Wheel Error
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The "Green Error" indicates USB communication with the controller is OK but data from the motor to the controller is outside expected limits. This is usually indicative of a cabling issue.
Can you reseat the motor and encoder cables at the controller end and try again?
If possible can you also take a video of the desktop app while the system is starting up to help identify the stage of the initialisation process at which the error is detected. -
@wes1987 @Sim-plicity-Dev
It sounds like what Wes described was what happened to me.I tried disconnecting all the cables and took the controller box to the garage and took off the side with the fan to blow out all the dust. When I put everything back together it did not change behavior, so I let it sit off overnight and tried it again and there was no change after turning it on Monday evening.
I just saw both of your replies today and decided to start my computer again to see if letting it sit for a few days would help as Wes suggested. The initial wheel turn after turning the controller on was the same as before with a springy jolt which it never did before the failure. Then a few seconds later, it did the return to center movement, which it wasn't doing after it failed. The app is now showing it connected and "Online" but the wheel center was upside down, so I recentered it and it appears to be working. Im going to try to drive with it later to see if the FFB has been restored.
Thank you both for your replies and understanding the Green indicator in the app is very helpful, thank you for sharing.
If I have any further problems, I'll be sure to come back.
Thank you both for your time helping with this, I appreciate it!
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@sim-plicity-dev
So I tried it and I made it maybe 5 minutes in an iracing session before the FFB failed again. Although when it did, the app didn't show any error. It still showed green and online. It wasn't until I turned the controller off and back on, it is back to showing green with Error. I will take a video of the app while I power on the controller and post it shortly. -
@Sim-plicity-Dev
Here is the video link.
https://youtu.be/p-hoYose0bY -
Looking at the video, the error appears just after the "Initializing" stage & thus never transitions to the "Calibrating Inertia" stage. This suggests the measured results do not match the expected values for the motor.
To confirm this, can you upgrade the firmware to at least v21.02.07
Perform the upgrade with only the USB & AC power cable connected (as the motor cables are suspect at the moment)Once the upgrade completes, we want to run the desktop app in "Diagnostic Mode"
To do this, ensure the desktop app is closed then run"%ProgramFiles%\Sim-plicity\SW20 V3\SW20 V3.exe" /dOnce open, switch to the "Diagnostic" tab and power on the controller.
Once the error occurs, take a screenshot.
Then turn the steering wheel 90 degrees in either direction and take another screenshot.
Post both screenshots here for comparisonCan you also examine both motor power and encoder cables for kinks, cuts, signs of compression etc as well as the corresponding connectors at motor and controller ends
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@sim-plicity-dev
I updated the firmware to the v21.02.07 as recommended.I also inspected the cables and they dont appear to be damaged or anything.
The only concern I'd have (which is very minor) is maybe the way the shield is exposed on the motor power connector at the controller end. The heat shrink doesnt cover where the outer jacket of the power cable is cut. I dont believe this is causing any problems. It was like this when I got it new maybe 2 or 3 years ago. I cant remember exactly how long Ive had this thing.
Here are the screenshots of the desktop app
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This is the position of the wheel level with the floor before I turned it off to get the error reading.
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After powering the controller off, and waiting about 10 seconds, then turning it back on, this is what it went to after the initial kick the wheel does when it tries to calibrate or whatever it does when starting up.
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Here is the wheel turned to the left 90 degrees to the floor
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Here is the wheel turned to the right 90 degrees to the floor.
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Thanks for that. The screenshots show the "Motor Resistance" (14.81) is well outside the expected/allowed values for a SW20 V3 motor (1.35 - 3.3).
The encoder values are as expected with a circa 2 million step count per 90 degree rotation.Can you slide the heat shrink off the connector and check the wires are securely captured by the screw terminals. Reinsert and tighten if necessary.
The order from left to right is
Black 1
Black 2
Black 3
Yellow/Green -
@sim-plicity-dev
I couldn't slide the heat shrink back far enough to see anything so I just cut it off. I have some Raychem 3:1 heat shrink big enough to replace it so I'm not too worried about that.I checked the wiring order and it matches the left to right order you provided. I did find that the wire insulation on Black 2 and Black 3 wires was inside the termination block, which I suspect that this workmanship is the cause of my issues. I pulled the wires out and the insulation was indeed inside the screw terminal clamp.
I trimmed the insulation back about 0.25" as that is a pretty standard strip length for terminal blocks of this size.
I reinserted the wires into the connector and screwed the terminals tight. Then powered everything up and took this video showing everything working perfectly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLIMtuzvqZ0I then ran some laps in iRacing for about an hour with no issues.
I'm not sure if it is the re-termination of the wires or the newer firmware but the FFB feels a lot better than I remember!
Thank you for your time and assistance in helping me with this problem! I greatly appreciate the support!
I'll come back if I have any further issues!
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Glad to hear that's resolved and apologies for the sub-par termination that caused it.
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@sim-plicity-dev
Its all good, it was an easy fix. Thanks for pointing me to the terminations, I dont think I would have thought to check them. Im just surprised that I didnt have any issues for the few years Ive had it until recently.This thing is working better than ever now!