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]

As mentionned, mount the controllers on a backing plate which then mounts into a 19" rack. Like this:

 

[hazardpro]

Anyone know where I can source these in the UK??

K45.N10 Nutenstein mit Feder Nut 10 - M4 M5 M6 M8 | Stahl galv. verzinkt

K45.N10 Nutenstein Nut 10 mit aufgeschweißter Feder - einschwenkbar. Gewinde: M4 M5 M6 M8

www.kinetikmsystem.de

Was about to bolt it all together and had presumed my left over P1 fixings were the same

so need to try to source some quick

doug

 

[hazardpro]

Yep most likely. I actually didn't order the slot nuts as I had a whole bag of 8mm left over from the SimLab build. 16 will give you 4 brackets per actuator, which is probably the most recommended amount. You could get away with less individual brackets if you have say, a double bracket that connects into multiple slots but is a single bracket. You'll still need the 16 slot nuts for this however. I have 4 gusseted brackets per actuator and it seems to be fine. How you connect them is up to you. I run 2 on the sides and 2 on the inside of the actuators connected to the top of the mail side rails of the chassis.

how did you manage to use the m8 slide nuts from your P1??? I have loads too but they seem to be too small to fit in the alloy profile??

doug

 

[hazardpro]

Can anyone please tell me if these will do the same job?

M6 M8 Spring Loaded Sliding T NUT 10mm Slot Aluminum Profile 40 45 50 60 Series | eBay

(M4, M5, M6 ), 30 series (M3. M4, M5, M6, M8 ) and 40 Series (M3. M4, M5, M6, M8 ) range of SLIDE IN and DROP IN T-NUTS. SPRING LOADED M6 M8 SOLID SLIDE IN T-NUTS. M6/ M8 SPRING LOADED SOLID FULL SLIDE IN TEE NUTS FOR ALUMINIUM PROFILE WITH 10MM SLOTSUCH AS 40, 45, 50, 60 SERIES ETC.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Snajrog]

Can anyone please tell me if these will do the same job?

M6 M8 Spring Loaded Sliding T NUT 10mm Slot Aluminum Profile 40 45 50 60 Series | eBay

(M4, M5, M6 ), 30 series (M3. M4, M5, M6, M8 ) and 40 Series (M3. M4, M5, M6, M8 ) range of SLIDE IN and DROP IN T-NUTS. SPRING LOADED M6 M8 SOLID SLIDE IN T-NUTS. M6/ M8 SPRING LOADED SOLID FULL SLIDE IN TEE NUTS FOR ALUMINIUM PROFILE WITH 10MM SLOTSUCH AS 40, 45, 50, 60 SERIES ETC.

www.ebay.co.uk

Yes, 45 or 50 for the 100mm x 100mm actuator extrusions

 

[hazardpro]

Yes, 45 or 50 for the 100mm x 100mm actuator extrusions

thanks! Hopefully they will arrive on sat

 

[anton_Chez]

how did you manage to use the m8 slide nuts from your P1??? I have loads too but they seem to be too small to fit in the alloy profile??

I had to use a bit of paper towel rolled / scrunched up to 'boost' the nut up into the channel high enough to allow the thread to catch. Once it does catch, you can pull the paper towel or your item of choice out and move onto the next one. You just need something to bridge the gap enough until the bolt thread is allowed to catch.

 

[stevo1983]

Hi All,

I'm having an issue where my "motor4" output from my shield is telling the motor to fully extend when i disconnect in simfeedback. I set it to it's short travel, click start, all 4 go to the mid point of the stroke, then when i clock STOP..... 3 of them return to the shortest travel (fully lowered) and the "motor4" goes in completely the opposite direction to fully extended until it trips the servo.

I have tried changing cables around and motors too and the problem always comes back to the motor 4 output on the shield.

I will say the shield is one i sourced all the parts for from the excel doc and put together myself. However i can't really see any issues with it.

Has anyone had any issues like this before?

Cheers

 

[BogdanB]

Thanks for the reply. Are there rack mounts available that would accommodate the form factor of these servo controllers without having to build a separate backing plate?

If you can find a "5U rack mount panel" with a width fitting your cabinet, then that has the perfect height to mount 4 servo controllers vertically side-by-side. I bought this plate:

https://amzn.to/386Xpfc

to go along with this "6U" cabinet (1U taller, allows for easy cable routing underneath the controllers), which is spacious enough for the servo controllers, Arduino, and has a bit of room in the back to tuck in extra cables:

https://amzn.to/36XNV5I

Here's how this is looking - one controller attached to the plate:

And everything inside the cabinet:

Also, seeing as this is my first post - hi everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster
I finished my actuators, thanks to help in 3D printing parts from diablo2112, but I'm still waiting for my rig to arrive, so didn't have a chance to try it out yet.

Still, what a cool project it has been! And this thread has helped a lot, it's awesome to see such active and helpful community. Can't wait to attach the actuators and fire it all up

 

[mancaveuk]

Hi all heard about the sfx100.
very interested in this for my p1 from simlab. I’ve tried scrolling through the posts but so many and overwhelming.
Now I live in the uk and I’m not that clued up on places like aliexpress and alike that are from China. Never used them so excuse my dumbness but does anyone know what the cost is tax and import duties for the actuators and control units. This is the only thing stopping me getting started not knowing what the cost is to get them here in uk.dont fancy a shock when receive the import duty invoice.
I take it the rest is much easier to to source within the EU.
I hope someone who has actually done this in uk could lend a hand getting me started and any links to sellers would be great.

 

[hazardpro]

Hi all heard about the sfx100.
very interested in this for my p1 from simlab. I’ve tried scrolling through the posts but so many and overwhelming.
Now I live in the uk and I’m not that clued up on places like aliexpress and alike that are from China. Never used them so excuse my dumbness but does anyone know what the cost is tax and import duties for the actuators and control units. This is the only thing stopping me getting started not knowing what the cost is to get them here in uk.dont fancy a shock when receive the import duty invoice.
I take it the rest is much easier to to source within the EU.
I hope someone who has actually done this in uk could lend a hand getting me started and any links to sellers would be great.
[/QU

Hi all heard about the sfx100.
very interested in this for my p1 from simlab. I’ve tried scrolling through the posts but so many and overwhelming.
Now I live in the uk and I’m not that clued up on places like aliexpress and alike that are from China. Never used them so excuse my dumbness but does anyone know what the cost is tax and import duties for the actuators and control units. This is the only thing stopping me getting started not knowing what the cost is to get them here in uk.dont fancy a shock when receive the import duty invoice.
I take it the rest is much easier to to source within the EU.
I hope someone who has actually done this in uk could lend a hand getting me started and any links to sellers would be great.

I’ve sent you a message

doug

 

[MrSnoebel]

I used this case, very nice fit : https://www.allekabels.nl/serverkast/7070/1673320/netwerk-mini-serverkast-9u.html# brand is Alfaco.

 

[_hagenaar]

Hello,
I really like the idea and the philosophy of this project, the whole DIY part and that you share it!

I also jumped on the SFX100 train. ordered a Ender 3 pro, the parts from china and 100x100 profile from Item24. Actually they have a office in the town i live in .
I have read the entire thread but still have some questions though. maybe @saxxon66 can answer them.
I compared the 90ST-M02430 and the 80ST-M02430, they have the same output specs but only the motor size is different. will this be a issue? As this will save 110 euro's on the 4 motors.
How is the control working and communication working? is it speed control or position control?

I also have some remarks on EMI as i am a drive specialist at Siemens. The high frequency signals that come from switching current cause the EMI are emitted from the motor and cables have to return to the source, in this case the motor controller. As the high frequency signals travel via the skin of a core/ conductor (skin effect), the best thing to do is to use shielded motor cables and attach the shield to the motor and the motor controller with the biggest possible surface area for example in this image. so connecting it to ground alone is not enough.

 

[C64]

Hmm... the physical differences would mean you need a re-designed motor mount and fixed bearing STL file ( not difficult ) to accomodate the 90mm pitch dia. for the mounting holes... and you would also need a different shaft coupling. The 80ST has a 19mm dia. shaft which should transmit the torque better than the 16mm dia shaft of the 90ST. Will be interesting to hear @saxxon66 opinion.

Great to hear a drive specialist is involved, your help with EMI reduction will be very welcome.

 

[MrSnoebel]

Would using a sleeve to wrap the existing power cables help to solve the EMI ?

I mean something like these :

The go for less then a euro/m on Ali. And this would be really easy to do.

 

[_hagenaar]

Hmm... the physical differences would mean you need a re-designed motor mount and fixed bearing STL file ( not difficult ) to accomodate the 90mm pitch dia. for the mounting holes... and you would also need a different shaft coupling.

that is what i thought as well. haven't looked at the stl files (new to 3d printing) maybe the torque on the mounting points is to high for the printed parts? as the arm decreases from 100 to 90 mm. ( i don't have a clue on the strength of these parts)

Would using a sleeve to wrap the existing power cables help to solve the EMI ?

Yes this will certainly improve the EMC of the complete system. only problem is the connection to the motor the drive. Normally we use EMC glands and a metal junction box. (this will create a Faraday cage) As i have not ordered the motors yet i can not tell you how to do that with these motors and drives. I thought about running my motor cables inside the Aluminium profiles. for example the if you have a 12040 base run the encoder cable in the upper tube and the motor cable in the lower tube.

I am currently working on a project in the UK. The purpose of the metal plates behind the motor cables is to make a big surface area to feed the high frequency signals back to the drive

 

[Tronicgr_6DOF]

Hello,
I really like the idea and the philosophy of this project, the whole DIY part and that you share it!

I also jumped on the SFX100 train. ordered a Ender 3 pro, the parts from china and 100x100 profile from Item24. Actually they have a office in the town i live in .
I have read the entire thread but still have some questions though. maybe @saxxon66 can answer them.
I compared the 90ST-M02430 and the 80ST-M02430, they have the same output specs but only the motor size is different. will this be a issue? As this will save 110 euro's on the 4 motors.
How is the control working and communication working? is it speed control or position control?

I also have some remarks on EMI as i am a drive specialist at Siemens. The high frequency signals that come from switching current cause the EMI are emitted from the motor and cables have to return to the source, in this case the motor controller. As the high frequency signals travel via the skin of a core/ conductor (skin effect), the best thing to do is to use shielded motor cables and attach the shield to the motor and the motor controller with the biggest possible surface area for example in this image. so connecting it to ground alone is not enough.

Or you can go all out and enclose everything in a good solid metal case:

 

[_hagenaar]

Or you can go all out and enclose everything in a good solid metal case

this a realy good start but i see unshielded cables and the most important thing is the shielding of the motor cables and the connections of the shield

 

[MrSnoebel]

that is what i thought as well. haven't looked at the stl files (new to 3d printing) maybe the torque on the mounting points is to high for the printed parts? as the arm decreases from 100 to 90 mm. ( i don't have a clue on the strength of these parts)


Yes this will certainly improve the EMC of the complete system. only problem is the connection to the motor the drive. Normally we use EMC glands and a metal junction box. (this will create a Faraday cage) As i have not ordered the motors yet i can not tell you how to do that with these motors and drives. I thought about running my motor cables inside the Aluminium profiles. for example the if you have a 12040 base run the encoder cable in the upper tube and the motor cable in the lower tube.

View attachment 344323

I am currently working on a project in the UK. The purpose of the metal plates behind the motor cables is to make a big surface area to feed the high frequency signals back to the drive
View attachment 344319
View attachment 344318

I do have 120x40 profiles in use, and yes, cables from the motors on the back could be routed through those, but that leaves the rest of the cable to the servodrivers open and the cables from the front motors completely open.

 

[_hagenaar]

I do have 120x40 profiles in use, and yes, cables from the motors on the back could be routed through those, but that leaves the rest of the cable to the servodrivers open and the cables from the front motors completely open.

First action should be shielded cables or shielding the cable with the sleeve you mentioned. this is the most important part.
Separation of power parts/conductors (this also includes normal power cables, eg powercords and so) and signal cables comes second.