The SimFeedback-AC DIY Motion Simulator thread

[sjb266]

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:

• O-Ring - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Kit-419Pcs-O-Ring-O-Ring-Black-Rubber-32-Sizes-With-Case-3-50mm-W8D7/223152697816?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
• D-Sub breakout board - DB25 25pin Female Adapter RS-232 Serial Terminal Module Breakout Board Connector
• Emergency Stop - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Reliable-Emergency-Stop-Push-Button-Box-600V-Switch-for-Elevator/192115082001?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
• Arduino Wiring - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/40-pcs-Dupont-Cable-20cm-Jumper-Wire-for-Arduino-RPi-breadboard-AU-Stock/202436863098?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=502467628096&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
• Breadboard - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mini-Solderless-Breadboard-400-Contacts-Tie-points-Universal-Available-New-lemon/123145741183?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
• D-Dub Cable - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Black-D...h=item3f6ace6403:g:038AAOSw9mpaSsU2:rk:1:pf:0
• Screw Shield for Arduino Leonardo - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-Scr...h=item25a9d471a4:g:5BgAAOSwraJbc9rC:rk:1:pf:0
• Arduino Leonardo Replica - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DIY-Eduino-Leonardo-Module-with-USB-Cable-for-Arduino-ATMEGA32U4-Blue-Black/132719951279?epid=916281063&hash=item1ee6b9bdaf:g:2QUAAOSw5iNbWv6b:rk:123f:

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

 

[C64]

Thanks for the tips!
Yeah, I'm not sure what happened to that 160x40 front member - maybe I sold it when I had a clear-out of 'spares'. I obviously didn't fit it when I originally built the P1. I didn't even have the NLMv3 at that stage so it was a completely static frame (and I had no plans to add motion) so maybe I figured it wasn't required on top of all the cross members for the pedal deck. I do have a lateral 160x40 cross-brace immediately in front of my seat which is actually closer to the front actuators than it would be at the end of the rig so I'm hoping that'll be doing a lot of stiffening. I've got a spare piece of 80x40 the correct length so might plop that at the end of the rig. Can't do any harm.

Man, am I ever regretting offloading a bunch of spare extrusion, corner brackets, fixings etc in the middle of last year when I thought my rig was 'complete'. I couldn't foresee ever having a future use for them at them time, lol.

160x40 crossmember in front of your seat is all you need... if you can maybe move it a couple of inches forward towards the front actuators. When that is in you won't need any crossmembers forward of that.

 

[Mascot]

160x40 crossmember in front of your seat is all you need... if you can maybe move it a couple of inches forward towards the front actuators. When that is in you won't need any crossmembers forward of that.

Coolio, that's what I figured too. I'll find a position that doesn't interfere with access or hits my calves when non-simming and lock it down. Might drop that 80x40 front piece in anyway, it can't do any harm.

The seat is as low as it'll go with the brackets on the second channel down - the rake levers would foul the frame any lower. Feels good with the pedals completely level with my ass now.

 

[anton_Chez]

@Mascot my understanding in that pic you mentioned with the actuator height is that those actuators are moving further away from the bottom of the seat. If you want the seat to be as close to the actuators as possible you need to get the top of the side rails lined up with the bottom most part of the actuator, so just above the printed bearing mount.

I can't see how having the chassis sit higher on the actuators is helping with COG. I've tried to envision it a number of ways and keep coming back to the picture in my head that is basically the way my rig is now. I think I asked this maybe in Discord before I did it but I can't remember the outcome. In my mind you want your seat as close to the base of your chassis and as much of the actuator profile as possible above the main rail.....

I've also got a couple of spare pieces of 80 20 profile that I was thinking of bracing the front end of the chassis with. I mean the pedal mounts are there and I also have the cross member just in front of the seat but that's not even half way up the main rails so another piece right at the front will surely help keep everything rigid.

 

[ScottSonder]

@Mascot my understanding in that pic you mentioned with the actuator height is that those actuators are moving further away from the bottom of the seat. If you want the seat to be as close to the actuators as possible you need to get the top of the side rails lined up with the bottom most part of the actuator, so just above the printed bearing mount.

I can't see how having the chassis sit higher on the actuators is helping with COG. I've tried to envision it a number of ways and keep coming back to the picture in my head that is basically the way my rig is now. I think I asked this maybe in Discord before I did it but I can't remember the outcome. In my mind you want your seat as close to the base of your chassis and as much of the actuator profile as possible above the main rail.....

I've also got a couple of spare pieces of 80 20 profile that I was thinking of bracing the front end of the chassis with. I mean the pedal mounts are there and I also have the cross member just in front of the seat but that's not even half way up the main rails so another piece right at the front will surely help keep everything rigid.

Have you posted a pic of your rig, Anton? Er, with the actuators attached and all I mean. I have the standard P1 like many it seems here. I was planning on a the mount posted in the video by Mascot, but I'm trying to follow along with these conversations.

 

[ScottSonder]

The polystyrene packing from the servo motors is quite useful for raising the chassis. Seems plenty strong enough, even after fitting the seat and testing the position. They build roads from this stuff.

Where'd you get those L-brackets from to mount your seat? Look sturdy, I may actually look into dropping my seat into my chassis if that's recommended.

 

[Mascot]

Where'd you get those L-brackets from to mount your seat? Look sturdy, I may actually look into dropping my seat into my chassis if that's recommended.

They're ones I made for my NLRv3 from 4" x 2" x 1/4" aluminium angle profile, so I just cut them in half and redrilled them to make four seat brackets.

 

[Jean-Paul Lanaux]

Anybody who is still on the fence and thinking about getting someone to do your 3d printing instead of buying one - BIG MISTAKE. Go ahead and get one. I have printed so many useful things (several electrical boxes, vesa mounts, etc - I have so many ideas that my printer can't keep up). Cable management will be challenging for this project. My rig sits in a dormer and I have a closet where the computer equipment will sit. I'm thinking - how am I going to get all this wiring from the closet to the rig! I need a hole in the sheetrock. Then I need for it to look nice. I have to buy wood, cut it, paint it, damn - turning out to be a big project. But I have a 3d printer! Design a pass through similar to a drywall gang box.

Cover Plate

Drywall Face Plate

Through wall Sleeve

Drywall face plate with clamps

 

[metalnwood]

I have thought about making them a bit higher but before I do I would like to know exactly how far the front of the rig is off the ground and full pitch forward.. No point raising them higher if you are going to bottom out part of the rig.

The other thing with mine is that a couple of times things have got hairy and I hang banged my elbow on the actuator for an ouchy. Mine are mounted as far back as they will go but because of my seat position they are still close.. So I tapped the back of the profile as you can see in the picture when the M8 bolt is. With this I can use a longer bracket and move the actuators back 40mm, or use the same brackets and move the actuators back 80mm. Part of the actuator would then overhang the p1 but I cannot see this as an issue at all.

My local hardware store also sells 40x40 90 degree brackets made from 5mm steel. They seem to be working well where I ran out of the simlabs ones.

 

[Mascot]

I have thought about making them a bit higher but before I do I would like to know exactly how far the front of the rig is off the ground and full pitch forward.. No point raising them higher if you are going to bottom out part of the rig.

The other thing with mine is that a couple of times things have got hairy and I hang banged my elbow on the actuator for an ouchy. Mine are mounted as far back as they will go but because of my seat position they are still close.. So I tapped the back of the profile as you can see in the picture when the M8 bolt is. With this I can use a longer bracket and move the actuators back 40mm, or use the same brackets and move the actuators back 80mm. Part of the actuator would then overhang the p1 but I cannot see this as an issue at all.

My local hardware store also sells 40x40 90 degree brackets made from 5mm steel. They seem to be working well where I ran out of the simlabs ones.View attachment 293406

My seat is right at the back of the frame so I was thinking of something similar to shift the actators aft for more elbow room. I was looking at 80x40 angle to attach to the rear chassis rail but tapping into the end of the side rail extrusion is a great idea. You could even fix through the rectangular plastic end-cap for neatness if it doesn't compromise the strength of the attachment.

On another subject, there were instructions and a diagram for daisy-chaining the power to the motor controllers from a single source, rather than having a separate power plug for each controller. Anyone know where it is?

 

[TimothyDDX]

There are not as they state that they do not give instructions for main power (220V) due to safety and liability. They do mention the WAGO connectors which are super easy to use, just cut up an extra three conductor power cord into about 16" pieces and wire from the controllers to a WAGO for Hot, Neutral, and Ground. Then use either the left over power cord with plug or a 2nd and connect it to the WAGO's. If you do not understand this or how to safely wire electricity then like others have stated, it is highly recommended to ask (pay) someone who is a licensed electrician to do this for you.

 

[anton_Chez]

That's as high up on the main rail that I can get the actuators. You can't see it here but I have 2 more gusseted angle brackets on the inside or each actuator, on the top of the main rail for extra strength. Before I had the 4 brackets on the sides, meaning the frame had to sit higher up on the actuator.

The way I see it, the higher the chassis sits in relation to the actuator, you are moving you bottom away from the virtual road and tyres, in this case the tyres, (or suspension really), being the shaft of the actuator.

Today, I am planning on moving the front two actuators back in between the wheel deck uprights and the pedal mount. I have room to swap them around and still connect the pedal tray handles to the mount. My actuators sit 110cm apart, once I move them, I will have them much closer to the 90 odd cm that most others are using. I think also this has to help with pitch and surge movements, as I have removed the V3 and now need to tune these effects back in at least until the harness tensioner is ready.

One thing I will have to test is the absolute movement of the pitch forward. If I bottom out, I'll have no choice but to move the actuators back to the height they were previously. Until now, I've had no issues but I might once I reduce the 'wheelbase'.

 

[ScottSonder]

There are not as they state that they do not give instructions for main power (220V) due to safety and liability. They do mention the WAGO connectors which are super easy to use, just cut up an extra three conductor power cord into about 16" pieces and wire from the controllers to a WAGO for Hot, Neutral, and Ground. Then use either the left over power cord with plug or a 2nd and connect it to the WAGO's. If you do not understand this or how to safely wire electricity then like others have stated, it is highly recommended to ask (pay) someone who is a licensed electrician to do this for you.

As a pretty weak DIY guy, this is by the far the easiest and cleanest way to do it for the noobs. It took me even a while to understand the approach living in the U.S., so if anyone is a bit daft like me, I can probably help. I'm going with Jean's 220 box and using the Arduino box as well. Can't decide on Dsub breakouts vs soldering them directly on like Jimmy did though.

The only thing left that I'm unsure of doing is the actual actuator assembly. Just because I've never tackled something like that. Hopefully I degrease the right things, grease the right ones? Lol. I know I'll find the answers within the community here. Been great so far.

 

[ScottSonder]

View attachment 293429

That's as high up on the main rail that I can get the actuators. You can't see it here but I have 2 more gusseted angle brackets on the inside or each actuator, on the top of the main rail for extra strength. Before I had the 4 brackets on the sides, meaning the frame had to sit higher up on the actuator.

The way I see it, the higher the chassis sits in relation to the actuator, you are moving you bottom away from the virtual road and tyres, in this case the tyres, (or suspension really), being the shaft of the actuator.

Today, I am planning on moving the front two actuators back in between the wheel deck uprights and the pedal mount. I have room to swap them around and still connect the pedal tray handles to the mount. My actuators sit 110cm apart, once I move them, I will have them much closer to the 90 odd cm that most others are using. I think also this has to help with pitch and surge movements, as I have removed the V3 and now need to tune these effects back in at least until the harness tensioner is ready.

One thing I will have to test is the absolute movement of the pitch forward. If I bottom out, I'll have no choice but to move the actuators back to the height they were previously. Until now, I've had no issues but I might once I reduce the 'wheelbase'.

I guess I'm kind of confused, what's the other option to mounting your actuators there, one position lower on your rig or higher on the actuator? Sorry this language gets kind of confusing.

Agreed with the front actuator position.

Is there a standard harness tensioner everyone is talking about, another DIY project? I suspect I'll very much want that for sustained force under braking.

 

[acekrusty23]

https://de.aliexpress.com/store/pro...r-3000-rpm-2-4-N-M-0/3223052_32844070107.html
Price rise??
Quoted me half that 2days ago.

 

[ScottSonder]

https://de.aliexpress.com/store/pro...r-3000-rpm-2-4-N-M-0/3223052_32844070107.html
Price rise??
Quoted me half that 2days ago.

Daang, that went up a lot.

 

[anton_Chez]

The harness tensioner I am referring to is built by a member on xsimulator forums. I am unsure whether he visits these parts but he is an Aussie and has been developing and improving his solution for some time now. I've given him some details to organise the purchase of one from him and hope to have that pretty soon. I was going to leave it when I had the V3 mounted but since that's gone now I've used the funds (and the necessity) to purchase that and also an upgraded Sparco Rev bucket seat. Thought I might as well put the cash back into the rig somewhere.

The other alternative to mounting is to have the main rails on the rig higher up on the actuator. So picture the actuators pretty much staying where they are, touching the ground obviously, but the chassis much higher off the ground, thus mounted to a higher point on the actuator profile. To me, this just raises your COG away from the 'tyres' or 'road' so to speak.

People have mentioned having their seat mounted too high giving them a feeling of sitting 'on top' of the car, rather than inside it, due to the relation of the position of seat, chassis and actuators. I see this as no different. Having the main chassis frame 'sunk' into the actuators as far as possible must also contribute to lowering the COG and your seating position relative to the suspension.

 

[RowanH]

Email/message David Liu (the main guy for the Master Jiang store) and ask if that price is correct. He's usually very responsive so you'll know quickly if it's a pricing error or has legit gone up in price.

 

[acekrusty23]

Daang, that went up a lot.

I’ve been trying to contact David, to see if he will honour the quote he gave me 48hrs ago. Fingers crossed or I’ll get the Servos elsewhere.

 

[ScottSonder]

I’ve been trying to contact David, to see if he will honour the quote he gave me 48hrs ago. Fingers crossed or I’ll get the Servos elsewhere.

We didn't have to source the servos there? Something seems up. Random x2 markup isn't normal.

 

[acekrusty23]

Email/message David Liu (the main guy for the Master Jiang store) and ask if that price is correct. He's usually very responsive so you'll know quickly if it's a pricing error or has legit gone up in price.

Will do. Seems strange. There’s others selling the same kit for much less , I know he was running low on stock, now, when I checked a few min ago he had 50 + units available.