DC Motors for pitch and roll

[TRenner]

Has anyone seen any Arduino sketches, where the data for pitch and roll is taken from FSX with Jim's Link2fs_multi_inout_5h, and Arduino controls two Megamoto plus driven high am DC motors? I have been struggling with this for many months, and I'm getting very discouraged. The motors run fine with Megamoto plus test sketch, and I can control the motors with pots, but even after pouring over dozens of sketches I've downloaded, I am totally lost.

[Ajpetty]

Let me know when you figure it out. I am still working on getting the motors for mine. Then I guess I will need help on what else to get to work them.

[TRenner]

I found this,which compiles all right, and I changed to pins 8 and 12 for theMegamoto shields. It will be interesting to see if soft start/stopcan be applied. And has adjustable dead zone. It also uses PID, whichmakes me nervous.
The next step will be marrying it to Jim'slink2fs_multi_fsx_v5h.
The Megamoto program is written for justone motor, but I don't expect it will be any problem adding moremotors. The Megamoto Shields can be stacked for up for 3 motors,bidirectional.

https://code.google.com/hosting/search?q=arduino+megamoto&btn=Search+projects (https://code.google.com/hosting/search?q=arduino+megamoto&btn=Search+projects)

[TRenner]

I just noticed that it's also set up for wireless communication. Maybe we can build a replacement for the space shuttles....

[TRenner]

I forgot to mention. Megamoto test runs very smoothly

/*
MegaMoto Test Sketch
Simply runs a motor back and forth
ramping the speed from 0 to full (255)

This example code is in the public domain.
*/
int EnablePin = 8;
int duty;
int PWMPin = 11; // Timer2
int PWMPin2 = 3;
const byte CPin = 0; // analog input channel
int CRaw; // raw A/D value
float CVal; // adjusted Amps value
void setup() {
// initialize the digital pin as an output.
// Pin 13 has an LED connected on most Arduino boards:
pinMode(EnablePin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(PWMPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(PWMPin2, OUTPUT);
setPwmFrequency(PWMPin, 8); // change Timer2 divisor to 8 gives 3.9kHz PWM freq
}
void loop() {
// To drive the motor in H-bridge mode
// the power chip inputs must be opposite polarity
// and the Enable input must be HIGH
digitalWrite(EnablePin, HIGH);
analogWrite(PWMPin2, 0);
for(duty = 0; duty <= 255; duty += 5){
analogWrite(PWMPin, duty);
delay(20);
}
analogWrite(PWMPin, 255);
CRaw = analogRead(CPin);
delay(2000);
for(duty = 255; duty>=0; duty -= 5){
analogWrite(PWMPin, duty);
delay(20);
}
analogWrite(PWMPin, 0);
delay(500);
// Toggle enable to reset the power chips if we have had
// an overcurrent or overtemp fault
digitalWrite(EnablePin, LOW);
delay(500);

// Swap pins to make the motor reverse
if(PWMPin == 11) {
PWMPin = 3;
PWMPin2 = 11;
} else {
PWMPin = 11;
PWMPin2 = 3;
}
}
/*
* Divides a given PWM pin frequency by a divisor.
*
* The resulting frequency is equal to the base frequency divided by
* the given divisor:
* - Base frequencies:
* o The base frequency for pins 3, 9, 10, and 11 is 31250 Hz.
* o The base frequency for pins 5 and 6 is 62500 Hz.
* - Divisors:
* o The divisors available on pins 5, 6, 9 and 10 are: 1, 8, 64,
* 256, and 1024.
* o The divisors available on pins 3 and 11 are: 1, 8, 32, 64,
* 128, 256, and 1024.
*
* PWM frequencies are tied together in pairs of pins. If one in a
* pair is changed, the other is also changed to match:
* - Pins 5 and 6 are paired (Timer0)
* - Pins 9 and 10 are paired (Timer1)
* - Pins 3 and 11 are paired (Timer2)
*
* Note that this function will have side effects on anything else
* that uses timers:
* - Changes on pins 5, 6 may cause the delay() and
* millis() functions to stop working. Other timing-related
* functions may also be affected.
* - Changes on pins 9 or 10 will cause the Servo library to function
* incorrectly.
*
* Thanks to macegr of the Arduino forums for his documentation of the
* PWM frequency divisors. His post can be viewed at:
* http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1235060559/0#4
*/

void setPwmFrequency(int pin, int divisor) {
byte mode;
if(pin == 5 || pin == 6 || pin == 9 || pin == 10) { // Timer0 or Timer1
switch(divisor) {
case 1: mode = 0x01; break;
case 8: mode = 0x02; break;
case 64: mode = 0x03; break;
case 256: mode = 0x04; break;
case 1024: mode = 0x05; break;
default: return;
}
if(pin == 5 || pin == 6) {
TCCR0B = TCCR0B & 0b11111000 | mode; // Timer0
} else {
TCCR1B = TCCR1B & 0b11111000 | mode; // Timer1
}
} else if(pin == 3 || pin == 11) {
switch(divisor) {
case 1: mode = 0x01; break;
case 8: mode = 0x02; break;
case 32: mode = 0x03; break;
case 64: mode = 0x04; break;
case 128: mode = 0x05; break;
case 256: mode = 0x06; break;
case 1024: mode = 0x7; break;
default: return;
}
TCCR2B = TCCR2B & 0b11111000 | mode; // Timer2
}
}

[TRenner]

This I changed this to pins 8 and 12, and it ran! Unfortunately, very briefly. Now it just sits there

Control_2_motors_b

int joy1 = 0;
int motor = 8;
int joy2 = 1;
int motor2 = 12; // pin 4 isn't pwm so use 5

void setup(){

pinMode(motor,OUTPUT);
pinMode(joy1,INPUT);

pinMode(motor2,OUTPUT);
pinMode(joy2,INPUT);
}

void loop(){
int ppp;
int ppp2;
ppp = analogRead(joy1);
ppp = map(ppp, 0, 1023, -255, 255);
analogWrite(motor,ppp);

ppp2 = analogRead(joy2);
ppp2 = map(ppp2, 0, 1023, -255, 255);
analogWrite(motor,ppp2);
}

[TRenner]

Can someone recommend an appropriate tutorial, so that I can upload stuff for this. I've googled myself to oblivion. And how do I disable this damn auto spellcheck?

[TRenner]

OK. Using https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGSim_eTokU I set one shield for int EnablePin = 8: and the other shield
for int EnablePin = 12

I ignored the pot on the motor shaft, and I replaced the wireless receiver with a 10k pot. I connected the pot signal wire to A4 on the UNO.
Each motor runs on individual code, one at a time. I haven't figured out yet how to marry 12 and 8 into one code. Both motors are bidirectional. There is no dead space. There is no soft start/stop. And I don't know if this can be written into Jim's link2fs_multi_fsx_v5h.

Read the Megamoto manual very closely!

Thank you greatly, bzeog. Your You-Tube contributions are outstanding!

[Dovale]

Hi,

I suffer and struggle with this issue as well. Unfortunately my posts to Jim and the forum have not yet been replied for more than a month :(.....
I also contacted a forum of Simtools builders whose motion seat I copied, answered and supported me immediately.
However- the Simtools sketch and set up do not fit the Link2FS. I am very enthusiastic by Link2_FS which is very frienly, but all of Jim's work is sending data from Arduino to FSX and I need the opposite...
I buikt a 2 DOF motion seat with wiper motors 2 pots. and MonsterMoto driver. All testings of other sketches OK including the pots' control.
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

Dovale

[TRenner]

Hello Dovale. At least we can’t complain of boredom! And I have to admit, once a hurdle is crossed, it feels pretty good.

There is one more piece of software that I'm going to try, to fiddle with and see what happens. It uses a L298N motor driver board, which I hope can be somehow replaced with the Megamoto board. This is http://ufonv.com/viewtopic.php?f=32ahh&t=3180
It's a bit of an unusual Web site.
Could you tell me which pins you connected to the Megamoto with the pot?
On another path, I'm experimenting with a mechanical linkage between the Logitech FF stick and a KTA198 via a pot. It's a lot of trial and error, and throwing a lot of money away, and maybe giving up on the Arduino. I never was any good at programing anyways. As for buttons and switches, the keyboard can be mapped out for that.
I recently joined an organization here called Makerspace. There's some promise there
I've noticed that, other than the Stewart Platform, everyone is going away from dc motors, and using a static platform.
We've gotten so close with the Link2_FS. Maybe another day