Force Feedback Motor Hack Help

[zelony]

Hi all,

I recently managed to install the guts of a Fanatec Speedster III Xbox wheel into my San Francisco Rush arcade and I need some help with the force feedback mechanism. 

The Fanatec wheel uses a small 12V motor to provide pseudo force feedback, but since I am using the original steel wheel of the arcade, it is not powerful enough to provide feedback now.

Here are some pictures that I stole from theCoder (Thanks)

This picture shows the shaft for the Fanatec steering assembly.  I used a set screw to hold it onto the Atari steering assembly.


Here you can clearly see the small 12V motor that drives the force feedback.


Here is the Atari Active Steering System.  I mounted the Fanatec gear assembly directly behind the belt drive by removing the flexible shaft that goes to the potentiometer.  Photo taken from http://www.pinrepair.com/rush/


What I am trying to do is use the Fanatec output to the Fanatec motor to drive the Atari motor.  The problem is that the Atari Motor is 90V DC and the Fanatec board can not drive it.  So I was thinking some kind of motor controller that could take the 12V output from the Fanatec board and use it as an input to drive the Atari motor.  Some sort of 12V to 90V amplifier.

I am not electrical engineer, so I need some help on this one.  Any ideas would be appreciated.

I am willing to spend the money on this and I have two of these.  One for me and one for my daughter.


Thanks for any help or ideas,

Jeff Green

[zelony]

I guess there aren't any Electrical Engineers reading the boards... ;-).

I am trying to see if an a Solid State Relay will work, but I can't help but think that there is some kind of DC motor controller out there that will do what I am trying to do.  Heck, I would even settl for just tieing it into the rumble packs if possible, that way at least the wheel would move whenever the rumble packs were to kick in.

Thanks again for looking...

[Ken Layton]

Are you crazy? The Rush motor is freaking huge and very powerfull. You are trying to take that little tiny motor to move the Rush's motor? Good luck. It's like trying to use a fly to push a steam roller!

[SavannahLion]

Are you crazy? The Rush motor is freaking huge and very powerfull. You are trying to take that little tiny motor to move the Rush's motor? Good luck. It's like trying to use a fly to push a steam roller!

Would a FET work?

[mark shaker]

Here is how I linked the Happ Active Wheel to a PC and PS2 a few years ago:

http:\\www.marksarcade.com

Scroll all the way down and click the last "Learn More" link.

   - Mark

[zelony]

Thanks Mark! 

I knew I wasn't the only one crazy enough to want the real power! Muhahahahaha!  ;-)

I will order a set as soon as I can find some.  Looks like there are a few different models, so time to dig into the manuals and see what I have forgotten since college.

Thanks again, now I know that it is possible I can move forward at full speed.

[mark shaker]

Thanks Mark! 

I knew I wasn't the only one crazy enough to want the real power! Muhahahahaha!  ;-)

I will order a set as soon as I can find some.  Looks like there are a few different models, so time to dig into the manuals and see what I have forgotten since college.

Thanks again, now I know that it is possible I can move forward at full speed.

Glad to help.

BTW: The Amplifier I'm using is *way* more powerful than is needed. I'm probably running it at 5% of it's capacity. When I first hooked it up the motor spun to fast that before I could shut it off it *melted* the plastic pulley and the whole thing jerked and gouged my desk.

You need a "DC Servo Amplifier for Brush Type Motors" that:
1) Is bi-directional/reversing.
2) Has a mode that simply amplifies the input signal (without requiring any other sensors).

Merry Christmas!

   - Mark