Using rF1 with a Load Cell Brake Pedal

Discussion in 'Hardware Building/Buying/Usage Advice' started by ZeosPantera, Oct 16, 2010.

  1. ZeosPantera

    ZeosPantera Registered

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    I just purchased a second hand AP Electrix Load Cell mod for my G27. http://www.apelectrix.com/index.html

    I have found that the only issue is calibrating it to a locked standard. You see when you press down on a potentiometer pedal it looks at the range. All the way down is 100% and all the way up is 0%. Everything is peachy.

    The problem I have with this load cell is pushing down with 10 lb/s of force will automatically make 10 lb/s of force 100% brake and 0 lb/s of force 0%. And that will remain true until I apply 12 lb/s of force during a race. Then 12 lb/s becomes the required pressure to get 100% braking. Now the REAL issue comes when in an emergency situation you apply 8000lb/s of force and all the sudden you need to apply 4000 lb/s just to get to 50% braking force.

    That means at any point the required pressure you need to apply to slow for a corner can change. Is there any way to adjust / lock either the Logitech software down or anything in rFactors ini's to prevent this? I don't believe so.
     
  2. deak1944

    deak1944 Guest

  3. MaXyM

    MaXyM Registered

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    I have this mod. I'm using it for about a year.
    One of the best things I could added to my simracing rig.

    There are 2 problems with calibration while plugged into wheel
    1. need of recalibration after every system start by pushing to maximum (as default pedals) which is not so easy for LC
    2. calibration itself - LC starts to react very early, reach 50% of break range before I hit movement limit.

    Firstly I have used DXteak2 for calibration with quite good results.
    I set some non-linearity and deadzone. Success was partially, because with 8bit D/A converter build in G25, it lost resolution when pressure was close to maximum. (deadzones/nonlinearity eats some range)
    Hopefully I had bodnar's controller which offers 10bit A/D converters for axes (there is also 12bit option available). It was my salvation for resolution issue. Additional, there is bodnar's utility which allows to calibrate axes once and forever (you don't need to do that each time after computer start).

    As I wrote at the beginning, LC is unbelievable addition. As I can see on league races, most drivers locks wheels on breaking especially entering a corner (I can see white smoke). Since using LC, I don't do that. Breaking is more stable, more predictable, better controllable.

    best regards
     
  4. ZeosPantera

    ZeosPantera Registered

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    I have used DIView previously. I know deadzone does not work outside winXP I am on Win7. Is the calibration data saved automatically? Can I close the program once finished and that's it forever?


    Glad someone else has one of these. From what little testing I did last night I have figured out that rebinding the pedal after opening rf1 automatically resets the range. It only works once however. Hopefully the DIView tweak can help. If not I will give DXTweak2 a go.
     
  5. deak1944

    deak1944 Guest

    My load cell brake is my mod of G25 pedal and I use Leo's LC board. I'm on Win 7 64 and use DIView to calibrate all my pedals. The data is saved and the program can be closed.
     
  6. willynovi

    willynovi Registered

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    as I know, any calibration you do to any controller is saved in windows register.
    I have my own controller and load cell amplifier and I just calibrate them one time with DXTWeak.

    regards
     
  7. ZeosPantera

    ZeosPantera Registered

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    I had set it up in DIView. But I just tweaked it in DXTweak2. It has a much better interface. I think it should be perfect now.
     
  8. smbrm

    smbrm Registered

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    Bodner controller

    May I assume that you are referring to the bodner box here? Or at least the bodner box does the same thing?

    Thanks


     
  9. MaXyM

    MaXyM Registered

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  10. smbrm

    smbrm Registered

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    MaXyM: I know they are different devices, but in the case of the pedals, doesn't it create the same improvement in resolution etc?
     
  11. MaXyM

    MaXyM Registered

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    Don't know if we understand each other correctly.
    I never said that more precise controller doesn't improve resolution in case of LC.

    I said that using bodnar controller has two main pros in that case:
    - make able to calibrate pedal axes ones and forgot about it
    - increase precission which is needed due to LC working range (8bit G25 controller is to 'weak' for me)
     
  12. smbrm

    smbrm Registered

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    I understand the part about the Pro's you mention here. What I am asking is what you can do with the Bodner joystick controller that is different or in addition to what what the Bodner box does?
    thanks
     
  13. MaXyM

    MaXyM Registered

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    I don't know Bodnar's box.
    Ask developer.
     

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