Frustrating set up process

[tc3jg]

Hello all,
Just to give a little background real quick. I am totally new to 3D printing and have been using the forums and youtube vids, google in order to feel my way through the process. In doing so I've run into many obstacles most of which I have been able to feel my way around and work out.

I guess as a last resort I decided to post up some problems here to see if I can just get everything ironed out. Much appreciation goes out to those that help me ahead of time.

After completing the set up of the printer and powering it on for the first time I found that my LCD was only giving me Blocks. I am not sure if this is because of the actual LCD being bad as some have said in their build threads or if its an issue with my soldering work on the adapter that hooks into the ribbon cables.

Configuring Repetier Host has been a pain. Originally I wanted to use it with the Mac rather than run my VM of W7 and run it in windows. Couldn't find any support or videos of the set up on the Mac and just gave up after a few days of trying. I fired it up and did the set up process through windows following the instructions in genes instructions. Had a few hick ups here and there but could usually find the answers and fix them. I attempted what seems like the last piece of the puzzle ( resending the firmware with changes to the "printer_radius" so my hot end would stop pinning itself into the glass on the heated. After some work in finding out that I had to choose the correct board before it would even send. I finally got the firmware uploaded.

After this i went to control my printer etc. Test and see if the hotend still comes down to the glass sending my preset printer commands only to find that now Repetier Host doesn't do anything to control my printer. When I turn on the printer the board makes some sort of noise or the noise maybe coming from the motors ( a little thud noise) And thats it no commands sent through Repetier Host work. I can't turn on the hot end or the heated bed. I am getting errors regarding my temperature sensor an issue that wasn't there before I did the firmware. my headted bed and hotend temps in the manual control sector (windows Repetier Host read 500 degrees C.

I dont know whats going on and really need some help. Im still waiting on SeemeCNC to get back to me about the LCD.

[jesse]

The Rostock Max uses RAMBo electronics. RAMBo is based on the Arduino Mega 2560 prototyping board with extra circuitry for controlling the stepper motors and heaters.

Were you able to get the board to turn on by plugging it into the USB port? Were you able to get Repetier-Host program to make a serial connection to the RAMBo board?

It's possible to plug motors and heaters into the RAMBo one-at-a-time to test things out.

I recommend using the Repetier-Max firmware.

[Broose]

Are you sure that your firmware downloaded correctly? Did you upload to the Rambo with the Windows version of Arduino and with Repetier host disconnected? I'd be somewhat concerned with how well the USB driver would work on a Mac through a Windows 7 VM. It sounds like the firmware was correctly loaded beforehand or else I would say that may be the cause of the LCD issue. The LCD starts up with just the blocks on a couple of the rows before the firmware accesses them.

I've used a Mac for Repetier Host and you don't need to install a USB driver for the Mac version. I found it fairly easy to set up, although the UI isn't the same as the Windows version. If you want I can send you screen shots of the printer settings on my machine.

[tc3jg]

Jesse-
Thanks for your reply yes through my research I've connected those dots regarding the Rambo as the controller for 3D printers and the arduino programming/code program as a way to read and make changes to firmwares used with the board.

As far as me connecting to the board via USB? Is that while having the main power supply turned on?

I was controlling the printer with the computer making some endstop adjustments but then it stopped working after I went into arduino and tried to send over the edited firmware to correct my issue with the hotend hitting the heatbed

I am using the repetier max firmware

Broose-

How would I know if the firmware was downloaded incorrectly? Are you saying incorrectly from the website? Or once it's brought into arduino? Or uploading to the Rambo?

Yes I uploaded the all windows versions of repetier host and arduino into the W7virtual machine. I also downloaded the zip file for the repieter max firmware.

That would be awesome I'd love to see those settings one thing I noticed that was immediately different with the Mac UI was that the Mac UI when I'm connected does not show the manual directional arrows what would cause that?

As for my LCD it hasn't worked since I finished hooking everything up. It's showed the the blocks consistently. Even when I was controlling the printer with computer the LCD never worked

[tc3jg]

Some photos of what I'm looking at if it helps. ill also put up a vid of when I connect to the printer

Video

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 25327a.mp4

[img]http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... af7e35.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 1cffaf.jpg[/img]
As you see here if I click on heat bed or hotend it automatically reads the max temp we set

[img]http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 937fbf.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... 68b3e7.jpg[/img]

[Broose]

How would I know if the firmware was downloaded incorrectly? Are you saying incorrectly from the website? Or once it's brought into arduino? Or uploading to the Rambo?

I meant incorrectly uploaded to the Rambo using the Arduino development environment. I noticed your Arduino IDE displays "Done Uploading" which is what you would see after a successful upload. I wonder if its an incompatibility between the newly uploaded firmware baudrate and the Repetier Host baudrate. I haven't had an issue with that but I've seen other posts about that issue. Can you view the EEProm through Repetier Host once connected?

Yes I uploaded the all windows versions of repetier host and arduino into the W7virtual machine. I also downloaded the zip file for the repieter max firmware.

That would be awesome I'd love to see those settings one thing I noticed that was immediately different with the Mac UI was that the Mac UI when I'm connected does not show the manual directional arrows what would cause that?
Here are my settings. You probably want a lower default extruder temp if you are using the stock hotend (I am using an E3d all-metal hotend):

The Mac version does not have directional arrows- you push on the buttons on the print panel to jog in each axis

As for my LCD it hasn't worked since I finished hooking everything up. It's showed the the blocks consistently. Even when I was controlling the printer with computer the LCD never worked

The other thing I would check is to make sure the cables aren't upside down when plugged into the Rambo. I understand some of the newer LCD kits don't have keyed sockets and you have to make sure the key on the cable connector matches the marking on the PC board.

[jesse]

Make sure you define the bed height in the EEPROM (Rep Host -> Config -> EEPROM...). That setting prevents the head from touching the build surface.

[Eaglezsoar]

Make sure you define the bed height in the EEPROM (Rep Host -> Config -> EEPROM...). That setting prevents the head from touching the build surface.

Is it called bed height in configuration.h? (I am not using EEPROM at this time)

[tc3jg]

Thanks for all the help guys an gals.
Looks like I got it to move again with the computer. I am going to switch to the windows side as thats the one I have put all the Eeprom settings into. I uploaded the firmware again and im a little confused why it works now as i just uploaded this :
[img]http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22/tc3jg/ScreenShot2013-07-15at90907PM_zps373e126a.png[/img]

Now perhaps this is where I was messing up. I made the changes in the configuration.h tab and then uploaded while still viewing that tab could that have been the problem?


PS LCD is still out I tried to reverse the ribbon cables plugged into the adapter which connects to the Rambo. No dice.

[Broose]

Now perhaps this is where I was messing up. I made the changes in the configuration.h tab and then uploaded while still viewing that tab could that have been the problem?


PS LCD is still out I tried to reverse the ribbon cables plugged into the adapter which connects to the Rambo. No dice.

Glad you got it working again. No, uploading while open to the configuration.h tab should work fine.

With the LCD I was asking you to check the way each cable plugs into the Rambo to make sure the keys on the connectors line up with the markings on the PC board if you don't have shrouded connectors on the PC board. Were you able to do that? Here is a thread where this was discussed: http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php ... 47&p=14920

[tc3jg]

So I decided to just go through the settings even tho my bed isn't totally level just to see something and as it sent the print cube I noticed that for some reason my extender motor is reversing what I believe it should retraction actually pushes the filament through the hot end so when I tried to print the cube it just feed it out lol smh the calibrating is going to be hella work.
How do I get this motor going the right direction? Lol I set it up just like the other which is prob what I messed up. Also it stopped feeding the filament like the motor couldn't grip anymore

[Broose]

Try changing
#define EXT0_INVERSE
in configuration.h from true to false or vise versa

here is a thread about it: http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php?t=1314&p=6874

[tc3jg]

Broose that worked perfectly. Now if I can figure out how to get this motor to feed right and level out the bed i think it will be ok.

JG

[tc3jg]

Well if its not one thing its another. started to try and fine tune my distance from the heat bead when my hot end on one of my tests started slamming into the bed. then I check my eeprom settings and I find this

[img]http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22/tc3jg/ScreenShot2013-07-17at124858AM_zpsc6ae4c52.png[/img]


WTH happend to my max values? it appears my Z doesnt even exist!

[tc3jg]

P.S should I be worried ? Haven't heard anything from Seemecnc about my lcd

[Polygonhell]

Well if its not one thing its another. started to try and fine tune my distance from the heat bead when my hot end on one of my tests started slamming into the bed. then I check my eeprom settings and I find this

[img]http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22/tc3jg/ScreenShot2013-07-17at124858AM_zpsc6ae4c52.png[/img]


WTH happend to my max values? it appears my Z doesnt even exist!

I'd reflash the firmware and bump the value that enables the EEPROM in configuration.h.
The odds are you have bad values in the EEPROM.

[Polygonhell]

P.S should I be worried ? Haven't heard anything from Seemecnc about my lcd

Ping them again, or call them if you are concerned, they are usually very responsive, but they've been attending a lot of events recently which means it sometimes takes a few days.

[tc3jg]

Well if its not one thing its another. started to try and fine tune my distance from the heat bead when my hot end on one of my tests started slamming into the bed. then I check my eeprom settings and I find this

[img]http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm22/tc3jg/ScreenShot2013-07-17at124858AM_zpsc6ae4c52.png[/img]


WTH happend to my max values? it appears my Z doesnt even exist!

I'd reflash the firmware and bump the value that enables the EEPROM in configuration.h.
The odds are you have bad values in the EEPROM.

Which value enables eeprom?

not Printer radius is it ? because ive changed that to a large number to try and stop the burring in my heat bed to no avail

[tc3jg]

One thing I noticed is that repetier host crashes unless i turn on the heated bed if i go into config eeprom. whats up with that?

[Broose]

I'd reflash the firmware and bump the value that enables the EEPROM in configuration.h.
The odds are you have bad values in the EEPROM.

Which value enables eeprom?

not Printer radius is it ? because ive changed that to a large number to try and stop the burring in my heat bed to no avail

In configuration.h:
#define EEPROM_MODE 1

I think Polygonhell was saying make it 2 or another non-zero number besides 1 and it will reinitialize EEPROM when you upload the firmware.

[tc3jg]

Yeah I got it working just having issues with the layers sticking to the bed. The hot end starts to pull them up off the bed as it goes. Also rolls up once it comes out the hit end sometimes. Super picky but I guess ill get it right sooner or later

[tc3jg]

Finally got my first print. Lol the trick to getting the first layer to stick just took a little hair spray. What would I do if it weren't for all of you!

[tc3jg]

Ok guys started my first print and as expected it was not to good lol no worries there i was just glad to have gotten some layers down.

Two more questions-

1. My LCD is still bad I resoldered the connections. I really think its me that I messed it up. How doi check it with the volt meter?

2. What's the bag with the extra parts in it? It has the seemecnc logo on it with what looks like another motor plate. Some hardware too.

[Eaglezsoar]

Ok guys started my first print and as expected it was not to good lol no worries there i was just glad to have gotten some layers down.

Two more questions-

1. My LCD is still bad I resoldered the connections. I really think its me that I messed it up. How doi check it with the volt meter?

2. What's the bag with the extra parts in it? It has the seemecnc logo on it with what looks like another motor plate. Some hardware too.

The bag is probably parts for the EZStruder, here is the link: http://shop.seemecnc.com/EZStruder-Moun ... -70791.htm
As far as the LCD is concerned, I would look at the connectors that plug into the Rambo and cables and make sure none of the pins are shorted to
other pins. Also make sure all pins are soldered, beyond that ensure the cables are plugged in correctly by referring to the assembly manual. This
is one of the areas that has caused users the most problems and there is no easy solution. Do you have a friend who is good with electronics and
soldering? Have them take a look at the connectors and they could possibly spot a problem that has been eluding you. Good luck and you will
eventually get it working!

[tc3jg]

Thank you eaglezsoar. Are there instructions for the ez extruder that's exactly what it is and since I have a 2pound spool that's probably the best way for me to mount it