Motor & FFB technologies — Definitions, strengths and weaknesses

The "Motor" column above lists a wide variety of architectures, optimisations and proprietary technologies. The terms below explain what they mean, what they bring on track, and where they have limits.

1. Base architectures

Brushless Direct Drive servomotor (PMSM)

Definition: A brushless permanent-magnet synchronous motor whose shaft drives the wheel directly — no belt, no gearbox. This is the underlying architecture of every base in this comparison.

• Strengths: no mechanical loss, 1:1 torque transmission, no gear wear, very low latency, long lifespan.
• Weaknesses: continuous torque limited by thermal capacity, larger and heavier than belt/gear bases, higher entry price, requires a powerful PSU.

SPM — Surface Permanent Magnet

Definition: Magnets glued onto the rotor surface. Torque is proportional to current (linear ramp-up). Used by Simucube 3 Sport / 3 Pro.

• Strengths: smooth and predictable torque, simple control, low cogging, very accurate for fine track texture.
• Weaknesses: less efficient at high RPM, more sensitive to demagnetisation when hot.

IPM — Interior Permanent Magnet

Definition: Magnets embedded inside the rotor, exploiting reluctance torque on top of magnetic torque. Used by Simucube 3 Ultimate.

• Strengths: higher torque density, better high-RPM efficiency, more thermally robust.
• Weaknesses: stronger torque ripple if not compensated, more complex drive electronics.

Radial flux

Definition: Magnetic flux perpendicular to the motor axis (classic cylindrical "tower" design). Used by Thrustmaster T818 and all MiGE-based bases (VRS).

• Strengths: mature technology, easy cooling, high continuous torque achievable.
• Weaknesses: bulky form factor, deeper base profile.

Axial flux

Definition: Magnetic flux parallel to the motor axis (disc-shaped design). Used by Thrustmaster T598 ("Direct Axial Drive").

• Strengths: very compact along the axis (shorter base), good torque-to-mass ratio, good angular acceleration.
• Weaknesses: cooling is harder, technology still less proven in simracing than radial flux.

MiGE 130ST-M10010 (4-pole vs 5-pole)

Definition: An industrial Chinese servomotor widely adopted in DIY simracing then OEM (VRS, formerly Asetek and Simucube 1). "4-pole" / "5-pole" refers to the number of magnetic pole pairs.

• Strengths (5-pole): smoother torque, slightly finer feel on small details.
• Strengths (4-pole): higher peak torque at equivalent power.
• Weaknesses: heavy iron rotor → high inertia, which limits slew rate against modern custom motors.

2. Motor-level optimisations

Skew-pole / Slanted-pole / Inclined poles

Definition: Stator slots (and/or rotor magnets) are angled along the axis to stagger magnetic transitions. Used by Conspit Ares range and MOZA R12 V2.

• Strengths: drastically reduces cogging (notchy feel at low speed), much smoother low-force feedback.
• Weaknesses: slightly lower continuous torque at equivalent winding, more complex to manufacture.

Flat-wire windings

Definition: Stator windings made with rectangular conductor instead of round wire, increasing copper density inside the slots. Used by MOZA R21 Ultra and R25 Ultra.

• Strengths: better efficiency, higher torque per amp, improved heat dissipation — meaning sustained torque holds longer before thermal derating.
• Weaknesses: more expensive and complex to manufacture.

Zero-cogging

Definition: A combination of mechanical design and firmware compensation that suppresses the "notchy" feel when no current is applied (caused by magnets attracting toward iron poles). Implementations include segmented magnets, skew poles, or active compensation in firmware.

• Strengths: silent when freewheeling, no parasitic vibrations, fine in-game cues are transmitted faithfully.
• Weaknesses: depends heavily on machining and firmware quality; over-aggressive compensation can introduce its own artefacts.

FluxBarrier (Fanatec, proprietary)

Definition: Fanatec's patented rotor architecture using flux-channelling barriers. Present on CSL DD, Gran Turismo DD Pro, ClubSport DD/DD+ and the new 2026 Podium DD.

• Strengths: high continuous torque for the size, low rotor inertia, improved slew rate.
• Weaknesses: proprietary — independent benchmarking is limited; service is tied to Fanatec only.

3. Proprietary FFB & sensor technologies

TRUEFORCE (Logitech G)

Definition: A Logitech software layer that mixes classic FFB with a real-time audio signal pulled from the game engine to generate high-frequency vibration cues. Present on G PRO Racing Wheel and RS50.

• Strengths: surfaces fine effects (asphalt texture, engine rumble) without extra sensors, deep integration on supported titles.
• Weaknesses: requires native game support; on unsupported titles it falls back to standard FFB.

HARMONY (Thrustmaster T598)

Definition: Thrustmaster's proprietary FFB processing pipeline coupled with the T598 axial-flux motor. Aimed at removing quantisation artefacts.

• Strengths: smoother FFB signal, fewer "stair-step" effects on rapid variations.
• Weaknesses: closed standard, limited independent feedback as of July 2026.

True Torque Sensor (MOZA R25 Ultra)

Definition: A physical torque sensor measuring actual shaft output at 2 kHz, feeding a closed-loop correction.

• Strengths: compensates motor non-linearities in real time, output torque tracks the requested signal more faithfully.
• Weaknesses: extra hardware cost, more complex electronics, performance gain depends on firmware tuning.