CSL DD / GT DD PRO : FFB Settings

I will again tweak my settings to take into account the hardware constraints and limits.

The CSL DD (DD GT PRO) has a torque peak of 8 nm, which corresponds to a GT in normal driving conditions (excluding kerbs), especially since on these cars there is highly adjustable power steering.

The CSL DD has in theory a sustainable torque of only 6 nm, from experience and tests I think it is globally inaccurate, maybe yes to support a torque of more than 6 nm for a long time, but otherwise and mostly no.
No 6 nm. 7+ nm probably.

Simulating the FFB of kerbs, big bumps and shocks in a realistic way, very objectively is of greatly reduced interest and anyway requires a very expensive and very torquey wheel (at the software level, it would take about 25-30% anyway in Ingame FFB Strenght to not have software clipping).

I think you have to choose a compromise both at the level of the :

1/ FFB Hardware Strenght (CSL DD Software Driver FFB Strenght);

AND

2/ The Ingame FFB Strenght (rFactor 2 FFB Strenght).

The first limits the peak of FFB (kerbs/bumps/shocks) while protecting the CSL DD (especially related to the poor quality QR lite) and avoiding exceeding the hardware limits of the wheel while CONTRIBUTING to increase the overall force of the FFB, the second optimizes the Dynamic Range of the FFB range at Software rFactor 2 level (avoid clipping in normal driving on the majority of official cars + have a sufficient level of FFB force for a good feeling).

What setting I am thinking about :​

Using at FFB Hardware Strength (CSL DD Software Driver FFB Strength) 85% = 6.8 of CSL DD maximum FFB strength.

Then the Ingame FFB Strength (rFactor 2 FFB Strength) will be at 70%, because 60 and 65 are certainly better values for the software clipping of rFactor 2, but they would not bring much to fight against clipping let's be honest.

On the other hand, these few % gains, which are multiplied by the torque set in the CSL DD/DD GT PRO software (% of FFB Hardware Strenght * Max CSL DD Torque 8 nm), make it possible to obtain more driving and track feeling, with very few software and hardware constraints.

2 models are to be compared :

1/ Optimized model in my opinion :

(85% CSL DD Software Driver FFB Strength = 6.8 nm) * (70% Ingame FFB Strength) = 4.76 nm.

"TheoricMaximalDrivingDynamicRange"
-> 0 ¦ 4.76 ¦¦ 6.8 ¦¦| <-

With this model, the hardware is preserved and these limits are taken into account, the defective QR Lite is not excessively stressed, and the Ingame FFB Strength is at a level avoiding the vast majority of clipping while driving.

2/ Model in my opinion less optimized :

(100% CSL DD Software Driver FFB Strength = 8 nm) * (60% Ingame FFB Strength) = 4.76 nm.

I consider that anything above 6.8 nm asks too much of the CSL DD compared to these hardware constraints, increases the constraint on the failing QR Lite, the shocks and the large kerbs have an FFB which can very brutally reach the 8 nm which is quite violent or at least unpleasant, but with 60% in Ingame FFB Strength the risk of clipping in normal driving is almost non-existent and that's a good thing.

[[[ I'm testing this in a few days, it's a mixture of theory and experimentation that I conducted 15 days earlier. ]]]​

 

! First post edited with tutorial !

T U T O R I A L

I) FANATEC DRIVER​

1) Two things to consider

a/ QR issue

The QR lite (low quality Quick release) cannot support satisfactorily and in all circumstances more than 85% of the maximum torque of the CSL DD / GT DD PRO.

The only solution is to buy the QR1.

Mine is also attached to the steering wheel with an optional screw provided for this purpose : so I no longer have any problems.

b/ Maximal torque VS Sustainable torque

As with other Fanatec DDs, there is the maximum torque, and torque that the CSL DD / GT DD PRO can sustain in all circumstances.

This one is 6 nm (75%).

In reality and in practice, I note that on the one hand, 75% of the capacity of the engine is insufficient and that the value that I use seems to cause no significative issue (95%), at least in the main driving conditions (driving off big kerbs for example).

2) Fanatec driver settings

a/ SENSITIVITY = Manual / 1440 degrees

b/ FORCE FFB = 95% (7,6 nm max torque)

c/ FF SCALE = PEAK

d/ NATURAL DAMPING = 0

e/ NATURAL FRICTION = 0

f/ NATURAL INERTIA = 0

g/ INTERPOLATION = 0

h/ FORCE EFFECT INTENSITY = 100

i/ FORCE = 100

j/ SPRING = 0

k/ DAMPER = 0

(Quotes from 2 S397 developers regarding DAMPER and SPRING :

1) Devin :

For rf2 you set overall, constant and periodic to 100% a d disable the other three entirely. Then in-game 0 smoothing, roughly 1.5% minimum torque (lower if it oscillates, otherwise higher) and 80% strength.

2) Ruben :

yeah especially the damper and spring should be 0).

II) INGAME SETTINGS​

a/ Software / Custom / 1440 degrees

b/ FFB Strength (ingame setting) = +70%

At 70%, the vast majority or all of the FFB signal is not clipped in normal driving conditions, apart from very large bumps and large kerbs.

On the other hand, and this is not a real issue, the big bumps and the big kerbs, whose interest in having an unclipped FFB signal is extremely limited and not achievable with a CSL DD / GT DD PRO because it would require an ingame FFB strenght of 25/30% for this to be the case, will have a frequently clipped FFB signal over big bumps and kerbs.

But almost never in normal driving situations.

c/ FFB multi (per car setting)

Majority of cars = 100% and ajustable per car and per race conditions and setup.

d/ Min force = 0%

 

trying to set up my GT DD Pro and going to give some of these settings a try but wanted to check
1)should I be running the wheel in PC mode or emulator mode - seem in PC its not detecting movement?
2)what profile should I select - seems there is no CSL DD?
3)basically not getting any FFB - despite setting to 100%?

 

Timely bump as I saw this while considering an upgrade to DD.
Looking at the 8NM Fanatec it looked like it had enough copper for conservatively about 120 watts dissipation (Thermal Resistance) in locked rotor mode. 6NM is a little better.
I worked with BLDC's steppers, AC motors and let the smoke out of few before.
Looks like I'll have to step up the torque budget.

 

Since at least a few drivers my CSL DD has worked in PC mode fine.
Have you updated drivers and firmware.

Good Question it would be nice if someone could shed light why they can't add a profile.
I comapared the other 2 DD's profiles and only difference was nm so I just changed that to suit 8nm and left false as it was and saved the profile. lol
Thing is now there seem to be new settings in my profiles were not there before.
And some settings that had 0 now have -1
I think latest driver and firmware has screwed things
Be nice if S397 could look into this and upgrade them

Well I have "decent" FFB with CSL DD
I would say to reinstall latest driver just came out
Do firmware updates
When wheel starts you should feel firmness that tells it is reset

So DD1 and DD2 had 2 lines different so I set 8nm and saved seemed logical to me.



But now I have odd settings everywhere that are not in DD1 DD2
Like says i have yaw 3 but I don't

 

Nothing of note in those differences. Yaw is -3 which means it doesn't override your player setting.

Most of the extras relate to gamepad/keyboard controls, while the rotation setting ones are all in the UI now anyway.

Adjusting the torque is the right thing to do, though very few cars will behave any differently between 6 and 8.

 

Thanks was wondering about settings below in other make DD profiles

"General Controls":{
"Alternate Neutral Activation":true,
"Alternate Neutral Activation#":"whether to select neutral if shift up & shift down are pressed simultaneously",
"Alternate Rearlook Activation":true,
"Alternate Rearlook Activation#":"if left look and right look are both pressed, rearlook becomes activated",
"Analog Steering Hurry Threshold":1,
"Analog Steering Hurry Threshold#":"When the absolute difference between the input and current steering values exceeds this threshold, the maximum hurry rate is applied instead of the apply or release rates (0 effectively always applies the hurry rate, while 2 would effectively disable it)",
"Analog Steering Maximum Apply Rate":0.5,
"Analog Steering Maximum Apply Rate#":"Maximum rate per second the actual steering is allowed to change when the input is trying to apply more steering (steering further away from center from the current position)",
"Analog Steering Maximum Hurry Rate":2,
"Analog Steering Maximum Hurry Rate#":"Maximum rate per second the actual steering is allowed to change when the input exceeds the maximum threshold of the difference between input and current steering values",
"Analog Steering Maximum Release Rate":1,
"Analog Steering Maximum Release Rate#":"Maximum rate per second the actual steering is allowed to change when the input is trying to apply less steering (steering closer towards the center from the current position)",
"Auto Reverse":0,
"Auto Reverse#":"If auto-shifting and holding brakes, will shift into reverse and reverse throttle\/brake temporarily",


As well only just noticed other DD wheels this is set to 0 and Fanatec is 10000
Wonder now could this be why my rumble motors need to be set very low

"Brake effects strength":10000,
"Brake effects strength#":"-10000 to +10000, applies to all brake effects (force, vibration, static spring, etc?)",
"Brake spring coefficient":0.3,
"Brake spring coefficient#":"Static spring effect rate (-1.0 to 1.0)",

 

I'm pretty sure analog steering refers to gamepad sticks and the like. Those settings won't impact a wheel.

 

I’ll tell you an important thing that helped me in setting up FFB.

Please try it and let me know what changes you make.
if you take the presets in the game СSL DD 8nm, then the game files will have an erroneous value of 20nm. If we install our 8nm, the situation changes for the better!

rFactor 2\UserData\Controller Steering Torgue Capability :8 (20 defualt)


PC Driver 456
FanaLab 2.01.28

IN GAME

• Software / Custom / 1080 degrees
• FFB Multi = 0 All Car
• FFB Strength (ingame setting) = -100%

Since I was confused by the fact that the game (shame) does not display the active button, I made some hints.