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

 

[Moxley6969]

I'm going to build an acrylic case in fusion 360 similar to the simucube box... not sure what colour.. get it laser cut.. then put some LED fans in it.. Should look pretty sweet...

of course this could take a while!

Go thicker over thinner Acrylic, There were a decent amount of reports of the Cube cases cracking in the beginning if i remember right, And i assume you'll secure the sides better. How Granite did it, leaves much to be desired.

 

[Moxley6969]

1. How do these compare to the SCN6? SCN6 has 40Kgf but according to their graphs they don't get anywhere near that when running at high speeds. I suspect this could be a problem with heavy rigs?

2. I see they run at 280mm/s while the SCN6 is 100-200mm/s, will that speed difference alone make a noticeable difference?

Is there anywhere to buy these actuators or something similar already built for a higher cost?

These are in a whole different ball park compared to SN6 Actuators.

4x SN6 on a big built 80-20 Rig.....errr...No, Not gonna happen.

Yes there are alternatives, but nearing 2.5x the price.

 

[Wmacky]

This is just my kinda project! I'd love to do a build, but it seems that there is no flight sim support? Such a shame as I need a dual purpose rig........

 

[sjb266]

Go thicker over thinner Acrylic, There were a decent amount of reports of the Cube cases cracking in the beginning if i remember right, And i assume you'll secure the sides better. How Granite did it, leaves much to be desired.

Yeah I've got 2 simucube boxes and haven't had an issue with either... wouldn't want to be shipping them around the world though! - The sides secure perfectly if you use all the cube stand-offs they include (4 total) ... for some reason though they only tell you to use 2 in the instructions...

 

[sjb266]

This is just my kinda project! I'd love to do a build, but it seems that there is no flight sim support? Such a shame as I need a dual purpose rig........

It's only early days.. i'm sure the support will come..

 

[C64]

This is just my kinda project! I'd love to do a build, but it seems that there is no flight sim support? Such a shame as I need a dual purpose rig........

DCS is supported although it is not listed as one of the games. Anyone with enough coding skill and knowledge of the telemetry for a game can build a telemetry provider so I expect support will appear for other titles as well.

 

[Ringorian]

Dcs is in a early state. Only Roll and Pitch at The Moment i think ...

 

[TITANVR]

How much is yours ?

I still can not say exactly the weight of my platform is in construction, only the weight of each actuator will be about 8kg x 4 = 32kg that we also have to add to the platform plus the weight of the steering wheel and pedals and in my case some joystick without forget the seat and 12 bodyshakers plus the amplifier of six audio channels plus the entire structure of the platform.
These actuators are powerful but I do not know what is the limit of weight they can lift, and I will try to make the platform as light as possible.

a greeting

 

[Wmacky]

Dcs is in a early state. Only Roll and Pitch at The Moment i think ...

At least that's a start. I need full DCS, and Xplane support and I'm in!

 

[Ringorian]

At least that's a start. I need full DCS, and Xplane support and I'm in!

So find someone which is progging it
The 60hz iracing Plugin was also done by a User, He Said that simfeedback is real easy to program

 

[HugoB]

@hugo bokhorst recommended brand Extrudr for filament. I'm considering this PETG instead of PLA. Is this good choice? How many kilos I will need for SFX project?

Just a quick update Michal, that PETG is absolutely fantastic. I did a printing test and the properties of this PETG are quite impressive. You can and should print with way lower temperatures than with regular PETG. You should print first layer with around 215C, then the rest with about 210-220C, bed around 80-90C and fan 50%. You'll get very little stringing and very good layer adhesion (especially with 220C). It's impressively strong, yet easy to print. Read this post for more tips:

https://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/prin...ilament-tip-extrudr-mf-petg-1-75mm-t4541.html

Quote: "assume you are used to print PETG at 230-260°C range, right?
Well that's not the case for Extrudr MF-PETG, this material prints almost like PLA, at low temp, with great bed adhesion, and little to no warping, ending with great results.
Looking at temperatures... I thought that the strength of the material would be lower compared to ordinary PETG that prints at around 235°C, but no, even when printing at 210°C this material is pretty much the same strength, if not stronger than most other PETG filaments I've tested."

and this if you can read German:

https://filament-test.com/petg-testberichte/extrudr-petg-filament-test/

My settings in Slic3r: 0.4mm Nozzle, 0.2mm layers, 8 perimeters, 12 bottom layers, 12 top, 20% infill grid, 0.45mm layer width. I print at 50mm/s perimeters and 80mm/s infill. But still testing a bit for optimization, so try yourself. I will report back if I change any settings.

- with these settings one motor_mount.stl takes 11h 48m and a predicted 217.6g
- printing all the parts for one actuator takes 1day 16h 25m and a predicted 760g
- so if you print 24/7 that's 6 days and 18h for all four
- you'll need 3040g, that's one spool of 2.5kg and one of 1.1kg
- that will cost you 109 euros
- this is highly theoretical, based on the data sheet's 1.3g/cm3 and Slic3r calculation
- maybe I'm printing too fast, I'll let you know if the holes for the screws are dimensionally correct

I'm going to print all the SFX100 parts with this PETG, for it's much stronger than any of the PLA I've tried, yet just as easy to print.

Edit: made a miscalculation, corrected.

 

[AlexP37]

I’ve ordered petg aswell, i dont have any 3d printer expierence but read somewhere that petg is a better material.

Thanks for the printer settings Hugo, they will come in handy.

 

[HoiHman]

Just watched a video of tweakers live in which simlabs is showing a D-box motion rig.

Strange feeling to look at something you always admired and wanted to have. And now .....


I don't watch those kind of video's with that same feeling anymore.


I'm not saying i'm looking down at D-box, but the feeling of wanting one is completely gone.

I never ever drove a D-box and it surely must have some advantages of the SFX-100. One of the biggest is definately the noise levels, but 4" travel and amazing control in the Simfeedback software, are also a big advantages to.

Add to that the ability to repair the actuators yourself, if this is ever needed.

I've had 3 motion systems break down on me in the past, having a non working motion rig for weeks and even months.

So this time things are gonna be different. I just ordered one spare part of each, including a servo.This might be overkill, but... what if in 2 or 3 years time a control unit dies and they are not selling the same spec anymore?

Also with the second controller support in a future update this extra servo just might come in handy for whatever upgrade is next.

 

[ANiMESoKAR]

Heres the link to the files https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3202089

Added a version with vertical mount just in case someone needed.

Thanks! Really appreciate it

 

[HugoB]

I’ve ordered petg aswell, i dont have any 3d printer expierence but read somewhere that petg is a better material.

Thanks for the printer settings Hugo, they will come in handy.

Be careful though, these settings are for ‘Extrudr PETG’, which prints at around 210-220C. Most, if not all other PETG prints at 230–240C.

 

[HugoB]

Just watched a video of tweakers live in which simlabs is showing a D-box motion rig.

Strange feeling to look at something you always admired and wanted to have. And now .....


I don't watch those kind of video's with that same feeling anymore.


I'm not saying i'm looking down at D-box, but the feeling of wanting one is completely gone.

I never ever drove a D-box and it surely must have some advantages of the SFX-100. One of the biggest is definately the noise levels, but 4" travel and amazing control in the Simfeedback software, are also a big advantages to.

Add to that the ability to repair the actuators yourself, if this is ever needed.

I've had 3 motion systems break down on me in the past, having a non working motion rig for weeks and even months.

So this time things are gonna be different. I just ordered one spare part of each, including a servo.This might be overkill, but... what if in 2 or 3 years time a control unit dies and they are not selling the same spec anymore?

Also with the second controller support in a future update this extra servo just might come in handy for whatever upgrade is next.

This makes me very happy! Yes, the D-Box system sure is awesome, but so expensive! I’m glad this alternative exists now. I was actually counting up all my finances to make room for a D-Box system, but thank god SFX100 came along! And the software almost seems to be the best part.

And like you said, no more down time when something stops working, just screw in the new part and off we go again!

Looking at all the parts though, I really doubt anything particular could break, just some 3D parts that can always be re-printed. Except the motor or motor controllers, these could maybe stop working some day, although even these look industrial, like the MiGE’s from OSW. But I’m sure something similar will always be available on the market, that could be adapted with some STL file modification or a different shaft connector. But like you, I’ll probably get a backup motor

 

[HugoB]

Just printed some thin slices of the dimensionally critical parts to check if everything fits.

All is good. So now my printer begins the longest journey of its life so far, I hope she makes it through

 

[RaceNut]

Just watched a video of tweakers live in which simlabs is showing a D-box motion rig.

Strange feeling to look at something you always admired and wanted to have. And now .....


I don't watch those kind of video's with that same feeling anymore.


I'm not saying i'm looking down at D-box, but the feeling of wanting one is completely gone.

I never ever drove a D-box and it surely must have some advantages of the SFX-100. One of the biggest is definately the noise levels, but 4" travel and amazing control in the Simfeedback software, are also a big advantages to.

Add to that the ability to repair the actuators yourself, if this is ever needed.

I've had 3 motion systems break down on me in the past, having a non working motion rig for weeks and even months.

So this time things are gonna be different. I just ordered one spare part of each, including a servo.This might be overkill, but... what if in 2 or 3 years time a control unit dies and they are not selling the same spec anymore?

Also with the second controller support in a future update this extra servo just might come in handy for whatever upgrade is next.

This seems a very good plan Henk.

The main things holding me back from going the SFX-100 route right now are the printing and a direct comparison to the D-Box system. Judging by the videos, I suspect the main advantage to the D-box is with the tactile performance but, that can be minimized with the addition of shakers so I'm not too bothered. Still, some confirmation of the differences would be helpful to those of us owning or pursuing D-box. I imagine some trade-offs are to be expected but, it appears that the SFX-100 may have the overall advantage.

 

[HoiHman]

I'm not really bothered by the missing tactile. It all depends also on the sim you are driving.
R3E could definately use some extra simvibe, but rfactor 2, Iracing and Assetto Corsa all feel awesome and i can't imagine adding any extra tactile, besides engine rpm ( which the SFX-100 does to by the way)

I did a quick (xbox controller) drive in ACC this morning and it looks like this is one of the first titles that has fully modeled 3d curbs and they feel amazing.

One downside of motion, is that there's sometimes a big difference between mod and original tracks.

Main advantage of the D-box is the noise levels, but i have found out that with minimal movements a good immersive silent profile for the SFX-100 is possible to.

Don't be afraid of the 3d printing, there's a whole community waiting to help you out. Buy a Prusa I3 and print your own buttonboxes, steering wheels and all other fun stuff. Printing with the Prusa I3 MK3 is as easy as it can be and it has all the profiles, settings and sensor you need for a good result. The learning curve is not as steap as it may look like.

 

[HugoB]

Don't be afraid of the 3d printing, there's a whole community waiting to help you out. Buy a Prusa I3 and print your own buttonboxes, steering wheels and all other fun stuff. Printing with the Prusa I3 MK3 is as easy as it can be and it has all the profiles, settings and sensor you need for a good result. The learning curve is not as steap as it may look like.

I can confirm this! I took HoiHman's advice and bought the Prusa i3 MK3 (as a kit because that was the cheapest) and got it up and running in a couple of hours. With the 3D printer settings provided on the GitHub page for the SFX100's all the parts are coming out perfectly and fit like a glove! This machine is really fool proof thanks to all the smart solutions that are the result of many iterations. And the included presets for different materials make it very easy to just start printing immediately, even if you've never seen a 3D printer before
If you however do encounter any difficulties, there is a massive database of user guides and helpful people on the internet, because of the popularity of the Prusa.