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

 

[diablo2112]

Holy Cow, Batman! We have a winner. That has to be a record for printed parts on a rig. Can I ask, where did you find the SLA files for all that? The actuator mounts in particular, as well as the 8020 angle mounts. Do post up pics as your build proceeds.

And what’s the mech under your seat? Height or slider? Be interested in detail of that. It looks like you’ve go a low seat mount (good!) with some sort of adjustment?

 

[sn4il]

These actuator mounts were not recommended. I will test them soon and post results.
I do all stl's myself. I'll be happy to share them when I get home.
Some of them you can find here:
http://serwer1340157.home.pl/max911/index.php
I will post more photos of the slider as well.

 

[Mascot]

Keen also to see more peoples builds too.

I posted mine a while ago but here it is again. The feet have changed and there's a semi-active sprung harness mounted too now.

I don't really use it any more because of the coil whine but fired it up last night for the first time in ages and it soon died with an EMI disconnection, which I thought was solved a long time ago.
The coil whine continued even though the rig wasn't working, so I kind of lost the will to live at that point, lol.

 

[Wmacky]

I posted mine a while ago but here it is again. The feet have changed and there's a semi-active sprung harness mounted too now.

View attachment 314206

I don't really use it any more because of the coil whine but fired it up last night for the first time in ages and it soon died with an EMI disconnection, which I thought was solved a long time ago.
The coil whine continued even though the rig wasn't working, so I kind of lost the will to live at that point, lol.

Things could be much worse. I have a case of tinnitus that has turned worsened recently, I now hear a high pitched whine at the volume of loud conversation. I have a bad feeling I could soon be driven insane!!!

 

[diablo2112]

Regarding the high pitched motor whine, there's been considerable discussion this is due to grounding problems between the 220V and 110V supplies creating ground loops. Your reports of EMI issues backup the possibility that you're having ground issues. It's worth reading what's been said about grounding, along with some of the suggested fixes. FYI, my SFX-100 setup has no whine like this at all, and I've had no EMI or other issues. I took great care during setup to have everything properly grounded, and I installed a dedicated 220V line with attention paid to the ground on that wire run as well.

(And Wmacky, I've had tinnitus for almost 40 years now. I got this shooting guns at age 15 without hearing protection. I have a constant ringing at 1.7 kHz; it almost drove me crazy for years. To this day, I can't have a dead-silent room. I use white noise generators at night to sleep. I feel for you, tinnitus totally sucks)

 

[Mascot]

Regarding the high pitched motor whine, there's been considerable discussion this is due to grounding problems between the 220V and 110V supplies creating ground loops. Your reports of EMI issues backup the possibility that you're having ground issues. It's worth reading what's been said about grounding, along with some of the suggested fixes. FYI, my SFX-100 setup has no whine like this at all, and I've had no EMI or other issues. I took great care during setup to have everything properly grounded, and I installed a dedicated 220V line with attention paid to the ground on that wire run as well.

(And Wmacky, I've had tinnitus for almost 40 years now. I got this shooting guns at age 15 without hearing protection. I have a constant ringing at 1.7 kHz; it almost drove me crazy for years. To this day, I can't have a dead-silent room. I use white noise generators at night to sleep. I feel for you, tinnitus totally sucks)

Thanks but I'm in the UK so native 240v, no different supplies or step-up transformers.

 

[Tronicgr_6DOF]

Thanks but I'm in the UK so native 240v, no different supplies or step-up transformers.

 

[diablo2112]

Thanks but I'm in the UK so native 240v, no different supplies or step-up transformers.

You can still have grounding issues between the neutral and ground. See video, above. This is the most common source of the whine in the SFX installations. Your EMI issues are a strong clue that this is the case as well. Ground loops will induce all sorts of problems, including whine and EMI.

 

[ThugUK]

@Mascot
I believe that you are in Scotland, but if you are ever near to Middlesbrough then you are welcome to call in to see if my whine is as bad as yours.

 

[saxxon66]

You can still have grounding issues between the neutral and ground. See video, above. This is the most common source of the whine in the SFX installations. Your EMI issues are a strong clue that this is the case as well. Ground loops will induce all sorts of problems, including whine and EMI.

Oh please, do not tell people what the common source of the high pitch sound is, it is not a grounding issue in general.

The whine is due to the internal current loop (10 kHz) of the servo driver.
This is a typical characteristic of a servo driver like the one we use. These drivers use cheap components and the frequency of the driver is critical to the complete system. Higher frequencies need better components and the will be less efficient, this is why they use this frequency.

If you do have a voltage difference between N (neutral) and PE (earth) you got an other problem that needs to be fixed asap.

@ThugUK
Would be a good idea to get a reference from your sim.

We used a sound spectrometer to measure the sound freq and pressure.
And if I remember correct it was on the same level as most others.
There are many factors like the room acoustics, personal hearing abilities, age, ... that makes it very annoying for them. Others don't hear it at all. I do hear it but I can live with the tone.

 

[vulbas]

Hello.
sorry if the question has already been asked.
what weight can I lift 1 fsx-100?
what is the torque of 1 sfx-100 with this engine € 178,18 49% discount | 90ST-M02430 220V 750W AC Servo Motor 3000 RPM 2.4NM 0.75KW Servo Drive Single Acting DC Permanent Magnet Driver Add to Inquiry Cart
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bwcqzRoc

Thx

 

[Tronicgr_6DOF]

Oh please, do not tell people what the common source of the high pitch sound is, it is not a grounding issue in general.

The whine is due to the internal current loop (10 kHz) of the servo driver.
This is a typical characteristic of a servo driver like the one we use. These drivers use cheap components and the frequency of the driver is critical to the complete system. Higher frequencies need better components and the will be less efficient, this is why they use this frequency.

If you do have a voltage difference between N (neutral) and PE (earth) you got an other problem that needs to be fixed asap.

@ThugUK
Would be a good idea to get a reference from your sim.

We used a sound spectrometer to measure the sound freq and pressure.
And if I remember correct it was on the same level as most others.
There are many factors like the room acoustics, personal hearing abilities, age, ... that makes it very annoying for them. Others don't hear it at all. I do hear it but I can live with the tone.

I'll have to disagree....

My house has terrible grounding, which is almost non existent (old house from the 50s)
All servo drives I connect there have some whining , even the expensive Syntron HS I have....

Now, when I connect them to my office mains that has manufacturing grade electrical system installation, there is NO WHINE AT ALL either on my Syntron or AASD-15A servos I tried!!!

So Yes... grounding is a huge factor... it amplifies that 10kz internal PWM saw driver noise to audible levels!!! In my case it shifts the 60hz 220v waveform to about 60 degrees creating imbalance between the two hot wires with one providing 60 volts and the other 180 volts... This is not a joke... I measured it!!

Get an electrician to check and fix your ground if you can't handle the noise!!

Thanks
Thanos

 

[saxxon66]

So you are saying you do not have any 10 kHz noise?
And all is related to grounding issues and a proper ground will solve this.

Sorry, but I do not believe you.

I do not have any voltage differences between my neutral and ground.
An you should not either. Ground and Neutral are connected on a switch or transformer level, at least here in Germany.

Again, we do all have this high pitch sound. We have many people that measured the sound level

Here is on of the results:

And the results are always the same.

Things can get worse if you do not have a proper ground or differences between neutral and ground. That's for sure, but i doubt any grounding can eliminate the noise completely.

 

[Tronicgr_6DOF]

So you are saying you do not have any 10 kHz noise?
And all is related to grounding issues and a proper ground will solve this.

Sorry, but I do not believe you.

I do not have any voltage differences between my neutral and ground.
An you should not either. Ground and Neutral are connected on a switch or transformer level, at least here in Germany.

Again, we do all have this high pitch sound. We have many people that measured the sound level

Here is on of the results:
View attachment 314344

And the results are always the same.

Things can get worse if you do not have a proper ground or differences between neutral and ground. That's for sure, but i doubt any grounding can eliminate the noise completely.

Didn't say its completely gone, but if the amplitude of the 10kz noise is x amount at my workplace (barely noticeable, similar to old tube cathode TVs) , at home that i have ground issues the amplitude is 5 times x and its clearly audible...

All I'm saying is people should check their grounds if they hear such noise, and not only that, to protect their computers as well as it WILL create ground loop via the Arduino USB connector to your pc and back to the wall... sometimes with lots of voltage difference dynamic (60volts measured on my equipment at home!!!).

And both my servos, expensive or cheap one show this difference in amplitude

 

[diablo2112]

I'm just as interested in solving the EMI interference issues reported here. We went through the same issue with the DIY OSW installations a few years ago. Proper grounding was 100% the key to eliminating the EMI interference we had with OSW setups. You're also using industrial servo motors and controllers here; in nearly the same applications as the OSW. There's all sorts of stray magnetic fields running around. Any conductive loop is going to see this and have a current induced.

It's just good practice to have proper grounding. Under the category of proper grounding, I include proper cables/shielding and knowing how to ground all of this to avoid loops (use of star grounding layouts, be extra-careful with grounding via USB connections, etc.).

 

[Mascot]

Didn't say its completely gone, but if the amplitude of the 10kz noise is x amount at my workplace (barely noticeable, similar to old tube cathode TVs) , at home that i have ground issues the amplitude is 5 times x and its clearly audible...

All I'm saying is people should check their grounds if they hear such noise, and not only that, to protect their computers as well as it WILL create ground loop via the Arduino USB connector to your pc and back to the wall... sometimes with lots of voltage difference dynamic (60volts measured on my equipment at home!!!).

And both my servos, expensive or cheap one show this difference in amplitude

In practical terms, what can be done to test this on the motion rig (eg running additional earth cables to an unused wall socket)?

 

[bluey]

Hi Masco

In practical terms, what can be done to test this on the motion rig (eg running additional earth cables to an unused wall socket)?

Hi Mascot. back in the early days of OSW Midge servos i had many problems with EMI upsetting pedals shifters etc etc .in the end got a piece of copper rod 6ft long by 5/8 dia put that in the ground to a depth of 5 ft ran a copper wire from the copper rod to a mounting bolt on the front of the midge servo and just like MAGIC all EMI problems solved ...Now i know Saxxon says EMI earthing is not the problem .. but if it IS this will fix any earthing problems ..just my 2 cents worth of info ..regards Denis

 

[diablo2112]

A warning for those having their 3D parts printed. Early on in my SFX build, I explored having a vendor produce the parts instead of printing my own. I figured even if I print my own, I'd have a spare set of parts. I ordered 1 set of complete parts, and scrupulously provided the requirements for the build (0.25mm layer height, 8 perimeter layers, 12 top/bottom layers). I just recieved the parts from this print, and they were incorrectly printed. They're useless.

I cut open the motor mount to show this, picture below. On the left is the part recieved. On the right is a part I had made which I aborted mid-print due to bed adhesion issues. Note the differences in perimeter width. The part on the left is flexible and bends; the part on the right is much more solid. The printing parameters for SFX parts are critical. Make sure you get the proper parts.

 

[Dennis Karlsson]

A warning for those having their 3D parts printed. Early on in my SFX build, I explored having a vendor produce the parts instead of printing my own. I figured even if I print my own, I'd have a spare set of parts. I ordered 1 set of complete parts, and scrupulously provided the requirements for the build (0.25mm layer height, 8 perimeter layers, 12 top/bottom layers). I just recieved the parts from this print, and they were incorrectly printed. They're useless.

I cut open the motor mount to show this, picture below. On the left is the part recieved. On the right is a part I had made which I aborted mid-print due to bed adhesion issues. Note the differences in perimeter width. The part on the left is flexible and bends; the part on the right is much more solid. The printing parameters for SFX parts are critical. Make sure you get the proper parts.

wow, that print is useless.

I chose 100% infill on my prints. Overkill... yes, maybe.

 

[sn4il]

It looks like the infill percentage is off as well.
I printed my parts with these settings on Flashforge Creator Pro.
http://serwer1340157.home.pl/max911/SFX/PrinterSettings.jpg
If I remember correctly these were recommended settings.
Here is a short video of parts printing with these settings. I did use a skirt/brim for these.
http://serwer1340157.home.pl/max911/SFX/IMG_5556.MP4