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

 

[Insert Coin]

Hola a todos buenos dias
También estoy construyendo el SFX-100, algunas partes ya están llegando, los cuatro servomotores son uno de ellos, también una impresora 3d
Mi mayor problema con las piezas es el perfil de aluminio.
¿Alguien tiene otra dirección para pedir perfiles de aluminio?

un saludo

English please.

 

[Insert Coin]

Henk, is tactile feedback (SimVibe) still needed with your rig? Or is engine vibration done by the actuators as well?

 

[Stevie_007]

my ballnuts dont have grease nipples, do i need to buy some or dont i need them

 

[Insert Coin]

my ballnuts dont have grease nipples, do i need to buy some or dont i need them

For a second I thought I was reading spam . Sorry mate

 

[Stevie_007]

hahaha yes i spent 10 mins trying to word it differently but everything i tried seemed worse

 

[HoiHman]

Henk, is tactile feedback (SimVibe) still needed with your rig? Or is engine vibration done by the actuators as well?

It kinda depends on the sim you are driving. I only drove AC and R3E and there's a big difference between them. AC sends out a lot more different data and also none of the developers tested R3E.

So this morning i had to build the entire DTM profile for r3E from scratch. This took me quite a while. I do have LFE under the seat and a Advance at the back of the seat using both for RPM.

However the rumble of the curbs in R3E does not have a separate output like in for example Iracing, so i probably use simvibe to fill in the gaps (at least for r3E)

This means i will probably also add a 3rd or even 4th mini LFE at my feet in a later stage.

With AC you can use the actuators to do the engine rumble and it puts out more detailed data on the curbs than raceroom. But in my opnion using simvibe will give a better result.

This is again my opnion : Let each device to what it does best

my ballnuts dont have grease nipples, do i need to buy some or dont i need them

Better yes

 

[TITANVR]

English please.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but my intentions were those, Google made me a bad move.

a greeting

 

[HoiHman]

A lot people are asking the same question, but in the end it's best to just bite the bulit, pay the extra shipping charges and buy the german profiles.

 

[RaceNut]

Just to confirm a few things as it relates to general actuator effects (based on D-box experience):

• The chassis lean does go to the outside (like body roll) and is generally most noticeable when the back steps out and rear-grip is regained as you feel the tires "catch". It's this momentary (return to center) effect that has the larger impact. Henk is correct in that the G-seat will better represent the sustained forces.
• The lack of effects available between AC (ACC) vs R3E are substantial as R3E lacks general road surface detail and grip-loss vibration (Chassis). Both titles provide good engine-vibe performance but, R3E has very effective drive-train elastic behavior that is very convincing.
• There are some tactile effects that will be more effective with a capable transducer setup imo, but having some ability to provide a broad (complete-rig) tactile base to build on would be ideal. It appears the sfx-100 can do that, judging by videos.

 

[HoiHman]

Forget to mention:

One of the most impressive effects of the SFX100 is : Pitch

Als those altitude changes in VR are awesome. Your rig tilts forward and backwards going up and down hill. I never imagined that this effect would be so great.

Thanks for confirming Dean that R3E lacks detail on the D-box to. I have yet to try rfactor 2, seems to have one of the best motion outputs out there.

I choose R3E as a starting point for 2 reasons:
1. I like the game, especially DTM
2. This was a basic, totally untuned profile

When i did my first run in R3E using the base program, it felt like a boat . Slow long movements.
I wanted to see how much tunable the profiles are and i can confirm there a lot of options and it's possible (even with R3E) to create a good profile with lots of feedback.

 

[metalnwood]

OK, happy to be the fool that was the only one that thought the sway was right lol. Live and learn


Re the grease nipples, mine did not come with them but they are easy enough to come by. You should be able to find some locally. They are the best way to get grease in the bearings.

 

[HoiHman]

The noise levels are quite a bit higher than on the next level motion V3. I'm getting complaints of the family when driving in the very early hours with a very very "silent" profile. So i thought

When i listen the noise levels are on par with the windsim, however they seem to travel better through the entire house. I'm on a concrete floor on the ground floor.

So i'm still tuning what so see can be done to have a very quiet profile. The noise comes from the spindles and they are already in the aluminium profile, so there's no way of isolating them any further.

 

[anton_Chez]

Hmm that's interesting. From the video's I've watched of yours, Henk, the whole setup seems very comparable to the V3. It might be the extra heft in the motors and the fact that there are more points of contact with the ground that there is extra feedback making its way to other areas of the house. I was convinced the sound was very comparable to the V3. That said, I would never run my V3 with the missus sleeping just across the hall. I could barely use the V2.5 at the time I had it without getting into trouble. I had to turn all racing off for the night once the girl went to sleep. It was OK normally, I'd prioritise driving earlier on in the evening then hit some fighting games or Dota 2 later on in the night. I don't sleep, you see

Now that I'm downstairs, I run everything on full. Tactile, motion, funnily enough the OSW is quieter than the Clubsport wheelbases so that's a non issue anyway. Only thing that gets me is if I have audio running (sub woofer or even my bookshelf speakers) even moderately quiet. That travels a lot. Luckily I like to use earbuds when I drive so audio is another non issue. Keeps the noise down for the house and keeps me immersed in what I am doing without hearing motion rigs moving and dogs barking in the background.

I loved how the change of elevation looked in the videos. I could tell straight away. That and heave is something the V3 cannot touch. I just hope the momentary and subtle movements come out of the SFX just as good as the V3. I don't mind if they are not improved, I am not expecting that they will be. But if we add another dimension (suspension effects) to our motion whilst maintaining the smaller quicker movements (the V3 does a very good job of translating that feeling Dean explained above, that moment when the tires 'catch' and regain grip after sliding) that the V3 does, I will be super happy.

Either way, If I end up down this road I am going to keep the V3 for a month or so before I am convinced it's being replaced.

 

[HugoB]

The noise levels are quite a bit higher than on the next level motion V3. I'm getting complaints of the family when driving in the very early hours with a very very "silent" profile. So i thought

When i listen the noise levels are on par with the windsim, however they seem to travel better through the entire house. I'm on a concrete floor on the ground floor.

So i'm still tuning what so see can be done to have a very quiet profile. The noise comes from the spindles and they are already in the aluminium profile, so there's no way of isolating them any further.

Maybe have a look at what drummers use to isolate their kit from the floor: google ‘drum floor isolation’

There are quite a few different solutions, the one with tennis balls looks like a popular one that doesn’t brake the bank?

 

[Chris_I]

Did a quick google search on vibration isolators. Platform builds on springs are most common but I think it is a more expensive route.

Some other things I found:

• https://www.amazon.com/PneumaticPlus-Anti-Vibration-Rubber-isolation/dp/B073R6KMYK
• https://www.amazon.com/Diversitech-MP4-V-Anti-Vibration-Pack/dp/B00BVEMLR4/ref=pd_bxgy_328_img_2

Maybe combining 2 different pads on top of eachother could do the trick.

 

[sjb266]

So i've run into a problem..

This is what happens when your print comes unstuck from the bed 30 mins into a 7 hour overnight print..

All that plastic is rock solid.. it took me ages to chisel it away trying to save the electrics but alas it was no good.. Thermistor and Heat cartridge are cactus!

new parts on order... set me back at least a week.

 

[HugoB]

So i've run into a problem..

This is what happens when your print comes unstuck from the bed 30 mins into a 7 hour overnight print..

new parts on order... set me back at least a week.

Ooof! That looks serious.. I’m surprised it managed to keep pushing through! What printer is that? What print bed did you use and what filament? I’m going to start printing the parts when I come back from my holiday, I’ll be using PETG on a heated PEI sheet, anything I should consider?

 

[sjb266]

Ooof! That looks serious.. I’m surprised it managed to keep pushing through! What printer is that? What print bed did you use and what filament? I’m going to start printing the parts when I come back from my holiday, I’ll be using PETG on a heated PEI sheet, anything I should consider?

It's a TEVO Flash..

It has a heated glass bed standard.. The temp was obviously too low..

Was using PLA.. getting much better results with PLA than PETG.. probably my limited knowledge and experience with 3D printers.. I've done the internal parts (the slider and bump stop) in PETG.. but all the external mounting stuff i'm doing in PLA..

I'm probably not qualified to give any advice (see picture).. but have fun.. I'm absolutely obsessed with 3D printing now and will miss it for the next few days waiting for parts!

 

[HugoB]

It's a TEVO Flash..

It has a heated glass bed standard.. The temp was obviously too low..

Was using PLA.. getting much better results with PLA than PETG.. probably my limited knowledge and experience with 3D printers.. I've done the internal parts (the slider and bump stop) in PETG.. but all the external mounting stuff i'm doing in PLA..

I'm probably not qualified to give any advice (see picture).. but have fun.. I'm absolutely obsessed with 3D printing now and will miss it for the next few days waiting for parts!

Yea, me too, completely obsessed with 3D printing since I got this thing to print the parts for SFX100

My printer has had no rest since I bought it and the backlog of to-do cool projects is only growing, so I’m even considering to get a second one, so I can print at double throughput overnight

Thanks for the heads up though, I’ll try my best with PETG.

 

[Stevie_007]

The noise levels are quite a bit higher than on the next level motion V3. I'm getting complaints of the family when driving in the very early hours with a very very "silent" profile. So i thought

When i listen the noise levels are on par with the windsim, however they seem to travel better through the entire house. I'm on a concrete floor on the ground floor.

So i'm still tuning what so see can be done to have a very quiet profile. The noise comes from the spindles and they are already in the aluminium profile, so there's no way of isolating them any further.

Im buying these for my wife and daughter for xmas, lovely little stocking filler
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional-Quality-Defenders-Serious-Protectors/dp/B003YDMX14