Transducers

Generate vibration in audio and mechanical transducers.

In the transducers modules, we generate vibration to represent a specific value.

For example, we can assign a vibration to the suspension travel to feel the surface vibration of the road, or the vibration generated by the rpm of a motor.

This vibration is a wave defined by the following parameters:


  • Type of wave, that can be sine, square, triangle, saw or none (silence). Each type generates a different vibration. Choose the one you think it's better for what you desire.

  • Frequency, a value between 0 and 200 hz.

  • Amplitude (volume), a value between 0 an 1.

  • Noise, a value between 0 and 1, to distort the wave and add some random effect to the vibration.


Like other modules, select on the right, the sources of the values you want to use.

When we select the value we want to represent in the vibration, we can set the amount of each of those parameters, manually or associated to the value through a filter.

To set them manually, use the sliders and the check box next to them to force a manual setting.

We can set just one or more parameters manually, and have the others associated to the value.

To associate the parameters to the value, uncheck the force manual, and use the filter to manipulate the value.

Next to the selected value we have a master gain for that value (we could set it in the filter also).

And we have a filter for each parameter.

For example if we are using rpm, we want to relate the rpm to a specific frequency.

While rpm could go from 0 to 10000, frequency goes from 0 to 200.

We need to map the rpm range to the frequency range.

Now that's a perssonal taste and depends on the sim, car or aircraft we are using. Also on the transducer we are using, but for example, we could set it to:

REMAP(VALUE;0;10000;0;180)

Where we say that a 0 rpm, we have 0 hz and at 10000 rpm we have 180 hz (if we keep master gain at 1.0).

Use the filters to map the value to the parameters at your own taste.

You can mute the transducer and adjust it's main volume.

Like we saw, each transducer module generates a wave that represents a vibration.

We can now assign it to the hardware.

In Mover, you can use a audio device and select the channel where you want to add the generated wave.

If you have more than one transducer module and choose the same channels in more than one, effects are added on that channel, but volume of each one is lowered to fit the range.

You need to adjust volumes to taste.

Select here the output channels in the audio devices.
Use the bellow buttons to access the Windows
devices panel and Windows audio mixer.
The third button updates the list of audio devices.
It's here for external USB audio devices.

You can also send the wave info to an output module.

For example you can set the speed of a motor moving an excentric mass to generate vibration, just like the console controllers do for feedback.

Assign here a key for the wave parameters.
You can use those keys in the output modules to
send the data to an Arduino as an example.
The bit value, maps the parameters to a bit value.
Setting 8 bits for amplitude, means that amplitude that goes
from 0 to 1 will be mapped to a range of 0 to 255, and will use 1 byte.

Some extra notes:

  • You can see some examples by pressing the predefined setups. Those are just examples and need to be fine tuned for your hardware and preferences.

  • If you want one transducer for each of the 4 wheels in a car, you need to set 4 transducer modules and output to the desired channels each of the values.

  • To add two effects, you need to set 2 transducer modules and assign the effect to the same channels.

  • The wave of type none is itended to allow the use of just noise.

  • The red around a device in the list of devices, means it's already being used in one of the ransducers modules. This helps you to know, that if you add two values, the amplitude will be lower so that the amplitudes summed fit the range.

  • Adding wave effects as a side effect of lowering the volume (amplitude) of each wave. This happens to avoid saturation. Take it into account when adding effects to a channel.

  • It's normal that the button of the slider turns red. If you feed it rpm from 0 to 10000, the slider range is 0 to 1, so the received value is most of the time above the range of the slider. This is not bad, it's just info and keeps the same logic off all the sliders in Mover.

  • If you can't get all the channels in Mover, check the device configuration in Windows.
    To do it, go to playback devices in windows.
    Select the device and press configure.
    In a window similar to the one in the righ, make sure you have enabled all the channels     by selecting the right speaker setup.
    If your device is there, just to work as a transducer, select the maximum number of speakers possible.