DIY Steering Wheel Base

[dennisnojack]

First i saw the Fanatec Elite Wheel then i saw the price.

My DIY Force Feedback Steering Wheel is inspired by Fanatecs Elite Wheel.
Two RS-550 DC motors and of course beltdrive.

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Controllerhardware:
I use the BU0836-LC from Leo Bodnar Electronics as controller for this project because of the native Loadcell support.

This Controller is easy to configure.

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Most of the lowcost steeringwheels use a mechanical Potentiometer. Fanatec uses photoelectric fork sensors, but for this you need an encoderdisk and a HQ-Encoderdisk (Aluminium 1mm) costs up to 200 Euro depending on size and resolution.

I have some high performance analog ICs for automotive Industrial use.
AS5045 Absolute Rotary Position Sensor.



Here the datasheet of the AS5045 12-bit Rotary Position Sensor with Digital Angle(Interface) and PWM output.

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As motordriver for both Mabuchi RS550 i will use a BTS7960B DC Motor Driver Drive Module H-Bridge PWM Control with max. 43A.

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Microcontroller: Still an Arduino Mega.
When the Wheelbase is finished and all is tested, i replace the Arduino Mega by an Arduino Due because of the two 12 bit DACs.

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Features for the future.
- Quick-Release for RIM change
- Formula-RIM with hand-clutch-system
- Full configuration frontend with Touchscreen to control steering range, deadzones etc.

One of my simracing projects.

[dennisnojack]

I recieved the first parts for my DIY Wheelbase.



Front and backplate are HQ-Lasercut.

[dennisnojack]

Design of my Formula-RIM

[RacingMat]

Great! It looks very smart!
What is your estimated total cost?
Eager to see more

Mat

[dennisnojack]

At this moment (like on image) round about 140 Euro (incl. BU0836-LC and Arduino Mega).

I still wait for the toothed belt pulleys (2 x 15 tooth, 1x 42 tooth, 1x 20 tooth = 25 Euro) to calculate the costs for the 2 belts (between 10 - 30 Euro per belt).
Two RS550 cost 15 Euro.
BTS7960 cost 16 Euros.
Hub for wheelhub 15 Euro.
The wheelhub for standard Steeringwheels 10 Euro.

I think 250 to 300 Euro....

Hope that i can test it next month...

[sirnoname]

Search the internet.
If you find the source code for a worthfull Force Feedback driver we can increase this wheel project.
I know there are some projects which do bring FF via USB or parallel port to playstations stick with PC.
Perhaps one of this projects offers open source and we can start from there?
http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/psx ... tor_en.php
http://www.aldostools.org/dpad.html

Dead projects:
-PSXPad
-NTPad
-Direct Pad
-PPJoy
-VGSJoy

Perhaps you find something on github or sourceforge?
The standard FF Driver of microsofts Driver SDK is not firm enough and starts from zero.

[dennisnojack]

My online search today begots following Information.....

Atmel AT91SAM7S32 is the µPU which control the FFB of MSWRW for Xbox360.
Others use a PIC18F4550 to implement FFB.

All companies who provide FFB-Controller have to write own drivers.

Found a document "Initial Design and Implementation of a USB Force Feedback Steering Wheel"

[sirnoname]

The 18f Pic has a open source driver?

[dennisnojack]

No, i don't think so.

Found this:
http://www.microchip.com.edgekey.net/fo ... 20225.aspx

And a document for the "Device Class Definition for Physical Interface Devices (PID) Version 1.0"

I'm not a coder.

[vell001]

Great project, come on!!!