DIY building an Open Sim Wheel (OSW) with Mige, Simucube and Ioni Pro

Building you own Open Sim Wheel (OSW) is fun, challenging and expensive. What you end up with is a powerful direct-drive steering system for driving simulators. They are incredibly immersive. If you are a serious sim racer it will take you to the next level. The Open Sim Wheel can be used not only for cars but also for trucks such as Euro Truck Simulator 2.
The cost of parts looks is as follows:
MiGE servo motor and cables $304 US
Simucube (force feedback controller) 169 EUR
Ioni Pro (servo drive) 179 EUR
48V 600W power supply $69
Leather steering wheel $133 AUS
3D printed shaft mount $1 AUS
Quick release clamp $4 AUS
Emergency stop button $10 AUS
Case Coolermaster Elite 110 mini $59 AUS
3 pin socket and fuse $5
MiGE mount $200 AUS
Total: $1506AUS
Small Mige 130ST-M10010 for OSW
Lisa email is: [e-mail]
granitedevices...
Simucube
store.granited...
Ioni Pro
store.granited...
Granite Devices wiki
granitedevices...
drc file for motor configuration from simtechracing
www.simtechrac...
Ioni Pro firmware
granitedevices...
Granity software
granitedevices...
Defuse demo bootloader
www.st.com/en/...
Simucube firmware
github.com/Sim...
You will need v0.11.2 BEFORE you upgrade to the latest version.
Steering wheel ebay
QSP Leather Steering Wheel "Touring Flat 300" flat 300mm
Power supply ebay
Wide Range 200-240V AC-DC 600W 48V 12.5A Power Supply
Emergency stop ebay
Plastic Shell Emergency Stop Mushroom Push Button
Coolermaser Elite 110 Case
www.coolermast...
MiGe mount - hrsims.com.au/
[e-mail]
3 pin cable and socket ebay
3 Pin IEC320 C14 Inlet Module Plug Fuse Switch Male Power Socket 10A 250V
Quick release clamp ebay
Bike Bicycle BMX MTB Quick Release Seat Post Anodised Alloy Clamp 34.9 mm
Quick release 3D adapter
www.thingivers...

[@stigastondogg730]

I know this is an old vid but today this helped me so much. I was stuck and didn’t understand the simucube instructions - following this vid saved my bacon!! I’m sure you’ve helped many others with this

[@carles1983]

Thanks for share, I built my own OSW following your steps. Great!

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Fantastic!

[@_xndrzt]

I literally went mad trying to find the source of the issues I had with my OSW, which I bought as a pre-built kit from Simracingbay. it was the same model as yours, small MiGe 20nm. I spent I'd say half time actually using it and half troubleshooting. So in the end I sold it and bought a Simucube2 Sport, and in the last year since I got this I never had any sort of problem. But this made me realize it was all due to EMI interferences, I never thought about it and therefore never upgraded to shielded cables: I say this because now Simucube2 systems comes with EMI protected board and power cable - you don't need anymore the encoder cable because the electronic parts of the motor are all inside the motor case itself. Moral of the story, I would still have the OSW if I discovered what was causing all my issues (namely bad ffb interference and cross-talking with HE pedals).

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Thank you for such a detailed report. I hope it helps others. In my case, I do have EMI that only affects the Pimax headset: if I touch the bottom of the HMD while the platform is powered-up - the display blanks and the simulation window I am in looses focus in Windows. I have replaced the Pimax original strap with a Vive deluxe audio strap which enables me to take the HMD off without touching the Pimax housing. It works really well. I did try grounding the platform and OSW servo but it didn't do anything apart from stopping the Mige from working. I didn't investigate further on that one.

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

@@BottomSplitPodium Thank you for adding that extra information. I'm sure it will other builders.

[@Beardmorebros]

Great video and superb step by step instructions especially for the software. It gives me confidence that I can update all the software which was my big worry.

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

You're welcome!

[@alparkerx604]

2 in one day, Must be my birthday.

[@DMAX_DIY]

Oh buddy... I"m in!! This looks pretty awesome! I been looking at this type of thing for a little while now.. going to get my 'orders' together.. Thanks again for posting this..DMAX

[@AlexB_yolo]

The Usb problem you had (around minute 7) is probably due to having too many usb devices AND using a port that is part of an internal hub. You’d need to find a USB port in your PC that is not part of a hub.

[@oneredcow2134]

What a great video !!! well explained .. so much so i'm going to do the leap myself, and get one ..Thanks again for the great video !

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Glad it was helpful!

[@1620GarageAndFarm]

Great video !!! I just picked up a used OSW local. your video will be used as a reference as I set everything up. Thanks !

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@JulienLangot]

Thanks a lot for the help !!

[@tuoa468]

amazing video thanks for all

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Most welcome

[@vex123]

Why does everyone use the MiGE motor with the OSW? Can't they use any other PMSM servo within the max torque range?

[@aliardaerd]

that encoder you paid extra money for is sold for 7 dollars alone, i don't know how much extra you paid but that's just bad of them. But i really liked the build hope you're enjoying it.

[@lautaroparodi3307]

Do you have a link for encoder ??

[@aliardaerd]

@@lautaroparodi3307 m.1688.com/offer/604517635642.html

[@dixeyfuly]

please make a video of your shop..

[@renapunx]

Hey man, great build. I'm planning to do something similar myself. Did you follow any specific guide? I can only find old ones and don't know if they'll change for newer boards. Will this be the same for a Big Mige? Thanks a lot for the video and your time!

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Hi, there isn't a dedicated how-to because there are many variations. I started with the Granite wiki and then put this video together to help others. With both of these building an OSW is straightforward. If you get into trouble you can get support from Granite Devices who are very responsive. The wiki can be found here: granitedevices.com/wiki/Category:SimuCUBE Hope that helps

[@renapunx]

@@sixdegreesofflight7765 Thank you very much! I'll give it a try soon!

[@collinh248]

If you're using a bigger mige the 130st-15025 would this same process work?

[@YellowFruit01]

Thanks for sharing. Noticed you didn’t use an expensive power supply like the others. Did you incur any import duty into Aust on this build?

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

The power supply is still working fine. I used similar ones in my 6DOF rig a few years ago. I didn't have to pay any taxes or sign declarations etc in Australia for any of the components :)

[@maxencelaune9673]

Hello quick question, the 130ST-M10010 you have has a nominal power of 1000W so why are you powering it with a 600W power supply?

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

I think you will find that the wheel would be very unrealistic if it was driven at 100% power. I typically only use it at about 50% and even then it is a real handful. I suspect I would only be using a few hundred watts at most for short periods of time. 600W has been more than adequate. Hope that helps

[@markdempsey4718]

Can you please tell me where to download the simucube configuration tool from?

[@spiro9210]

whats the point? You can get Fanatec for the same amount.

[@yxamyxam]

Disagree. The equivalent Fanatec would be the DD2. For the base and bracket alone it would be $2850 AUS then you would have to add the wheel. On top of that is the cost of shipping. The OSW is easily a 'no brainer'.

[@lb3d650]

Mate thanks for the video, I m looking forward into building my own OSW with the Semicube and IONI setup because I have a KUKA servo laying around, but it is rated for 200 VAC, will it work with the IONI driver ? cause I think that the max V output you can get from it, is like 60V something around that. You also use a servo rated for 220V on the video that why I am asking, maybe you know, thanks again !! cheers

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Hi I think that servo wouldn't work. Simucube has a fairly narrow selection of servos that it is designed for. Have a look here: granitedevices.com/wiki/List_of_motors_for_SimuCUBE Cheers

[@lb3d650]

@@sixdegreesofflight7765 Thanks, I´ll check

[@朱雨齐]

Hi! I just wanna ask how you connect the control buttons on the wheel to the microcontroller? I'm quite confused cuz turning may cause a lot of issues. Thanks!

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Hi, the buttons are connected to a microcontroller which sends the presses to another microcontroller connected to the pc using bluetooth. See this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGqYYqGYl6ppiMk Hope that helps

[@user-spv96x3x7i.4kc]

Hi, which awg cable you used to connect simucube please?

[@yxamyxam]

Hi, the max current that can be drawn from the power supply is 12.5 amps. So you should use at least 14 gauge wire which is generally rated to 15 amps. I use 12 gauge which is rated at 20 amps to give a little "head room."

[@user-spv96x3x7i.4kc]

@@yxamyxam Thanks, best regards, great build!

[@fabsalomon85]

Hey mate how much were you quoted for the 22 bit encoder? Also is it possible to install the simucube wireless adapter to the motherboard?

[@yxamyxam]

Hi, Detailed information about the Simucube wireless wheel system is available here: granitedevices.com/wiki/Simucube_wireless_wheel_system?fbclid=IwAR3mGYesUgYehSMd5xJby-cW75SUh-S85lsZ1nq2Z1x5liEuJYd6D41Pc2k Costs 37 Euro for the receiver 50 Euro for the wheel transmitter Need you also need to purchase the mounting system, buttons, shifters and battery/battery charger Note: The Simucube 2 versions have the receiver module already included onboard Buy the Simucube wireless wheel system from here: racewerk.com/products/simucube-wheel-side-wireless-button-plate-module For Simucube 1 this works out to about $145 AUD for the receiver/transmitter pair before adding buttons, battery etc. If you follow my build it would be simply be a matter of plugging the receiver into the motherboard - it would certainly fit. The metal enclosure might limit the signal a little so it would be best to have Simucube as close to the wheel as possible. As for the BISS encoder cost, if I recall, it was only an extra $30 or so. When you are spending that much money on a steering system, you want it to work. I figured that for a little extra, it would be tested, working and a much smoother experience than a lower resolution encoder. I didn't want to have something go wrong and then try to get a replacement/refund by trying to save a few dollars by doing it myself. Weigh up the risk to save a few dollars :)

[@mehmetbaran3447]

Is there any way not to use ioni boards ?

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

I considered other options but in the end I wanted something that worked and was proven to work. You might be able to find cheaper options but then you might have issues with it working. Sometimes it's better to spend a bit more for something reliable.

[@speedygonzales91]

Hi, at 6:06, what sort of wires were you using to connect everything together and where did you get them? Thanks!

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Hi, I used some left over house wiring cable used for the internal wiring of home power outlets which had to three insulated wires - active, neutral and earth. Each wire had 7 copper conductors of 0.67mm and the outer sheath is 3.3mm. Hope that helps

[@speedygonzales91]

SixDegreesOfFlight thanks! Will get a similar wire specs as what you used. The 0.67mm is the Cross Sectional Area right?

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

@@speedygonzales91 0.67mm diameter. Sorry I didn't see the reply

[@kinangeagle133]

You think i can use an Arduino?

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

When I began thinking about my OSW this post on Reddit was a game changer for me...by dospaquetes Alright, a bit of history would be useful here I believe. The OSW idea started on a french forum, racingfr. At the time they were repurposing old arcade wheel stations and changing the motor and stuff. They came up with a simple firmware, called mizoo after the guy who coded it I believe, which only supported the most basic FFB effect (constant force) and turned it into a signal compatible with any motor drive. From there, they floated the idea to other forums, and it got molded into the OSW/MMOs solution. MMOs is similar to mizoo except it handles more effects. But the idea is similar: turning the computer's ffb commands into a usable motor signal. At the time people used any and all motor drive and motor available, like what they found on old arcades or... granite devices products. Granite device ended up being the provider of choice because its motor drives were cheap and well made, and handled just about what the ffb guys needed. At the time the simucube or ioni didn't exist, they used the ARGON motor drive mostly. The ARGON wasn't perfect though, it cost a lot and would spin your wheel up to 1000rpm if there was a bug, among other things. After a while granite devices started noticing that a lot of people were buying their industrial motor drives to power their racing wheels, and that's why they made the IONI/IONICUBE, a much more barebones package for which you had to do most of the external wiring. But it was cheaper and offered more possibilities to make it suitable for FFB wheels. Simracers flocked to the kickstarter and bought them like pancakes. After that granite devices started communicating more with the simracing community through beano, an iRacing user and OSW guru. From these talks finally came the simucube, which is entirely tailored to using the motor drive to drive FFB wheels. It also alleviates a lot of the painful tinkering and wiring made it much more noob friendly However, nothing is stopping you from using literally any other motor drive solution with MMOs, that's why OSW is an "open" project. It's not open as in "open source", it's open as in you can do it your way. MMOs outputs signals suitable for any motor drive. The same way nothing is stopping you from using literally any other motor than the small/big MiGE motors. These became popular because they were cheap, strong, with low rotational inertia, low cogging, etc. TL;DR, many others before you have tried using other products than the IONI/MiGE combo. Everyone settled on this combo because it's a very good price/performance deal. Granite Devices drives are cheap, high quality, and well suited to FFB wheels. The MiGE motors are cheap, with low friction, low cogging, and powerful. But as a simple example, a friend of mine used an ARGON drive, some random motor, and a huge belt transmission to end up with a 60Nm FFB wheel. I had it bug out on me once though, it started spining at 1000rpm. It ripped off the wheelplate USB cable which somewhat lacerated my thigh. Moral of this story: the IONI is a good, safe deal

[@MarkVersion1]

@SixDegreesOfFlight will this guide also work for IONI Pro HC?

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

Yes the guide also applies to the Ioni Pro HC version which is more expensive. If you are using the small Mige you don't need the HC variant because all it does is supply more current. The non HC version is fine for the small Mige. You will find that it doesn't feel realistic having the small Mige at maximum torque but somewhere between 50-80%. Hence you won't be drawing the maximum current anyway that the non HC variant can supply. See here: granitedevices.com/wiki/IONI_device_model_comparison

[@MarkVersion1]

@@sixdegreesofflight7765 gotcha. Thanks

[@MarkVersion1]

@@sixdegreesofflight7765 do you highly recommend the 20nm MIGE motor over the 30nm? Since most sim racers doesn't really use the full capabilities (mostly less than half) of the 30nm MIGE motors power, what's the advantage of 30nm over the 20nm MIGE motors in sim racing?

[@sixdegreesofflight7765]

@@MarkVersion1 Arguments FOR big Mige Main argument is higher inertia Other (non-engineering or illogical) arguments - Bigger is better. - Better to have too much than too little. - You can always turn it down when you have too much whereas if you don't have it to begin with you can't turn it up Arguments AGAINST big Mige Weight Small (11kg) vs Big (21kg) Cost: Higher current power supply (1000W or higher), Ioni Pro HC version, big Mige You will need stronger, denser aluminium extrusion and certainly a different structural arrangement to the gantries to cope with the increased weight and inertia when moving and using RSI or damaged wrists Some racers have claimed that the small Mige has a faster reaction to inputs than the big Mige Summary In most cases you only need about 10Nm The small Mige can output up to 25Nm for short bursts anyway If you run the small Mige at max it is very very tiring on the arms In my opinion even the small Mige on maximum is not very realistic unless you are driving a vehicle with no power steering! At maximum torque the small Mige can dislocate or even break finger bones or wrists (if you crash or roll the car and your fingers are inside the wheel and you don't let go quickly enough)

[@MarkVersion1]

@@sixdegreesofflight7765 would you recommend the Mige 80ST M04025? Some claims this motor overheats.