SimRacing – Simucube Settings and Tunning Guide

Brian Sohn’s guide to explain any of the parameters involved in Simucube performance. iRacing, MMOS, Granity, etc. As many of you, readers, are planing to test and changing between new and old profiles, this could be a very nice starting point.

This guide is being set up to explain how each setting within Granity, MMOS, and iRacing works and how they pertain to the set-up of the SimuCube based Wheel, IONI 1X or 4x wheels running in SimuCube mode can also pertain to this guide.

If the parameter is something that can be set by the user (you) I have put USER_DEFINED in the parameter if it has a common input but can be changed I put “common”/USER_DEFINED. Please read the description to find out the common setting and or what the setting does.

Granity Setup Software:

Goals Tab

Drive Function –

SMO – SM bus Address: (parameter = 0) –
This number indicates the location of the Simple motion USB interface for the Simucube this does not need to be changed.

CM – Control Mode: (parameter = Torque Control) –
This sets the IONI to control the OSW servo based on torque.

CEN – Require Software Enable: (parameter = Unchecked) –
This is to be unchecked because there is no software to enable the device, You want it the OSW to be enabled when you turn it on.

CEI – Electrical Interface: (parameter = SimuCube) –
This tells the IONI what type of interface board you are using for connection, because the SimuCube is based on the IONI 1x or 4X specification you can also use SimuCube mode with these boards. Most features will work exactly the same but future firmware revisions may not. SimuCube mode has been determined to smooth out the Torque Control response of 1X and 4X boards. It is suggested to run SimuCube mode on these boards. You may have to move or add your Enable/EStop to the Sto2 input on the 1x/4x so it continues to function as an e-Stop.

CEP – Enable Pulsing: (parameter = unchecked) –
Not used by SimuCube so leave unchecked.

Setpoint Input Signal –

CRI – Set Point Input Type: (parameter = Pulse Width Modulation) –
MMOS Currently only supports Incremental encoders using Pulse width modulation for position control, due to this current OSW’s require set points be input in this manner. In the future other encoder input styles may be able to be used but not currently.

CIS – Set point Smoothing: (parameter = unchecked/USER_DEFINED) –
This is a control that can be user defined and changed if you wish. It is essentially a filter that removes rough input. This can have an effect similar to Torque Bandwidth (TBW) as it will reduce spikes in the signal. Generally this is Unchecked as similar effects can be put into the system elsewhere without processing effects resulting in latency or a delay in the action of the wheel.

MUL – Set point Multiplier: (parameter = 100/USER_DEFINED) –
This setting is used to scale the set point signal as it enters the controller, This number in relation to the DIV sets the scale of the signal entering the controller (MUL = DIV is 100% or 1:1). Generally this would be used to reduce or increase signal amplitude so if you had low signal amplification you could raise it or High you could lower it. 100 is a good number because it = 100% which means the signal is coming in at the amplitude it was produced at.

DIV – Set point Divider: (parameter = 100/USER_DEFINED) –
This divides the set point amplitude so that you have more range to set scaling if needed. Documentation explains that this number has greater effect on many variables within the system and should not be set to less than 50 to preserve precision of the drive. Setting this also to 100 as is the MUL setting with preserve precision as well as not change the incoming set point signal at 1:1

CAO – Setpoint Offset Nulling: (parameter = 0) –
This alters the index point seen by the IONI by a certain%. Generally you should leave this number at “0” this will not software align the offset point with MMOS. Though it will alter it slightly it will not actually allow for alignment so it is to be set at 0.

CED – Enable Direction Input: (parameter = Checked) –
This tells the IONI that there will be directional signals in a +/- fashion and to interpret the set points as directional

Homing –

HME – Homing Enable: (parameter = Unchecked) –
Homing is not needed when using an OSW

Stopping and Braking –

BDD – Dynamic Deceleration (parameter = 1/unused) –
Unused when in torque control mode with the SimuCube

BED – Mechanical Brake Delay (parameter = 1.5/unused) –
Servos used for the OSW should not have a mechanical brake

BER – Mechanical Brake Delay (parameter = 0/unused) –
Servos used for the OSW should not have a mechanical brake

BAP – Mechanical Brake Phasing (parameter – unchecked/unused) –
Servos used for the OSW should not have a mechanical brake

Machine Tab

Axis Mechanics –

AXT – Physical Axis Type: (parameter = Rotary) –
Steering wheels are rotated. Sets the type of calculations to be made.

AXS – Axis Scale: (parameter = 1) –
Sets the travel per rotation of the servo. The setting of 1 means that one rotation on the AXT = 1 rotation.

AXI – Axis Invert Direction: (parameter = checked) –
Determines + and – direction of travel. MMOS has a reversed signal to the IONI and therefore this needs to be checked. Unchecking this will have the adverse effect of the wheel spinning uncontrollably.

Motor Parameters –

MT – Motor Type: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
Refer to your servos manufacturer documentation. To help there is a list of commonly used OSW servos below – This is the built type of servo or stepper motor being used AC or BLDC (Brushless DC) are the most common type.

MMS – Maximum Speed: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
Refer to your servos manufacturer documentation. To help there is a list of commonly used OSW servos below.

MPC – Motor Pole Count: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
Refer to your servos manufacturer documentation. To help there is a list of commonly used OSW servos below.

MCC – Continuous Current Limit: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
This Parameter sets the continuous current that your servo can handle. Generally speaking the use of the OSW does not ever have a continuous current as it is always changing. Due to the manner in which the IONI runs through initialization it is good to set this number at least 1 – 2 A below that of the MMC value.. You could also set it to your servos manufacturer documentation for continuous use of your servo by multiplying their RMS value by 1.4142 and using that number.

MMC – Peak Current Limit: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
This parameter sets the peak of sine current to achieve a specific maximum output from the servo. This can be used in conjunction to tune the wheel to achieve certain effects. Generally speaking the higher the number the more Nm or torque your servo is capable of producing. The amount of amperage the IONI can output is dependent on the servos rated maximum torque and the IONI type used (IONI Pro = 18A, IONI HC = 25A) The maximum MMC for specific common is listed in the “Common OSW Servo List” In order to find your maximum allowable MMC for your servo please refer to your manufacturer documentation for the servo you are using and do the following calculation – (peak Nm / torque constant) x 1.1412 – if your number is higher than the IONI rated output then the maximum MMC that can be used is that of the IONI limit.

MR – Coil Resistance: (parameter = Granity set/USER_DEFINED) –
Refer to your servos manufacturer documentation or better yet just press the “Measure resistance & inductance” button within Granity and let it do the work.

ML – Coil Inductance: (parameter = Granity set/USER_DEFINED) –
Refer to your servos manufacturer documentation or better yet just press the “Measure resistance & inductance” button within Granity and let it do the work.

MTC – Thermal Time Constant: (parameter = 1500 to 2500/USER_DEFINED) –
This number may be indicated in your manufacturer documentation for your servo. This is a protection for your servo to keep it from overheating should it constantly be at Maximum current for some reason. Generally because force feedback is so variable this will not be an issue.

MPP – Peak Power Limit: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
This setting is an internal throttle for the IONI to keep power draw below that of your power supply. Set this according to your maximum power supply output. This can be disabled, doing so could cause under voltage faults if the IONI and servo pull more power than your power supply can provide.

Position Feedback Device –

FBD – Feedback Device: (parameter = Quadrature encoder 1/USER_DEFINED) –
Sets the type of feedback device being used, Currently MMOS only supports Quadrature encoders so this would currently be the only type used.

FBR – Feedback Device Resolution: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
Set this number to the PPR specification of your encoder. Failure to set this correctly can scale your feedback up or down and in some cases making it seem as if the wheel is completely locked up.

FBI – Invert Feedback Direction: (parameter = unchecked) –
This reverses the direction of the signal sent to the IONI.

FBH – Hall Sensor Configuration: (parameter = off) –
Hall sensor positioning is not used by the OSW

Tuning Tab

Torque Controller-

TBW – Torque Band Width: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
This setting is a filter point for the incoming set point information received by the IONI. It works similar in manner to CIS Smoothing on the goals page but it is more customizable. The lower the setting the more smoothing of the signal and in turn 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 – 680) due to noisy signals being implemented in their feedback systems.

NFF – Notch Filter Frequency: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
The notch filter/peak filter is a filter that works on a specific frequency point in the feedback range. This can be used for many different purposes but is normally used to remove specific oscillatory feedback. This setting tends to need to be done while in sim to be most effective as it is so specific in what it will actually affect.

NFA – Notch Attenuation: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
This setting controls how deep the notch is in the filter set by db. The deeper the notch the wider the frequencies are that are effected and the more dramatically diminished the center HFF designated 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 OSW.

NFQ – Quality Factor: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
The quality factor determines how quickly the frequency returns after attenuation. A lower number indicates a slower return to normal around the NFF frequency effectively widening the number of frequencies that are affected by the filters notch.

TED – Dampening Filter: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
Dampening within the IONI is designed to limit overshoot that the servo itself is inducing due to velocity of the armature. Increasing the % adds dampening. The goal of this setting is to cut out unwanted positional errors due to the servo overshooting the intended positioning causing unintended forces to be delivered to the servo. This overshoot error usually will show up as oscillations of the wheel. In the case of the OSW if you turn the dampening up too far and over dampen the system the steering will feel dull but will also exhibit a peaky rough feeling at times when the feedback system tells the wheel there it needs to be in a certain position and it moves abruptly and stops without a ramp up or down in velocity to give a fluid feel. This phenomenon comes across in the wheel as ticking and knocking. If you are to over dampen the wheel you normally will not have positional errors.

TEF- Friction Filter: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
The friction parameter adds artificial weight to the feel of the OSW. Going too far on this parameter can actually override the forces applied by the software to return a wheel to center. In essence this parameter slows the reaction of the wheel. The best use of the friction filter is to overcome some of the inherent non realistic feeling created by force feedback.. The biggest being the rubber band effect.. This effect comes from the fact that force feedback for the most part is designed to return the steering wheel to the 0 index no matter what you do and to do that it adds progressive 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 making the return to center 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 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.

TEI – Inertia Filter: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
The inertia parameter helps a heavy armature servo overcome it’s own static inertia by adding an electronic boost to the direction of motion that is provided by the IONI. It will add a feeling of liveliness to the wheel. This parameter in the OSW can work in conjunction with the TEF to achieve a more realistic feel by allowing you to increase friction but regain some of the reactiveness lost by the friction. This filter will add to the rubber band effect if overused.

Motor Torque Cogging & Ripple Compensation –

TRF1 – Cogging Compensation Function: (parameter = none) –
Unused in current SimuCube systems.

TRF1 – Cogging Compensation Current: (parameter = 0.0) –
Unused in current SimuCube systems.

TRF2 – Torque Ripple Compensation Function: (parameter = none) –
Unused in current SimuCube systems.

TRF2 – Torque Ripple Compensation Amplitude: (parameter = 0.0) –
Unused in current SimuCube systems.

Fault Limits Tab

Drive Fault Limits –

FOC – Fault Over Current: (parameter = Maximum/USER_DEFINED) –
This setting indicates how sensitive the IONI will be to faulting due to current spikes. Setting this to maximum allows for less sensitivity and therefore less faulting. You can set this lower but if you are having issues with faulting due to current you will probably want to raise it.

FOV – Fault Over Voltage: (parameter = 50/USER_DEFINED) – DANGER
This setting is ver important and MUST be set 1 – 2 volts above your current indicated HV+ voltage that is shown on the Granity Testing page. You should set this prior to actually connecting your servo. Granity will ask you to restart the drive because no servo is connected and it failed to initialize say don’’t restart set this setting and then close Granity and save to the IONI. It will then be safe to connect your servo and use as normal. Later firmware revisions (1100+) on the IONI have some protection for FOV settings that are set to low. 50V is indicated above but 49V is more common when using a 48V power supply.

FUV – Fault Under Voltage: (parameter = 30/USER_DEFINED) –
This setting sets when the IONI will fault when there is a drop in current. Granite Devices recommends 30V but you could use less or more.

Goal Deviation Faults –

FTT – Goal Fault Filter Time: (parameter = 0/USER_DEFINED) –
Sets how long before a fault occurs from the settings of FEV, FMO, and LSF

FEV – Over Speed Fault: (parameter = 100/USER_DEFINED) –
This acts as effectively a crazy wheel fault. If set low enough you can actually cause the wheel to fault during a crash removing all feedback and allowing the wheel to go lose.

FMO – Motion Threshold Fault: (parameter = 0 Disabled) –
Not used with the OSW as it would fault while turning as it is a stopped motion fault.

LSF – Limit Switch Function: (parameter = Do Nothing) –
Limit switches are not used with the OSW.

Common OSW Servos:

Mige 130STM10010 (small mige):
MT – 3 phase AC or BLDC
MMS – 1000
MPC – 8
MMC – 12.86 (max)

Mige 130STM15015 (large mige):
MT – 3 phase AC or BLDC
MMS – 1500
MPC – 8
MMC – 25 (max) w/IONI HC, 18 (max) w/IONI PRO

Additional Servos please let me know the spec via PM so I can add them.

MMOS Software:

Device “Setup” page

PWM Mode – Pulse Width Modulation Mode: (parameter = PWM & DIR) –
This sets the way that MMOS sends signals to the IONI – PWM and DIR will control both PWM based output as well as step type signals.

PWM – PWM Frequency: (parameter = 3.4kHz) –
Determines the optimal frequency that should be sent to the servo in PWM mode. NOTE: this may be able to be altered to give higher performance with certain servos however it has not been tested and the listed parameter is the common setting.

Enable Force LED – Enable Force LED: (parameter = unchecked) –
It is unknown if this does anything anywhere so it is left unchecked

Encoder CPR – Encoder CPR: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
Set this to 4 times the number used in the FBR setting within Granity to achieve the correct set point output.

Reverse Encoder – Reverse Encoder: (parameter = unchecked) –
Does what it says it reverses the encoder direction. Setting this is not needed but it would relate directly to FBI in Granity as well in that the settings should match.

Use Encoder Index – Encoder Index Enable: (parameter = checked) –
This setting allows you to set wheel center allowing MMOS to self calibrate when the wheel is turned on.

Report Combined Pedals – Combined Pedal Enable: (parameter = unchecked) –
If you have a pedal set connected to the SimuCube or Discovery Board that uses a single axis to report both throttle and brake this check box allows it to be separated into more useful set-up.

Analog Axes – Number of Analog Axis points: (parameter = 3 – Rx, Ry, Rz/USER_DEFINED) –
Allows you to set how many and what type of Axis are used when you connect analog pots to the SimuCube or Discovery Board. This is used mainly for connection raw connection pedals or load cells directly to the OSW.

Buttons 1-16 – Button Setting Style: (parameter = STM32 Pins/USER_DEFINED) –
Determines the manner by which buttons are detected when using the raw button connections on the SimuCube or Discovery Board.

Buttons 17-32 – Button Setting Style: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
Determines the manner by which buttons are detected when using the raw button connections on the SimuCube or Discovery Board. MMOS provides a set-up for a G25 Shifter in this location. This may not be compatible wth the SimuCube.

Shifter – Shifter Type: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
Defines the style of shifter attached to the SimuCube or Discovery Board. This may not be compatible wth the SimuCube.

MMOS Main Page

Steering Angle

Rotation – Steering Degrees: (parameter = 900/USER_DEFINED) –
This sets the degrees of rotation you wish to allow in the steering. Most games use 900 deg while others use 1080 deg. You can set this to any rotation you would like and in doing so it sets your endpoints. Setting this different than the game may alter the way forces are translated to the wheel

Center Steering – Sets Steering Center and Offset: (parameter = checked) –
Though this box never actually stays checked, it needs to be checked after clicking the Use Encoder Index box under Setup. Once checked when the steering wheel is centered an offset number will be saved and shown under the rotation heading. Ideally you would want to have this as close to “0” as possible since “0” is the encoder index and the point at which MMOS loads setting from onboard memory. you can adjust toward “0” by loosening your steering hub and turning the shaft testing the offset until you get close to a registered zero. Once found you can tighten the hub. This should put you within a small range of “0” plus or minus. The advantage of the center point being close to “0” is that generally the phasing of the servo upon startup will cross the zero point and initialize MMOS or at worst when you center the wheel it will initialize and load your in memory saved settings.

Steering Stop

Gain – Force Multiplier for the Steering Stop: (parameter = 10/USER_DEFINED) –
This sets how much MMOS compresses set points at the end stop locations to increase resistance. Software based bump stop.

Max Force – Force Used at the End Stop: (parameter = 50/USER_DEFINED) –
Sets what level signal MMOS sends to the IONI regarding force applied in resistance to passing over the compressed set points in Gain. Setting the Gain and the Force both High would result in end stops that are like hitting a wall. Reducing these allow you to have some give at the end stops so the wheel isn’t so hard in stopping.

Force Settings

Overall Filter – Smoothing Filter: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
This filter smoothes all signals coming from your program whatever they are. It is analogous to a river where the signal is the rocks in that river. It constantly runs and smooths the sharp edges off of everything. The higher the number the more smoothing occurs giving a much softer but still detailed feeling.

Min Force – Minimum Applied Force: (parameter = 0/USER_DEFINED) –
This Parameter sets the minimum force that is applied to the wheel at all times and can be used to help alleviate the feel for center line dead zones by applying standing force.

Max Force – Maximum Applied Force: (parameter = 100/USER_DEFINED) –
Sets the final signal amplitude that is sent to the IONI. You can reduce the overall power of the servo output through this setting. Generally it is best to leave this at 100% and use it sparingly for testing purposes or for other titles besides iRacing. When using this slider to alter amplitude of the signal it will affect how the filters are applied to the signal within Granity due to a lower amplitude complete signal entering the IONI at 100% scale.

Effect Filter

Dampening Filter – Signal Dampening: (parameter = Off/USER_DEFINED) –
MMOS version of the dampening filter that is now within Granity. It is best not to set any dampening at this stage in the processing chain.

Friction Filter – Friction Filter: (parameter = Off/USER_DEFINED) –
MMOS version of the friction filter that is now within Granity. It is best not to set any friction correction at this stage in the processing chain.

Inertia Filter – Inertia Filter: (parameter = Off/USER_DEFINED) –
MMOS version of the inertia filter that is now within Granity. It is best not to set any inertia correction at this stage in the processing chain.

Desktop Effect

Menu – Filter Select: (parameter = Off, 0/USER_DEFINED) –
This sets which type of effect filter is to be used when windows is at the desktop. With this you can change the way the wheel behaves at standstill. For Example the Spring setting will pull the wheel back to center should it be turned. The % amount is the additional % that is added above incoming forces.

Saturation – Filter Prominence: (parameter = 0/USER_DEFINED) –
This sets how much the filter covers over other incoming signal. 100% would cover the entire range of the signal.

User Effect

Menu – Filter Select: (parameter = Off, 0/USER_DEFINED) –
This sets which type of effect filter is to be used when in game. You may only select one filter type. With this you can change the way the wheel behaves while driving. This has been deprecated by the multiple filters used within Granity currently and is generally not used.

Saturation – Filter Prominence: (parameter = 0/USER_DEFINED) –
This sets how much the filter covers over other incoming signal. 100% would cover the entire range of the signal.

FFB Configuration

This area is for saving your configuration. After any adjustments are made to MMOS it is advised to save then to both Default and the eprom by doing so your setting will be loaded upon wheel startup and MMOS initialization. You can also save different settings for different purposes in this section.

DFU mode button – Puts MMOS into download mode allowing you to update MMOS to the latest version if available or install MMOS to the IONI Drive.

iRacing Settings:

app.ini File (located in the users/“username”/documents/iracing)

Changes to this file need to be made to diminish and/or remove some un-wanted effects within iRacing that cause oscillations with the OSW. The app.ini has descriptions about what each setting does in a generalize form.

displayLinearInNm – Nm Display of force: (parameter = 1) –
Changes the iRacing force slider to display the 100% point in Nm

steeringBumpStop_Deg – Software Bump Stop: (parameter = 10.000000) –
Sets how many degrees beyond the calibrated endpoints iRacing allows before initiating a 100% force to hold the wheel within calibrated limits

steeringDampingFactor – Strength of Dampening Signal: (parameter = 0.0500000) –
Sets the strength of the dampening applied to the signal when the iRacing dampener is used 1=100%

steeringDampeningMaxPercent – Dampening Percentage: (parameter = 0.0000000) –
Sets the percentage of dampening added to the FFB signal. This is set primarily through the dampening slider and is over written if the slider is moved.

steeringDampingParkedMaxPercent – Dampening Percentage “Parked”: (parameter = 0.0000000) –
Sets the percentage of dampening added to the FFB signal when the car is in parked mode and the Dampen Oscillations checkbox is enabled.

steeringFFBSmooth – Percentage of Inverse Signal Smoothing: (parameter = 1.0000000) –
Sets the percentage of RAW feedback signal passing through the filer 1=100% Raw signal lower numbers signify more signal averaging or smoothing.

steeringForceParkedPct – Parked Force Reduction: (parameter = 0.500000) –
Sets how much reduction in force is applied when in parked mode and the Dampen Oscillations checkbox is enabled. 0.5 = 50% reduction

The app.ini file is full of a bunch of interesting items that can be adjusted including the way dampening is applied to the wheel (Dampening, Friction, or Inertia) through Microsoft’s DirectInput. These adjustments have not been tested by anyone using the OSW that is known so the actual effects are currently unknown. With some of the settings you must be careful as it may place some adverse effects on things regarding FFB or other aspects of iRacing. Anything that says “Parked” in it takes effect at 5MPH or below when the Dampen Oscillations Checkbox is enabled.

Options Main Page

Steering

Wheel Range – Wheel Degrees: (parameter = Calibration Set) –
Sets the Range of the wheel as detected through calibration should be detected in the end the same as the setting that is indicated in MMOS.

Wheel Map – Wheel Mapping: (parameter = Calibration Set) –
This allows you to change the way the wheel is mapped to the Wheel in the actual car having this the same as the Wheel Range is 1:1 with the iRacing actual steering map.

Force Feedback

Enable Force Feedback – Feedback Enable: (parameter = checked) –
Enables the feedback system to send telemetry information to MMOS or any other feedback device.

Use Linear Mode – Linear Force Delivery Enable: (parameter = checked) –
This turns off iRacing’s built in force curve compression calculations allowing telemetry to be directly output as it is generated without any additional strength processing. By initializing “displayLinearInNm=1” in the app.ini file the “strength” scale will now show Nm instead of an arbitrary number based on the processed FFB curves.

Dampen Oscillations – Parked Setting Enable: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
This checkbox adds friction, dampening, and reduced force to the feedback signal. It can help alleviate oscillations within iRacings force feedback system when below 5MPH when in iRacing. Parked options in the app.ini work only when this is enabled. Set this to what you feel works best for your wheel setup. It is possible to get almost the same dampening effects in pits without using this checkbox if you do not use in game dampening effects but you will not be able to tune the force reduction via steeringForceParkedPct within the app.ini and you lose the additional friction placed on the wheel.

Strength Slider – 100% Feedback Strength Point: (parameter = USER_DEFINED) –
The strength slider sets the point at which iRacing outputs a signal of 100% force. More explanation of the setting of this slider will be explained in the section on setting up the specific and overall power of the OSW.

Dampening Slider – iRacing Dampening: (parameter = 0/USER_DEFINED) –
iRacings Dampening system is a low loop filter that is designed to work reasonably with a wide range of FFB wheels from low end to high end so it is not tuned to any wheel specifically. The effect, when it works, is similar to other dampening options in MMOS and Granity. This setting is best left to be done within Granity, therefore, the best setting is 0.

Min Force – Minimum Force Setting: (parameter = 0/USER_DEFINED) –
Work similarly to minimum force in MMOS. Amplifies the low end feedback to reduce center dead zones within the steering. This setting is best set if wanted further down the chain of filters in MMOS if wanted at all, therefore, the best setting is 0.

** Some information provided by David Tucker (iRacing Staff) and Jason Jodarski

 

Tuning the Power of your OSW:

There are a few things to know about the power of the OSW..

#1 – It is powerful, It can hurt if you, as it can put out more force than you are able to hold onto.
#2 – Setting the maximum power that your servo does not mean you are using that power all the time.
#3 – Setting a lower power level does not mean that you cannot still receive the forces you want all the way to 1:1.

The intention of this section is to give an idea of the two basic theories in setting up power of the OSW for iRacing. What the differences are between the setups and what the similarities are and how to set-up your specific output.

OSW Power and Specific Output calculator:

This link is to a very useful excel Calculator that was developed by James Ptak and modified for usability by me. It allows you to quickly figure out your Power, Range, and Clipping Point of your settings in comparison to what would be the actual simulated output. You can choose what servo to graph and have a comparison servo at the same settings. The Excel File is a little fickle with regards to the pull down menus (at least on my excel) but they do work. To better understand what all you are looking at please read through this section first.

http://www.penguinrc.com/penguinrc_simulation/OSW_force_calculator.xlsx

Basic Power Theories:

Limited Power Set-up –
This set-up of the wheel is designed to impart a certain amount of clipping within the car you are driving.

Pros – By inducing clipping in iRacing you are able to protect yourself from high impact jolts such as wrecks and hard curb hits. When limiting the power you are purposefully lowering the output of the wheel to any point at which you feel it is manageable. By using a reduced force set-up it is possible that the wheel will be more compatible with other titles directly that do not have as many power controls as iRacing.
Cons – The issue with a limited power set-up is that it does not always transfer from car to car with the same effects which means you must either alter the specific output you use with the car OR you have to readjust the power delivered to the wheel to grant the same effects at the clipping point. In addition if the car being used has spiky feedback you may actually be clipping out important information about road texture and tire grip. Tuning for the car is primary with this sort of set-up.

Full Power Setup –
This set-up of the wheel is designed it allow the wheel to use its full power whenever a signal for 100% power is delivered from iRacing.

Pros – The advantage to this is that no matter what car you drive you will receive the power designated by that car through your specific output. In most cases you will not experience clipping with any car unless you are running some of the most demanding vehicles at a high specific output. Generally speaking this is the set it and forget it way to setup the wheel.
Cons – By running full power it means that at any time the software calls for full power (100% signal) you will be hit with the true capability of the wheel. Even when you tune to a specific output there is the possibility that at some point you may experience the full power of the wheel. one of the points where this is most felt is running a low torque car (i.e. Miata) and wrecking. The torque output could be averaging about 7Nm but spike to 20 or 30Nm in an instant when you wreck (depending upon your Max output)

Determining your Max Output (whether limited or not):

Maximum output is determined by your servos Torque coefficient and the Peak of Sine amperage that is available to the servo by the IONI and is limited by your servos Maximum Torque Rating or your IONI’s Maximum rated output amperage. Even though you can technically drive some servos beyond their maximum torque rating by running a higher amperage in the MMC setting on the IONI it is definitely NOT recommended to do so. To quickly find out the Maximum MMC value that can be used safely for common servos please look at the list in the section above.

Finding your Torque:
In order to find the torque (in Nm) that your Sservo is outputting with a certain MMC value you would use the following formula –
( MMC / 1.4142 ) * Torque Constant of your servo = Maximum Nm output at a given MMC

If you wish to find the maximum amperage your servo can use to achieve its rated maximum torque. The following formula will work –
( Max Rated Torque / Torque Constant ) * 1.4142 = Peak of Sine amperage to achieve Maximum Servo Torque

The IONI Drives currently have a limit of 18A MMC for the Pro version and 25A MMC for the HC version. If your servos has a Maximum Torque MMC above these levels you will not be able to use the servos full rated torque as you can ONLY use the IONI drives maximum rated MMC.

Other Methods to Adjust Power:

MMOS –
After setting your MMC in Granity to what you want you can also adjust your maximum power through MMOS with the Max Force slider. Under normal circumstances it is not recommended to have the MMOS setting at anything less than 100% as described above but it can be useful for certain things. This is a good method for temporarily testing power levels lower than what you are currently running or to adjust the power for other game titles.

Specific Output –

Specific Output is the difference between your Calculated Maximum Torque output (of the wheel) and the point at which you set the iRacing Strength Slider (100% telemetry output).

The specific output of the wheel is probably the biggest adjustment to power that can be made as this sets the ratio at which power is delivers at the wheel in relation to what iRacing outputs via telemetry as to what the car itself is delivering. In order to find your specific output you would use the following formula –

(( MMC / 1.4142 ) * Torque Constant of your servo) / Nm indicated on the iRacing Strength Slider = Specific output : 1 Nm output via telemetry.

A certain specific output can be achieved regardless of the MMC power that is put into Granity, however, having a low MMC value (low maximum torque) limits the usable range of output before iRacing clipping.

Examples:

Small Mige @ 12.86A MMC = 20Nm Maximum torque output –
1:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 20Nm (or as close as you could get)
0.5:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 40Nm (or as close as you could get)

Small Mige @ 10A MMC = 15.56Nm Maximum torque output –
1:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 15.56Nm (or as close as you could get)
0.5:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 31.12Nm (or as close as you could get)

Small Mige @ 7A MMC = 10.89Nm Maximum torque output –
1:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 10.89Nm (or as close as you could get)
0.5:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 21.8Nm (or as close as you could get)

Large Mige @ 25A MMC = 27.9Nm Maximum torque output –
1:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 27.9Nm (or as close as you could get)
0.5:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 55.8Nm (or as close as you could get)

Large Mige @ 18A MMC = 20.11Nm Maximum torque output –
1:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 20.11Nm (or as close as you could get)
0.5:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 40.22Nm (or as close as you could get)

Large Mige @ 13A MMC = 14.52Nm Maximum torque output –
1:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 14.52Nm (or as close as you could get)
0.5:1 output the racing strength slider would be placed at 29.04Nm (or as close as you could get)

As you can see regardless of the MMC level you can still achieve any specific output. If you are looking to achieve the same specific output at a different MMC Rating use this formula:
(( MMC / 1.4142 ) * Torque Constant of your servo) / desired Specific Output = iRacing Strength Setting.

About the iRacing Strength Slider –
The iRacing strength slider sets the point in Nm at which iRacing will output a signal of 100% to MMOS and then on to the IONI Drive controlling your servo. It also controls the point at which iRacing clips output to the feedback system. Once a car telemetry output reaches the Nm set by the strength slider any output above that point will be clipped. This results in the servo outputting full force (as set by MMC) but without any detail until the telemetry indicates a reduction in vehicle forces below the set 100% point.. What this means is that if you have the slider set to 30 Nm and you are driving a car where all telemetry from the car stays at or below 30Nm you will not clip at all but if you change to a car that outputs 40Nm in telemetry then when that car hits anything between 30 and 40Nm it will be clipped by iRacing.

So what does this mean –
What this means is that to avoid clipping on as many cars as possible you want to run the iRacing slider at the highest number possible. In running a higher number on the strength slider you also reduce your specific output at the wheel. This is where running a higher MMC value or an inherently stronger servo can help in that the higher Nm your servo can run, the higher you can set your specific output without clipping. This is why if you choose to have the same specific output running a lower MMC you will also need to lower the Nm number on your iRacing strength slider which will put you closer to clipping in iRacing.

It appears that for the most part you can keep almost all cars from clipping with an iRacing setting of around 55Nm, the DW12 will spike to 70+ Nm but not often. Of course when setting the iRacing strength slider there is a balance between the specific output you want to drive with and the amount of clipping you are willing to tolerate or use depending on the theory of setup used.

Here is a link to a write up done by Paul Pearson about clipping that is very informative. The only thing missed a little is that iRacing will never allow the wheel to clip itself as the iRacing slider determines the point at which a 100% signal is sent to the wheel as described above. iRacing will never output a signal that is beyond 100% which is why your wheel will never clip itself. http://members.iracing.com/jforum/posts/list/3327729.page

Below is a list of some of the cars in iRacing and their corresponding telemetry output, approx average, cornering force via ATLAS…

DW12 – 37Nm – Watkins Glen
DW12 – 22Nm – Motegi Oval
Super Late Model – 20Nm – Irwindale
Skippy – 18Nm – Road America
Street Stock Oval – 16Nm – Lakeland
FR2.0 – 15Nm – Sebring
RUF Track – 14Nm – Sebring
Late Model Oval – 14Nm – Irwindale
Spec Racer Ford – 11Nm – Imola
Miata MX5 – 9Nm – Okayama

Here are a few per corner ATLAS Results Max Corner Nm listed Average is probably 10-15% less

Pontiac Solstice – 2:21.513 – Watkins Glen Full – Default Weather – Baseline – 2/20/2017
(1) 13.816, (2) 10.424, (3) 6.815, (4) 6.107, (5) 12.172, (6) 11.373,
(7) 10.169, (8) 12.604, (9) 12.604, (10) 9.693, (11) 11.244, (12) 10.911

Global Miata – 2:14.537 – Watkins Glen Full – Default Weather – Baseline – 2/20/2017
(1) 11.522, (2) 12.832, (3) 9.720, (4) 7.283, (5) 23.882, (6) 11.855,
(7) 10.554, (8) 14.094, (9) 10.449, (10) 10.404, (11) 11.005, (12) 14.454

Skip Barber RT2000 – 2:12.681 – Watkins Glen Full – Default Weather – Baseline – 2/20/2017
(1) 25.413, (2) 21.131, (3) 19.106, (4) 15.041, (5) 27.715, (6) 24.654,
(7) 23.875, (8) 32.953, (9) 26.16, (10) 24.294, (11) 21.050, (12) 23.964

Samples

In this section is a list of sample settings.. If you wish to add your settings to this page please use the format provided to with the settings below to list then in a new post. I will then link them to this section so they are easily accessible by everyone. If you do not know the specific output I will calculate it for you from the information that you post. If you update your settings please let me know so I can alter the specific output if needed. If they are significantly different (i.e limited power to full power) and you still wish to share the old settings please post in another setting post OR add another section to your original post but let me know so I can link them.

Settings:

Mige 130STM10010 (Small Mige):

Mige 130STM15015 (Large Mige):

Below are my current settings which are linked above:

Small MIGE:

iRacing Member – Brion Sohn
Game Settings – iRacing
Interface / Board – SimuCube IONI HC
Servo – Mige 130STM10010 (Small Mige)
Encoder – 10000 PPR
approx Specific Output – .606:1

Granity Settings :

Goals Tab –
Drive Function:
SMO – 0
CM – Torque Control
CEN – Unchecked
CEI – SimuCUBE
CEP – Unchecked

Setpoint Input Signal:
CRI – Pulse Width Modulation
CIS – Unchecked
MUL – 100
DIV – 100
CAO – 0
CED – Checked

Homing:
HME – Disabled

Stopping and Braking:
BDD – 1
BDE – 1.5
BER – 0
BAP – unchecked

Machine Tab –
Axis Mechanics:
AXT – Rotary
AXS – 1
AXI – Checked

Motor Parameters:
MT – 3 Phase AC or BLDC
MMS – 1000
MPC – 8
MCC – 11.00
MMC – 12.86
MR – 3.005 – set by granity (use the button provided)
ML – 8.781 – set by granity (use the button provided)
MTC – 2300
MPP – 0 (power limit not used)

Position Feedback Device:
FBD – Quadrature Encoder 1
FBR – 10000
FBI – unchecked
FBH – off

Tuning Tab –
Torque Controller:
TBW – 1500Hz

Torque Notch and Peaking Filter:
NFF – 5.0Hz
NFA – -4.5db
NFQ – 0.1

Torque Mode Effects:
TED – 1.85%
TEF – 1.25%
TEI – 0%

Motor Torque Cogging & Ripple Compensation:
TRF1 – None
TRA1 – 0.0A
TRF2 – None
TRA2 – 0.0A

Fault Limits –
Drive Fault Limits:
FOC – Maximum
FOV – 49.00 (MUST be 1 – 2V above the voltage shown for the HV Bus on the Granity Testing Tab)
FUV – 30.00

Goal Deviation Faults
FTT – 0.00
FEV – 100
FMO – 0 Disabled
LSF – Do Nothing

MMOS Settings:

Main –
Rotation = 900
Gain = 10x
Steering Stop Max Force = 50.55%
Overall Filter = 5
Min Force = 0%
Max Force =100%
Dampning Filter = Off
Friction Filter = Off
Inertia Filter = Off
Desktop Effect = Off
User Effect = Off

Device Setup –
PWM Mode = PWM & DIR
PWM = 3.4 kHz
Enable force LED = unchecked
Encoder CPR = 40000
Reverse Encoder = unchecked
Use Encoder Index = checked

iRacing Settings:

app.ini changes –
displayLinearInNm=1
steeringBumpStop_Deg=10.000000
steeringDampingFactor=0.050000
steeringDampingParkedMaxPercent=0.000000
steeringFFBSmooth=1.000000

In-game settings –
Use Linear Mode=checked
Dampen Oscillations=unchecked
Max force=33Nm
Damping=0%
Min force=0.0%

Notes for this setup:

This is a full power runout set-up… The feel of this set-up in my opinion is a very detailed feeling. It was tuned to give a more positive response with lower rubber banding feeling when the wheel returns to center but without compromising the speed of response.

Large MIGE:

iRacing Member – Brion Sohn
Game Settings – iRacing
Interface / Board – SimuCube IONI HC
Servo – Mige 130STM15015 (Large Mige)
Encoder – 10000 PPR
approx Specific Output – .594:1

Granity Settings :

Goals Tab –
Drive Function:
SMO – 0
CM – Torque Control
CEN – Unchecked
CEI – SimuCUBE
CEP – Unchecked

Setpoint Input Signal:
CRI – Pulse Width Modulation
CIS – Unchecked
MUL – 100
DIV – 100
CAO – 0
CED – Checked

Homing:
HME – Disabled

Stopping and Braking:
BDD – 1
BDE – 1.5
BER – 0
BAP – unchecked

Machine Tab –
Axis Mechanics:
AXT – Rotary
AXS – 1
AXI – Checked

Motor Parameters:
MT – 3 Phase AC or BLDC
MMS – 1500
MPC – 8
MCC – 23.25
MMC – 25.00
MR – 1.231 – set by granity (use the button provided)
ML – 3.926 – set by granity (use the button provided)
MTC – 2300
MPP – 0 (power limit not used)

Position Feedback Device:
FBD – Quadrature Encoder 1
FBR – 10000
FBI – unchecked
FBH – off

Tuning Tab –
Torque Controller:
TBW – 1500Hz

Torque Notch and Peaking Filter:
NFF – 7.0Hz
NFA – -3.3db
NFQ – 1.0

Torque Mode Effects:
TED – 2.0%
TEF – 6.0%
TEI – 1.5%

Motor Torque Cogging & Ripple Compensation:
TRF1 – None
TRA1 – 0.0A
TRF2 – None
TRA2 – 0.0A

Fault Limits –
Drive Fault Limits:
FOC – Maximum
FOV – 49.00 (MUST be 1 – 2V above the voltage shown for the HV Bus on the Granity Testing Tab)
FUV – 30.00

Goal Deviation Faults
FTT – 0.00
FEV – 100
FMO – 0 Disabled
LSF – Do Nothing

MMOS Settings:

Main –
Rotation = 900
Gain = 10x
Steering Stop Max Force = 50%
Overall Filter = 5
Min Force = 0%
Max Force =100%
Dampning Filter = Off
Friction Filter = Off
Inertia Filter = Off
Desktop Effect = Off
User Effect = Off

Device Setup –
PWM Mode = PWM & DIR
PWM = 3.4 kHz
Enable force LED = unchecked
Encoder CPR = 40000
Reverse Encoder = unchecked
Use Encoder Index = checked

iRacing Settings:

app.ini changes –
displayLinearInNm=1
steeringBumpStop_Deg=10.000000
steeringDampingFactor=0.050000
steeringDampingParkedMaxPercent=0.000000
steeringFFBSmooth=1.000000

In-game settings –
Use Linear Mode=checked
Dampen Oscillations=unchecked
Max force=47Nm
Damping=0%
Min force=0.0%

Notes for this setup:

This is a full power runout set-up… The feel of this set-up in my opinion is a very detailed but subdued feeling. It was designed to be rubbery and resistive to give a more positive response to input and create a more realistic deadened overall feel.


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3 COMMENTS

  1. Note this guide refers mostly to the original IONI/SimuCUBE SC1/MMOS based systems.. the Filters however did transfer to the SimuCUBE firmware for the SC1 and also TrueDrive for the SimuCUBE SC2..

    TBW (Torque Band Width), Damping, Friction, Inertia, and the Notch Filter all remain constant.

    For newer information about the SC1 Configuration tool and True Drive Please see their respective Manuals.
    These systems add Reconstruction Filter and Constant Force Reduction for the SC1, along with Slew, and Low Latency for the SC2.

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