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Contents

  • This tutorial will show you how to connect and drive Dyadic SCN5 actuators properly with X-Sim and game data.
  • Disclaimer: Use this tutorial at your own risk. We are BETA-testing the SCN5 with X-Sim² still, and the content in this article may change!

SCN5 hardware

Please use the corresponding SCN5 hardware thread in case you have hardware related questions!


Powersupply

  • Any 24V PSU with at least 2-3A will be sufficient to drive a single SCN5.
  • Alternativly you can use a 24VDC PSU with at least 4-5A to connect two SCN5 on one PSU.
  • Attention! It is highly recommended to use an overvoltage-protected PSU to prevent damaging the controller electronics!

Converters

  • First you have to connect a SCN5 to a comport or USB virtual comport.This is done with a RS232<->RS485 adapter or a USB<->RS485 adapter or a cheap USB<->RS232 adapter followed by a RS232<->RS485 adapter.
  • If you want to buy or build such a adapter you can choose a auto adapter with fast TXD switching to be combatible with the TVBST SCN5 Tools of the developer.
  • That means, you can also use their software like you are using their ADP-1 RS232 to RS485 adapter. (Or you simple buy such one from the SCN5 developer).
  • The RS232 converter is a "half duplex" serial device, this means it can only send OR receive.
  • To tell the adapter to write some pins are switched on the serial port.
  • Theese two are DTR pin and RTS pin in. If using a "auto" a special extra circuit will detect a TXD signal and switch without the use of DTR or RTS.


  • If you have a manual DTR/RTS adapter, you must find out which combination will switch to the sending mode. The x-sim SCN5 plugin carries therefore a possible invert funktion of both, DTR and RTS signal. There are 4 combinations possible. This because every combination is on the market available.


  • If using an "auto" adapter you have to find out the TXD switching delay time the adapter needs to switch back to the receiving mode if it has send something. This is different from hardware dealer to hardware dealer and has no standards. The auto adapter shown below has a switch to select some speeds. The normal setting for this "auto" adapters is 3ms, you can also take +/-5ms. To tell the plugin the speed, you must input this to the SCN5 plugin in X-Sim profiler2.


  • On "auto" adapters there may be no external powersupply. The developer sometimes uses the DTR and RTS signal as power supply. Let me explain how: If you switch DTR high, you got +8Volt, and if you switch RTS low you got -8Volts, therefore you got a low current powersupply with 16Volts. To simulate this the two checkboxes "switch RTS" and "switch DTR" are added since 2.0.5.8 . So if you are using a "auto" adapter like the original ADP-1, you have to disable the manual mode by disable both checkboxes and find the right combination of the "invert DTR" and "invert RTS" checkboxes until the adapter works.


  • One hint here to the "auto" mode: 100ms = 10 updates of actuator per second does not make sense

Image:Rs485selections.gif


SCN5 pinoutput & wirering schemes

Wirering scheme with killswitch and ILK OVP

SCN5 internal connections

direct connection - not recommended! Causes warranty loss! (*)

Hirose DF1B-14DES-2.5RC male

scheme female

AMP 172167-1 male


  • A killswitch button is recommended to cut the 24 volts off in case of emergency. It has to connected in between the ilk output, and the 24V powersupply connection.
  • The powersupply has to be able to deliver at least 2A current/SCN5.


Supported SCN5 models

All are supported, you can program them with the original software to other length or reduced length. The plugin will read out the borders and calculate the X-Sim2 own unsigned integer 2³² positions automatically. If there is one not listed because it is newer, it would be working ... If you see a false length than you have ordered, the internal EEPROM is programed false, you should reprogram them to the right length.



SCN5 motion control via X-Sim² plug-in

Please use the corresponding SCN5 plug-in thread in case you have software related questions!


General X-Sim² SCN5 plug-in info

  • The X-Sim SCN5 plug-in will detect any SCN5 on any RS232/RS485 converter which is displayed in the comport section of the windows device manager.
  • It will also detect any SCN5 with different hardware ID's on one RS485 bus.
  • This can be done by connecting them in a serial line.


  • After you have started the profiler2 application there should be a SCN5 listed in the interface setup -> output table. If not: check your hardware, visit the hardware thread, ask there your questions!
  • Now select in the plugin table the SCN5Serial entry and press the "Open setting" button.


-You can change the hardware controls DTR and RTS and the delay time for "auto" mode interfaces.
-Automode interfaces do not need DTR and RTS and the do not care the settings made.
-Manual interfaces do not need the delaytime.


  • These three options are global for all comports and SCN5. You can not mix different automode and manual mode interfaces!
  • This setting window could be placed byside for later use, you should see all SCN5 modules in the combobox.
  • Change the SCN5 device ID if using only one RS485 converter
  • If you only own a single RS485 converter or USB device and like to try more than one SCN5, you are able to connect all SCN5 to the same bus system parallel. Before you do so, you have to change the device ID for each SCN5, so it will not response on a command of another SCN5. There are 16 device ID's possible to connect to one RS485 bus system. The SCN5 are delivered all with factory default values and device ID 0. This means you have to change a second SCN5 to a higher device ID number.


The x-sim SCN5 plugin dialog shows you the current device id and right you will find a box where you can insert the new ID. You are only able to change the ID, if this is the only SCN5 on the bus. Simple unplug the other ones at this comport and start x-sim again. Now you should only see one SCN5 available on this comport. After you have changed the device ID restart the aplication and insure the result is correct. Please note: If you use more than one SCN5 on one comport the update rate will be devided by the number of scn5 connected. So if you have one SCN5 connected and reach 150 outputs/second (normal) and you attach a second one, you only have 75 output/second left. If you reduce this output/seconds you will notice this in the smoothness. (not in lag)


Step by step profiler configuration

  1. ensure SCN5 is detected and displayed
  2. Start the sender application and select the test plugin.
  3. let move the test slider 21 in auto mode
  4. press "try connect" button
  1. go to the math setup and insert a axis
  2. insert a gforce with effect 21 and automode
  3. now there must be drawn a sawtooth line
  1. go to ouput setup and to Synaptrix IO
  2. choose axis and a SCN5 as direct output


10. press the start button


Renaming SCN5

  • The SCN5 comes with serialnumber as name, but you can give them better names. This is helfully, if you share your profile, so other know what they should exchange with this axis.

  • Enable the rename checkbox and enter a valid non doubled name in the edit box, else the serialnumber will displayed again.


Centering the SCN5 after game has stopped

  • Go to the program setup and enable the center option. Choose 2 seconds is enough.


Changing the speed

  • The sliders will tell you the current settings, you can change in realtime while moving.
  • Use also the smoothness addon of the g-force math plugin to reduce bad hard movements.
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This page was last modified on 20 April 2009, at 14:51. - This page has been accessed 4,365 times. - Disclaimers - About X-SIM DIY motion simulator community - international wiki