2 problems

[harley573]

I am completely lost. For one, I really don't have a clue what the heck the arduino software does. I know I run the machine with Repetier Host. I talked to seemecnc today and was told to update my firmware(?). I was also told to look in the eeprom settings to find a setting called "horizontal radius" to finish my calibration. I went to the eeprom settings inside repetier host by going to "config", "firmware eeprom configuration". No "horizontal radius" field exists there. I also looked at the log and saw that I am running repetier max .83, I was told to update to .91. Well, I looked at the arduino software and it says it is version 1.0.6. What am I missing? Where is it getting .83 if I have 1.0.6? What happened to .91?

[Earthbound]

The Arduino IDE (integrated development envirnment) is software that you use on your PC to load firmware into the RAMBo (the controller in the printer).

Arduino IDE is currently v1.0.6
Repetier firmware is at v0.92, but has issues, so recommended version is v0.91.

Links to all can be found in the manual which is on the SeeMeCNC downloads page. Manual will tell you how to configure Arduino IDE and load the new firmware, as well as explain the radius calibration procedure.

[harley573]

Where is the repetier firmware stored on my computer?

Is having the old version the reason I can't find the horizontal radius setting?

[harley573]

Okay, so I found that software, downloaded it, and the folder is called "repetier-091", so I guess that's the right one. However, there is no .exe file inside. How do I "load" it? What do I do with it?

[Earthbound]

Okay, so I found that software, downloaded it, and the folder is called "repetier-091", so I guess that's the right one. However, there is no .exe file inside. How do I "load" it? What do I do with it?

Manual will tell you how to configure Arduino IDE and load the new firmware, as well as explain the radius calibration procedure.

See above. Gene's manual covers both in detail.

[Captain Starfish]

.exe is only for windows.

I can take programs written in C and compile them to .exe for windows, to <whatever I want> for unix, and often to .hex files for embedded controllers.

The repetier-091 firmware you've downloaded is the source code. You can edit the .cpp, .ino and .h source files. Then compile them to a .hex executable. Then upload it to the printer which will then restart using the new firmware.

The Arduino application wraps the source editor, compiler and uploader for the firmware into a single Integrated Development Environment which is quite convenient.

So you open the Arduino app, then open 091 firmware inside it (like you'd open a .doc file in Word), find the configuration.h file and make the changes, then check (aka compile) and upload your own new version of 091 to the printer.

It's a little annoying that there are some settings for the Rostock that live hard coded into the firmware, some that live in the EEPROM, and some that live in the slicer settings and they have some funny rules around which source takes priority for which setting. But we work with what we have.

[guanu]

sounds like you downloaded it from repetier not us.... heres what you need to do...
you said in chat you have a V1 rostock, so I will have these instructions for that..
1) go to https://github.com/seemecnc/Repetier-091-ROSTOCKMAX and on the right there is a link that says download zip... click that and save the file
2) extract the file you just downloaded to a folder on your computer
3) load the arduino software
4) go to Tools - Board - and make sure Arduino 2560 is the one selected, then go to Tools - Serial Port - and with the machine on and connected via usb, select the com port your printer is on
5) still in arduino, go to File - Examples - EEPROM - eeprom_clear select that and it will load a small program... click the upload button (its the icon at the top that looks like an arrow pointing to the right, the second icon)
6) when that says done uploading, that will have wiped the electronics clean... now go to file - load when you extracted the zip of the firmware, you will go there... there is a file called Repetier.ino (of it will have an icon next to it and no extension) this file will be in the folder (where you extracted the zip)\Repetier-091-ROSTOCKMAX-master\Repetier-091-ROSTOCKMAX\Repetier\
7) loading that file should bring up a bunch of tabs.. click the tab that says Configuration.h and scroll down to line 634 (the software will tell you what line the cursor is at on the bottom left.. so place your cursor to see what line you are at.) change #define INVERT_Y_DIR false to #define INVERT_Y_DIR true (this is because the Y motor in the V1 rostock is at a different direction than the V2)
8) click the upload button to send the firmware to your machine

when it says done uploading, you will have our latest firmware

Guanu

[geneb]

Just to make it worse - if it's a v1 machine, how old is it? What's the revision of the RAMBo? (It should be printed on the board somewhere.) If the v1 is old enough, it could have the custom-cut drive gears instead of the GT2 gears, which will cause problems if you're using the .91 firmware unchanged.

g.

[harley573]

Okay, I got the firmware updated successfully and found the horizontal radius field for when I get back to that point. So I started to do the Z calibration, but for some reason, now everything is waaaay off. My hot end is Z=0 at about 94mm away from the bed. I changed the value for steps per on line 129 in the firmware from 200 to 106.66. What am I doing wrong?

[harley573]

Can anyone verify that line 129 is where I should have changed my steps per revolution setting?

[Earthbound]

What version of machine do you have?

There are few reasons to change line 129, and it would always be an integer value. The stepper motors on current SeeMeCNC product move 1.8 degrees per full step. 360 degrees per revolution / 1.8 degrees per step = 200 steps per revolution.

What are you trying to adjust?

[harley573]

I have the V1 Rostock Max and I just updated to the .91 Firmware. Now when my machine gets to Z=0, the hot end is still 4 or 5 inches above the hot bed. Tech support told me on Friday that I needed to change the steps per revolution to 106.66 because I have the old pulleys. I changed the value "200" on line 129, which I'm guessing is not right. The stepper motor didn't change in the new ones, did it? I think if someone can verify what line in the firmware I need to change to get the right steps in, I'll have it beat.

[Eaglezsoar]

You need to update the configuration.h and the eeprom data for steps per mm.

The lines should look like this:
#define XAXIS_STEPS_PER_MM XX
#define YAXIS_STEPS_PER_MM XX
#define ZAXIS_STEPS_PER_MM XX

XX would be the 106.66 value that tech support gave you.

I use Notepad++ to edit the files. It will also allow you to find the above lines. It is a free program, search for it on the Web.
After editing and saving configuration.h and uploading to the Rambo you will need
to use Repetier host to edit and change the same settings to the EEPROM.

[harley573]

So I need to switch line 129 back to 200, right?

[Eaglezsoar]

So I need to switch line 129 back to 200, right?

I would assume yes, if you changed it and it was not part of the steps per mm.

[harley573]

Okay, thanks for all the help on that issue. Got it back to normal.

However, I am back to square one, it would seem, with my original problem which prompted all this messing about. I have run the scripts that position the hot end near each of the masts and in the middle of the bed. At the positions near each mast, I have adjusted the limit switch screws until each of the perimeter positions are even with each other. I am using a precision gauge block, so all three are dead nuts the same. However, when I run the fourth script, the hot end is 3/8 of an inch too high, comparatively. Tech support told me to update firmware and then use the horizontal radius field in the eeprom settings to level things out. I have now run through every number between -50 and 266 and I can't tell any difference in the position. I'm changing the eeprom setting, then running script 4, then sliding my gage block under the head, then repeating. It errors out if you try to go any higher than 266.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is there something I need to do to make my change to the eeprom setting "take effect". I can't tell changing the horizontal radius value has made any difference whatsoever.

[Earthbound]

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is there something I need to do to make my change to the eeprom setting "take effect". I can't tell changing the horizontal radius value has made any difference whatsoever.

Check line 1022 of Configuration.h

It should read as #define EEPROM_MODE 1

If EEPROM_MODE is defined as 0 then EEPROM will be ignored. If you find that it is 0 in your file, you'll need to change it to 1 and upload the firmware again.

[harley573]

Mine says "eeprom_mode 1".

[Earthbound]

I suggest checking or re-entering the 4th script. Sounds like it might have been entered with a Z10 instead of a Z0.

Try a starting value of 130 for horizontal offset radius.

[Earthbound]

Is there something I need to do to make my change to the eeprom setting "take effect"?

Not as long as EEPROM_MODE is a value other than 0.

You can edit the EEPROM settings in R-H and they work immediately without any saving/uploading.

[harley573]

how much of a change to the horizontal radius are you making to notice a change?

Also, I can't seem to find a setting to change that lets me touch the bed. I thought changing the x, y & z "max length" values in the eeprom settings would let me drive the carriage closer to the bed, but changing those also did nothing. Z=0 stops the hot end well short of the glass, even with the eeprom settings set to 370. They were 363 originally.

[teoman]

Are you using the LCD to set the new Z=0 ?

[Earthbound]

how much of a change to the horizontal radius are you making to notice a change?

Also, I can't seem to find a setting to change that lets me touch the bed. I thought changing the x, y & z "max length" values in the eeprom settings would let me drive the carriage closer to the bed, but changing those also did nothing. Z=0 stops the hot end well short of the glass, even with the eeprom settings set to 370. They were 363 originally.

Pages 234 & 235 cover this.

Use paper to position at center
Use LCD function to Set New Zero
Open R-H to view EEPROM and write down the Z max length (a good bit more than 370...)
Use that new value to change the printable height in R-H Printer Settings.

[harley573]

I don't have the LCD and I can't get the hot end close enough to the bed to touch a piece of paper.

What is your Z max setting?

[Earthbound]

You might try increasing the Z max value in EEPROM by a few mm and put the same number in the Printable Height field in R-H Printer Settings. Be conservative with the changes. Without the LCD to allow direct access of Z, I think you'll have to find the right values by bumping them up via R-H and then seeing if you can move the head closer to the bed.