M4S Controller

The M4S Controller output sends actuator positions to a Motion4Sim (M4S) motion platform. DR Sim Manager supports two connection methods: Serial (USB) and UDP (network). Both methods support 7 output channels with 24-bit position resolution.

M4S Controller (Serial)

Connects to the M4S controller over a serial (USB) connection.

Setup Steps

Connect your M4S controller to your PC via USB.
In DR Sim Manager, go to the Outputs tab and click the + tab.
Select M4S Controller (Serial) from the list.
Select your COM port from the dropdown (click Refresh if it’s not listed).
Enable Auto Online if you want the controller to come online automatically.
Map each channel to the appropriate sim component actuator.

Settings

COM Port — Select the serial port your M4S controller is connected to. Click Refresh to rescan for available ports. The connection uses a fixed baud rate of 250,000 with 24-bit position values.
Auto Online — When enabled, the controller is automatically brought online when DR Sim Manager connects, and taken offline when it disconnects. This saves you from having to manually toggle the controller’s online state.
Output Rate — Adjust the output rate in milliseconds (default: 2 ms / 500 Hz).

Axis Mapping

Map each of the 7 available channels to a sim component actuator:

Device — Select the sim component
Actuator — Select which actuator output to send on this channel

M4S Controller (UDP)

Connects to the M4S controller over a UDP network connection using multicast. This is useful for setups where the controller is on a separate machine or you prefer a network connection.

Setup Steps

Ensure your M4S controller and PC are on the same network.
In DR Sim Manager, go to the Outputs tab and click the + tab.
Select M4S Controller (UDP) from the list.
Set the IP Address and Port (defaults are usually correct for most M4S setups).
Configure the auto-management options as desired.
Map each channel to the appropriate sim component actuator.

Settings

IP Address — The multicast IP address of the M4S controller (default: 232.11.12.14).
Port — The UDP port number (default: 51324).
Auto Online — Automatically bring the controller online when DR Sim Manager connects, and take it offline on disconnect.
Auto Home — Automatically home the actuators when the connection is established. The homing process takes approximately 2 seconds to complete before the controller goes online.
Auto Shutdown — Automatically shut down the controller when DR Sim Manager disconnects. This sends an offline command followed by a full shutdown command after a 5-second delay. Use with caution — this will power down the controller hardware.
Output Rate — Adjust the output rate in milliseconds (default: 2 ms / 500 Hz).

Axis Mapping

Map each of the 7 available channels to a sim component actuator:

Device — Select the sim component
Actuator — Select which actuator output to send on this channel

Troubleshooting

Actuators not responding (Serial)

Check the COM port — Verify in Device Manager > Ports (COM & LPT).
Check Auto Online — If Auto Online is off, the controller may not be in an online state. Enable it or bring the controller online manually through its own interface.
Check USB connection — Try a different USB port or cable.

Actuators not responding (UDP)

Check the IP address and port — Ensure they match your M4S controller’s network configuration.
Check network connectivity — The PC and controller must be on the same network. Multicast traffic must be allowed.
Check firewall — Windows Firewall may block outgoing UDP multicast. Add an exception for DR Sim Manager or the specific port.
Check Auto Online — The controller may need to be brought online before it accepts position data.

Homing fails or takes too long

Ensure the actuators are free to move to their home position.
Check that the controller is powered and not in an error state.

COM port not listed or “Access Denied”

See Serial Output Not Working for general COM port troubleshooting steps.