tactile transducer setup guide for iracing 2013.02.12

Tactile Transducer

Setup Guide

By Jeremy Paterson

2/12/2013

iRacing Tactile Transducer Setup Guide 1 Jeremy Paterson

Introduction A tactile transducer is a relatively cheap (


Tactile Transducer

There are a few options available. As of the time of this writing, the two that seem most popular are the Aura

AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker, and the Dayton Audio TT25-16 PUCK Mini Bass Shaker 4-pack.

Here is a comparison chart:

Product Aura AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Dayton Audio TT25-16 PUCK Mini Bass Shaker 4-pack

Photo (Relative sizes are approximated)

Price ~$40 each $30 for 4 transducers

Wattage 50w RMS / 100w Max 15w RMS / 30w Max each 60w/120w total

Impedance 4 Ohms 16 Ohms each

Usable Frequency Response 20-80 Hz 20-80 Hz

Peak Force 30 lbs/foot 30 lbs/foot total (all 4 combined)

Dimensions 6.2 Diameter, 2.5 High 3.4 Diameter, 1 High each

A big plus to the Dayton Minis is that they are a lot more configurable (impedance, wattage, placement, etc.)

due to the fact that you have 4 transducers instead of one. However, there is more wiring involved compared to

a single Aura Bass Shaker. You can also use the popular Buttkicker brand amplifiers and transducers.

Sound Card

You will need to have a sound card that can be dedicated to the transducer. This can be your motherboards

sound device, a PCI sound card, or an external USB sound device. If you dont already have a sound device that

you can dedicate to the transducer, you will need to buy and install one. Most sound cards will work with X-Sim;

however avoid the cheap USB thumb-style sound cards as they may not be compatible with the software. PCI

sound cards are easy to find for


Amplifier

The signal coming out of your sound card will not be strong enough to drive the transducer, so you will need a

way to amplify the signal.

The two most important things when deciding on an amplifier is the wattage, and the impedance. The amplifier

must have enough power to handle the number of transducers you plan to run, and it must also be set up for

the correct impedance (ohms.) If you dont understand how to get the right impedance, see the section on

Designing Your System.

You can buy a new 70w Subwoofer Amplifier for around $60 - $70. A cheaper solution might be to search for a

used Home Theater subwoofer, disconnect the speaker, and just use the amplifier to drive the transducer.

The amplifier does not have to be a subwoofer amplifier as long as the wattage and impedance is correct.

However, depending on your application, you may or may not need to add a crossover filter if you go this route.

See below for more information.

Crossover Filter (Only necessary if using sim, game, or movie sounds to drive the shakers)

If you are using a subwoofer amplifier, it most likely has a crossover built in (look for a crossover knob on the

amplifier), so you can skip this section. However, if youre using a standard amplifier that does not have its own

crossover then read on.

A crossover filter takes a full-range sound signal and filters out unwanted frequencies. In the case of a tactile

transducer, you only want to use lower frequencies (typically


Mounting Hardware

You will want to have as much of the surface of the transducer as possible in contact with your seat.

Obviously, the exact mounting hardware youll need will be based on your specific arrangement.

You will also want to try to isolate your chair or sim rig from the floor using rubber pads or feet for best results.

People have reported positive results from mounting them near the pedals as well.

I have experimented with different placements and have discovered that the strongest effect will be felt if the

transducer is mounted directly to the bottom of your seats cushion and springs. The effect is more

concentrated to a smaller area, so you may need to try different ways of mounting it to distribute the vibrations

to a larger area. You can also mount it elsewhere on your rig, but may need to amplify the signal a little more to

achieve the same effect.

SimVibe Software

I HIGHLY recommend the SimVibe Software to run your transducers. It is the cleanest, easiest, and best solution

for driving your shakers.

The software takes Telemetry data straight from iRacing and converts it into a low-frequency sound wave

proportional to the bumps and vibration the driver should be feeling. It is very easy to configure and customize

to your preferences. It also supports multiple channels so you can have different vibrations coming from

different shakers if you have a multiple-channel setup for a 3-dimensional effect.

The software is available from Simxperience and more information can be found at their website:

http://www.simxperience.com/

X-Sim Software

An alternative to SimVibe is a program called X-Sim. Although it is free to use, the software is very complex and

can be difficult to set up in comparison to SimVibe. It also doesnt provide the accuracy of SimVibe. For

example: you will not feel the rumble strips when using X-Sim, but SimVibe is very good at providing this effect.

See the Setting Up X-Sim section for instructions on setting it up.

The software is available at www.x-simulator.de

Do I really need software?

Using SimVibe or X-Sim is optional. If youd prefer to get the transducers signal from the sound alone instead of

telemetry, then the software is not necessary. However, the experience from using sound alone is not nearly as

immersive or rich as using software to extract the telemetry.


Designing Your System So, now that you know what components you need its time to design your system.

Goals

How you design your system will depend on a couple factors. These are some good questions to answer before

getting started:

Do I want to use sound or telemetry for the vibration data?

Do I plan to use it for other games or movies?

What equipment do I already own that I can design my system around to minimize cost?

How many transducers do I want?

How much am I willing to spend?

SimVibe, X-Sim, Sound, or X-Sim mixed with Sound?

NOTE: There is no option for mixing SimVibe with Sound because SimVibe provides ALL the necessary feedback

from the sim, so mixing with sound is unnecessary. However, you may still want to set up the sound part for use

with other games or movies.

Method SimVibe (Best Choice) X-Sim Only Sound Only Mix X-Sim & Sound

Pros Extremely Accurate feedback using telemetry

Easy to set up

No need for a crossover filter

Very customizable

Multi-channel capabilities

No need to mix with sound to get full effect

Uses telemetry

No need for a crossover filter

You can adjust the X-Sim profile to your liking

Software is free

Can be used with movies and games that arent supported by X-Sim

No extra software to deal with

Gives you feedback on some things that X-Sim cant (like rumble strips)

X-Sim cannot provide some effects (like rumble strips). Mixing sim sounds with the X-Sim signal can provide some of the missing effects.

Can be used with movies and games that arent supported by X-Sim

Cons Payware Not as accurate or immersive as SimVibe

X-Sim software can be tricky to setup

Cant feel some things like rumble strips

X-Sim software may conflict with other Force FeedBack devices. Fanatec wheel owners have reported a temporary loss of FFB when using X-Sim.

Not as immersive as using telemetry

If you use a USB headset, you will have to use software to send sound to two different devices

You will need to have a crossover filter somewhere in your signal path

Cant customize the feedback for different events

Have to run X-Sim software

If you use a USB headset, you will have to use software to send sound to two different devices

You will need to have a crossover filter somewhere in your signal path


Amplifier Wattage

Speakers and transducers have watt ratings. The watt rating tells you how much power it needs for optimal

performance. Speakers and transducers will still work if theyre under or over-powered, but not optimally. If

theyre underpowered, youre not able to get the full effect. If theyre over-powered you risk damaging them.

You want to make sure that your amplifier has enough power for all of the transducers you intend to use but not

so much that you will damage them. For instance, if youre going to use 2 Aura Bass Shakers, youll want to limit

your power to 100w to prevent possible damage. You can usually overpower speakers somewhat with no

detriment, but for the purposes of this guide keep within the correct power ranges unless you really know what

youre doing. You can safely under-power them though. You can run 2 Aura Bass Shakers off of one 70w amp;

you just might not get as strong of an effect.

NOTE: Amplifiers typically have two watt ratings. They are Watts RMS and Peak Watts. Watts RMS is the

rating you want to use. Think of RMS as the average ocean level, and Peak Watts at the height of the highest

wave (its a little more complicated than that, but the explanation is beyond the scope of this guide.)

Impedance

All speakers and tactile transducers have an ohm rating to tell you their impedance (or resistance to changes

in current.) The amplifier output also has an impedance rating. It is important that the amplifier sees the

correct amount of impedance. If you do not match up your amplifiers impedance rating to the total load, you

could damage the amplifier, the transducers, or both.

If youre only using one transducer, this is very easy. For instance, you could hook up one Aura Bass Shaker (4-

ohm) to a 4 ohm amplifier and youre all set.

If the transducers are wired in series, as shown below, then you add their impedances to get the total

impedance. In this example, you have a 4-ohm transducer in series with another 4-ohm transducer, giving you a

total impedance of 8 ohms (4+4=8)

SINGLE:

SERIES:


If transducers of equal impedance are wired in parallel, then you divide the impedance of ONE transducer by

the total number of transducers*. In this example, you have two 4-ohm transducers in parallel, giving you a

total impedance of 2 ohms (4/2=2)

* All transducers in the parallel circuit must be of equal impedance for this method of calculation to work.

You can also make a combination of series and parallel transducers to get a different value. In the example

below, you have a pair of transducers in series with each other, and in parallel with another pair of transducers.

You can consider the ones in series to be a single transducer whose impedance is equal to the sum of the two.

So this would be like having two 8-ohm transducers in parallel with each other, giving you a total impedance of 4

ohms (8/2=4)

SERIES/PARALLEL:

PARALLEL:


In the case of the Dayton Mini Bass Shakers (16 ohms each), you could wire all 4 in parallel for a 4-ohm load, or 2

in parallel for an 8-ohm load. If you have a 2-channel amp at 8-ohms, you could put 2 Mini Shakers on one

channel in parallel with each other and the other pair on the other channel in parallel with each other for two

separate 8-ohm loads. There are many, many possible configurations. The more transducers you have, the

more options you have for impedance.

Do not try adding resistors to the circuit to get the speaker load to the right impedance. Its not that simple

and you could damage components or even start a fire!

Signal Path

On the following pages are some block diagrams of the signal path for a few possible configurations.

NOTE: On the configurations that use Sound Data from iRacing, a stereo splitter is used to send sound to both

the speakers and to the secondary sound card so you can hear the sim and feel it too. However, if you are using

a USB device then a stereo splitter is not an option. The only solution is to split the sound signal using software.

There are programs available to do this and Ive included a link to one at the end of this guide. I do not

recommend this type of setup because the splitter software can induce a noticeable delay in the sound due to

the time it takes to process the signal. Because of this limitation, if you plan to use a USB device to hear the in-

car sounds, I recommend using a Telemetry Only setup to drive the transducers.


Telemetry Only In this configuration, you are using software to convert iRacings telemetry to a usable signal. Note: You could also use a subwoofer amp here, though its not necessary to use the crossover filter.

Sound Only In this configuration, you are using sound data and splitting the output signal from Sound Card. Send one signal to your speakers and the other to Sound Card 2, and ultimately to the Bass Shaker. Note: There must be a crossover filter in the signal path from Sound Card 2

X-Sim + Sound Ensure the microphone is enabled on Sound Card 2.


Sound + USB Solution You can use software such as VAC to send the sound signal to two devices. This setup is not ideal because the software can induce a delay in the sound. Also notice the use of a standard amplifier with a crossover filter instead of using a subwoofer amp.

Notice that in every configuration, the ultimate goal is to get a High-Power / Low Frequency sound signal to the

transducer. You could make many configurations that are different than these examples, but these examples

should illustrate the concept well enough to get you started.

Using X-Sim NOTE: After the release of SimVibe, I stopped using the X-Sim software. As a result, some of the instructions

may no longer apply to the latest versions of the X-Sim software. I will leave the X-Sim instructions in this guide

as a reference for anyone who wishes to use it, but be aware they may not be accurate anymore.

This guide was written using X-Sim Version 3.0.0.0 (Aluminum Edition.) This portion of the guide is written for

setting up X-Sim with iRacing and a tactile transducer. It doesnt encompass the whole program.

Basic Concepts of the X-Sim programs

X-Sim Extractor reads the telemetry data from iRacing and sends that data to the Converter program.

X-Sim Converter takes that data and converts it into a low frequency sound signal and sends it to your

soundcard.

Initial Setup for Version 3.0.0.0

Download one of the .rn2 profiles from the forum or from the old X-Sim forums under Forums > Motion

Profiles > iRacing > X-Sim profiles

Download the X-Sim software from http://www.x-sim.de/

Install the program. You will not need to install the Video Plugin or Pneumatic/Hydraulic USB Drivers

Move the .rn2 profile that you downloaded to the folder xsim3/MyProfiles

Start the Extractor program - You may get an error saying The requested operation requires elevation. If

so, right-click the programs icon > Click Properties > Click the Compatibility tab > Check the box that says

Run this program as an administrator.


You will be prompted to login or register. Make sure that your password does not contain any special

characters (!@#$^&*...) or you wont be able to log in.

After logging in the Heuristic Games Wizard will pop up

Click the button and locate the iRacing executable (iRacing install folder/iRacingSim.exe)

In the plugin dropdown box, select iRacing

Click Add this game to the list

Select Do not configure. Manual Setup

Click Close.

Click the Motion Driver button (lower right)

In the popup window, click the Telemetry Plugin button on the left menu

In the list just to the right of that menu, select the round iRacing button (dont worry about the checkbox)

Click the button in the upper-right that says Standard Setup for Left Dialog.

Close this window (Motion Driver Setup window)

Start the Converter program

Intro Wizard will start and you'll hear a voice explaining the program. To disable this, Click "Don't show intro

again."

You can disable all voice notifications by clicking "My Simulator" at the top, then un-checking "Enable

speech output."

Click "Interface Settings" on the left menu

In right-most column, double-click "Bass Shaker"

Bass Shaker plugin settings window pops up

Select appropriate soundcard from the dropdown list

Click "OK" on the notification for re-scan

You will be taken back to the Interface Settings screen.

Un-check all boxes except Bass Shaker in the right column

Click "Scan Hardware."

Double-Click on Bass Shaker again

This menu is where you adjust the output to your shaker. These settings work well for me:

o Minimum Frequency: 20

o Maximum Frequency: 119

o Minimum: 50%

o Startup Volume: 0%

o Startup Frequency: 50 Hz

You can use the Test Minimum/Maximum/Silence buttons to test your settings. If you click these buttons

and don't get any output from your shaker, then something is not set up properly. Verify you've selected

the correct soundcard, and then check your soundcard's settings, Windows Volume mixer, physical

connections, amplifier, etc.

After testing, click "Close Dialog."

On the top of the Converter, click Profiles > Load, and select the profile you downloaded in the first step.

In the Load Dialog box, ensure all boxes are checked and click "Accept."

A group of sliders will pop up on the screen. The top row is for Frequency, and the bottom row is for

Volume. Use these to adjust the profile to your liking.


Go back to the Extractor and click "Try send data." The green "Start" button on the profiler will change a

couple times and eventually end up being red with the word "Stop" on it. This indicates that the profiler is

sending sound to your Bass Shaker.

You may feel a constant vibration. If you do, then your Minimum Volume may be set too high. You need to

go back to the Bass Shaker plugin settings (Interface Settings > Double-click Bass Shaker in right column) and

adjust the Minimum % setting. You can make adjustments then click "Start" as many times as you need in

the profiler to get the right level. I prefer to have a vibration that's just barely noticeable.

This completes the setup portion. You can now close the Converter and Extractor programs and all of these

settings will be automatically loaded each time you lauch the program.

Using X-Sim after initial setup

Launch the Extractor and click the Try send data button

Launch the Converter

Click the green Start button (upper left of Converter program) if it doesnt start automatically.

You can now minimize the programs and run iRacing like normal

Using a 2nd PC to run the Profiler

X-Sim can cause a performance hit in the simulator due to the extra CPU load. To alleviate this, the Profiler can

be run on a secondary PC thats networked with your iRacing PC. (Thanks to Brent Bundy for these instructions.)

Signal: iRacing Telemetry > Force Sender > LAN > Force Profiler on 2nd PC > Sound Card > Amplifier > Transducer

Hook up your transducers and amplifier to your 2nd PC's soundcard.

Set up the X-Sim Converter on the 2nd PC using the instructions above.

Run X-sim Force Extractor on your iRacing machine

Open the Extractor and click on the Settings > Manage cluster list

Enter your 2nd PC's IP address and click Add ip address to list.

(to find your IP address in Windows: Start > Run > CMD. Type ipconfig in the prompt)

Click Quit Dialog

Click the "Try Send Data" button and run everything as you normally would on one machine

Now the only extra load on the iRacing PC is the Extractor (very small load) which sends the telemetry data to

the 2nd PC. The 2nd PC is now handling the extra CPU workload of converting the telemetry into sound data and

driving the Bass Shakers, minimizing the load on your iRacing PC.

Useful links: http://www.simxperience.com

http://www.x-sim.de/ - X-Sim website

http://www.parts-express.com/ - Parts Express sells tactile transducers and amplifiers

http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm - Virtual Audio Cable software that allows a program to send

sound data to more than one sound device. Useful if youre using sound data instead of Telemetry.

http://www.amplifiedparts.com/tech_corner/speaker_impedance_power_handling_and_wiring - Explanation of

speaker impedances.

tactile transducer setup guide for iracing 2013.02.12

Documents

w subwoofer amplifier

jeremy paterson amplifier

standard amplifier

pci sound cards

range sound signal

motherboards sound device

crossover filter

external usb sound device