Hi Wickie,
I’m new to the ODrive site and am loving your project.
Can’t wait to see it fully operational.
Well done for all the hard work.
Regards,
Neil.
Hi guys
some little update on my project. Yesterday I finished the last parts of all my 6 actuators - really all! - I can tell you guys - it was a lot, lot of work! - I think it have been alone more than 200 threads to cut!
Today I gave the Zylinders some paint (same color than the later rubber-cover - RAL 7039).
Wickie
4 Likes
Really awesome work you have.
Since you’re having issues with usb, have you tried using ethernet-serial bridges? They use erhernet-serial bridges and virtual Com ports on your pc.?
They’re really handy when you need to use multiple serial devices. Or use serial over long distance.
Hello Roiki1,
nice that you like my work!
Regarding the ethernet-serial bridges I have to admit, that I am a total rookie in software and electronic things. My focus was allways on the mechanical side.
But nevertheless thank you very much for the hint! I have looked a Youtube video about the ethernet and tried to understand. Maybe it will work.
When my motion-platform is running I will go back to the software topics and I would highly appreciate it when you could help me in case I will have problems wit the usb communication!
warm regards
Wickie
Hi all,
some update to my project:
This week, my son an me started the final assembly of the actuators. And I can tell you its such a good feeling to see the work growing and to see an end of the long tunnel 
Today we also built a simple wooden upper frame, just to be able to fix the 6 actuators provisional on the base and see the first time the overall dimensons- I can tell you guys, the simulator is really really huge and looks somehow dominant in my living-room - (luckily I am already divorced - otherwise I would probably still have that in front of me now 
).
Wickie
3 Likes
Hi
I’m lucky that my parents are divorced, now line is standing in my dad’s living room 
. Yours is coming along nice too. Good luck
Cheers
Carelsbergh Stijn
Hi there Wickie, you have produced something fantastic, to make this a reality; keep up the good work so we can all enjoy your build.
Regards Jerry 
PS: how are the ball screws ?
Hi Jerry!
Regarding the ball screws: When looking to the surface of the screw rod with help of a magnifier I can see it has a very smooth surface compared to the chinese -ball screws I had. Also they run smother when turning by hand.
But to rate the noise under real racing/ sim conditions I still have to finish the electronic-box and install the hall-sensors (edit: sorry - meant Reed endstops)
I will report the results
warm regards Wickie
Out of interest, why do you need Hall sensors when you have encoders fitted?
Nice project, btw 
1 Like
Hi Towen, I may be wrong, “as I often am” but I think Wickie may mean “position” sensors for safety as the encoder is not absolute.
Jerry 
1 Like
Hi towen,
Jerry is right - I meant the magnetic Reed-Switches I use for the endstop detection
2 Likes
I’m seriously considering going down this rabbit hole.
The only motor-control project I’ve ever done was using a floppy-drive stepper to dip/etch electrodes in a physiology lab. This is a totally different level of complexity, but it seems like there’s a ton of support in the community and by the time I get to that stage you’ll have one more working example I hope!
My metalworking/machining abilities are probably my weak point. Were any parts of the physical build especially difficult? How hard is it to cut threads, make the custom pieces for your U joints etc? I don’t even own a lathe yet so I’m basically starting from scratch. I’m not in a rush to complete and the journey is kind of the point but I wonder if I’m biting off more than I can chew.
Hi
I finished my 6 dof racesimulator using a manual lathe and milling machine, most of the parts I bought came from AliExpress. If you need links to any of the parts let me know.
Cheers
Carelsbergh
Hi Gambledog!
Welcome to my thread!!
Building a motion simulator is a great experience but also a mega challenge with (sometimes) an unsure result. If you love tinkering, solving one problem after another and pushing your possibilities to the limit you should build a simulator.
But if you are not skilled or have good mechanical support around where you are living it would be better to reduce the amount of DIY parts and maybe buy a ready actuator. You can find a lot of successful simulator builds on the www.xsimulator.net forum. Let you being inspired and rate your possibilities realistically.
My motion platform in the current design is difficult to build without a lathe, but when I am finished and everything is running perfect I maybe will make a design that is doable with 3D-printed-parts and some parts made by a workshop.
I think my universal joints are easy to make with help of a 3D-printer for the black center parts. The metal work can be done relative cheap by an web online workshop - I think I wrote something about this in my thread.
For me, the most difficult part was to make all the threads on the cylindric parts as precise as necessary. Also all cylinder-pipes have to be absolutely flat - difficult to make this without a lathe.
There are some DIY-sims on the web that are easier to make- maybe that one from Zennix - have you seen his thread?
I hope I could help you and didnt destroy your dreams too much.
warm regards
Wickie
Hi Wicke,
Thanks for getting back to me! I just found out we have a local makerspace with access to a lathe, a manual mill, PLA 3d printing and some CNC gear, plus a few people doing similar projects so there’s a lot of support. I’m also near an auto wrecker and a decent source for scrap profile/angle. I think the 2DOF on a U joint setup will be my starting point. Cheap wipers first but then progressing to something Odrive compatible to learn the system since I want to possibly use it for wheels/yokes/rudders/bigger actuators later on.
You definitely haven’t killed my dreams. It’s the learning/building process I’m excited about.
Hi all!
I have a new problem with my Reed-type endstop switches. See link:
Maybe one of the professionals has a tip?
Thank you very much!
Wickie
Edit: Wetmelon will try to fix the problem and include the endstop branch to the main branch. See: Please Help! - Problem with Reed endswitches
Hi Wickie,
Looks like you have been on a year-long adventure with this project 
Wonderful and ambitious project indeed.
I am working on a project to motorize a wheelchair - aiming to provide a low cost solution. Can you please provide a link to your magnetic reed switches? I am thinking of using traditional limit switches but dont think they will be easy to configure within the space.
Thanks,
Anil
Hi Anil,
I am using this Reed-switches: https://www.conrad.de/de/p/hamlin-mdrr-dt-reed-kontakt-1-wechsler-175-v-dc-0-25-a-5-w-glaskolbenlaenge-14-73-mm-503642.html.
And this magnets: https://www.maqna.de/?ActionCall=WebActionArticleSearch&BranchId=0&Params%5BSearchParam%5D=4x7-N45-N&Params%5BSearchInDescription%5D=1
The distance from the magnet to the Reed switch is aprox. 8 to 10mm in my application.
The orientation of the magnet (cylinder) must be parallel to the cylinder of the reed switch - otherwise the reed switches will not switch as planned.
The reed switches are mechanically extremely sensitive, so it is always better to solder them into a small circuit board.
Wickie
Thanks, Wickie.
I think this may be a really good solution for my project.
Anil
Hi all!
after a while of silence regarding the progress of my project, here are some news…
Good news - and bad news !
First the good news:
after some really bad evenings/ nights of endless searching for bugs I finally managed to make my 6 actuators running and connecting them with the interface software “mover interface”.
So this big milestone is reached!!!
My son immediately wanted to try riding my motion platform. The speed and the strokes are set extremely slow/short at this test…so dont wonder.
Now the bad news:
I wasnt able to solve some problems that I had with the endstop/RazorsEdge firmware. So I had to switch to the main branch firmware. But this doesnt have the endstops and homing funktion, that I mandatory need for the interface software and a safe use.
The next weeks I will build the upper platform…
and…
wait for Wetmelon having included the endstops and homing funktion in the main branch firmware…
Wickie
2 Likes