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

 

[anton_Chez]

@MADShootStuff That's what my tracking history looked like until around 2 weeks after. 18 December had being shipped to destination country and on Jan 4 says arrived in destination country. Obviously it doesn't take 16 days to fly to Australia from Germany so it must have been sitting somewhere for a while before anything happened to it, even updated shipping info. It was delivered on the 7th to my house so hopefully once you get that update that it's in the country it won't take too much longer than that.

 

[anton_Chez]

My V8Corsa Nissan V8 Supercar for 2019 season, with AK Racing.

 

[Wmacky]

My Kinetec order for reference-

They shipped within a couple days. It made it to the last stop in Germany a couple days later saying it was shipping to the destination country. Then nothing for weeks until it finally arrived in the US. I thought the slow boat they shipped it on may have sunk in the sea!

Did anyone else's profiles get banged up badly? Mine were only wrapped in paper, and some edges got smashed badly and will need a file.

 

[BluePotato00]

I'm now among my esteemed brothers with up-and-running motion rigs! Haven't even run my own lap yet, just some AI stuff to test it out! More thoughts to come.

 

[MADShootStuff]

I'm now among my esteemed brothers with up-and-running motion rigs! Haven't even run my own lap yet, just some AI stuff to test it out! More thoughts to come.

Awww yis! Nice man!

 

[BluePotato00]

Some thoughts about my build process. A review on my first impressions will follow in a few days. I'll also post my entire purchase list for other American SFX-100 builders.

The M6 washers I had purchased didn't fit into the fixed bearing. I went without them, but felt confident because the head of the bolt was large enough and making contact with the strong metal linear bearing and not a 3D printed part. The same M6 washers were perfectly fine for the M6 x 85mm motor mounts.

Cable management becomes more important than ever. Just the 4 actuators means I have 8 more wires to run along my frame. And since the rig is moving, the other cables coming off my rig (wheel base power, wheel base USB, keypad USB, trackpad USB, pedals USB, ForceFeel o8 USB, ForceFeel o8 power) all need to have enough play as the rig moves.

The absolute best tool purchase for this project is a set of T-handle metric hex ball drivers like these: https://www.amazon.com/Bondhus-1318...&sr=8-8&keywords=metric+hex+ball+end+t+handle. They're so easy to work with and you're going to be turning well over a hundred bolts throughout the build. The ball drivers are important for the parts where you can't have your driver shaft perfectly perpendicular to the bolt head.

For the threaded inserts, I put the profile in my workbench vise (protecting it with a towel) and used a 1/4" hex T-handle to do the first turn or two and ensure they were straight before switching over to my power drill (just a medium-sized 12V Bosch here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BEE2LU/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to get the inserts in 90% of the way and then got them flush against the top/bottom of the profile using my T-handle again.

I completed one step in the build instructions for all 4 actuators before moving on to the next step. I figured that would be more efficient than fully building 1 actuator before moving on to the next.

I broke a USB hub when moving my rig into place, but fortunately I had another among my computer parts. It's fragile plastic where almost everything else is industrial metal.

I regret not printing the linear and fixed bearing mounts in red to match the red accents throughout my rig.

I know the 100mm Kinetic profile is the only non-black profile on my rig. I would not have had the patience to get it painted. I'm happy for now, but maybe someday I'll consider a nice powder coat job like I've seen from others on this thread.

The actuator innards from China arrived very greasy. I wiped them all (except the ball screw) with rubbing alcohol and a rag and then they were much more pleasant to handle without gloves.

Like many others, my sliders didn't fit in the profile. It was the last 5mm or so on the end with the bolt holes. It took a lot of filing to get them to barely fit. I sprayed 2 coats of the dry lube WD-40 on them.

I purchased a 3000W step-up converter and have had zero problems. Another builder said he purchased a 5000W unit and it kept tripping his circuit breaker. No issues of the sort with my 3000W unit.

The servo motors feel heavy and very high quality. The servo controllers though feel much lighter and cheaper than I was expecting. There is a lot of play in the casing. The interface for changing settings is decent enough and you're able to do much even though there are few buttons and just a simple numeric LED display.

Rely on the community here and the RD forum thread. So valuable. I actually made a text file of the entire thread so I could search it which I did frequently to try to avoid asking questions that had already been addressed in the RD forum thread. To get the full thread, I used a Chrome plugin called AutoPager which will load the next page at the bottom of my browser, then selected all the forum thread and pasted it as plain text.

Yes, I had many questions along the way, but I was never stumped for more than a couple hours. Yes, an entire complete and full video build tutorial in English would have been helpful, but that is asking a LOT of somebody to put one together.

I screwed/glued all of my electronics and the servo controllers to a 12" wood shelf which I store inside of a faux-leather storage bench next to my rig. I cut holes in the back for the power cord, servo motor cords, and Arduino USB cord. It does the trick and nicely hides everything, but I'm keeping the lid off whenever it's on for fear of overheating. There are many other elegant solutions to housing your electronics if you page through the RD thread.

My rig is a heavily modified 4Play Racing Rig. Unfortunately, the base is only 1515 and each front-to-back rail is made up of two of those pieces. I purchased single 1530 rails for the rectangle base of my rig.

Since my rig is imperial and the Kinetic profile is metric, I used 16 of these https://www.tnutz.com/product/cbs-015-a-2-hole-slotted-inside-corner-bracket/ slotted inside corner brackets to mount the profile. The slotted side went on the Kinetic profile and the round hole side went on my 1530 profile and I could make the bracket perfectly flush against both sides.

Like many others have recommended, connect your actuators to the servo controllers before mounting them to your rig to see them move. And then start a hotlap on Assetto Corsa and press CTRL-C to have the AI drive your car to ensure that the shafts are moving properly. I was pleasantly surprised that mine worked without having to rebuild any of them. Once they were installed on my rig, it was incredibly satisfying to see the whole rig rise when I clicked the "Start" button in SimFeedback. What a rush!

To easily find what COM port your Arduino is on, download and install a free program called Arduino IDE. In that application, go to tools-port and you'll see clearly listed what COM port has your Arduino Leonardo.

My biggest goof was flashing the firmware to the wrong COM port. I flashed over the firmware for the Arduino for my BBJ button box (purchased on eBay), rendering it unusable. I contacted the seller and he sent me a new board with the proper firmware from the UK for just $10, although I still need to swap out the old board and solder about 18 tiny wires. I'm going without my button box for the time being, because I need a short break from projects!

As many have expressed, a completed actuator is much larger and heavier than they look on photos and videos! They feel very sturdy and high quality.

I successfully completed the SimFeedback/SFX-100 build even though prior to this project, I had never:

• Worked with any of the types of parts in the actuator innards: ball screws, linear bearings, fixed bearings, metal couplers
• Greased a ball screw
• Installed threaded inserts
• 3D printed anything or worked with any 3D printed parts (granted, I didn't do the 3D printing myself, but supplied the instructions and details to my university)
• Done anything electrical beyond installing a residential light fixture or replacing wall power sockets/switches.
• Worked with DB25 (or anything similar) connectors
• Worked with Wago connectors
• Worked with 220V power
• Used a step-up converter
• Worked with an Arduino development board
• Worked with a servo motor (or even knew what one was)

What I'm trying to express here is that if I of all people can do it, I'm confident you can too! The majority of the project was fun, I learned a lot, and I truly have a sense of pride in my work and what I've accomplished. 10cm (4") of travel with 750W motors is beyond most of what D-Box offers even at a $20K - $30K price point for their 3" travel with 400W motors. Amazing!

 

[HugoB]

@BluePotato00 Great write up! A lot of valuable information for people starting this project. I like your black&red styling Looking forward to your review of the actuators and the software. Enjoy the ride mate

 

[Todd Pakiz]

Hey I'm not too far from you. I live in Minot, North Dakota. Did you end up wiring a 220v outlet in or did you go the route of the inverter?

I placed an order with Emily a couple weeks ago and got a tracking number on the 14th for DHL but all it says is "shipping information recieved". How long has it been taking everyone to get that order in the US? These are the parts I ordered first and they are the last ones that I'm waiting on unfortunately.

I ended up going for a step-up transformer so I could build on the bench, then move to where my rig is setup.

 

[GEEDOGG]

@BluePotato00 Congrats, looks nice and clean . I still haven't cleaned up my cable mess yet LOL.

 

[BluePotato00]

@BluePotat00 Congrats, looks nice and clean . I still haven't cleaned up my cable mess yet LOL.

Thanks GEEDOGG! You were one of the first people I spoke with about this and you gave me some great advice. Way back in October or so. I hope you're still getting enjoyment out of your motion rig!

 

[Mascot]

So I ordered all the bits excluding the ball screws from Emily over a week ago, initially good communications but tried contracting her for the last two days to see how far off my shipment is and nothing. Anyone else had anything ship from her in the last few days? I was really hoping to avoid the Chinese New Year shut down as nothing happens for weeks when it kicks in.

I too am concerned about CNY and the month-long delay it can create. I chased Emily today for an order status and was told "these goods are on the way to the express company", so... fingers crossed.

 

[Talkwrench]

I too am concerned about CNY and the month-long delay it can create. I chased Emily today for an order status and was told "these goods are on the way to the express company", so... fingers crossed.

Good news, I really hope the shipments leave China before it’s shuts down for NY I’m only waiting on the parts from Emily before I start my build. Have you got your profiles yet? I see some folk here are struggling with Kinetic, not like the Germans at all to be so inefficient lol.

 

[Mascot]

Good news, I really hope the shipments leave China before it’s shuts down for NY I’m only waiting on the parts from Emily before I start my build. Have you got your profiles yet? I see some folk here are struggling with Kinetic, not like the Germans at all to be so inefficient lol.

I've heard nothing at all from Kinetic since paying for the profiles a week ago. Piss-poor communication, to be honest.

 

[sjb266]

I've heard nothing at all from Kinetic since paying for the profiles a week ago. Piss-poor communication, to be honest.

I know it's frustrating.. but as Micha said a couple of weeks ago these guys aren't a particularly huge operation and they are probably overwhelmed with the amount of orders coming in the last few months. I haven't heard of anyone not getting their order yet and the average lead time is generally acknowledged as being around 3-4 weeks. It will come..

I'm just grateful they ship internationally at all!

 

[Mascot]

I know it's frustrating.. but as Micha said a couple of weeks ago these guys aren't a particularly huge operation and they are probably overwhelmed with the amount of orders coming in the last few months. I haven't heard of anyone not getting their order yet and the average lead time is generally acknowledged as being around 3-4 weeks. It will come..

I'm just grateful they ship internationally at all!

A payment acknowledgement would be a nice start, just in case there's a problem. I've no idea whatsoever if they even know I exist. What worries me slightly is that they apparently changed their website halfway through my order.

 

[anton_Chez]

The website change can't be helping at all, considering the basic nature of it before the change. I gather that these folk are used to dealing with people in person, with maybe larger quantities of product in an industrial type scenario? Judging by the cumbersome method of shipping quotes, payment options and confirmation and slow delivery compared to the cost I would say it's probably not a huge segment of their business. Couple that with the prohibitive nature of the product regarding freight, it makes sense that this is not an everyday affair.

My business is similar. We deal with local people on a very personal basis. Our website is basically designed to let people know we are there but not at all set up for e-commerce or anything of that sort. Our service and products are not designed to be and there are other companies out there that specialise in online, non personal business. We deal with window furnishings of all types, for reference.

@BluePotato00 that write up is AWESOME. I wanted to leave multiple hearts but it won't let me! I got curious when you mentioned D-Box. I went to an Aussie reseller website to do a quick comparison.

- 4 actuators, 3" (75mm) of travel - $37,800 AUD excluding delivery. ($12,600 per inch)

- 4 SFX-100 actuators, 4" (100mm) of travel - ~$3200 AUD including delivery + some DIY req. ($800 per inch)

Not sure what else to say, really...

I'm curious to try the motion with the screen fixed, as you have it there. My monitor mount moves with the chassis. At first it was really jarring to see my viewpoint shifting with the motion of the car. I think I'd much rather it static and my vision use its natural ability to level things out. That's how it is with the seat mover, obviously, much the same with VR. As long as your head is kept still in VR, everything is moving but your vision stays static.

 

[BluePotato00]

I'm curious to try the motion with the screen fixed, as you have it there. My monitor mount moves with the chassis. At first it was really jarring to see my viewpoint shifting with the motion of the car. I think I'd much rather it static and my vision use its natural ability to level things out. That's how it is with the seat mover, obviously, much the same with VR. As long as your head is kept still in VR, everything is moving but your vision stays static.

90% of my racing is with VR. The sensor is a bit hidden to the right of the fan above the monitor. I've kept the sensor fixed for now and have been pleased with that approach.

 

[anton_Chez]

Yes I am the same. The screen is just there for things other than racing and also for titles that do not support VR. When you say your sensor is fixed you mean NOT moving with the rig, correct? That's how I use mine for the V3 and intend to test with it in the same spot when the actuators are going as well. Less hassle and it's what I am used to. However, will need to test when there are steep inclines on tracks that others have said have caused them vision issues.

 

[Wmacky]

Congratz Blue potato.


I can't believe how fast you guys are! I started ordering in November, and today was the official start of the build. I assembled the rolling rack mount unit, and it took all day! I expect it will take most of tomorrow just to fabricate a mounting system and install the servo drives into the rack. I doubt I will be able start wiring the Arduino electronics tray for the rack until next weekend...............

 

[BrassEm]

- 4 actuators, 3" (75mm) of travel - $37,800 AUD excluding delivery. ($12,600 per inch)

- 4 SFX-100 actuators, 4" (100mm) of travel - ~$3200 AUD including delivery + some DIY req. ($800 per inch).

Know that you will be famous for the new metric of $ per inch.