Uuuuaaaah..! I have started building now..!

Triggerhappy69 · August 29, 2009

Nice job Trigger, but at this time begin your day? :D

hehe.. No mate.. That was the end of my day :smilewink:.. Or it should have been..

BTW. I got a bunch of those pneumatic cylinders yesterday if anyone need one for the collective brake.. I'll post a picture in a minute..

Triggerhappy69 · August 30, 2009

Pitbuilding Update - 31 August 2009 - Building the FFB Amplifier

I finally got time to make a rough version of the FFB Amplifier PCB:

Started out by marking all the holes with Letraset Solderpads.

Then came time for marking the tracks.

... then the whole thing went to CR*P while etching it. Because I had only applied one layer with the pen marker. And evidently that was not enough..!?

So again I started with a blank PCB..

And this time it came out OK..

Soldering came to a stop when it was bedtime.. More tomorrow..!:thumbup:

Oakes · August 31, 2009

And work on the gauges for the right Front Panel has begun to..

Hi Trigger

Is that a servo I see in the back? I've been thinking about if the 1024 steps you get from the OC Servo cards will look ok on a 360 degree instrument (2,84 steps / degreee) => about 0.35 degree resolution. Maybe the motion will be quite jerky....but then again steppers require more hardware.

Any ideas on backlash elimination in the gearing system? (I'm assuming you use a standard 180 degree servo and hence the need for gears)

One little idea I've been thinking about is to replace the 180 degree servo feedback pot with a "normal" 280-300 degree pot to avoid having to use gears (this pot could be mounted externally on the axle somewhere).

Do you have a good source for gears btw? (other than Lego :))

/Oakes

ruprecht · August 31, 2009

Do you have a good source for gears btw? (other than Lego :))

http://www.servolink.com/

Triggerhappy69 · August 31, 2009

Do you have a good source for gears btw? (other than Lego :))

Chech out http://www.sdp-si.com/ .... They have EVERYTHING..!

Triggerhappy69 · August 31, 2009

I can get my hands o a bunch of these cylinders. Perfect for Collective sticks..!

I don't know what I have to pay for them yet, but no more than 20 Euro a piece..

Let me know if anyone is interested..?

Triggerhappy69 · September 3, 2009

Pitbuilding update - September 3rd 2009 - FFB Amplifier is finished

Guess what I'll be doing tonight..?:music_whistling:

Ps. AlexRC..? Wanna join..?

Alex_rcpilot · September 3, 2009

You need a hand? (grin)

Triggerhappy69 · September 3, 2009

You need a hand? (grin)

He He..! Do I EVER..! And you are after all the project leader for this FFB Amplifier project.. :helpsmilie:

I'll try to buzz you a little later when I get home..

Alex_rcpilot · September 3, 2009

He He..! Do I EVER..! And you are after all the project leader for this FFB Amplifier project.. :helpsmilie:

I'll try to buzz you a little later when I get home..

Almost midnight here dude. And you're still not showing up. I'll be on tomorrow. Good luck.:thumbup:

Triggerhappy69 · September 6, 2009

Pitbuilding Update - September 6th 2009 - Connetcting the FFB Amplifier

Well I googled "LM339" to find the other two outputs on this chip. And after confirming that legs 1 and 2 supplu PWM signals to one H-Bridge, and 13 and 14 to the other, I soldered the wires in place..

Probably the scariest soldering I have ever done..! Everything is SOOOO tiny!:cry:

The 5 Volt was drained from the MS SWFFB2 USB plug. More scarey soldering.

:huh::cry::huh::cry::huh:..? See what I mean?

Triggerhappy69 · September 7, 2009

Pitbuilding Update - September 7th 2009 - Why I have no real reason to exist!

Guess what..!?

.....NOTHING..!

I must have fryed the chip when connecting 24V+ to the ground by mistake..

Actually, to be honest, I blame AlexRC for this. Because he must have asked me something complicated while we did some prelimenary testing of the FFB Amp during an MSN Video conference.. :music_whistling:

.. yes I am fully aware of the fact that this is streching the consept of "truth" a bit far. But it sure as h*ll beats admitting to myself that it was my own fault that what I from now choose to call a "pre-prototype" got wasted.. :smilewink:

Definitions are fun..! They can re-arrange the past in a second.! I did'nt destroy the prototype.. THIS is the prototype..! The thing I destroyed was a PRE-Prototype ment to be tested to it's limits to see when it failed..!

(and as by magic my self image is restored again.. :P)

A digression... What's with that "to be honest" line anayway..! It's so insulting when people start theyr sentences with telling me that up till this moment they may have been lying straight to my face..!?

I started making TWO new FFB amplifiers last night.. One for the current joystick in my Ka-50 pit, and another for the "baby A-10 Pit" (currently still in Triggers Skunkworks).. I've tried to document the whole process of building it at home..

Also I am moving house to another town these days, so Pitbuilding will have to move down the priority list for a couple of weeks..:cry:

Ps. It really wasn't AlexRC's fault..! It was all me..! But don't tell anyone?

CAT_101st · September 7, 2009

lol ben there

hannibal · September 8, 2009

not there yet...

unless you want to count the time that i spent almost 75-100 dollars on puenmatic dampers on to realize that it made the setup feel like utter do-do...

(too hard on the wrist)...

londo-cat · September 8, 2009

Guess what..!?

.....NOTHING..!

I must have fryed the chip when connecting 24V+ to the ground by mistake..

Actually, to be honest, I blame AlexRC for this. Because he must have asked me something complicated while we did some prelimenary testing of the FFB Amp during an MSN Video conference.. :music_whistling:
.. yes I am fully aware of the fact that this is streching the consept of "truth" a bit far. But it sure as h*ll beats admitting to myself that it was my own fault that what I from now choose to call a "pre-prototype" got wasted.. :smilewink:

Definitions are fun..! They can re-arrange the past in a second.! I did'nt destroy the prototype.. THIS is the prototype..! The thing I destroyed was a PRE-Prototype ment to be tested to it's limits to see when it failed..!
(and as by magic my self image is restored again.. :P)

A digression... What's with that "to be honest" line anayway..! It's so insulting when people start theyr sentences with telling me that up till this moment they may have been lying straight to my face..!?

I started making TWO new FFB amplifiers last night.. One for the current joystick in my Ka-50 pit, and another for the "baby A-10 Pit" (currently still in Triggers Skunkworks).. I've tried to document the whole process of building it at home..

Also I am moving house to another town these days, so Pitbuilding will have to move down the priority list for a couple of weeks..:cry:

Ps. It really wasn't AlexRC's fault..! It was all me..! But don't tell anyone?

Ah yes... prototyping is SOOOO much fun. I can't tell you the hundreds of hours spent on building custom boards when I look at a green bin box in my garage litered with hundreds of failed experiements!

Count yourself lucky, it could have been worse!

Triggerhappy69 · September 8, 2009

I had no idea how much WORK goes into making something as simple as this friggin PCB for the FFB Amplifier..

After countless Hours of AlexRC and myself talking online (me talking jibberish, and AlexRC patiently ignoring me and returning to the subject at hand... MORE jibberish).. We (he) finally came up with the general layout for the FFBAmp.

And for the first time I actually wished I was living in China..!:huh:

.... thank god that went away pretty quick when I realized it was only because it seems a simple matter to get PCB prodused down there.. And maybe a little because of the food.?

So being a brute northerner I managed to make this...

It looks like its written in "Rune" writing if you ask me? Rune writing is the traditional written of the Vikings.. Mmmmm Vikings.. gotta love those guys..! Such an undeserved bad reputation for being brutal slaughterers.. And yet they managed to conquer both England ad France (hence the name Normandie)..

Rune Writing:

And as we all know, PCB's love to swim..! So in celebration of it's arrival into this world I made a swimmingpool just for it..!

... it was soooo happy it actually shed some copper for me in pure JOY..!:)

And wearing only a string bikini the new PCB imerged from the crystal blue waters of the pool.

He He.. looks a bit worn at places that bikini if you ask me? So I cleaned it up just to see what was underneath.. (what!? I'm a guy with needs..!)

And there it was... The Copper I thought was gone for good..! Filled with joy and celebration I turned it over to do the other side... and whattayaknow..!

(ed. It seems you forgot to take a picture of it.. Aaaargh..!)

HOOKING..! (it up)

Some minor re routing of the wires. Carefully making sure the soldering is ok and no shorts have been made.

I glued some holders to keep the thin wires in position in case I need to move the setup in the future.. It's come to far to be ruined by a short now.. (BTW, write that up under "famous last words"..)

starting to come together..

After all connections was double checked. And the external FFB motors were in place (temporary solution.. But I might use them in the A-10 Stick). I fired it up and IT WORKS..! I CAN NOT BELIVE IT..! IT ACTUALLY WORKS.!:megalol:

and then in the dim light of my hobby room (this was maybe 0200 last night) I could, from the corner of my eye, see a tiny spark.! So minute and insignifican that in normal light it would have been hard to even notice..!

And now nothing works......

And I'm back to making FFBAmp PCB number THREE..!

But fear not my friends..! I WILL overcome this..! I WILL succeed in buiding a working DIY FFB Amplifier if it kills me..! (or I get bored and just never talk about it ever again..! If so you can't ever mention it again either..! But i'll let you know if it comes to that..

..... or will I?)

Edited September 8, 2009 by Triggerhappy69

CyBerkut · September 8, 2009

After all connections was double checked. And the external FFB motors were in place (temporary solution.. But I might use them in the A-10 Stick). I fired it up and IT WORKS..! I CAN NOT BELIVE IT..! IT ACTUALLY WORKS.!:megalol:

and then in the dim light of my hobby room (this was maybe 0200 last night) I could, from the corner of my eye, see a tiny spark.! So munite and insignifican that in normal light it would have been hard to even notice..!

And now nothing works......

And I'm back to making FFBAmp PCB number THREE..!
But fear not my friend..! I WILL overcome this..! I WILL succeed in buiding a working DIY FFB Amplifier if it kills me..! (or I get bored and just never talk about it ever again..! If so you can't ever mention it again either..! But i'll let you know if it comes to that..
..... or will I?)

Trigger, we'll have to pester you over it, because the project is just too damn cool for us to allow you to give up! ;)

Despite the setbacks, it is impressive progress.

Are you able to see signs of where an arc / short occured? Any obviously fried components on the board? (Obviously, this is along the lines of 'fix a small problem with the board, and then replace the component(s) that got fried, and give it another go' approach.)

If you're looking to redo the board and all from scratch, the one thing I would suggest looking at is making the pads smaller (the 2 groups of 11 alternating ones that are about 1/3 of the way over from the left), to reduce the chance of an arc / short. If you can make them closer to the size of the pads that are about 1/2 of the way over from the left, it will be less likely to be a source of trouble.

I know, I know... easy for me to say.

Come to think of it, you might be able to trim the pads on your existing PCB with an exacto knife, a magnifying lens/light (if you have one) [ or a USB Cam and your computer display ;) ], and a steady hand. I don't know what the pad adherance is like on your PCB.

I'm rooting for you, Trigger! I'm sure others are as well. :thumbup:

Sokol1_br · September 8, 2009

CyBerkut are right, your pads are too close:

Use circular ones. And put tin over all trials, like in power source PCB's.

Sokol1_Br

Triggerhappy69 · September 8, 2009

CyBerkut are right, your pads are too close:

Use circular ones. And put tin over all trials, like in power source PCB's.

Sokol1_Br

D*MN..! You are quite right there..! I got so carried away with testing the board I didn't take time to examine it this close..!

The spark was between pad 10 (top left corner), and one of the capasitors that is next to it. And looking at the left picture this makes perfect sence.. I'll make another one tomorrow..!

Thanx guys..!:thumbup:

CAT_101st · September 9, 2009

My connection is too slow for your thread now. :doh: time to up grade

Triggerhappy69 · September 9, 2009

My connection is too slow for your thread now. :doh: time to up grade

It might be because I switched from ImageShack to Myspace for storing the images.. Apparently viewers in China can't see images stored in ImageShack, and I want AlexRC to be able to follow this to..

-Bazong- · September 9, 2009

"Friskt kopplat, hälften brunnet" :smilewink:

Never fried anything to do with pitbuilding, but I did fry a discrete SC25 opamp when cloning an API microphone preamp.

I tore my hair off because they are VERY expensive (Nowadays I have the same haircut as you trigger) :P

Alex_rcpilot · September 9, 2009

Hey trigger, glad to see your progress. And I LMAO when I found you skipped all the testing procedures and went straight to the point, not because I think that was wrong, just that I would have done the same if I were you. lol, this is just too interesting for a guy to take a break.

Anyway, how well did it "work"? Did X and Y motors both work as expected, and later both failed? And what do those two arcing wires do? I thought back eletromotive force was the cause, but after rechecking the L6203 datasheet, it's actually been taken good care of by the internal free wheeling diodes.

Sorry, I was out on a barbecue when you buzzed me online. But I will be home tomorrow, catcha later.

Swetrekki · September 9, 2009

Trigger, just use a small hand router (dremel to most ppl) to "clean up" the PCB its easy and fast (as long as you don't slip with the tip and run it all over the PCB that is :) )

You will crack this one for sure. we have faith in you and Alex