Thanos Controller

The Thanos Controller output sends actuator positions to a Thanos motion platform over a serial connection. DR Sim Manager supports both the Thanos 4U (4-actuator) and Thanos AMC (7-actuator) controllers. These are commercial servo-based motion controllers commonly used in high-performance sim racing and flight simulation rigs.

Setup Steps

Connect your Thanos controller to your PC via USB.
In DR Sim Manager, go to the Outputs tab and click the + tab.
Select Thanos Controller from the list.
Select the Preset that matches your hardware (Thanos 4U or Thanos AMC).
Select your COM port from the dropdown (click Refresh if it’s not listed).
Adjust the Output Rate if needed (default: 2 ms).
Map each channel to the appropriate sim component actuator.
The output connects automatically once a valid COM port is selected.

Settings

Preset

Select your Thanos hardware variant from the preset dropdown:

Thanos 4U — 4-actuator configuration
Thanos AMC — 7-actuator configuration

The preset automatically configures the number of axes for your controller.

Serial Port

Select the COM port that your Thanos controller is connected to from the dropdown. Click Refresh to rescan for available ports if you connected the controller after opening DR Sim Manager.

The connection uses a fixed baud rate of 250,000 with 16-bit position values.

Output Rate

Adjust the output rate (in milliseconds) to control how frequently position updates are sent to the controller. The default is 2 ms (500 Hz). Lower values mean faster updates but increase communication load.

Auto Enable Servo

When enabled, DR Sim Manager will automatically:

On connect — Verify the firmware version, activate the controller, and power on all servos.
On disconnect — Park the actuators, power off the servos, and deactivate the controller.

This provides a hands-free startup and shutdown experience. If disabled, you must manage servo power through your Thanos controller’s own interface.

Axis Mapping

Map each actuator channel on the Thanos to a specific sim component axis. The number of available channels depends on your preset (4 for Thanos 4U, 7 for Thanos AMC). For each channel, you can configure:

Device — Select the sim component (e.g., your hexapod or seat mover)
Actuator — Select which actuator output to send on this channel

Connection Behavior

When DR Sim Manager connects to the Thanos controller:

The serial port is opened at 250,000 baud.
If Auto Enable Servo is on, the startup sequence runs: firmware verification, controller activation, servo power-on, and system status check.
Position data is then sent continuously at the configured output rate.

When disconnecting with Auto Enable Servo on:

A 2-second delay allows any pending motion to settle.
The controller parks the actuators.
Servos are powered off.
The controller is deactivated.

Troubleshooting

Actuators not responding

Check the COM port — Confirm the correct port is selected in Device Manager > Ports (COM & LPT).
Check the preset — Ensure you selected the correct hardware variant (4U vs AMC). Using the wrong preset will send the wrong number of channels.
Check servo power — If Auto Enable Servo is off, the servos may not be powered. Enable it or power on servos through the Thanos interface.
Check USB connection — Try a different USB port or cable.

Controller reports E-stop state

The Thanos controller has an emergency stop feature. If the controller is in E-stop, the servos will not engage. Clear the E-stop condition on the controller hardware, then reconnect in DR Sim Manager.

Startup takes a long time or times out

The auto startup sequence includes firmware verification and multiple handshake steps. If any step times out, check that:

The controller firmware is up to date.
The USB connection is stable (avoid USB hubs if possible).
No other software is using the COM port.

COM port not listed or “Access Denied”

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