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[bigtalltim]

aye - have been over it again, and I believe your problem is the relay being wired up backwards... sorry - dont have any good news!

on the transistors, there are a number of other choices, and I have tried many but few are as versatile (and here is a real irony) as the "lucky bag" ones I started with!!
They are high voltage, high current, and fast switching... ideal for PWM control of a motor!

Lucky bags (from maplin) contain a number of different kinds, with the following specs:

BUF725D NPN 100V, 5A, 40W (see also BUF644, BUF636A, BUF725D)
BUX127 NPN 50V, 15A, 125W

I have used BUX127s exclusively for my relay boards, and everything on the top line for my Pneumatic Valve control board... no problems of any sort, except that all of the above get hot under load... use a fan

Tim

[bigtalltim]

Hi Guys

a quick note for everyone following this thread - development of the relay solution is definitly still ongoing - I have just started playing with pneumatics as a sideline

I built a couple of test rigs with wiper motors very similar to the French guys in the sabretooth & K8055 thread, but they were no use for me - just didnt have enough power, hence moving to chains and gears etc.

I was never happy with the results of these seat movers, so didnt post them yet, but will definitely revisit (as my kids are hassling me to build a pair of sims for them to race each other) - watch the other thread for that one ;o) This is likely to be a simple relay and wiper solution - quick, cheap and dirty... and really only suitable for child weight riders.

My latest chain actuator build is near completion, and will work either as a linear actuator, or as a side arm type... will work in the same kind of frame as my pneumatic rig, or at the back of a seat like the SCN5 mounting (nothing like as fast though)
As mentioned before, it has huge power, and moves at approx 10 inches per second - just need to wire up a new multiturn pot, and it is good to go... hopefully this weekend.

Also in development is the circuit to control big dc motors with a custom relay solution... I need to test that setup myself before sharing, as it could quite easily fry a K8055 - or the user!!... I want to be really really sure with that one!!

Pneumatics are something I can work on while I am away (designing/refining profiles etc and testing pulse routines on a spare K8055) the relay solution is a reasonably mature solution electronically, and is really at the place where I need to have motors handy to test further, and to build and share profiles.

more this weekend!

Tim

[Gossi]

Hey there,

some new infos?

[xXONESHOTXx]

Hello Bigtalltim thank you for your response to my post. I am thinking of scraping the hole idea and going with your relay setup to use with my k8055.My question is do you sell the relay board or what would you charge to build one. I have made two atemps to duplicate it but have failed..... but really like the idea of the relays.

[bigtalltim]

Hi - you might try building it on breadboard as Frakk suggested earlier on in the thread

with only 6 components, it couldnt be easier... try building it on breadboard - that way you can easily rearrange it if it doesn't work.
If you are looking for a prebuilt k8055 solution, try the Sabretooth as per Adbggs solution ;o)

I dont have time to etch and build one for you, as am working flat out on a series of significant improvement to the board, which now includes on board analogue position control. I have been working on two variations (one for motors, the other for pneumatic valves)

This is a lot more complicated, so I may do a run of pcbs eventually but for now am devoting what little spare time I currently have to ballancing my closed loop control board... you should try again - the only issue that I can see is that you have is that the board is etched backwards... dont let that hold you back - we've all done it!

Tim

[xXONESHOTXx]

Hey all another newbie here and have a few questions. First off thank you guys in advance for helping with my questions from an earlier idea. I have decided that there may be more information going the route posted as follows. I am not sure if this will work at all but I have had some luck with it up until now and now i could use some expert advice. I have wired up a group of relays per indicated on the drawing below. I have also shot a quick video of the progress so far.Sorry for the poor camera work I will make a better one if needed.

Wiring:

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwoCU4prKYI


Ok back to the questions.

1.Is this setup going to work at all ? (IYO)
2.Why can I use the calibrate tool but can not get the current running game to do anything ?
3.Can and how do I setup xsim to use just stop switches for now?

Any help will be great......Thank you all in advance

[bigtalltim]

1.Is this setup .going to work at all ? (IYO)

As a control unit for a sim?... no - at least, not satisfactarily...
as a motor controller?... - well... R.van.Deest thought so enough to copyright it!!

Your problem is going to be lack of control - because you do not have variable speed, the motors will constantly hit maximum and minimum position, leading to a very unrealistic motion.

(on that point by the way, the development of this solution should be continued in a new thread as this thread is for dual wiper motor control with variable speed )

The solution does have some potential - good work on getting the motor pair moving by the way! its a big step in the right direction

You need to focus your attentions on how to control the speed, and how to feedback position data - without these additions, it is a fundamentally flawed concept, and a waste of your time; it WILL move a sim... but so unrealistically, you will regret not doing it differently, and eventually change path anyway... save yourself some time!

2.Why can I use the calibrate tool but can not get the current running game to do anything ?

callibration is pointless, as you have no feedback of position data.
Current running game problem may be the plugin you are using in force sender - make sure you have a supported game running, and selected from the plugin menu

3.Can and how do I setup xsim to use just stop switches for now?

There really is no point - spend your time working on how to get speed control and feedback data on position sorted instead... pursuing a solution without these is just going to frustrate you in the long run

Will follow your thread with interest, and help out where I can

Tim

[xXONESHOTXx]

Thank you for setting that straight for me Tim. I don't mean to make for more confusion but.... I pulled out my breadboard agin last night and gave your circuit another try... But with the same results as before... Using the test plugin I can move the motor faster and slower with the slider but even with the slider at full speed the motor runs very slow and anything below half way the motor does not move at all. I have used you diagram to build this circuit quite a few times now and I always get the same results...... Maybe it's software related? Or the wring is wrong? It seems to work fine other than the speed issue. Any idea on what I might be doing wrong?

[bigtalltim]

If you are using PWM, it could be that you need to change the settings in the dynamic out section - your motor may not turn until it reaches a certain value... this setting change will compensate for that slow start.

to change the "Global Minimum Analogue Output" settings do the following:
(this fixes all outputs within the axis in one operation)

Double click on the Analogue output (highlighted in red oval) in your output setup section:

Change the settings (highlighted in red box) and click accept:

Experiment with that...
As you already have variable speed working, I think that may be all it takes to crack your problem

Tim

[xXONESHOTXx]

Ok sorry for the delay been really busy...... I Am pretty sure i got it going for the most part just got to get some better transistors as mine get a little to hot lol.......Anyway thank you for the help so far. I have read and read and cant figure out how to get it all to work. I can calabrite it and use the sliders to control direction and speed.....but when I start a plugin and a game I get nothing......not sure were to go from here..... anyone get any ideas. I have caught my self trying to find all the info before asking a question i am sure has been answered before but i am completly lost on what to do next..... sry for the typos I am on a phone on a trail ride. thanks for all the help guys