Screw actuators can be pretty loud too. Over on XSimulator a number have posted videos of their tests and lots of noise for some reason.
I run a lowly 2 DOF but it adds a lot to flight simulation. Itās really cool to pull back the throttle and have it tip you forward in deceleration. Itās a bit on the freaky side.
On a 6 DOF the motors have to dead lift the passenger. Those gas struts certainly help but currents can still be significant especially when movements are fast. When you add a powerful flight sim computer itās probably easy to trip a breaker.
Iām stuck in the house where I am. It would be extremely expensive to run another power drop to my sim room. Iāve been wanting to upgrade to 6 DOF but power has me stopped for now. There is a way to do it but itās also expensive - 120/240V battery systems that can charge when not flying and run the motion rig when flying keeping the power draw to just the computer. I run one unit right now which powers the 2 DOF. Iād need to add another one to power a 6.
Anyway, just wanted to mention power considerations. Some of the guys with big 6 DOF rigs have them just feet from their breaker panels and have added disconnects and such to properly support power needs when power demands get fairly high. I donāt recall seeing power requirements for this one but it is something to keep in mind. The ratings were given though and the motor power supplies are rated at 1500W total which is 12.5 Amps. The gas strut will help but the motors will be essentially stalled and currents are still probably significant which is why the motors get warm. Even if the actual power is less than half the ratings, thatās still a chunk out of the typical breaker capacity in a room. Just something for people to be aware of.
Thanks for supporting my hobby! Please post your build when itās working. All control panels and yoke are optional of course.
My PSUs are rated at 1500W of power max, which is 12.5A as you noted. Most North-Americal houses have multiple 15A cuircuits for most rooms (more for stoves etc.). So it looks like 15A is enough, but it helps of the PC is on a different circuit - My PC has 4090 GPU and a 1450W-rated PSU. Iām not sure itās on the same circuit as the sim but so far it seems fine, I didnāt have it trip once.
I considered this when picking my struts.
Iām 90kg so with 2 600N gas struts, It allows me 30kg of weight to go on top before the motors are not deadlifting most of the weight. If the top platform is under that weight, then some disc weights can be used to add some ballast.
Iām going to think about how the struts are laid out to ideally allow one to be easily disconnected so that when my son uses it, the motors still dont need to work as hard by pulling him down, rather than pushing up.
We put the lowest load on the motors at idle if the struts can cancel out the downward force of everything on the top plate, therefor reducing the constant current draw and heat that comes with it.
Iām going to run 3x 600W power supplies as theyāre more cost effective for me to get a hold of in the UK.
On the topic of power, in the UK which is 240v, my 3 x 600w, 24v power supplies will be capable of delivering 1800w. Assuming 85% efficiency on them (no concrete basis for saying 85, just an example), means that combined they could draw around 2200w, or 9A at FULL load.
In my house, Iāve got 32A ring mains, and each extension cord we buy are normally fitted with 13A fuses. Iām well within the power specs. Some newer radial circuits may only be fitted with 20A breakers but even that can tolerate the 9A under full load. As long as the PC (fitted with a 5A fuse) is not plugged into the same extension cord as the rig, nothing will trip, even if I donāt use gas struts.
Iāve completed my part sourcing - excluding the power supplies which I have not ordered yet, I spent Ā£516 on all the components required to build the rig to a state where it can move without a chair on top. Most from Aliexpress including the motors. It was weirdly cheap to get the threaded rods from a UK company (Ā£15 for all 6!). Motor drivers from ThePiHut.
All thats left for me to get a hold of is some steel for the motor arms and brackets. Iāve got quite a large toolset so Iāll build these myself from a length of steel 90.
All parts should be here in the next 2 weeks.
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Itās hard to know what kind of power draw youāre seeing from the seat without measuring it. Too many variables. And similar for the computer. To really know will take metering it as well with something like a kill-a-watt or a clamp-on meter.
At least what Iāve seen is most rooms in the US have a single circuit for outlets but multiple rooms tend to share a lighting breaker since those loads tend to be lower. At any rate itās a possibility to be working close to where breakers trip. Bedrooms usually have just one circuit for outlets but they may also be arc fault breakers in bedrooms. Kitchens generally have multiple - lights, outlets, microwave outlet, and certainly electric ranges get their own breaker.
In my own setup (2 worm gear motors for 2 DOF) between the rig and computer, Iāve had to replace the breaker once for running close to my 15A limit where it starts tripping too easy. Thatās why I started using a battery backup power system to run the motion rig so the breaker doesnāt see both of them at the same time.
My system is probably similar - i9 13900 and a 4090 for the big draws. And again, my breaker took it like a champ until it didnāt but replacing the breaker was easy.
And for others, you arenāt supposed to swap breakers out for higher ratings. Violates code and creates a fire hazard issue especially if running with high power draws.
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Hi @martwana, I started my build in May and Iām pretty much done with the mechanics. Iām in the range of 105 kg, thus I took the 200 N (505 mm) gas struts. (Link) Itās hard to set them up un a way, that the system doesnāt āwalk awayā once itās not powered. Romans 3D printed limit stops were not strong enough to tame the gas struts, so I had to build a metal one. Feel free to ask any question, if youāre facing some problems, I can help with.
@RomanDesign: Do you want to have the discussion here or at xsimulator.net? I think there might be some exchange helpful. A discord could be a good idea as well.
Just a quick remark, as I had a building break of about 4 weeks. I accomplished to set up your āRoman 6DOF Hexapod Manual Testing.Moverā. I had to limit the axis to not get into red values, but it worked out well. Even with me sitting on the chair. For the next step, I set up the āRoman 6DOF MSFS.Moverā and tested without motors connected. There are so many poses, that are crossing the physical limits of the rig. @RomanDesign, did you limit the motors in the SMC3 and ignored the boundaries in FlyPT or do you have another trick? Iām right now pretty worried, that Iād break my system, if Iād try it with motors now - even if Iād limit the axis drestically.
You new videos show nicely, that your motor arms stay within the limits, even in āspecialā situation. This is not the case with my rig. So thatās a challenge.
I think technical discussion would be best on Xsimulator forum. Feel free to contact me there. I used a single strut, as mentioned, and the rig does āwalk awayā to the side when empty and depowered. The 3D-printed stops are strong enough to handle it with my setup, but they are disposable - I broke a couple during some violent testing, but they are easy to print and replace. 3 smaller struts in the corners may help with the rig not āwalking awayā. Metal supports are also a good idea. I just went the easiest and cheapest way with what I had available.
SMC3 applies ābreaksā (i.e. revers current) according to the settings, to stop the arm fast when needed. If the configuration is correct, they should stay within designated limits.
All right, then weāll switch for the technical discusstion to this thread: Roman 6DOF @ xSimulator
I now have several confirmed builds of this rig from other people, that are working. Nice!
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ā¦from which countries are your āseveral confirmed buildsā?
Is there a simple version to just use a joystick instead of yoke and all the buttons? I just want the seat and motion with a joystick so I can use it on flight sim and racing games.
I didnāt keep trackbut I recall US, UK and Germany.
All the button boxes etc. are a separate optional build. You can put any Joystick / Pedals / HOTAS combo on the rig. They are connected to Windows in a normal manner, and it doesnāt matter to the Motion Simulator what you are using for controls. Iām using a yoke/pedals combo, or Joystick/HOTAS, or Steering Wheel / Racing pedals combos (WIP).