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

 

[metalnwood]

T
@Mascot Did you read anything I posted.... I did all of the things you've done. I'd hoped that my stupidity could have at least saved others some frustration and a little embarrassment..... Oh well, welcome to the other side, thanks for joining us (me).

You must be feeling a bit more clever after the last 24 hours

 

[metalnwood]

I have seen D-box actuator/servos for sale.... could we use those?
Or a Kollmorgen AKM21C-BNM2C-00 PM Servo Motor 320VDC 8000RPM w/ Encoder, 24VDC Brake
Perhaps it is easier to get everything all together like the original "Shopping list"?
Just thinking...

Much easier to do the original shopping list, it's a matched servo and driver that just work. no guarantee that you could get any other servo drive working with the current implementation. (No doubt you could get it working but it would cost more and I doubt it would perform more for all the extra pain.)

 

[anton_Chez]

@metalnwood just noticed your Mini LFE placement on the chassis there in one of your pics showing the seat mount. I reckon we could get you better feeling just by moving that thing to the front cross member in front of the seat, rather than on the rear rail. I tried a few spots and that's where I've left mine. Even better to mount it directly to the seat but I won't be drilling into my new Sparco Rev, I gather you wouldn't want to either.

Which makes me curious how I am going to mount this active tensioner. Hopefully it doesn't require me to mount onto the seat. I can't find the thread for the life of me. It's like disappeared into the ether.

 

[sjb266]

I have seen D-box actuator/servos for sale.... could we use those?
Or a Kollmorgen AKM21C-BNM2C-00 PM Servo Motor 320VDC 8000RPM w/ Encoder, 24VDC Brake
Perhaps it is easier to get everything all together like the original "Shopping list"?
Just thinking...

 

[anton_Chez]

 

[metalnwood]

@metalnwood just noticed your Mini LFE placement on the chassis there in one of your pics showing the seat mount. I reckon we could get you better feeling just by moving that thing to the front cross member in front of the seat, rather than on the rear rail. I tried a few spots and that's where I've left mine. Even better to mount it directly to the seat but I won't be drilling into my new Sparco Rev, I gather you wouldn't want to either.

Which makes me curious how I am going to mount this active tensioner. Hopefully it doesn't require me to mount onto the seat. I can't find the thread for the life of me. It's like disappeared into the ether.

Actually, thats a good idea and I will give it a go. I didnt even think about it, I just went for the simvibe chassis mode configuration which is what I started with when I first got them some time back.. Of course I dont run simvibe or a chassis mode config anymore so can place them anywhere thx

 

[leeroy605]

The prices of the servos fluctuate quite a bit don't they. Been watching it over the past week (finger hovering over the buy button of course, spreading this project out across the year be damned). Was £152 each at the start of the week, then went down to £150, then up to £156 each, now sitting at £159 and change.

Will wait to see if they go down again. It's minor in the grand scheme of it all, but principle is kicking in now

 

[Mascot]

@Mascot Did you read anything I posted.... I did all of the things you've done. I'd hoped that my stupidity could have at least saved others some frustration and a little embarrassment..... Oh well, welcome to the other side, thanks for joining us (me).

The servo controls are indeed a little weird. It's strange though as once you work it out you sort of forget about how annoying it was trying to get it to respond.

The servo controls aren't weird mate, they're actually very straightforward. But if you're following a guide that leaves out a simple (yet absolutely critical) instruction then things will very quickly get confusing.

Regarding your build, the fact that you've already mentioned these things just adds to the frustration. You took your time to report potential pitfalls, have pointed out where instructions are vague, misleading or even incorrect, and have given everyone the valuable benefit of your build experience to hopefully make other people's builds go smoother, but it's all fragmented in a 150-page thread. The official guide is where the vast majority of new builders will be going for their instructions so it all needs to be in there. I very likely did read your posts several months ago but in the confusing fog of the build when the blinkers are on, the official guide should be the single point of reference.

Hey guys, thanks for the feedback.. will update the docs.

Please be aware it is a volunteer effort on the docs, so maybe go easy on the expectation levels By all means constructive feedback is welcomed and will be incorporated. However it won't be at ikea levels of hand-holding due to the nature of things like the high voltage wiring, and servo power.

Hi Rowan,
Your work is very much appreciated and it's known that the guide is a work in progress. The errors and omissions in the guide predate your time with it, but these really do need addressing to help new builders. There are people taking this project on who have never attempted anything even remotely similar in the past, so I think 'hand-holding' is absolutely needed for everything except the mains electricity wiring (which quite rightly is recommended to be handled by a qualified expert). The guide needs to enable somebody with zero mechanical or electronic experience to approach the project cold and assemble the tools, components and equipment and build the whole thing from scratch without having to make any subjective decisions. Nothing should be left open to interpretation, which is where the current guide falls short on a few occasions. Believe it or not I'm fairly mechanically minded and have practical experience with stuff like this. I've got two industrial design degrees, have rebuilt a barn-find MGB to concourse standard, have designed and made bespoke furniture, and have even made working clocks from cold-war Nixie tubes. I love that type of stuff. But several times during building the SFX100 I've been left scratching my head looking at the guide thinking 'what on earth do they mean here?' rather than just being able to follow step-by-step instructions. One example that springs to mind (I've mentioned it before) is in the actuator assembly where it says "turn the slider near the end of the ball screw (extended position) – yet not too far!". A rough measurement from the end of the ball screw would be more useful here, as 'not too far' could be interpreted any number of ways by different people, and there are reports from a few people who did move it too far and spilled the ball bearings from the nut. There's also an excellent tip mentioned several times in this thread about super-gluing the o-ring in place to keep it located during assembly. Without this tip there's a very real chance of the o-ring getting clamped out of position, which could create massive problems down the line. It's not in the guide though.
Writing instruction manuals isn't easy so I fully appreciate the difficulty of the task. I'm process mapping our corporate procedures at work at the moment and it's been anything but a pleasant experience. One part is producing a detailed staff guide for using a complex CRM system, and it has to be written in such a way that anyone wandering in off the street with no prior knowledge could pick up the guide and be able to operate the CRM with no prior experience. Everything has to be spelled out and nothing can be vague or left to interpretation. It's exhausting!
There's a wealth of knowledge and experience in this thread (and I'm guessing, even more so in the Discord?) but the official guide is what new builders will be referring to, so it needs to include everything.
Please add my rather embarrassing tip about making sure the e-stop is wired up and deactivated when you dry-run the electronics for the first time - it's obvious, but is one of those things that's very easy to miss when testing 'off the rig'. I'm still kicking myself over that one.

 

[C64]

Steve, we’re all waiting for you to put your keyboard down, nail the actuators to your rig and start bouncing around

 

[anton_Chez]

and there are reports from a few people who did move it too far and spilled the ball bearings from the nut

 

[MeNoMoney]

The servo controls aren't weird mate, they're actually very straightforward. But if you're following a guide that leaves out a simple (yet absolutely critical) instruction then things will very quickly get confusing.

Regarding your build, the fact that you've already mentioned these things just adds to the frustration. You took your time to report potential pitfalls, have pointed out where instructions are vague, misleading or even incorrect, and have given everyone the valuable benefit of your build experience to hopefully make other people's builds go smoother, but it's all fragmented in a 150-page thread. The official guide is where the vast majority of new builders will be going for their instructions so it all needs to be in there. I very likely did read your posts several months ago but in the confusing fog of the build when the blinkers are on, the official guide should be the single point of reference.



Hi Rowan,
Your work is very much appreciated and it's known that the guide is a work in progress. The errors and omissions in the guide predate your time with it, but these really do need addressing to help new builders. There are people taking this project on who have never attempted anything even remotely similar in the past, so I think 'hand-holding' is absolutely needed for everything except the mains electricity wiring (which quite rightly is recommended to be handled by a qualified expert). The guide needs to enable somebody with zero mechanical or electronic experience to approach the project cold and assemble the tools, components and equipment and build the whole thing from scratch without having to make any subjective decisions. Nothing should be left open to interpretation, which is where the current guide falls short on a few occasions. Believe it or not I'm fairly mechanically minded and have practical experience with stuff like this. I've got two industrial design degrees, have rebuilt a barn-find MGB to concourse standard, have designed and made bespoke furniture, and have even made working clocks from cold-war Nixie tubes. I love that type of stuff. But several times during building the SFX100 I've been left scratching my head looking at the guide thinking 'what on earth do they mean here?' rather than just being able to follow step-by-step instructions. One example that springs to mind (I've mentioned it before) is in the actuator assembly where it says "turn the slider near the end of the ball screw (extended position) – yet not too far!". A rough measurement from the end of the ball screw would be more useful here, as 'not too far' could be interpreted any number of ways by different people, and there are reports from a few people who did move it too far and spilled the ball bearings from the nut. There's also an excellent tip mentioned several times in this thread about super-gluing the o-ring in place to keep it located during assembly. Without this tip there's a very real chance of the o-ring getting clamped out of position, which could create massive problems down the line. It's not in the guide though.
Writing instruction manuals isn't easy so I fully appreciate the difficulty of the task. I'm process mapping our corporate procedures at work at the moment and it's been anything but a pleasant experience. One part is producing a detailed staff guide for using a complex CRM system, and it has to be written in such a way that anyone wandering in off the street with no prior knowledge could pick up the guide and be able to operate the CRM with no prior experience. Everything has to be spelled out and nothing can be vague or left to interpretation. It's exhausting!
There's a wealth of knowledge and experience in this thread (and I'm guessing, even more so in the Discord?) but the official guide is what new builders will be referring to, so it needs to include everything.
Please add my rather embarrassing tip about making sure the e-stop is wired up and deactivated when you dry-run the electronics for the first time - it's obvious, but is one of those things that's very easy to miss when testing 'off the rig'. I'm still kicking myself over that one.

For people like me with zero confidence in my abilities and self doubt it's really really hard to do what to most is very easy stuff.
I startout convinced I'm going to fail and it usually do screw up. I really want to have this setup and after weeks of Stressing out over just doing this build I finally ordering the parts, so I placed a few orders and have been stressed out about it since just incase I ordered the wrong parts even though I clicked on the parts list links which most but not all went to the part and not just the main start page of the website.
I am trying but the self-doubt is always there like a voice in the back of my mind telling me I'm going to screw it up. The 3d printer arrived yesterday yet I'm still looking at options of paying someone else to print the parts because I fear I will screw it up. The more I read and watch yt videos the more it stresses me out and ask myself why can't I do something that others do so easily. I am always greatful for everyone who tries there best to help me out and there patience with me. Thankyou to everyone on here and to the original designer and Rowan for the website and sorry for messing the thread up with my personal rubbish guys.

 

[anton_Chez]

We're all hear to help. Eventually everyone will have had every problem you could possibly have and all anyone else wanting to build will need to do is read the SFX encyclopedia here on RD...

I'm chapters 1 through 7, for anyone interested.

 

[Ringorian]

@Mascot its like always , you know this from your job... For some people a simple, you have to do it like that just don´t work, they just say , i thought i could do it the other way .. so no offense here from my side . . ~ 80 -90 people must have build it .. you are the first which is talking about the driver and that we don´t have detailed how you have to press em ..
First sentence is :
Get familiar with the control schema (Arrows, MOD, SET).
Nobody says how they work .. no big task to get the manual out and check . the thing is, this is DIY with lots of details .. but we do not provide everything up to details which are covered in manuals ..

just some examples of you cant get it right for everyone ..
Some take 13 for the pin, not 14.
Others turn things upside down Peace , anton
Other think they can do the motor positions as they like, not as it written in the manual .. (RF,RB,RL,RF)
Other triple checked the cables, nothing wrong .. GND cable no contact etc.

We all are here to help people with problems, and 80-90 working sims says for me, the wiki could not be as bad as sometimes mentioned. (~users in Discord, basic users not known)

Last Words
if you build it as described in the wiki, it will move ..
There is no if or maybe (ok, if you have defect drivers or motors, but i think we didnt have one )

Peace

 

[Mascot]

For people like me with zero confidence in my abilities and self doubt it's really really hard to do what to most is very easy stuff.
I startout convinced I'm going to fail and it usually do screw up. I really want to have this setup and after weeks of Stressing out over just doing this build I finally ordering the parts, so I placed a few orders and have been stressed out about it since just incase I ordered the wrong parts even though I clicked on the parts list links which most but not all went to the part and not just the main start page of the website.
I am trying but the self-doubt is always there like a voice in the back of my mind telling me I'm going to screw it up. The 3d printer arrived yesterday yet I'm still looking at options of paying someone else to print the parts because I fear I will screw it up. The more I read and watch yt videos the more it stresses me out and ask myself why can't I do something that others do so easily. I am always greatful for everyone who tries there best to help me out and there patience with me. Thankyou to everyone on here and to the original designer and Rowan for the website and sorry for messing the thread up with my personal rubbish guys.

Just take it slowly and if in ANY doubt about ANYTHING, just ask the question here before trying what you think is right. Assumption is the mother of all feck-ups. Get it confirmed first because some errors might bork your actuators or be a pain to strip down and fix later.
It is daunting but there's nothing that should be beyond a homebrew DIYer. The instructions are just a little confusing or a little light on detail at times.
Having the right tools is ESSENTIAL. Don't make do with pliers when you need spanners, make sure you've got exactly the right Allen keys, use recommended lubricants, degreasers etc.

 

[Mascot]

@Mascot its like always , you know this from your job... For some people a simple, you have to do it like that just don´t work, they just say , i thought i could do it the other way .. so no offense here from my side . . ~ 80 -90 people must have build it .. you are the first which is talking about the driver and that we don´t have detailed how you have to press em ..
First sentence is :
Get familiar with the control schema (Arrows, MOD, SET).
Nobody says how they work .. no big task to get the manual out and check . the thing is, this is DIY with lots of details .. but we do not provide everything up to details which are covered in manuals ..

just some examples of you cant get it right for everyone ..
Some take 13 for the pin, not 14.
Others turn things upside down Peace , anton
Other think they can do the motor positions as they like, not as it written in the manual .. (RF,RB,RL,RF)
Other triple checked the cables, nothing wrong .. GND cable no contact etc.

We all are here to help people with problems, and 80-90 working sims says for me, the wiki could not be as bad as sometimes mentioned. (~users in Discord, basic users not known)

Last Words
if you build it as described in the wiki, it will move ..
There is no if or maybe (ok, if you have defect drivers or motors, but i think we didnt have one )

Peace

I hear you, @Ringorian. We can all use our experiences to make the instruction manual better and more complete though, it's an evolving document. It would be a shame for any new builder to make an expensive or inconvenient error if one of us has already made the same one but not shared or documented it.
It's our responsibility to report them and to make suggestions, and Rowan is already on the case with updating the manual accordingly. It'll get better and better over time.

 

[saxxon66]

This is DIY!

We do not want to make the instructions a no brainer.
You are in charge, you are responsible for your work and you have to think about what you are going to do and do your homework first.
So read all manuals (arduino, servo driver, servo specs), search the forums and educate yourself or ask for help if you are not comfortable with something.

Can we do better, sure.
But everybody is different, on a different level.

We do have a layer of abstraction in the instruction and in the shopping list. We do not include anything somebody may need.
For example you need a M4 screw, m4 hex driver, 6.6 mm hex driver (or 1/2"), ...
Most things regarding the Servo driver are in the manual (its chinese english but understandable).

The docs enabled 100 people to build their own actuators, so we are listening for feedback and will update if more people struggle with certain instructions.

 

[MeNoMoney]

I'm out for today and maybe done for good guys, sorry guys, but stress got to me.
I tried fitting 3 more to 2nd 100mmx100mm and got 1 straight, 1 not straight and 3rd I just split open the insert that's half way into the 100x100mm part. So that's 2 x 100mmx100mm wasted parts. I told you I'm useless. Again really sorry guys.

 

[PandaNL]

So received my order from kinetiksystems, did not get a message that is was shipped and got it the next week so that was fast.

However I have the idea that not all helicoils I got are the same. Tried to do the allen key method, and some slide over the allen key and are a tight, but other spin around on the same allen key. Used a 6mm allen key. Did other people experience the same thing?

 

[jimbraj]

The prices of the servos fluctuate quite a bit don't they. Been watching it over the past week (finger hovering over the buy button of course, spreading this project out across the year be damned). Was £152 each at the start of the week, then went down to £150, then up to £156 each, now sitting at £159 and change.

Will wait to see if they go down again. It's minor in the grand scheme of it all, but principle is kicking in now

Message the store for the best price and combined shipping

 

[jimbraj]

So received my order from kinetiksystems, did not get a message that is was shipped and got it the next week so that was fast.

However I have the idea that not all helicoils I got are the same. Tried to do the allen key method, and some slide over the allen key and are a tight, but other spin around on the same allen key. Used a 6mm allen key. Did other people experience the same thing?

All of mine were fine. I just used a long bit in my drill. I did strip 2 out by rushing. Luckily i had ordered a few extra