searching for help programming a marlin firmware

hi,
i know this sounds very noob but i´m trying now for 4 months to make a ramps 1.4 running with the marlin firmware, this is what i have and was able to acomplish so far:
tried out 2 boards 2560R3 arduino.
bootloader ok and fuses ok
firmware: marlin v1 rc2 (i think, file attached)
managed to make the LCD working
SD Card Working (can see the filesystem)
using a Ramps 1.4 board.
the steper motors are standard for 3d printers (even tried the ones from my prusa that work fine with the gen 7 board)
Optical endstops that seem to react fine (led is goingg on when closing them and lcd shows when one of them is closed)
no heatbed, one extruder,




the problem i have:
some times the lcd courses grafic malfunction, it works but dhe graphics seem to crash from time to time, this happens when i try to make the steppers move several times manualy. i think this is coursed by the following problem:

the steppers do not move just jitter, changing the stepper sticks, and adjusting them did not help, they do make more noise at the propper time when i send a signal and the level changes when i adjust the stepstick. when trying to reduce the moving speed to a minimum the motors move a bit but in different directions. my conclusion: problem with the signal.

changing the connection of the cables A1 A2 B1 B2 did not bring any solution (not shure if the steppers have a polarisation, an electromagnet has but did not find a description how to determen what should be A1 A2 and B1 B2)
as mutch as i have read it can be that the delay time between the signals is to short so that the impulses come in to fast to the motor not giving enogh time for the mechanic to move.

the stepsticks have been changed to the old ones from the gen7 board with same problem, but all the sicks work fine on the Gen7.
I have not been able to find where to change that delay time, and it is weird that i seem to be just one of view people to experience that problem. conlusion: stepsticks are fine


anyone can give me an advice what to do?

making the motors work would finaly make the printer work.
i´m not much of a programmer and i hope my enlish is good enoth too make clear what i mean^^

thanx

[reprap.org]. the link is to the marlin firmare wiki page.


lcd probably is responding to noise level. is it possible to shorten the length of lcd cable? longests a parallel cable should be is about 12 inches


if you can list your configuration.h file rather than the entire firmware it would be helpful in providing you some input. also a picture of your printer would help as well so we can see how everythig fits together. so many styles these days.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2013 10:57PM by jamesdanielv.

i looked a the configuration.h file. are you using a AD595 for heater or are you using a thermister?

for other people looking into troubleshooting i have attached his configuration file.

I agree with jamesdanielv that it sounds like you have an electrical problem. Is your powersupply powerful enough to deliver a steady supply? Have you cut your wires as short as they can be? Are the cables to the motors tied tightly together and routed away from the electronics? I think it might be a good idea to twist the cables to each phase of the motors together if your type of cable allows. Can you take a photo of your machine and wiring? Have you verified that you have connected everything correct and that all connectors seems tight and OK three times? I am not beeing condescending, I have been working with electronics for 8 years now and still make magic smoke every now and then.

i have used to test the electronics seperated from the construction just the board psu and a stepper motor with original cable length. same problem, psu is for 120W, the stepper sticks the motor and the psu was tested with the other electronics (gen7) and no problems. and i´m glad to say that so far the ghost did not leave the elecronics forming the magic smoke.^^ (so far).
thanx.
oh thank you for extracting and posting the configuration file ^^
the interesting thing is that i stumbeld over several posts that describe the same issue but without a solution^^.

an AD595? no simple thermistor.
the thermistor settings and temperatur sensor settings have not been set yet, all on default.
i have doubble checked the wiring on the machine and on the test enviroment several times, they are all correct including the 4x4 combinations for the stepper motors.
will test the psu or use another one in case this electronics is more sensible than the gen7.
i want to use the marlin for hostless printing and the ability to config the printer without reloading the firmware.
thanx to all of you.

configuration.h file you need to set the device thermister correctly. motors won't move until it detects a reasonable temp. this is because temp errors cause shut down for device and user protection.

//--NORMAL IS 4.7kohm PULLUP!-- 1kohm pullup can be used on hotend sensor, using correct resistor and table
//
//// Temperature sensor settings:
// -2 is thermocouple with MAX6675 (only for sensor 0)
// -1 is thermocouple with AD595
// 0 is not used
// 1 is 100k thermistor - best choice for EPCOS 100k (4.7k pullup)
// 2 is 200k thermistor - ATC Semitec 204GT-2 (4.7k pullup)
// 3 is mendel-parts thermistor (4.7k pullup)
// 4 is 10k thermistor !! do not use it for a hotend. It gives bad resolution at high temp. !!
// 5 is 100K thermistor - ATC Semitec 104GT-2 (Used in ParCan) (4.7k pullup)
// 6 is 100k EPCOS - Not as accurate as table 1 (created using a fluke thermocouple) (4.7k pullup)
// 7 is 100k Honeywell thermistor 135-104LAG-J01 (4.7k pullup)
// 8 is 100k 0603 SMD Vishay NTCS0603E3104FXT (4.7k pullup)
// 9 is 100k GE Sensing AL03006-58.2K-97-G1 (4.7k pullup)
// 10 is 100k RS thermistor 198-961 (4.7k pullup)
//
// 1k ohm pullup tables - This is not normal, you would have to have changed out your 4.7k for 1k
// (but gives greater accuracy and more stable PID)
// 51 is 100k thermistor - EPCOS (1k pullup)
// 52 is 200k thermistor - ATC Semitec 204GT-2 (1k pullup)
// 55 is 100k thermistor - ATC Semitec 104GT-2 (Used in ParCan) (1k pullup)

#define TEMP_SENSOR_0 -1
#define TEMP_SENSOR_1 0
#define TEMP_SENSOR_2 0
#define TEMP_SENSOR_BED 0


look for this line

#define TEMP_SENSOR_0 -1

and change it to:

#define TEMP_SENSOR_0 1

it may not be correct setting, but it will allow you to troubleshoot with working motors.

thanx it helped, the psu emitted a 400 hz signal, and i had to reduce the moving speed from 500steps per mm to 15. now it moves perfectly.
i shorted the cable for the lcd, but the problem with the display still presists. when i move the motors over the manual control symbols runn over the display first line third line then second then fourth. the display goes blank but the controls still work.
another weird phenomenon, as soon as i have the z axis motor connected, it disapears from the manual control menu. prepare->manual control->10.0mm-> x axis, y axis, but no z axis.
as soon as i disconnect it, the menue apears (unpluging while turned off).
thanx for the temperature sensor hint, it also unlocked the problem.

btw, what is the maximum bed size for the marlin firmware?
thank you for helping me with this project.
br
nubi

did you get the help you needed?

for most of the issues yes, just the z axis problem is still up with the firmware, and still looking for the maximum dimensions of the firmware.
the lcd problem seems to come from a bad solidercontact. every single post helped me to get it working, thank you all for it its amazing^^
br
nubi

//#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMIN


change to

#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMIN