# My Actuators Aren't Moving If your simulator isn't moving at all — no motion from any axis — work through this checklist from top to bottom. --- ## Quick Checklist Run through these items in order. Most "no motion" issues are solved by one of the first few steps. ### 1. Is Motion Started? You need to click the **Start Motion** button before the simulator will move. - Look for the **Start** button on the main tab. - If it says **Stop**, motion is already running — the issue is elsewhere. - If it says **Paused**, motion has been started in paused state. Click the **Resume** button or press the resume keyboard shortcut to begin motion. > **note** If **Start Motion In Paused State** is enabled in **Settings → Motion**, motion will always start paused. The simulator moves to its home position but won't respond to game telemetry until you manually resume. ### 2. Is a Game Source Selected and Connected? On the main tab, check: - A game source is selected from the dropdown (not blank or "None"). - The game is actually running and you're in an active session (on track, in the cockpit, etc.). - If you want to test without a game, select **Manual Control** as the source. To verify telemetry is coming in, open the **Source Data** dock (Settings → User Interface → Show UI Docks → Source Data) and check that values are changing. If telemetry isn't connecting, see [Game Telemetry Not Connecting](game-telemetry-not-connecting.md). ### 3. Is an Output Configured and Connected? Go to the **Outputs** tab and verify: - At least one output is configured (e.g., a serial output, Thanos, M4S, DMover, etc.). - The output shows a **connected** status. - If using a serial output, the correct COM port is selected and the device is connected. If your serial output isn't connecting, see [Serial Output Not Working / COM Port Issues](serial-output-not-working.md). ### 4. Is the Output Port Mapping Correct? In the **Outputs** tab, each output has a port mapping that connects the output's ports to the actuators defined in your Sim Config. - Make sure each actuator is mapped to an output port. - If all ports are set to "None" or unmapped, the output won't send any position data. ### 5. Are Gains Set to Non-Zero? Check these gain settings — if any are set to 0, no motion will be produced: | Gain Setting | Location | What It Does | | ----------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Global Gain** | Settings → Motion → Global Gain | Scales all motion. If 0, nothing moves. | | **Input Gain** | Settings → Motion → Input Gain | Scales incoming telemetry. If 0, no input reaches processing. | | **Per-cue Gain** | Profile Editor → each cue → Gain slider | If all cues have 0 gain, no motion is produced. | | **Per-axis Gain** | Profile Editor → each cue → axis contributors | If an individual axis gain is 0, that axis won't move. | > **tip** A common cause of "no motion" is accidentally reducing the **Global Gain** to 0 via a keyboard or controller shortcut without realizing it. Check the **Gain Display** dock for a quick visual indication of your current Global Gain value. ### 6. Is a Sim Config Set Up? Go to the **Sim Config** tab and verify: - At least one simulator component is configured (e.g., Linear Hexapod, Quadpost, etc.). - The component has correct dimensions and travel distances configured. - If no sim component is configured, the motion system doesn't know what hardware you have and won't produce any output. ### 7. Is the Profile Correct? In the **Profile Editor**: - Make sure a profile is selected for your current game. - Make sure at least one cue (typically **Primary**) is enabled. - Check that the cue has non-zero gains on the axes you expect to move. --- ## Diagnostic Steps If you've confirmed all the checklist items and actuators still aren't moving, use these tools to narrow down the issue: ### Check the Source Data Dock Open the **Source Data** dock. If values are changing while you're in-game, the telemetry is working. If all values are 0 or static, the issue is on the telemetry/source side. ### Check the Sim Position Dock Open the **Sim Position** dock. This shows the computed position for each axis after motion processing. - If Sim Position values are changing but actuators aren't moving → the issue is in the **output** (connection, port mapping, or hardware). - If Sim Position values are not changing but Source Data is → the issue is in **motion processing** (profile, gains, or sim config). - If neither is changing → the issue is in the **source** (game telemetry). ### Test with Manual Control The fastest way to isolate the issue: 1. Select **Manual Control** from the Sources tab. 2. Click **Start Motion**. 3. Open the **Manual Control** dock. 4. Move the sliders for each axis. If the actuators respond to Manual Control but not to game telemetry: - The hardware and output are working correctly. - The issue is with game telemetry, the selected profile, or motion processing. If the actuators don't respond to Manual Control either: - The issue is with the output connection or hardware. - Check your output configuration, port mapping, COM port, and cables. ### Check the Debug Log Open the **Debug Log** dock and set **Log Verbosity** to **DEBUG** in Settings. Look for: - Error messages related to your output device - "Connection failed" or "Access denied" messages - "COM port is not configured" messages - Any red or orange entries indicating errors --- ## Common Causes Summary | Symptom | Likely Cause | Solution | | ------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Nothing moves at all | Motion not started, or Global Gain at 0 | Click Start Motion; check Global Gain | | Sim Position shows movement but actuators don't move | Output not connected, or port mapping wrong | Check output connection and port mapping | | Source Data shows values but Sim Position doesn't move | Profile gains at 0, or no cue enabled | Check Profile Editor gains and enabled cues | | Manual Control works but game doesn't | Telemetry not connecting | See [Game Telemetry Not Connecting](game-telemetry-not-connecting.md) | | Only some axes move | Some port mappings missing, or some axis gains at 0 | Check port mapping and per-axis gains | --- ## Still Not Working? 1. **Check the Debug Log** for error messages. 2. **Try a different output** — If you have multiple output devices, test each one individually. 3. **Try Manual Control** — This isolates whether the issue is with telemetry or hardware. 4. **Join Discord** — The [Departed Reality Discord](https://discord.gg/skn2HzpbQy) community can help troubleshoot hardware-specific issues.