout speed that will be a future challenge. Thanks for the tip re: gearbox, I'll keep it in mind for a future version!
Evan

The delay you are experiencing could have the following solution -> set the smoothness sliders in the profiler to weak. This should make it a little better.

Unfortunatly the smoothness cannot be disabled total, currently. This affects, that there is the smothness algorithm of the Profiler, and on top your algorithm.

Sirnoname will implement a button, where the smoothness could be deactivated completely.

Besides that. Are you sure that your RS323 buffer isnt overrun, while playing?

ego

I wanted to tell you about this delay today.

I took a video that shows how small is the delay beetween x-sim and BS2, and that the delay between LFS and x-sim can be clearly seen if you crash on a wall...

For the test I used simple servos that follow fast the x-sim.

http://rapidshare.com/files/46682372/xsimdelayinlfs.zip

It will be nice if SirNoname add such button to disable all the delay. I can smooth the motion afterwards on my servo proportional code...

No there is no rs232 buffer overrun at all. It reads all the data fast. But as you can see on the video there are some strange spikes to the x values during big changes in y values. As if some data are jumping from y values and getting into x values... Can you verify that the USO output is ok? I noticed these spikes when I manualy move the cockpit from the x-y position sliders in the profiler interface too...

My vacation are starting now and I have plenty time for testing and upgrading my simulator so I might try programming a AVR in the place of BS2 to test on bigger baud speeds.


Regards, Thanos