Motion platform operation & troubleshooting

Basic operations and how to troubleshoot common issues with the motion platform on a Redbird system.

Glossary  |  Power-up sequence  |  Power-down sequence  |  Basic troubleshooting

Basic operations

Glossary

Motion platform (MP)

The motion platform provides effective motion feedback for yaw, pitch, and roll. It is comprised of several, linked sub-systems, including:

• Position and acceleration calculations running on the motion system command software installed on the flight simulation computer;
• A control panel with motor drives, logic computer, and testing and calibration controls;
• An electrically driven, gimbaled motion base with three electric motors and two hydraulic safety locks;
• A full range of limit and position sensors.

Motion control box

Every motion platform has a motion control box that houses the components that drive the movement of the system. The motion control box is usually mounted either on the front of the frame, on a stand to the side, or underneath the cabin.

Push-button (PB) station

Each motion platform should have a push-button station mounted either on the frame close to the entrance or on top of the motion control box.

Pathway sensor & pathway reflector

Each motion platform should have a pair of pathway sensors on the front corners and a pair of pathway reflectors on the rear corners. Ensure that each pathway sensor has a clear line of sight to the reflector on that side and that there aren't any objects in the path of the yaw axis. 

Power-up sequence

To initialize and run the motion platform when you load a simulation, use the following sequence:

1. Turn the surge protector on to provide power to the system. You should hear the cooling fan underneath the floor of the cabin start up. 
   
   
   
2. Turn the motion platform on by pressing the green button on the push-button station.
   
   When the motion platform turns on it will slowly yaw to the right and then quickly return to the center. Keep people and objects away from the path of the simulator.
   
3. Verify that the motion platform is powered on. If the red stop button on the push
   button station is illuminated, the platform has power.
   
   
   
   
4. Toggle the "motion platform" toggle-switch to ON when launching a flight through Navigator. The toggle-switch should change to ON/Green when properly selected. 
   
   

Power-down sequence

1. End the flight if one is currently running.
   
   
2. Press the clear red button on the push-button station to turn off the motion platform.
   The backlight inside the red button should extinguish, indicating the motion system is off. 
   
   
3. Power down the motion platform by turning off the power strip.* 
   

Troubleshooting

When initializing the motion platform, you may occasionally encounter the following
issues:

• Motion platform will not power up
• Motion platform will not perform initial calibration
• Motion platform will not return to center
• Red light on PB station doesn't illuminate
• Red light on PB Station turns on when pressed, then turns off immediately
• Yellow light not blinking after releasing the green button
• Yellow light blinking after releasing the green button

Motion platform will not power up, doesn't calibrate, or won't return to center

1. Make sure the motion control box is plugged into the surge protector.
2. Make sure the surge protector is turned on.
3. Make sure the simulator is centered (especially the yaw axis).
4. Make sure the emergency stop (located inside the cockpit) is released/disengaged.
   
   
   Note: Rotate the emergency stop button clockwise to disengage. 
5. Make sure the pathway sensors are properly lined up with the reflectors and that there aren't any objects interrupting the beam. 

Red light on PB station doesn't illuminate

1. Make sure the push-button station cable is plugged into the motion control box.
2. If the red light does not start blinking during initial calibration, then the light bulb is burned out and needs to be replaced. Contact Redbird Support and they can provide a price or part number for the light bulb.

Red light on PB station turns on when pressed, then turns off immediately

1. Make sure the emergency stop button inside the cockpit is not engaged.
   
   
   Note: Rotate the emergency stop button clockwise to disengage.
   
   
2. Make sure the emergency stop cable is plugged into the motion control box.
3. If you continue to experience the red light shutting off, contact Redbird Support for further troubleshooting.

Yellow light not blinking after releasing the green button

1. Make sure the simulator is centered (yaw axis especially). If it is not centered, turn off the motion platform, then manually move it to center and try again.
2. On the motion control box, check the fault light.
    
   
   Count how many times the fault light flashes and then reference the table below.
   
   This table is for Model 2 (white) motion control boxes. 
   
   

   Fault Light Flashes	Fault Description
   0	No Fault
   1	Computer Problem If power cycle does not clear, PLC or program must be replaced
   2	Yaw Axis Sensor Encoder has failed, is not turning, or is not wired
   3	Pitch Axis Sensor Pitch potentiometer failed or not wired
   4	Roll Axis Sensor Roll potentiometer failed or not wired
   5	Yaw Axis Control Yaw axis will not stop or is moving the wrong way
   6	Yaw Drive Drive failed to run, indicating fault or lost power
   7	Pitch Drive Drive failed to run, indicating fault or lost power
   8	Roll Drive Drive failed to run, indicating fault or lost power
   9	Yaw Travel Limits Limit sensors on at the wrong time, or both are on
   10	Pitch Travel Limits Limit sensors on at the wrong time, or both are on
   11	Roll Travel Limits Limit sensors on at the wrong time, or both are on
   12	Not Used

If unable to resolve the issue using the table above, contact Redbird Support for troubleshooting assistance, and reference the fault code you're getting. 

Yellow light is blinking after releasing the green button