The SimFeedback-AC DIY Motion Simulator thread

sjb266 · Sep 17, 2018

Hey guys. Thought I’d create a thread for those taking the plunge into this brilliant DIY project..
I will be starting mine soon and I know there are others thinking about it.. so feel free to share your knowledge and experiences so we can all enjoy this platform to its full potential. A huge thanks to the developers who have really knocked this one out of the park!

Website: https://opensfx.com/2019/02/20/welcome-to-our-new-site/

Github: https://github.com/SimFeedback/SimFeedback-AC-Servo/wiki

For all the internals for the actuator contact Amy - skye@ntl-bearing.com
She can supply everything you need. Just remind her you want the ends of the shafts chamfered and make sure she sends the right sized ball screw - we have had a couple of issues reported. She is very helpful though and the cost is pretty good.

Huge thanks to @RowanH for writing a comprehensive user guide which can be accessed here - https://www.rowanhick.com/sfx-100-build-and-running-guide

In addition, @anton_Chez has contributed a list of post numbers for some of the important settings etc..
Post #320 SFX-100 thread
Post #327 SFX-100 thread for Discord correlation
Post #339 SFX-100 thread
Post #418 SFX-100 thread
Post #424 SFX-100 thread
Post #439 SFX-100 thread
Post #449 SFX-100 thread
Post #517 SFX-100 thread
Post #554 SFX-100 thread
Post #580 SFX-100 thread
Post #826 SFX-100 thread
Post #837 SFX-100 thread
Post #864,866,867,868,870,887,889,897 SFX-100 thread
Post #911,914 SFX-100 thread
Post #988,992,998 SFX-100 thread
Post #1147 SFX-100 thread
Post #1492 SFX-100 thread
Post #1511,1517 SFX-100 thread

I will try to keep this page updated with links to source the parts in other parts of the world. Just post whatever links you have and i'll add them here.

Please note: Not all the parts listed below are essential for the project. For the essential parts refer to the original shopping list.

Australia:

Thanks to @AussieSim for the following links:

10A power lead(s) * 4
https://www.jaycar.com.au/2m-black-mains-extension-lead/p/PS4152

Top quality wire stripper
https://sydneytools.com.au/product/boxo-cutws205-multifunction-wire-stripper

RCD/safety switch power block
https://www.bunnings.com.au/arlec-4-outlet-heavy-duty-portable-safety-switch_p4420028

WD-40 lithium grease for the ball screws
https://www.bunnings.com.au/wd-40-specialist-300g-high-performance-white-lithium-grease_p6100408

Vibration pads
https://www.bunnings.com.au/whites-on-site-100-x-12-5mm-rubber-anti-vibration-mat-4-pack_p3961547

WD-40 Dry PTFE spray for the slider (free shipping)
https://au.rs-online.com/mobile/p/lubricants/7577134/

Arduino Leonardo (free shipping + frequent 10-15% off discount)
https://www.arrow.com/en/products/a000057/arduino-corporation

DB25 cables * 4 (free shipping)
https://www.arrow.com/en/products/ak401-2/assmann-wsw-components-inc

PETG * 3 (free shipping)
https://www.arrow.com/en/products/petg17bk1/mg-chemicals

WAGO-like connectors to avoid a breadboard (perhaps use genuine ones if you are doing 240V AC)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32906719488.html

D-Sub breakout boards * 4
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32297675967.html

3D printer Creality Ender-3 Pro
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32918302452.html

Wires from Arduino to D-Sub breakout (remove black plastic from the WAGO end)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32887680826.html

Crimp connectors for AC wire leads
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32813550981.html

HoiHman · Feb 17, 2019

BluePotato00 said:
In case you're interested in what all 10cm of travel looks like on all 4 actuators!

Several times during the ride, there was an actuator foot off the ground. Reason for concern?

BTW, I can do an hour long race in VR with no problems, but 20 seconds of this and I'm needing to tear off the headset!

Nice video, don't worry. The actuators will stay grounded when you are in the rig.

@frankrizzo2

Nice bracket, i made something similar but it did not work for me. My solution for the shifts in VR was mounting the sensor off the rig.

I see you have mounted your sensor on the side. First thing to start might be mounting it directly in front of you since that eliminates a lot sensor movement with the roll and sway effects.

frankrizzo2 · Feb 17, 2019

HoiHman said:
Nice video, don't worry. The actuators will stay grounded when you are in the rig.

@frankrizzo2

Nice bracket, i made something similar but it did not work for me. My solution for the shifts in VR was mounting the sensor off the rig.

I see you have mounted your sensor on the side. First thing to start might be mounting it directly in front of you since that eliminates a lot sensor movement with the roll and sway effects.

I kind of figured that would be the case. I moved my sensor off rig and it works fine but I miss the details that come with having it on the rig. I shouldn't complain but just like everyone else, when you know what it's capable of you want to push it as much as possible.

metalnwood · Feb 17, 2019

hmm, I am not convinced though thats not to say I am right

I look at that rear left foot and it is up quite high at times with the other three feet on the ground.. That makes me think something else rather than weight distribution is at play.. Or, if the weight got the rear left on the ground then the right front would have come off the ground.. maybe an issue with the plugin?

HugoB · Feb 17, 2019

metalnwood said:
hmm, I am not convinced though thats not to say I am right I look at that rear left foot and it is up quite high at times with the other three feet on the ground.. That makes me think something else rather than weight distribution is at play.. Or, if the weight got the rear left on the ground then the right front would have come off the ground.. maybe an issue with the plugin?

I have felt the same with that plugin.. It's rather strange that the feet really come off the ground. I haven't seen that with racing sims. But maybe it's just due to the extreme pitch and roll changes. Maybe the 'max speed' is not set high enough, so they can't travel fast enough to be there where they should be (the actuators)? Or maybe the telemetry from No Limits is wonky?

sebna · Feb 17, 2019

C64 said:
Ginger is one of the few non-medicines that has an effect on motion sickness, may not have a big effect but worth a shot, mythbusters tested various seasickness potions and ginger was the only one that helped http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2005/11/episode_43_seasickness_cures_f.html
I'm lucky in that I can do VR for as long as I want but when I first ran the SFX100 it did make me feel strange for a couple of hours, similar to when i first got my oculus rift. I would suggest getting used to VR without any motion and then add in motion when you are comfortable. The good thing is most people can build up a tolerance to motion sickness as long as you stop when nausea strikes and don't try again until you are properly recovered.

Thank you for the advice. The problem is that I am starting to get sick after I take the first corner

and it only get worse after that. Funnily enough NLRv3 makes it a lot worse when I hoped it would help with connecting the dots to fool the brain into the experience. I will keep trying. If I fail to adapt I always have my triples. But VR is something else with simracing so I have motivation to succeed.

Specialist68 · Feb 17, 2019

RowanH said:
Thought I'd throw this out there for anyone interested. I've now had the chance to try all 3 scenarios of monitor/VR with my SFX. Unmounted, mounted to the rig, and VR.

Unmounted - gives the most motion sensation, as you constantly have a reference point you're looking at which is static and you're moving. Eyes got hellishly tired - mostly I believe because it was too far forward from the rig (the only way I could do it at the time) and had the rig wound up intensity wise so you're struggling to focus on a small area with the movement. Potentially felt a little motion sickness now and then.

Mounted - this is now my default setup. 7 weeks and counting I haven't broken the monitor. Motion sensation lessened, less eye strain. You have to make sure there's no possible way the monitor can move - ie needs to be fully supported not just on the vesa mount, but a few points on the frame.

VR - (for me and I really think this is how everyone copes with VR). I rented an Odyssey+ this weekend. The feeling of motion lessened. Heave yes, rumble strips, yes, but if a track was pitching up/down it was weird and uncanny like "it's not moving" but no it is. Now of course I can barely manage a few laps in VR without wanting to reach for the bucket.. the minute there's some cornering with lots of pixels going left or right, ooof.... my brain really, really struggles with VR and can't make heads or tails of things so ends up in the same place motion sickness wise. It definitely made VR feel better in motion than when I had the platform turned off.

I've got my alloy rig coming and have to decide what I'm going to do between 1 and 2, ideally (1) as I like to have everything turned up and like my big Group C cars that crash through rumble strips, but that means big triples to compensate a little for moving back from it's current mounting position. Decisions, decisions...

That is probely the " inside/out tracking " to fast motions for the WMR sets( odyssey and other sets
Remember, The rift and Vive has better tracking because they use mounted tracking

HugoB · Feb 17, 2019

sebna said:
Thank you for the advice. The problem is that I am starting to get sick after I take the first corner and it only get worse after that. Funnily enough NLRv3 makes it a lot worse when I hoped it would help with connecting the dots to fool the brain into the experience. I will keep trying. If I fail to adapt I always have my triples. But VR is something else with simracing so I have motivation to succeed.

I had it too the first time I started driving in VR, really bad.. I can still remember my first corner in VR, it felt like my stomach turned over. I almost gave up on the idea, it felt like it would never get any better. A few days of trying didn't help, fast corners, spinning out or crashing left me feeling sick for a long time. But I just kept using VR for driving longer and longer and simultaneously playing other VR games with other kinds of movement or locomotion. I steadily started to develop my 'VR legs'. I don't remember when it was, but at some point no matter how hard the crash or spin, my stomach didn't even notice. I can now even play games with very bad framerate, total stutter fests with horrific motion like Subnautica and it doesn't bother me a bit. And I can now easily drive all day stints in VR (with food and toilet breaks of course) until I'm just too knackered from the physical effort.

I can't remember exactly how long it took, but I started VR one year ago, and it was probably around one or two months later I could drive multiple laps on the Nordschleife and only feel slightly queasy. I think from three to four months on I felt nothing anymore no matter what happened on track. It took a lot longer before I could survive something like Subnautica with bad framerate without feeling a bit nauseous, but that's a hardcore test. Racing worked pretty soon.

This is an encouragement for anyone thinking they can't do VR, it's just a matter of persistence. My opinion is to start with SFX100 motion straight away, because that's what you'll be using, otherwise you have to get used twice, once for VR without motion and then again with motion...

Oh, and it's worth it, yes it is. Especially with the SFX100.

Mascot · Feb 17, 2019

sebna said:
Thank you for the advice. The problem is that I am starting to get sick after I take the first corner and it only get worse after that. Funnily enough NLRv3 makes it a lot worse when I hoped it would help with connecting the dots to fool the brain into the experience. I will keep trying. If I fail to adapt I always have my triples. But VR is something else with simracing so I have motivation to succeed.

Start in slow open-topped cars on flat tracks with gentle bends, something like the MX5 on classic Silverstone. You need to build tolerance slowly. I got my 'VR legs' quite quickly this way and could soon drive all day without any nausea, but then jumped in an F1 car at Bathurst and nearly lost my lunch. Just be sensible, don't try to brute force it, and stop as soon as you feel even a little bit sick and go and do something else until the feeling subsides. Try to increase your VR time incrementally with each session. And ginger does work. You can buy root ginger sweets to suck while playing, or stick a length of ginger root up your exhaust pipe so it's slowly absorbed. But not really.

Good luck, VR is awesome. Pancake racing soooooo 1985.

HugoB · Feb 17, 2019

@Mascot Said it best, incremental exposure works. I agree very strongly with the 'don't overdo it', as soon as you start to feel slightly sick, stop there and only continue once you feel totally fine again. The best way to start feeling fine again is to take a walk outside, the motion of walking 'recalibrates' your brain inputs, because this is the most basic, low level coded motion. Look straight ahead at the horizon and walk. You need to get your brain to make sense of its inputs again. What's happening with VR motion sickness or motion sickness in general (sitting in a boat cabin and not seeing the horizon), is that your eyes see one thing (motion) and your brain expects (the vestibular system) to sense the same motion. If the actual sensation does not match with the expectation, your brain triggers 'sickness mode' as a self defense, because you might have been poisoned and your senses are under the influence. The 'sickness mode' empties the stomach and gets rid of any poison still in there.

Now, what you can do is, with repeated training, alter the (vestibular systems input) expectation your brain has paired with seeing yourself driving. Once your brain knows what to expect when seeing yourself driving and it gets exactly that, you no longer feel sick. That's why I urge to train with motion, so you get used to specifically those inputs right away, otherwise you have to start all over again if you are used to VR without motion. Find a training technique that works best for you, but repetitive exposure should work in any case. And always stop before you start feeling sick.

This way, you can train yourself to any kind of wild VR stuff. And it gets easier with every new experience, because your brain also learns to ignore your vestibular system more and more.

HoiHman · Feb 17, 2019

Spend the entire morning playing Dirt Rall jumping around in the Finland stages

The green smilies represent the smile that's still on my face

Dirt Rally is THE extreme experience for VR and the SFX100. The jumps and especially landings are just amazing.

I swear i'm more consistent, because of the fear of crashing

I had so frighting moment going over those very very big jumps

I could hear my entire rig cracking and squeaking on places i can swear it was silent 4 months ago. Perhaps it's time to check and tighten all the bolts and joints.

Dirt Rally is not only the ultimate test for the SFX100 but also for the sensor tracking in VR because there's plenty of rig movement.

With my ceiling mounted sensor (about 2m away) the tracking has been flawless the entire rally. No shifting views or skipping at all.

I used Jochen's profile, which can be found on the discord channel, with some adjustments.

Mascot · Feb 17, 2019

Actuators done!

A few random thoughts while they are fresh in my mind - might be useful for new builders.

Assemble one actuator to make sure you are doing everything correct, then work on the next three simultaneously to minimise swapping of driver bits, grabbing different pieces etc. It'll work out a lot quicker.
Gather all your bolts, count them out, add washers, grease your bearings, key and degrease your connections, etc etc beforehand. You don't want to be reaching for grease between two 'clean' steps. Get everything ready and laid out.
My fixed bearing lock nuts (the square ones) had small grub screws to lock the thread. Using these wasn't mentioned in the github instructions, but be aware that they are there and should be used.
Set the clutch on your drill/driver to the lowest setting for all fixings into plastic, and finally torque them by hand. It's very easy to strip the plastic, especially with the fine-threaded machine screws specified.
Use spring washers for all fixings. This might be overkill, but they cost pennies. And spring washers are anti-vibration. The SFX100 vibrates. It's a no-brainer, isn't it? Also, over-tightening fixings (and stripping threads) is less likely as you just nip them up until the spring washer compresses.
Change the order of the slider/fixed bearing assembly to make access easier.
If you don't have a long extension for your drill/driver, just daisy chain shorter extensions together. This also allows some 'bend' if your drill/driver is pressed against another component.

For soft-assembling the motor mount (to set the coupler position) you don't actually need to bolt it all together. If you drop everything vertically on a couple of rolls of tape (so the piston can sit down the middle) then the weight of the motor will be sufficient to keep everything positioned so you can tighten the coupler prior to taking the motor and mount off for final tightening. The bearing flange at the bottom fits EXACTLY into a roll of duct tape.

One concern I have:
The coupling has to be a weak point regarding slippage. Expecting one 3mm Allen grub screw to tighten a sleeve onto each round shaft with sufficient force not to slip or work loose over time just defies logic to me, especially with the weight of the rig, the speed of the actuators and the hammer action of the motion. Time will tell I suppose, but square shafts or pins through the round ones would make more sense. There's a reason that the motor spindle has a key in it, so it's a shame we don't it. I keyed the shafts, degreased them, and cranked the grub up as tightly as I could but there's only so much such a small screw can do. The nylon coupler joining piece (that you simply pull apart at one point) seems like it could be a high-wear component too. I imagine some slack will quickly develop there.

All in all that was good fun building the actuators and fairly quick once I knew what I was doing.

My M10 channel nuts apparently arrived in the UK on 26th January, by the way. So adios, I guess.

anton_Chez · Feb 17, 2019

The guy that made the slots for the key to go into that he left on the shaft was the best. There's no way his are going to slip or wear at all, anywhere. You need special equipment for this but that is by far the best solution. Also a problem is when you round the hex bolt that tightens the coupler. I mean we're tying to get it as tight as physically possible, if one ever comes loose we're going to have to re tighten it and there's a good chance of rounding the hex slot.

I must say though, I had one slipping and once I'd tightened it back up and then went back and did the cleaning and filing / sanding, I've never thought to check them again. Everything feels proper. Should run a few AI driver laps and inspect now that it's been running for a month or so. It feels like so much longer than that!

HoiHman · Feb 17, 2019

If you follow the right procedure, meaning sand/filing the shaft/coupling, degrease them afterwards and thighten the bolt really good, you should not have any problems with slipping.

There's really no need for key-ing the coupling. My system has been running for 4,5 months now without any slipping.

Went back for a second stint Dirt Rally this afternoon and took a quick glance where the noise might coming from.

I forgot to secure the 4 handscrews that secure the pedal deck

Because it slides against a limiter, i didn't noticed it under braking.

TIP

The SFX100 raises in total your rig around 15cm, this can make getting in out of the seat a bit more of a challenge. If you add a cross bar, like in my picture above you stand on it while getting in and out, making it so much easier.

HugoB · Feb 17, 2019

HoiHman said:
If you follow the right procedure, meaning sand/filing the shaft/coupling, degrease them afterwards and thighten the bolt really good, you should not have any problems with slipping.

There's really no need for key-ing the coupling. My system has been running for 4,5 months now without any slipping.

Went back for a second stint Dirt Rally this afternoon and took a quick glance where the noise might coming from.

I forgot to secure the 4 handscrews that secure the pedal deck

Because it slides against a limiter, i didn't noticed it under braking.

TIP

The SFX100 raises in total your rig around 15cm, this can make getting in out of the seat a bit more of a challenge. If you add a cross bar, like in my picture above you stand on it while getting in and out, making it so much easier.

I see you have the Schaffner installed, does it make a difference for you? Did it solve any problems?

HoiHman · Feb 18, 2019

HugoB said:
I see you have the Schaffner installed, does it make a difference for you? Did it solve any problems?

Hugo, i installed the netfilter as a part a lot measures to solve the problems i was having:
- Moving the PC closer to rig and get rid of a lot of extension cables
- Net filter
- Fresh windows 10 install
- Better distribution of the USB devices over the different USB controllers
- Going back to only one VR camera
- Repositioning the VR camera

In the end i believe that a fresh windows 10 and better distribution of the USB devices was the solution.

From installation on i already run the SFX100 from an entirely different electrical group than my PC. Why did i install a netfilter then? I noticed the same electrical disturbance as you did when testing my 5th spare servo.

During that testing i connected the servo to same electrical group as my PC. On that same group there's also a security camera in my office. As soon as the servo was activated, there's an electrical disturbance in the image of the security camera.

HugoB · Feb 18, 2019

HoiHman said:
Hugo, i installed the netfilter as a part a lot measures to solve the problems i was having:
- Moving the PC closer to rig and get rid of a lot of extension cables
- Net filter
- Fresh windows 10 install
- Better distribution of the USB devices over the different USB controllers
- Going back to only one VR camera
- Repositioning the VR camera

In the end i believe that a fresh windows 10 and better distribution of the USB devices was the solution.

From installation on i already run the SFX100 from an entirely different electrical group than my PC. Why did i install a netfilter then? I noticed the same electrical disturbance as you did when testing my 5th spare servo.

During that testing i connected the servo to same electrical group as my PC. On that same group there's also a security camera in my office. As soon as the servo was activated, there's an electrical disturbance in the image of the security camera.

Henk, glad to hear you got things running smooth. I also noticed USB distribution was a key solution. And proper shielded USB extension cables.

So I guess the electrical disturbance of the CCD camera was gone after installing the Schaffner? Was it completely gone?

Mascot · Feb 18, 2019

anton_Chez said:
The guy that made the slots for the key to go into that he left on the shaft was the best. There's no way his are going to slip or wear at all, anywhere. You need special equipment for this but that is by far the best solution. Also a problem is when you round the hex bolt that tightens the coupler. I mean we're tying to get it as tight as physically possible, if one ever comes loose we're going to have to re tighten it and there's a good chance of rounding the hex slot.

Yep, one of mine is buggered. It's not unusual when trying to highly torque small Allen grubs with thin Allen keys. My Allen wrench was twisting so I switched to a simple L-lever, which was bending like feck and eventually rounded the hexagonal Allen port. I'll need to drill it out if I ever need to take it off.
I'm satisfied that my grub screws are as tight as they'll go but I was kicking myself afterwards for not using theadlock on them.
One other thing, I wouldn't recommend sanding the shafts or couplers to 'roughen them up'. You're much better off gouging small furrows in them with a needle file to act as 'friction tread' between the shaft and coupler. Degreasing is obviously essential, as the whole ball screw not only comes lightly oiled, but probably picked up grease somewhere along the line during handling.

HoiHman · Feb 18, 2019

HugoB said:
Henk, glad to hear you got things running smooth. I also noticed USB distribution was a key solution. And proper shielded USB extension cables.

So I guess the electrical disturbance of the CCD camera was gone after installing the Schaffner? Was it completely gone?

The disturbance was with a 5th spare servo Hugo, one that is not installed behind the netfilter, so i did not get to try out to if it makes a difference.