hello everyone, i have recently put together a printer with a build volume of 520mx520mx520mm using Nema 34 motors driving ball screws for all axis and Dual Micron 3DP head. I used a Ramps 1.4 set up to run 4 Wantai DQ860MA drivers. (one for X axis, two for Y axis and one for Z) I started a print of a 10mm cube for calibration. everything was working fine except for poor bed adhesion. i stopped the print and applied a thinned ABS layer to the glass bed for adhesion. When i started the same print again my X axis would only move in one direction. I checked the pin connections for loose wires and used the lcd screen to test the X axis again and ended up with the DIR pin working intermittently until it now completely fails. I have swapped out the driver twice now and the same thing eventually happened again. I only have this issue with the X axis. I do see on the Wantai motor website a diagram that shows resistors between the negative signal pins, but with the Ramps board the signal is controlled on the + side. any input would be greatly appreciated. thank you EDIT: I have Nema 34 motors not 42s... EDIT: Attached - my wiring setup for the DQ860MA driver to the Ramps 1.4, power supply and motors https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,389845#msg-389845 Sun, 13 Sep 2026 21:58:33 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,393001#msg-393001 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,393001#msg-393001
End Stops: Magnetic Hall Sensor, Auto level probe. Would an optical sensor be an improvement? [reprap.org]
Filament detection using an end stop. [forums.reprap.org]
some gotchas.. the steppers will not move in a negative direction if it thinks the min endstop for that axis is triggered. Which is why I like to get the endstops working first thing. Be very careful not to short the + pin to the - pin on the endstop connector. Shorting this kills most boards. [forums.reprap.org]
if you only have 3 endstops, you need to disable the max endstops, //#define DISABLE_MAX_ENDSTOPS
End Stop: Start with the M119 command to check your endstop wiring. If the switches are reading triggered when the carriages are not touching them, the printer will think that it is already homed and not move the carriages [forums.reprap.org]
Connecting end stop [reprap.org]
Wiring Diagram: Sometimes the parallel port's limit switch terminal will be signaled by the noise in the steppers’ wires. [solsylva.com]
Wiring limits and home switches [www.pminmo.com]
Unshielded twisted pair: End stop wiring [www.reprap.org]]]> A2 Controllers Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:51:41 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,391784#msg-391784 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,391784#msg-391784
i replaced one of the suspected optoisolators and hooked the driver back up to my X axis. everything seems to be working fine. but, i tried the other driver that was not working and it now works as well... so i am lost as to what went wrong...

just crossing my fingers now that the problem doesn't come back.]]> Nived Controllers Wed, 06 Aug 2014 23:47:20 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,390194#msg-390194 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,390194#msg-390194 hopefully this works for testing until exact matching optoisolators come in...]]> Nived Controllers Fri, 01 Aug 2014 19:02:39 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,390118#msg-390118 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,390118#msg-390118 Nived Controllers Fri, 01 Aug 2014 13:00:07 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,389949#msg-389949 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,389949#msg-389949 Traumflug Controllers Fri, 01 Aug 2014 06:01:19 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,389863#msg-389863 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,389863#msg-389863 or does the Ramps 1.4 have current limiting resistors on the driver signal pins already?
just odd that only my X axis is having issues...]]> Nived Controllers Fri, 01 Aug 2014 01:46:42 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,389845#msg-389845 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,389845,389845#msg-389845
i have recently put together a printer with a build volume of 520mx520mx520mm using Nema 34 motors driving ball screws for all axis and Dual Micron 3DP head.
I used a Ramps 1.4 set up to run 4 Wantai DQ860MA drivers. (one for X axis, two for Y axis and one for Z)

I started a print of a 10mm cube for calibration. everything was working fine except for poor bed adhesion.
i stopped the print and applied a thinned ABS layer to the glass bed for adhesion. When i started the same print again my X axis would only move in one direction.
I checked the pin connections for loose wires and used the lcd screen to test the X axis again and ended up with the DIR pin working intermittently until it now completely fails.

I have swapped out the driver twice now and the same thing eventually happened again. I only have this issue with the X axis.

I do see on the Wantai motor website a diagram that shows resistors between the negative signal pins, but with the Ramps board the signal is controlled on the + side.

any input would be greatly appreciated.

thank you

EDIT: I have Nema 34 motors not 42s...
EDIT: Attached - my wiring setup for the DQ860MA driver to the Ramps 1.4, power supply and motors]]> Nived Controllers Thu, 31 Jul 2014 22:12:57 -0400