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[tronicgr]

Hi Canesin,

My AMC1.5 can drive three or four motors by sacrificing the use of the LCD display during normal operation. This requires new Firmware that I have not released cause its useless with current x-sim Profiler since it supports only 2-axis motion data thru its USO. You can see it as a future feature when its also supported by the software... I try to have the LCD in use for the beginners to know whats going on inside my AMC controller and debug on their own any possible problems.

But there is another way to add more axis to your simulator. You can use two computers with one AMC1.5 on each of them! Then you have access to four motors to control. The concept is that by running the "Force sender" on one PC you can sent the motion data locally in its "Force Profiler" (say the master PC's IP is 192.168.1.2) and in the same time to the second PC over TCP that also runs the "Force Profiler" only (with IP 192.168.1.3). The you can assign different forces to each Profiler's USO module, to send different motor data to each of the total four motors you have.

About the DSMhb... you can drive motors rated up to 36volt and 25Ampere current. (~3/4 hp) And it can take up to 160 Amp peak loads for a couple of seconds if required! Now, if you parallel both input connections and motor outputs you can drive one large motor (say with 50Amp current RMS) but I haven't ever tried since I have no such large motor ( 1.5 hp !!!)

Btw, for true 360 degree rotation you can't use normal potentiometers for position feedback!! You have to make your own position feedback based perhaps on true Gyroscope combined with Accelerometer (to correct its drift).

Regards, Thanos

[RobiD]

Hi Thanos,

I emailed you a long time ago with a couple of questions and at the time your project was in early development stage. I started following Jims project in New Zealand and headed down that road.

I stumbled across this forum and wow. Your work has come a long way in a short period of time. Great work.

Now, after all that, here is my question:

In the details about the x-sim software, it says that if you don't have at least a dual core processor that you need to run 2 computers. Is this still correct?

Thanks
David

[tronicgr]

Hi RobiD

Thats not true. I was running xsim software fine with my old single-core P4 1.5Ghz PC! Its just the some games don't leave resources for other apps to run in the background and running the x-sim software in a second core bypass this!

Yes, I did lot of progress, now programming my new 6DOF ultimate AVR motion controller!

And that's not all. On Sunday I did my first real flight!!! I've never been in a plane before! It was awesome! And the best part was, that I was the pilot!!!!!! A friend of mine, that is flight instructor, offered me the flight for free!

Anyway you can take a look on my youtube video about it. Not much time on-flight was filmed as I had to do all the piloting with the instructions of my friend Stathis... I taxied the airplane around the airport, took off myself, did some maneuvers on the air (including a full stall situation demonstration), returned to the airport for a touch 'n' go and after another turn I landed it successfully!!! It was an amazing experience!!! The total time of the flight was 45 minutes. Its now clear the things that I was lacking while doing the same stuff on my joyrider... especially the heave effect that was thrilling!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=46M0sOF27vA



The plane I was flying with is the SX-AOZ of F.A.S. Rhodes Pilot Academy!!! see the attached photos!

Best Regards, Thanos

[RobiD]

Fantastic, I got my addiction the other way around. My wife bought me a TIF (Trial Introductory Flight) for my birthday years ago, and I was hooked on flying.

I did as many lessons as I could afford at the time and then came across all these people building home simulators. I started thinking that it would save me flight hours if I could make a sim as close as possible to the real thing. Then the motion thing started.

Now I have a fully enclosed 2DOF sim with a 777 overhead (which incidently I built a CNC machine in order to make all the panels), it has a generic Beech Skipper/Cessna dash with all hand made working guages all interfaced through FSBus. All this and I still don't have motion. The hobby has taken all my money away from real flying, but on the flip side, I love the building and sense of acheivement. I'm sure you understand.

Thanks for the info about running on one computer. I am sure I will go ahead and build your designed boards, and I'm sure this will not be the last question.

Regards
David

[texma]

A new one completly set, made for a fan in Poland. Please see the pictures on http://www.texma.home.pl/zzz/xmosim.htm
The bottom was copied from .pdf to simply .bmp, then I changed the widht for the mosfet lines. A lot of work, especially with the cable connections. I think IDC connectors could be much easier to wire booth pcb's (they could be also directly connected via long pins) and the LCD. There are also many place for separate connectors for the trimmers. If I have time I try to make this projekt in protel
Czarek

[tronicgr]

Hi Texma,

Its pleasant to see my creations made from other people around the world! But I disclaim any issues caused by your modifications on my design. Its easy for such things to catch fire or something especially the H-bridge part!!! I can give support only for circuits that I have built and tested myself!!!

And some notes:

You should re-enforce the DSMhb1.2b motor and power lines by pouring lots of solder on the tracks to be able to meet the 25 Ampere requirements of larger motors! Like on the next photo:

And I noticed that you have plug the small LCD board wrong way! You have put Pin 1 of the board to Pin16 of the LCD!!!! If you power it as it is you will probably destroy the LCD!!! Here are some alternate ways of connecting the little board to the LCD:

And more in this PDF:

alternate_LCD_connection.pdf

(421.82 KiB) Downloaded 709 times

Regards, Thanos

[ElektronikJack]

Hi Thanos


it must be a great feeling of real flying ! i try to fly a short trip on our next
"fly-day" on a little airport next to my city.

i build a new controller with a Mega644 an a dobble h-bridge on it, with a heatsik.
The dobble H-Bridge is nearly the same as yours with a P and N-Fet.
( the most used circut like Atmel bridge)
So i have only a smal 16cm x 10cm pcb and not the big bridges ...

bye dirk

[madhunm]

Hi Thanos,

I was watching Planmix's(John's) 6DOF platform videos on youtube and the more i watch it, the more i am convinced that a motorised joyrider wont cut it.

He says that the controller was designed by you. however, i cant seem to find any post by you with a ^DOF controller.

sorry to pry, but is that still under wraps? if not, would you mind sharing some specs / layout etc.?

thanks,
madhu.

[tronicgr]

Hi Thanos,

I was watching Planmix's(John's) 6DOF platform videos on youtube and the more i watch it, the more i am convinced that a motorised joyrider wont cut it.

He says that the controller was designed by you. however, i cant seem to find any post by you with a ^DOF controller.

sorry to pry, but is that still under wraps? if not, would you mind sharing some specs / layout etc.?

thanks,
madhu.

Hi Madhu

The video you see uses the AMC1.5 motion controller interface (from this thread) with firmware to drive six normal hobby RC servos. In the post below you can find the firmware, as well as information on the way that reads the data string:
post7350.html#p7350

I do have almost ready the new UAMC2.0 (Ultimate AVR Motion Controller) but I need to do some PWM testing first with all six h-bridges connected on it...!! And later to extend its hardware support for driving AC drive motor controllers.

Sorry but this stuff take time to be debugged and tested properly! And this is a hobby for me after all!

Regards, Thanos

[egoexpress]

...the more i am convinced that a motorised joyrider wont cut it.

Oh, an expert joined the forum!

Are you familiar with the prices for gearhead motors with enough power for a 6Dof platform including 12 crossjoints and 6 AC Servodrives? Afaik the very cheapest 6dof plaforms start in the 30-40k Euro range with no limits to the top.
But the motorised joyrider can be made for a fraction (~300-600Euro) of that.

Either you are a "money does not matter" guy, or you dont know how much one can spend for professional motion systems.

Regarding its price, which is affordable for almost every hobbyist budget, the motorised joyrider 'cuts it' for sure!

Sure, you cannot simulate Z- and rotational axes with a 2DOF. But even a 6DOF isnt perfect in every aspect. I just can tell you that you can get alot of immersion out of a enclosed 2DOF sim.
Just compare it with a FF wheel. Nobody would say seriously, that FF effects would represent real vehicle tire feedback, but would you miss them for this reason? As long the movemets are well coordinated and lag free of course...

I personnally do have two 2DOF sims, and I am really content with them. Nonetheless their restricted DOF, it makes really alot of fun to ride them.

So, please do us a favour and make yourself some more familiar with the matter, instead of disgrading Thanos' joyrider in your very first post here in the forum...

Regards
Christian