New Download area - http://download.seemecnc.com
Just putting a place to post all our downloadable stuffs on. The last few weeks/months, reperap.org's servers have been having more problems. With hosting a lot of our files there, it was a problem to say use the wiki, when you couldn't get to it! SO, we're going to try and keep our own stuff updated here first, and the wiki as time/people allow. Remeber, reprap.org and it's wiki are community editable, so if you see something you think needs fixed, have at it, you're supposed to
Also, along with that, I'm starting to transition all the seemecnc projects over from my personal github account to github.com/seemecnc I have tons of stuff to clean up, so it's housekeeping at the same time for me hehehehe. If you need something, and don't see it somewhere, lemme know.NEW REPETIER FIRMWARE:
Yep, that's right, I 'finally' got Repetier Firmware running on the shop machines. It's not that I couldn't, I just wanted to let Polygonhell have all the fun this time
Actually, for the longest time, I have thought that Marlin was an easier to use firmware. With EEPROM disabled, it made it easy for me to just explain to everyone how to adjust the firmware settings, and upload. However, with the LCD coming on line with all the Rostock Kits, and more new users starting out in 3D printing with the Rostock MAX's, as well as the obvious better motion control of Repetier's Firmware, I thought it would be easier to support and implement this firmware from the 'factory' instead. As of this moment, we aren't shipping with it yet, but we'll prob. be making the change this week. I have beat up the firmware for a week now, and all in all, I think it's actually easier to tune, and havn't found any major issues. To get started with installing Repetier Firmware, you'll need to make sure you have the most recent version of Arduino, like 1.0.4. Repetier doesn't need the older, hacked versions of arduino to make the LCD work, it just works Once you've got the new arduino downloaded, jump on over to http://download.seemecnc.com and find the link for the RepetierMAX firmware link. Now is a good idea to write down your PID settings and Z_HOME_POS from your old marlin firmware, just to have on hand. Open up the repetier.ino (new versions of arduino use .ino instead of .pde), go to configuration.h, and scroll down to line 98 or so, and look for the PULLEY_TEETH line, and enter your pulley teeth number. If you have an older machine with all aluminum pulleys, they were 15 tooth, if you have newer pulleys with the aluminum hubs, but plastic teeth, they are 20 tooth. Next, go down to line 112, and make sure you enter either 8 (for rambo 1.0 boards) or 16 (for rambo 1.1 and on boards). Next step, line 151 you'll need to set either 292 (for 1.0 boards) or 584 (for 1.1 boards). Lines 220-225 have to do with the PID settings, which you should be able to copy over from your marlin. Just replace the numbers with what was in marlin. TAKE NOTE taht line 176 says#define EXT0_INVERSE true
This is where you can invert your extruder motor if it turns backwards. Lines 617-619 are where you can reverse your xy and z motors if they run backwards. Now, remembering the Z_HOME_POS from marlin, replace the following lines numbers 354.3. From here on out, you only need to adjust the Z_MAX_LENGTH to set a new z height.
#define X_MAX_LENGTH 354.3
#define Y_MAX_LENGTH 354.3
#define Z_MAX_LENGTH 354.3
Line 684 is where you can adjust your motor currents, and line 709 (PRINTER_RADIUS) is now where you can adjust your delta moves if they are sweeping high/low in the center of the bed, similar to the DELTA_SMOOTH_ROD_OFFSET in the old marlin. That's about it! Now, after you flash the RAMBo with this new firmware, you will have to make the changes mostly in Repetier Host, or on the LCD controller. To do that in Repetier, go to config>eeprom settings, and it will open up a window with all the settings you can adjust right from that window, cool right? Well, 'try' to do your best to enter the same values in your firmware, so you'll know what changes are where at a later date. Also, in the firmware, the settings that are read from eeprom say so, and if it says overriden if eeprom is activated, that means if you change it in the firmware, and reflash, it doesn't mean it will change. You HAVE to do it from the host/LCD, or with manually sending Gcode (more nerdy, uber advanced, but have a shot at it if you're bored) Once you make a change in the host, just close the window. That change will only stay 'active' until you power off the RAMBo UNLESS, if you are happy with the change, send M500 to lock them in, or on the LCD controller you can 'save to eeprom' from the configuration menu.
That's a quick rundown for now. I'll try and do some more documenting of the differences, but it's WAY nicer. The ease of adjusting things from the LCD or repetier host is quite awesome, especially for new users. Less nerd-fu needed in the long run I think, plus Repetier's amazing, firmware/host combo makes some niiiiice prints!
ACCURATE TEMP READINGS:
*** Works with the Repetier Firmware only ***
So, as many, many people have experienced, thermistors have a tolerance, and can even vary outside their tolerance ratings. Different lengths and routing of wires can even influence the results. Also, you have probably learned by now that the temp you print at can have a big impact on print quality as well. So, in order for us all to be able to share our tips and secrets of our successes, we need to be sharing ACCURATE temperature data so we have a more even comparison. In the past, we've kind of just used the method of measuring what our actual is, and comparing it to what the machine 'thinks' it is, and just knowing that, and compensating our gcode etc... for that difference. It's worked, and still does, but to get more people sharing accurate information, lets learn how to eliminate that variable altogether. Here's what you need to do. Using a contact type thermocouple, like what comes with some digital multimeters, heat up your hotend to 200c, and unscrew the nozzle just enough to slip the measuring point in between it and the aluminum. You can just snug the nozzle to allow it to hold the thermocouple in place. Now, take the actual temp reading. If your meter reads in fahrenheit, use the following formula = (Celcius X 9 / 5 +32 = Fahrenheit). Now use the actual and reported temps to figure out if you are reading higher than your actual temp, i.e. Repetier says 200, but your thermocouple says 184 (184 / 200 = 92%) and come up with what percentage you are off. In the example, we are 8% too low. Go ahead and open up Arduino, and open up your firmware. Go down to line ~454, and look for "#define GENERIC_THERM1_BETA 4267" Now, if you are reading 8% too low, then you need to INCREASE the value by 8%, in this case we would change it to 4608. Don't worry about decimals, and don't use them actually, just round up. It's a good idea, just in case you forget, to add comments describing what it origionally was, by adding to the end of the line something like
" #define GENERIC_THERM1_BETA 4608 // default was 4267 " Now, save and upload your firmware to the board. Turn the heats back on to 200c, and check it out. You may need to iterate this once or twice, but it's WELL worth the time spent to get really accurate reading temps!!!
(P.S. in the last 4 machines i've calibrated, they all have been under reporting, and i had to set the beta value to around 4550, so maybe start there)
There's plenty more where that came from, but I think I'll let this soak in for a bit, and let you guys see how it works!
Thanks again everyone, post away all your comments/questions and i'll try to stay on top of this thread for a while.
John Oly
I'll se if i can get it pushed up there
