Difference between revisions of "SimuCUBE Firmware User Guide"

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The firmware and this guide are works in progress, please make sure that you are using the '''latest version''' of the guide, which is posted on our Community Forum as a companion to each firmware release. Bookmarks pointing directly to this guide shouldn’t be regarded as reliable links, as we could change the link from version to version.
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The firmware and this guide are works in progress, please make sure that you are using the '''latest version''' of the guide, which is posted on our wiki site.  
  
 
== Notes and warnings ==
 
== Notes and warnings ==
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The indexing mode is determined at the time of Configuring the motor, encoder, and index.
 
The indexing mode is determined at the time of Configuring the motor, encoder, and index.
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<div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Index in reference to the phasing:'' This mode sets the index point to where the wheel is positioned '''after '''phasing and requires no user action for the wheel to be used in game after turning on the SimuCUBE. An offset to this index point is set during the motor configuration wizard setup. Using this mode will cause the wheel to index off center if not positioned approximately straight before phasing. This form of Indexing will work with all servo types, please see technical notes below for issues and how to fix them.
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''Index in reference to the phasing:'' This mode sets the index point to where the wheel is positioned '''after '''phasing and requires no user action for the wheel to be used in game after turning on the SimuCUBE. An offset to this index point is set during the motor configuration wizard setup. Using this mode will cause the wheel to index off center if not positioned approximately straight before phasing. This form of Indexing will work with all servo types, please see technical notes below for issues and how to fix them.
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<div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">
 
''Technical Notes'' - This form of indexing is accomplished due to phasing of the servo/stepper motor always beginning and ending in the same location within magnetic pole quadrant.
 
''Technical Notes'' - This form of indexing is accomplished due to phasing of the servo/stepper motor always beginning and ending in the same location within magnetic pole quadrant.
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</div><div style="margin-left:1.27cm;margin-right:0cm;">If you find that the servo is not correctly centering consistently via this method your wheel is attached where the center position falls on or near a boundary between pole quadrants causing phasing to start in either quadrant. When this happens the phasing may finish in the wrong quadrant based on the position of the wheel before phasing which will cause the index to be offset from center. To correct for this and make sure your wheel phases in the correct manner the wheel must be slightly nudged off center before phasing into the quadrant that correctly phases center. To determine this you will need to determine where your wheel is positioned before phasing and then nudge the wheel to one side of center or the other depending on which side pole quadrant phases as center.
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If you find that the servo is not correctly centering consistently via this method your wheel is attached where the center position falls on or near a boundary between pole quadrants causing phasing to start in either quadrant. When this happens the phasing may finish in the wrong quadrant based on the position of the wheel before phasing which will cause the index to be offset from center. To correct for this and make sure your wheel phases in the correct manner the wheel must be slightly nudged off center before phasing into the quadrant that correctly phases center. To determine this you will need to determine where your wheel is positioned before phasing and then nudge the wheel to one side of center or the other depending on which side pole quadrant phases as center.
 +
 
 
Higher pole count servos/steppers are more likely to experience this boundary position issue. This form of indexing works regardless of the position of the physical index point of your encoder so it will work with encoders that do not have indexing capability.
 
Higher pole count servos/steppers are more likely to experience this boundary position issue. This form of indexing works regardless of the position of the physical index point of your encoder so it will work with encoders that do not have indexing capability.
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
 +
''Index in reference to encoder:'' This mode indexes to the encoder index location when the wheel is centered. When using this style of indexing the wheel must be rotated past the encoder index point after phasing for the centerpoint to be recognized. Generally turning the wheel left and right 180 degrees will cross the index point. Using this index method will always result in the wheel being indexed straight. Turning the wheel past the index point is absolutely required with SimuCUBE open source firmware, as the IONI drive does not detect the index point while phasing. If audible notification beeps is are enabled, you will hear a beep when the wheel crosses index point. A visual indicator (LED) on the SimuCUBE board lights up after phasing and goes out when index point has been found only when this centering mode is set up via the motor configuration wizard.
  
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<div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Index in reference to encoder:'' This mode indexes to the encoder index location when the wheel is centered. When using this style of indexing the wheel must be rotated past the encoder index point after phasing for the centerpoint to be recognized. Generally turning the wheel left and right 180 degrees will cross the index point. Using this index method will always result in the wheel being indexed straight. Turning the wheel past the index point is absolutely required with SimuCUBE open source firmware, as the IONI drive does not detect the index point while phasing. If audible notification beeps is are enabled, you will hear a beep when the wheel crosses index point. A visual indicator (LED) on the SimuCUBE board lights up after phasing and goes out when index point has been found only when this centering mode is set up via the motor configuration wizard.</div>
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'''Desktop Center Spring:<span style="color:#ff0000;">(may not be implemented)</span>'''The settings regarding the Desktop centering determine whether or not the wheel will return to center when moved when out of game or at the desktop level within Windows.
  
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<div style="margin-left:0.318cm;margin-right:0cm;">'''Desktop Center Spring:<span style="color:#ff0000;">(may not be implemented)</span>'''</div>
 
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<div style="margin-left:0.635cm;margin-right:0cm;">The settings regarding the Desktop centering determine whether or not the wheel will return to center when moved when out of game or at the desktop level within Windows.
 
 
''NOTE: The desktop spring portion of the SimuCUBE Configuration Tool has currently been removed completely from the UI and is not shown.''
 
''NOTE: The desktop spring portion of the SimuCUBE Configuration Tool has currently been removed completely from the UI and is not shown.''
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</div>
 
  
  
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<div style="margin-left:0.318cm;margin-right:0cm;">'''Bumpstop Effect:'''</div>
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'''Bumpstop Effect'''<div style="margin-left:0.635cm;margin-right:0cm;">The Bumpstop Effect section sets the use and feel of the firmware level endstops at the extents of the wheel travel determined by the steering angle setting. </div><div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Bumpstop Effect Enable:'' This checkbox determines whether or not you will have firmware based bumpstops at the extents of wheel travel. Enabling these bumpstops will not override any software bumpstops/endstops that are enabled in some games. NOT Enabling the endstop effect could result in continual wheel rotation beyond the set steering angle if the game you are using does not have software based endstops, this rotation beyond your set steering angle setting can cause issues in re-finding the centerpoint of the wheel. Checking the box enables the function.</div><div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Bumpstop Maximum Force:'' This setting determines the percentage of maximum force to use for the endstops of your wheel. If you set this to 50% it means that when you reach the firmware bumpstop it will exhibit a force equal to 50% of the maximum force of your wheel. You can set this to whatever feels comfortable when you reach the extents of the steering rotation, the higher the number the harder the bumpstop will feel.</div><div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Bumpstop Dampening Effect:'' This setting sets the percent of Dampening to add to the wheel when it enters the Bumpstop effect ramp range. The Dampening effect dulls the feel of wheel while it is in the Bumpstop ramp range as the force increases to the bumpstop force level. </div><div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Bumpstop Effect Ramp Range:'' This setting determines the number of degrees it takes for the bumpstop to ramp up to the set Maximum Strength. This feature acts as a steering wheel bushing and setting it to a lower degree provides a more abrupt stop of the wheel. This feature is currently limited to a maximum of 20 degree ramp. </div><div style="margin-left:0.318cm;margin-right:0cm;">'''Audible Notification Beeps'''
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<div style="margin-left:0.635cm;margin-right:0cm;">The Bumpstop Effect section sets the use and feel of the firmware level endstops at the extents of the wheel travel determined by the steering angle setting. </div><div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Bumpstop Effect Enable:'' This checkbox determines whether or not you will have firmware based bumpstops at the extents of wheel travel. Enabling these bumpstops will not override any software bumpstops/endstops that are enabled in some games. NOT Enabling the endstop effect could result in continual wheel rotation beyond the set steering angle if the game you are using does not have software based endstops, this rotation beyond your set steering angle setting can cause issues in re-finding the centerpoint of the wheel. Checking the box enables the function.</div><div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Bumpstop Maximum Force:'' This setting determines the percentage of maximum force to use for the endstops of your wheel. If you set this to 50% it means that when you reach the firmware bumpstop it will exhibit a force equal to 50% of the maximum force of your wheel. You can set this to whatever feels comfortable when you reach the extents of the steering rotation, the higher the number the harder the bumpstop will feel.</div><div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Bumpstop Dampening Effect:'' This setting sets the percent of Dampening to add to the wheel when it enters the Bumpstop effect ramp range. The Dampening effect dulls the feel of wheel while it is in the Bumpstop ramp range as the force increases to the bumpstop force level. </div><div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">''Bumpstop Effect Ramp Range:'' This setting determines the number of degrees it takes for the bumpstop to ramp up to the set Maximum Strength. This feature acts as a steering wheel bushing and setting it to a lower degree provides a more abrupt stop of the wheel. This feature is currently limited to a maximum of 20 degree ramp. </div><div style="margin-left:0.318cm;margin-right:0cm;">'''Audible Notification Beeps:'''
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The Audible Notification Beeps, when checked, will provide an audible confirmation when there is a completion of a SimuCUBE task. Currently there will be a slight musical tone at the end of phasing (successful IONI initialization) and upon finding your set index point.
 
The Audible Notification Beeps, when checked, will provide an audible confirmation when there is a completion of a SimuCUBE task. Currently there will be a slight musical tone at the end of phasing (successful IONI initialization) and upon finding your set index point.
 
</div>
 
</div>
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==== Configure Motor, Encoder, and Centerpoint ====
 
==== Configure Motor, Encoder, and Centerpoint ====
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<div style="margin-left:0.635cm;margin-right:0cm;">This wizard steps you through the process of setting up your SimuCUBE firmware. </div>
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This wizard steps you through the process of setting up your SimuCUBE firmware.
  
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===== '''''Step 1:''''' '''Selecting your motor configuration''' =====
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'''Use Existing Ioni Configuration as-is'''
  
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<div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">'''''Step 1:''''' '''Selecting your motor configuration''' </div>
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If you know your IONI is currently set up correctly for your servo, power supply, encoder, and filters you can use this option to retain those settings and download them from Ioni into the SimuCUBE firmware.
  
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<div style="margin-left:1.27cm;margin-right:0cm;">Use Existing Ioni Configuration as-is - If you know your IONI is currently set up correctly for your servo, power supply, encoder, and filters you can use this option to retain those settings and download them from Ioni into the SimuCUBE firmware.</div>
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'''Select a Motor & Encoder from the dropdown'''
  
 +
if you know what motor and encoder you have but have not previously set up your IONI to work with them you will want to select the motor and encoder that you have. This will properly setup the IONI for your configuration. The DRC files for this feature have not yet been released so even though this feature is functional there is nothing currently to select. Testing this feature during the beta testing phase is of course important.
  
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<div style="margin-left:1.27cm;margin-right:0cm;">Select a Motor & Encoder from the dropdown - if you know what motor and encoder you have but have not previously set up your IONI to work with them you will want to select the motor and encoder that you have. This will properly setup the IONI for your configuration. The DRC files for this feature have not yet been released so even though this feature is functional there is nothing currently to select. Testing this feature during the beta testing phase is of course important. </div>
 
  
  
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<div style="margin-left:0.953cm;margin-right:0cm;">'''''Step 2:''''' '''Select Indexing Point'''</div>
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===== '''''Step 2:''''' '''Select Indexing Point''' =====
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'''Automatic Indexing''' - Sets index immediately upon phasing completion. Please see ''Index in reference to the phasing'' section in the Hardware Settings / Indexing Mode section of this guide for a full explanation of how this index method works.
  
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<div style="margin-left:1.27cm;margin-right:0cm;">Automatic Indexing - Sets index immediately upon phasing completion. Please see ''Index in reference to the phasing'' section in the Hardware Settings / Indexing Mode section of this guide for a full explanation of how this index method works.</div>
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'''Manual Indexing''' - Sets index after you turn the wheel past the physical encoder index point. Please see ''Index in reference to encoder ''section in the Hardware Settings / Indexing Mode section of this guide for a full explanation of how this index method works.
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<div style="margin-left:1.27cm;margin-right:0cm;">Manual Indexing - Sets index after you turn the wheel past the physical encoder index point. Please see ''Index in reference to encoder ''section in the Hardware Settings / Indexing Mode section of this guide for a full explanation of how this index method works. </div>
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<div style="margin-left:0.318cm;margin-right:0cm;">'''Profile Settings:'''</div>
 
  
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==== '''Profile Settings''' ====
  
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<div style="margin-left:0.318cm;margin-right:0cm;">Management:</div>
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===== Management: =====
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<div style="margin-left:0.635cm;margin-right:0cm;">
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<div style="margin-left:0.635cm;margin-right:0cm;">In this management section, I changed to working somewhat toward the terminology I originally used. The profiles have no number, they only have names.
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SimuCUBE allows for multiple profiles to be saved directly to the firmware. This will allow you to have specific settings for game titles or vehicles which require settings that are significantly different from your normal. Instead of having to remember your changes you will be able to just select a different profile.
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</div>
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SimuCUBE allows for multiple profiles to be saved directly to the firmware. This will allow you to have specific settings for game titles or vehicles which require settings that are significantly different from your normal. Instead of having to remember your changes you will be able to just select a different profile.</div>
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Revision as of 15:41, 12 September 2017

Welcome to the beta testing program! Thank you for your interest in testing to improve SimuCUBE.

** EVERY beta tester should read our SimuCUBE wiki page to get familiar with the SimuCUBE system: https://granitedevices.com/wiki/SimuCUBE

** EVERY beta tester should read this guide completely before attempting to install SimuCUBE Open Source firmware during the beta testing phase.


The firmware and this guide are works in progress, please make sure that you are using the latest version of the guide, which is posted on our wiki site.

Notes and warnings

Beta disclaimer

Please take note that the firmware is a Beta version. Unexpected full forces left/right motions could happen at any time. Please take extra precaution and have your e-stop button close by.

Please do not use the beta in official races or other important events.

Features that work and features that won’t work yet

The SimuCUBE Configuration Tool has many things marked in RED. These features are not currently implemented and do not work. Please do not try to test these items as we already know that they don’t work.

Some screens have obvious warnings, these are also indicated in RED. These are fully functional, working indicators and should be noted when some of the features are used.

Game support

Currently the firmware supports iRacing and rFactor 2. Dirt Rally should also work, as it is similar as rFactor 2, but has an additional changing friction effect, which isn’t parsed correctly at the moment.


Other games might work in totally unexpected ways, beware! You are free to use other titles and we will fully welcome reports on what works or doesn’t so that we may get the firmware working with as many titles as possible.

Installation of SimuCUBE Bootloader and Firmware

Bootloader Installation

This step must be done only if you have not previously installed a SimuCUBE bootloader. Generally this is the case if your current SimuCUBE firmware is of version 0.5.x or earlier or when migrating from the 3rd party MMOS firmware.


If Using MMOS - Enable DFU mode and install the supplied SimuCube Bootloader DFU file using DfuSeDemo which is available here:http://www.st.com/web/en/catalog/tools/FM147/CL1794/SC961/SS1533/PF257916


NOTE: Once DfuSeDemo has successfully installed the SimuCUBE Bootloader using the MMOS method click on the Leave DFU mode to reset your SimuCUBE back to run mode. You will need to cycle the power waiting a few seconds in between Power Down and Power Up to get Windows to recognise the new HID Device titled “SimuCUBE in firmware update mode”. The Leave DFU mode will not work when using the dip switch “Case C” method as described below.


Instructions for installing the firmware with DfuSeDemo are included in the link below. In addition If you are unable to get MMOS to enable DFU mode, setting DFU mode will need to be done manually, this process is covered as “Case C” under “Setting SimuCUBE into Device Firmware Mode (DFU)”:

https://granitedevices.com/wiki/Installing_MMos_firmware_into_SimuCUBE#Setting_SimuCUBE_into_Device_Firmware_Mode_.28DFU.29

If the bootloader firmware fails to install using any of the methods above (retaining MMOS functionality) please try removing the SimuCUBE Bootloader DFU file directly from the .zip package to your desktop rather than extracting it with the entire .zip. We have found that the standard Windows .zip extraction can corrupt the files when extracting all together.

Successful bootloader installation and startup will be noted by the SimuCUBE status LEDs located next to the green power LED lighting up one-by-one, after which they will go off with the power LED remaining lit.

SimuCUBE Firmware Installation

After installing the SimuCUBE Bootloader, the SimuCUBE will start up in firmware update mode. The SimuCUBE Firmware must be installed using the SimuCUBE Configuration Tool with the Firmware Update Wizard. Installation by ANY other method will not work.


After the SimuCUBE firmware has been successfully installed, the Configuration Tool will close and the SimuCUBE will restart. You must reopen the Configuration Tool to start using SimuCUBE.


Subsequent SimuCUBE firmware updates will be done by the Firmware Update Wizard from the configuration tool. It will command SimuCUBE to go to firmware update mode and then update the firmware automatically. The “Update Firmware” button in the configuration tool can be pressed when there is no firmware installed and will search for the bootloader (described in the installing bootloader section). The latest IONI drive firmware will be installed or updated automatically at the first start-up of a new firmware release.

Powering up your SimuCUBE

On the first power up after returning the dip switch to run mode with the Beta firmware installed, the SimuCUBE firmware will automatically update the IONI drive firmware to version 10060. This version of the Ioni firmware is the only version currently compatible with the Open Source firmware and it will always get reflashed if a different version is detected on the IONI.


The firmware update will take anywhere from seconds to a couple of minutes to complete (depending on download speeds). If you have the SimuCUBE Configuration Tool open while this is happening it will indicate that it is updating the Firmware, along with a percentage of update done. It will NOT provide you with a separate completion indication. On completion, the Operating Mode status indicator will show the current operation mode. This could be “Hardware settings not configured”, “waiting for index point”, or “Operational”. Successful update can be seen in the actions portion of the configuration software where it will show the IONI firmware version 10060. On successful completion of the update of the IONI Firmware, the three red SimuCUBE status leds, next to the power indication led on the SimuCUBE mainboard, will flash two times (on-off-on-off) with 1-second on and off times.


Please avoid very short power up / power down cycle right after installing the SimuCUBE firmware. The silent, automatic IONI firmware update could be interrupted, and in that case, the IONI drive will be left in DFU mode. The SimuCUBE firmware does not currently have the capability to automatically recover the IONI from its Firmware update mode.


If this does occur on your system, please send us a report about it. This will enable us to estimate the importance of adding the ability to recover from this mode directly. In order to recover from the firmware update mode you will need to open the SimuCUBE Configuration tool and enable the IONI USB configuration mode located in the Actions section. Once done, the latest IONI firmware must be downloaded separately using the link below and uploaded to the IONI using Granity. http://granitedevices.com/wiki/IONI_firmware_releases


At the time of writing this guide, the required and correct IONI firmware version is 10061. An updated version of Granity is needed for use with this firmware and should be downloaded separately from here: http://granitedevices.com/wiki/Granity#Download

Configurator tool introduction and user guide

Introduction to the SimuCUBE Configuration Tool

The purpose of this firmware and tool combination is to simplify and optimize the SimuCUBE to improve the user experience and simplify the set-up of your wheel. To this extent we are trying to keep this tool as easy to use and straight forward as possible with all of the needed information regarding the function of the SimuCUBE and any connected devices readily accessible and understandable. This firmware includes advanced features to improve and allow the SimuCUBE to be vastly adjusted in feel to give any user the experience that they prefer in (eventually) any game.

User Guide

Hardware settings

Encoder Counts Per Revolution (CPR):

The counts per revolution of your encoder are auto set via the firmware when you configure the motor, encoder, and center point.


Indexing Mode

The indexing mode is determined at the time of Configuring the motor, encoder, and index.

Index in reference to the phasing: This mode sets the index point to where the wheel is positioned after phasing and requires no user action for the wheel to be used in game after turning on the SimuCUBE. An offset to this index point is set during the motor configuration wizard setup. Using this mode will cause the wheel to index off center if not positioned approximately straight before phasing. This form of Indexing will work with all servo types, please see technical notes below for issues and how to fix them.

Technical Notes - This form of indexing is accomplished due to phasing of the servo/stepper motor always beginning and ending in the same location within magnetic pole quadrant. If you find that the servo is not correctly centering consistently via this method your wheel is attached where the center position falls on or near a boundary between pole quadrants causing phasing to start in either quadrant. When this happens the phasing may finish in the wrong quadrant based on the position of the wheel before phasing which will cause the index to be offset from center. To correct for this and make sure your wheel phases in the correct manner the wheel must be slightly nudged off center before phasing into the quadrant that correctly phases center. To determine this you will need to determine where your wheel is positioned before phasing and then nudge the wheel to one side of center or the other depending on which side pole quadrant phases as center.

Higher pole count servos/steppers are more likely to experience this boundary position issue. This form of indexing works regardless of the position of the physical index point of your encoder so it will work with encoders that do not have indexing capability.

Index in reference to encoder: This mode indexes to the encoder index location when the wheel is centered. When using this style of indexing the wheel must be rotated past the encoder index point after phasing for the centerpoint to be recognized. Generally turning the wheel left and right 180 degrees will cross the index point. Using this index method will always result in the wheel being indexed straight. Turning the wheel past the index point is absolutely required with SimuCUBE open source firmware, as the IONI drive does not detect the index point while phasing. If audible notification beeps is are enabled, you will hear a beep when the wheel crosses index point. A visual indicator (LED) on the SimuCUBE board lights up after phasing and goes out when index point has been found only when this centering mode is set up via the motor configuration wizard.

Desktop Center Spring:(may not be implemented)The settings regarding the Desktop centering determine whether or not the wheel will return to center when moved when out of game or at the desktop level within Windows.

NOTE: The desktop spring portion of the SimuCUBE Configuration Tool has currently been removed completely from the UI and is not shown.


Bumpstop Effect
The Bumpstop Effect section sets the use and feel of the firmware level endstops at the extents of the wheel travel determined by the steering angle setting.
Bumpstop Effect Enable: This checkbox determines whether or not you will have firmware based bumpstops at the extents of wheel travel. Enabling these bumpstops will not override any software bumpstops/endstops that are enabled in some games. NOT Enabling the endstop effect could result in continual wheel rotation beyond the set steering angle if the game you are using does not have software based endstops, this rotation beyond your set steering angle setting can cause issues in re-finding the centerpoint of the wheel. Checking the box enables the function.
Bumpstop Maximum Force: This setting determines the percentage of maximum force to use for the endstops of your wheel. If you set this to 50% it means that when you reach the firmware bumpstop it will exhibit a force equal to 50% of the maximum force of your wheel. You can set this to whatever feels comfortable when you reach the extents of the steering rotation, the higher the number the harder the bumpstop will feel.
Bumpstop Dampening Effect: This setting sets the percent of Dampening to add to the wheel when it enters the Bumpstop effect ramp range. The Dampening effect dulls the feel of wheel while it is in the Bumpstop ramp range as the force increases to the bumpstop force level.
Bumpstop Effect Ramp Range: This setting determines the number of degrees it takes for the bumpstop to ramp up to the set Maximum Strength. This feature acts as a steering wheel bushing and setting it to a lower degree provides a more abrupt stop of the wheel. This feature is currently limited to a maximum of 20 degree ramp.
Audible Notification Beeps

The Audible Notification Beeps, when checked, will provide an audible confirmation when there is a completion of a SimuCUBE task. Currently there will be a slight musical tone at the end of phasing (successful IONI initialization) and upon finding your set index point.


Configure Motor, Encoder, and Centerpoint

This wizard steps you through the process of setting up your SimuCUBE firmware.

Step 1: Selecting your motor configuration

Use Existing Ioni Configuration as-is

If you know your IONI is currently set up correctly for your servo, power supply, encoder, and filters you can use this option to retain those settings and download them from Ioni into the SimuCUBE firmware.

Select a Motor & Encoder from the dropdown

if you know what motor and encoder you have but have not previously set up your IONI to work with them you will want to select the motor and encoder that you have. This will properly setup the IONI for your configuration. The DRC files for this feature have not yet been released so even though this feature is functional there is nothing currently to select. Testing this feature during the beta testing phase is of course important.


Step 2: Select Indexing Point

Automatic Indexing - Sets index immediately upon phasing completion. Please see Index in reference to the phasing section in the Hardware Settings / Indexing Mode section of this guide for a full explanation of how this index method works.

Manual Indexing - Sets index after you turn the wheel past the physical encoder index point. Please see Index in reference to encoder section in the Hardware Settings / Indexing Mode section of this guide for a full explanation of how this index method works.


Step 3: Motor Initialization
Motor phases and determines the index point based on settings that you have chosen.


Step 4: Setting the Center Point
Waiting for Index Point - If manual indexing was chosen during setup you will be asked to turn the wheel so SimuCUBE can locate the physical index point of the encoder. Automatic index setup will not see this page.
Set Wheel Center Point - finalizes the offset value of the wheel when Next is pressed so that wheel centering is correct whenever you turn on the SimuCUBE. Note: Automatic index point requires the wheel to be positioned straight at SimuCUBE start-up while manual indexing does not.


Wheel Position and Centerpoint indication

The large wheel in this area represents your wheel with the circle and line representing wheel center. When calibrated correctly the wheel should be positioned so that wheel center is located at its uppermost position when your physical wheel is straight, in addition wheel position should indicate approximately 0 degrees. When you turn your wheel the jog wheel should turn in relation to your wheel position exactly.


Reset Center: If for some reason your wheel is not indicating the correct position relative the jog wheel you more than likely have an offset center position. The easiest way to determine this is if your wheel is straight and the wheel center indicators on the jog wheel are not at their uppermost position. Press this button to reset the center location. Most typical reason for this happening, is when you connect to the Ioni drive via Granity, restart the drive in there and the wheel position changes enough from the position the wheel was in when you enabled Granity connection.


Analog Inputs Indication

In this area of the Axis and Button Status section you will be able to test functionality and output for your analog axis and digital buttons that are connected to the SimuCUBE. By pressing on the corresponding buttons or analog inputs (i.e. pedals) you will see their travel or activation in real time along with the HID output value indicated. If you are not receiving full range on a analog output you should calibrate the input of that device via the Configure Analog Inputs dialog.


Configure Analog Inputs

In this sub-dialog you will find access to be able to have complete control over the analog inputs on the SimuCUBE. The dialog cannot be accessed before the Motor, Encoder and Centerpoint wizard is run and the SimuCUBE is configured.
These inputs are generally used for Brake, Throttle, and Clutch. The SimuCUBE offers up-sampled 16-bit resolution (sampled at high rate and then averaged) for analog devices. The SimuCUBE input resolution is 12-bit.


Analog Axis Configuration:
In this dialog you are able to completely customize and configure 6 different analog Axis points within SimuCUBE. The Configurable axis points are Y, Z, Brake, Throttle, Clutch, Rudder, and Analog Hat. Granted these do not have to be these exact items and can be used for any type of analog input. With the SimuCUBE set up as a wheel you are most likely to use the Brake, Throttle, and Clutch inputs for your pedal set.
Input Select: These drop down menus allow you to set what physical pin on the SimuCUBE X11 ports you wish to have associated with the particular analog function you are using. The SimuCUBE does have a few specific ports that are indicated in the SimuCube Wiki as being associated with the Brake, Throttle, and Clutch so if you have already attached your pedals using the SimuCUBE Wiki pinout setup they are as follows: Brake - X11 upper 1, Throttle - X11 upper 2, and Clutch - X11 upper 5.

Calibrated Value: This is the calibrated current output value based on the values placed in the Minimum and Maximum Value fields.

Raw Value: This number represents the Raw 16bit value that the channel is showing at any particular moment. The SimuCUBE does exhibit some noise in the analog system which can be seen in this raw value as constant fluctuation.

Minimum Value: The value placed in the minimum value moves the low value of the analog input. This value can be adjusted so that the static noise of the SimuCUBE or any devices connected are eliminated. An example for using this adjustment would be if your analog pedal is exhibiting a value of being pressed slightly when stationary, putting a minimum value will create a hardware deadzone so that the static signal is not seen by windows and subsequently any game. Having a value reduces the overall raw range of the device at input but allows for a cleaner signal at idle position. To easily figure out how to set this watch the number shown in the raw input and put a value in that is above the highest number shown. This number may jump around a bit.

Maximum Value: The value placed in the maximum value moves the endpoint percentage to match the maximum voltage output of the device connected. To set this you should lower the number until the maximum travel or input of your device shows at 100%. Once calibrated windows will recognise these settings as full range. To easily set this number press the pedal or device to its full extent and place the value shown in the raw input (or a number below) into the Maximum Value. By placing a number below the absolute Maximum you are creating a 100% zone at full travel. This can be used effectively for a short throw clutch, or making sure that you have 100% throttle.

Invert: If your axis is showing up as being backwards from the intended input you will want to check the box for that channel.

Reset: Reverts the channel to default settings.

Export analogsettings.ini: This button will save your current analog input settings to analogsettings.ini file in the program installation directory. This can be copied to load settings in a new version of the configuration tool, if a new firmware version makes settings incompatible.

Import analogsettings.ini: This will try to load analogsettings.ini from the program installation directory and set those settings to the SimuCUBE.

Update Firmware

This button starts the Firmware Update Wizard which will place the SimuCUBE in update mode and install the latest release firmware. This will also automatically update the IONI to the latest firmware once installed. (please see “Firmware Installation:” under Installation of SimuCUBE Bootloader and Firmware - for more information)


Profile Settings

Management:

SimuCUBE allows for multiple profiles to be saved directly to the firmware. This will allow you to have specific settings for game titles or vehicles which require settings that are significantly different from your normal. Instead of having to remember your changes you will be able to just select a different profile.


The first profile attributes can NOT be changed - “Read-only safe profile”. You can try to alter the name and settings of this particular profile. It will appear that the values can be altered as you can change them but they will not be applied, and they will not save to that profile in SimuCUBE memory. This profile is there so the SimuCUBE Configuration Tool has a safe profile to use when the motor configuration wizard is used.


In Management, select which profile you want to use by using the dropdown menu. You can add new profiles, delete the current profile, and set the profile you wish to load by default, this profile is indicated with a text field next to the the menu. The first, “Read-only safe profile” cannot be deleted. If a selected default profile is deleted, the “Read-only safe profile” will be set as the default profile which is loaded at startup.


General:
Here you will set the SimuCUBE preferences, power levels, and other working settings.


Profile Name: Shows currently selected profile in management


Steering Range: This reports the maximum total range of the wheel to report to Windows allowing programs to recognise the intended rotation of the wheel. The most common settings for steering range are 900 or 1080 degrees though some games may require less rotation to calibrate properly.


Bumpstop Range (from axis limit): Setting allows you to indicate where in the Steering Range the bumpstops are placed from the limits of the steering range. The actual usable steering range after the bumpstops are placed is indicated to the right of the input box. Using a positive will lower the Steering Range before the bumpstops take effect while using a negative number will place the bumpstops outside the effective range of the wheel.


Example: Setting the Bumpstop Range to 0 will set the maximum bumpstop range at whatever degree the Steering Range is set. The Bumpstop Ramp Range begins prior to this point so if it is set at 10 degrees the ramp up in force to the bumpstop would happen at 10 degrees (in each direction) prior to the Maximum Bumpstop range indicated. If you do not want the bumpstops to take effect within the Steering Range then a Negative Number matching the Bumpstop Ramp Range should be used.


Overall Strength: When using this setting you can limit the overall strength that the SimuCUBE can provide. Reducing strength of the wheel may be needed for some games that do not have an alternative method of adjusting the the level of force you see in the game. This setting is also useful for temporarily reducing the force of your wheel to a level that is safe for children and inexperienced drivers.


Maximum Motor Current (not currently implemented): This setting will allow you to adjust the raw power delivery of the SimuCUBE up to your motor maximum power. This is similar to overall strength in that you can limit the maximum force of the wheel except that using the Maximum Motor Current does not attenuate the Signal entering the SimuCUBE. This adjustment is optimal for limiting power in programs that offer variable force output based on telemetry or by other means which when attenuated would reduce detail and feel. Currently you can make this adjustment only through Granity (see Actions Section of this guide).


IONI Drive Servo Filtering:
Currently we are revisiting the TBW filter description with regard to the use of the Reconstruction Filter as the higher update rate the Filter employs changes the effect of the TBW setting on the system. If not using the Reconstruction filter the TBW will have the same effect as prior.
This section describes the use of the filters on the IONI adjustable within the SimuCUBE configuration tool. With these filters you can significantly alter the feel of your wheel to maximize your experience. Please note extreme settings on some filters can cause them to become unstable and cause oscillations or other unintended and unwanted behavior.


SimuCUBE Force Reconstruction Filter -
This filter is only available in the SimuCUBE firmware and allows the IONI to take a slower digitized incoming signal from a program at any frequency and reconstruct it based on a complex algorithm to increase the accuracy and smoothness of the signal while fully retaining the integrity of the original signal. This allows the SimuCUBE to update positioning and force information to the servo at the IONI’s maximum possible rate which smooths the action of the wheel while retaining all detail in the signal with minimal drawbacks. Setting this filter off disables it and the standard signal from the program being used is passed to the firmware. Currently the numbered options for the filter indicate the aggressiveness of the filter relative to the the most optimized setting for iRacing’s 60Hz signal (setting 5). At higher numbers the filter is more aggressive and will take longer to reconstruct the signal which will induce more latency (delay) into the signal. Currently the effects of the numbers are NOT linear and can result in many differing effects which vary between smooth and abrupt. Games other than iRacing may work best with a setting other than the iRacing optimized. As well you may find that you enjoy a setting different than the most optimized for your driving style. NOTE: We are still determining the best settings for this filter and the best way to determine the filter effects so things could change as far as the filtering available for use with subsequent Firmware releases.


Torque Bandwidth Limit -
This setting is a filter point for the incoming set point information received by the IONI. The lower the setting the more smoothing of the signal and in turn will increases latency which result in a more dull subdued feeling at the wheel. There is also a possibility that lower numbers also lose some set point information which can result in inaccurate representation of position for a split second. Generally, you want to set this to as high as possible to allow for the most unfiltered information to get to the IONI. Most people have found that 1000 - 1500Hz is the best location. Some game titles do require MUCH lower TBW settings 480 - 680Hz due to noisy or sharp feedback signals being implemented in their system. The recommendations here may change with the use of the SimuCUBE Reconstruction Filter described below.


Peaking and Notch Filter -
This filter provides specific localized suppression or enhancement to a certain frequency range. Generally used to eliminate unwanted peaks (use notch) or dips (use peak) in the signal that provide unwanted abnormalities wheel reaction. An example would be excessive or extreme oscillation in the wheel.


Center Frequency (Hz) - Sets the frequency where the filter is to take effect within the signal. When setting this attribute, it tends be most effective to adjust it while in program as it is so specific in what it will actually affect it is hard to just guess as to what frequency it should be located at.


Attenuation - This setting controls how much notch filter will subdue the signal in db. The deeper the notch the wider the frequencies are that are affected and the more dramatically diminished the designated center frequency is. If the number used in this location is positive you are now using a peaking filter (raising the signal frequency), negative numbers are notch and what is normally used with the SimuCUBE.


Q Factor (Quality Factor) - The quality factor determines how quickly the frequency returns after attenuation. A lower number indicates a slower return to normal around the center frequency effectively widening the number of frequencies that are affected by the filters notch.


Other Filters: The other filters affect the tactile characteristics of the SimuCUBE allowing changes to be made that can dramatically alter the feel of the wheel allowing you to achieve the the most natural and comfortable experience you can.


Dampening Filter -

Dampening within the IONI is designed to limit overshoot that the servo itself is inducing due to velocity of the armature. The filter works by trying to resist all movement by creating a signal that tries to reposition the servo back to it’s intended location, Increasing the % adds dampening. Think of this setting as a shock absorber for the wheel does not change the feedback but will slow the resulting effect as it reaches or returns to it's destination. The goal of this setting is to cut out unwanted positional errors due to the servo overshooting the intended positioning which could cause unintended forces to be delivered to the servo due to the positioning of the servo being out of position when a force is sent to the wheel. This overshoot error can show up as oscillations of the wheel when dampening is set to low since the wheel will overshoot and the game will try to correct the issue causing the wheel to overshoot in the opposite direction creating a feedback loop. In the case of the SimuCUBE if you turn the dampening up too far and over dampen the system the steering will feel dull as it continually will try to adjust to return to the intended position resisting both your actions as well as the feedback signal. It is normal to have a small bit of over dampening in the system to be able to reduce the possibility of the oscillation. This setting is best used to dull the feel of the wheel as it reduces the reactiveness of everything and sort of flattens out the feedback feel. This can make the wheel feel at times sluggish. But at the same time due to the nature of dampening trying to stay on position it can also ease steering effort at load because the wheel will be actively trying to stay in its intended position.. In terms of car feel more dampening feels a bit like soft or under inflated tires while less dampening feels like tires that have been inflated or have harder sidewalls.


Friction Filter -
The friction parameter adds artificial dead weight to the feel of the SimuCUBE. The friction filter adds resistance across the entire signal bandwidth. Going too far on this parameter can actually override the forces applied by the software and cause the wheel to not move. In essence this parameter slows the reaction of the wheel. This filter is best used to mimic what would be steering hardware in a real car and all the friction in the steering caused by the steering rack, ball joints, bushings, ect.. Including tire contact patch drag. This filter will also limit a feedback by-product that feels a bit like a rubber band. This effect comes from the fact that force feedback for the most part is designed to return the steering wheel to the next position point no matter what you do and to do that it adds power in the opposite direction that you are turning.. The rubber band feeling comes from when you quickly turn in the direction that the force is wanting you to go and then back into the force.. When you do this with a high speed system, such as the OSW, that can move the wheel faster than you can turn it yourself, you effectively lose all feeling of force when turning with the power making the turn motion overly light. if you weave like this around a constant radius corner you will find that you get this heavy feeling and then no feeling, heavy and then none, like stretching and releasing a rubber band. By adding a friction % you will slow the wheels ability to return to center in a more progressive manner allowing you to turn the wheel back toward center and retain some feeling of force in the return motion. Note, that the higher you set the friction the more friction you will have in both directions of movement so by adding friction you can increase the force required to turn the car to a possibly unacceptable level and as well diminish the speed of wheel return which can affect your ability to catch a slide. This should be adjusted to a level that you feel is realistic. This setting would be best used if you feel the forces of the wheel are correct but the steering feels overly light in nature during certain movements, by increasing it you are not seriously affecting the way the feedback translates to the wheel but you are adding weight to the steering mimicking the drag that would be in a real life steering rack.
Inertia Filter -
The Inertia filter provides a signal to the wheel that attempts to reduce the Inertia of the wheel. In essence a wheel of zero inertia would spin forever and a wheel of infinite Inertia would never be able to be moved no matter how much force you put to it. Adding % lowers inertia, the main effect of this is that when the wheel is given a signal it will try to add force in the same direction as the rotation of the wheel making the wheel have less inertia so it spins more freely. However, in relation to force feedback this is a bit of a double edged sword in that if you are turning the wheel into the force being applied the inertia filter will attempt to apply additional force to the wheel to get it moving in the direction that the signal from the feedback system is telling it to go in. This in feel is very similar to the rubber banding feedback effect mentioned in the Friction filter as when you turn the wheel further from the intended target return point the forces applied by the inertia filter will ramp up making the wheel feel heavier. If you turn into this force and let off the return forces will feel much lighter than the initial forces as the inertia filter can freely apply force to return the wheel to its intended location. This feel can seem like power steering in a way as if you are turning with the force the feel will be lighter than normal. In addition this has the effect of softening (but not reducing strength) of some jolts due to the ramp-up of the forces when turning into the force. Using too much Inertia will cause a vague center feel as the wheel tries to continue moving past center even though you would want it to stop.


NOTE: Correlation between the Friction filter and Inertia filter - The Friction filter when applied has stiction which means that the weight of signal being applied creates friction that resists movement (adding inertia) which causes an abrupt stop of the wheel when you let go. The Inertia filter can be used to allow the Friction filter to apply this weight to the wheel while softening the stopping action by reducing the stiction effect and allowing the wheel to not stop abruptly but to slowly ramp down to a stop in rotation.


Actions:


The SimuCUBE will auto apply changes (every 2 seconds if a change is noted) to your settings in memory so that you are able to do realtime adjustment of settings while using your wheel so that you can easily test the feel of the settings and changes made. The actions section of this firmware allow you to save your changes permanently or to revert to the last saved settings.


Save Settings to SimuCUBE - This button saves the current in memory settings to the SimuCUBE flash memory so that they are available whenever you start up. Please note the save action will take around 2 seconds on SimuCUBE hardware. During this time games will not receive inputs and the wheel won’t receive new commands. This could cause unexpected effects in games, as it is possible that games might classify a 2-second freeze as controller disconnection.


Reload Settings from SimuCUBE - This button will revert the profiles and their settings in memory to the last saved state.


Enable IONI USB Configuration - This button will enable you to connect to the IONI using the Granity software for advanced configuration. When IONI USB configuration is enabled the SimuCUBE will not work as Granity is using the communication connection to the IONI. You will need to disable IONI USB configuration to return SimuCUBE to operational state.


SimuCUBE Firmware Version - Displays the currently installed firmware version.


Configuration Tool Version - Displays the currently installed configuration tool version.


IONI Drive Firmware Version - Displays the currently installed IONI firmware version.


Start everything from scratch (not currently implemented) - Returns SimuCUBE to default state, erasing all flash memory and settings.
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