Put my cart before my horse and now I need help.

So I decided to build a 3D printer from scratch using some linear actuators and stepper controllers from a previous project. I have the basic frame built (see the attached photo) and I can move each axis by hooking the stepper controllers to my waveform generator.

Then I wanted to get some software to drive the steppers and actually do the printing (as soon as I finish my extruder).

I was not prepared for how hard it was going to be to find definitive information on the proper software to use and how to hook it all up!!

I have an Arduino mega in my junk drawer, I figured I would use that (I also have some netduino boards if that would be better). Each of my stepper controllers has an enable bit, a direction bit and a pulse bit so my Arduino has plenty of IO.

So.....

What software should I put on the PC (I am running windows) to control the Arduino.

What firmware should I put on the Arduino (and where do I find documentation as to which output bits to use for which axis, etc).

Any help gratefully received!

RKM

you should be able run the sprinter firmware on the mega board you have, you jut have to wire that up to your stepper drivers,
there's a lot of commenting in the source files and you just follow that,


software wise on your pc printrun or replicatorg isn't a bad way to go

Great setup. Looks just like the Parker Daedal pairs of linears that I bought from a Colorado dismantler.
I have the long ones on my Z-stage.
I am in the same boat as you, and am just catching up with the electronics to go with the mechanics.

I'd suggest you either get a RAMPs shield for your arduino mega, or buy an all in one solution like the azteeg x3.
you won't need the pololu drivers, since you have those external drivers.
This suggestion gives you the hardware to control hotends, hotbeds, fans and more. There are matching firmwares also.

Basically, you need to be able to load the firmware to the Arduino.
This takes the Arduino IDE. you adjust the firmware a lot, so you will become good using this easy software/process.
I am using the 0022 version. Installation of Arduino [arduino.cc]
Arduino IDE [www.arduino.cc]

Then, you need to pick a firmware to load on your Arduino. Marlin has a lot of support and evolution, so that is what I picked.
this is available on Github, just hit the zip link and it will download. [github.com]
In this Marlin, the configuration.h file is where many numbers are changed to match your physical machine.
There are many numbers in many files that you need to adjust to your needs. I suggest reading the files in the Marlin, there are good comments.

Just start the Arduino software and open the Marlin.pde. All the Marlin opens for editing and then compiling, then loading on to your board.
This link shows the basic process, although you'll use Marlin in place of Sprinter (if you want). the screens are dated but follows well.
[www.ukcnc.info]
Here they have a step by step process which I've referred back to.
[www.ukcnc.info]


Then, you need to Github the Printrun package, which is the host software that a computer will use to slice your part and send the Gcode to the Arduino. Windows.
[reprap.org]

note the section: To make it work on Windows, get the following packages and install:
python
pyserial
pyreadline
wxPython
Or, use the ready-to-run version available at [koti.kapsi.fi]

Pronterface.exe is the computer application that hosts the Gcode and sends it to the Arduino over USB.
It also allows you to move the machine around without any sliced model or anything.
I've been using it to tune my extruder head.

There is a computer (sanguino, like a small processor) board I got from Cncdudez in England.
Their board takes the pinouts directly for step/direction/enable to screw terminals and eliminates those little pololu driver boards.
they also suggest adding a microsecond delay because the processor can send very many short steps and those external stepper drivers don't see that frequency, so they just send a step and wait a short period, then another. This seems to be a key to using external drivers.
[www.ukcnc.info]
They have a Marlin firmware with these delays already in it.

My best advice is to read, then read, then read. I have made progress with help from the Reprap crowd, Roy ( Azteeg) Sean (CNC Designs Unlimited) and more.

Dave

Dave and JollyGrim thanks for the pointers.

Dave. They ARE from that dismandler in CO. Got em on eBay.

I went with Sprinter for the time being (only because I did not know about Marlin, may switch later).

Managed to get it to start moving in all 3 (x,y,z) this afternoon after some serious hacks into the configuration and pinout files. Hope to have the extruder squiring in a few days.

I probably bit off a fairly big bite since my extruder and hotend are also my own designs.

Has been a fun project so far.

Thanks for the help.

RKM