Problem Connecting to Printrboard(New User)

First I should say that I am totally new to 3D printers and this is my first attempt.

I finally finished building my Rapidbot 3 printer but unfortunately I'm not able to connect to it. The printer is using the printrboard REV D with the Marlin Firmware and LUFA CDC Boot Loader.

I first tried just plugging it in and letting windows find the drivers.

Then I followed the instructions from [www.ftdichip.com]

Finally I tried to install serial_install from PRJC.com

Everything I attempt produces the same results, the USB serial device says it has no drivers installed. See attached picture.

Is it possible that my board is bad? I have been searching and trying different things for days. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance,


Bob

What kind of the USB to Serial cable are you using?

It looks like RapidBot comes with an FTDI cable.

The drivers for it are found here

http://makemendel.com/support-1/downloads

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/2013 11:39AM by ShadowRam.

Thank you very much. I am using the cable provided with the machine. I downloaded pronterface from the link you provided but I did not get the drivers from there. I will try those drivers tonight.

Hello,
I tried to install the driver mentioned and get the attached error. Has anyone ever come across this? Thanks for the help so far.

Bob

Try putting windows into test mode so if the driver isn't signed windows will still accept it.

[www.mydigitallife.info]

windows 8 can be done without that program.


Also there is a specific ritual to connect. I have a rapidbot 3.0 and this is my procedure.

Unplug usb and power from the printer, you can leave usb plugged in and just unplug from computer.
Kill pronterface/printrun.

Plug power into your printer.
Plug Usb into your computer.
Open pronterface/printrun pick your port and connect.

Any deviation will leave pronterface/printrun not connecting.


Another tip. Point that fan they sent you at the top part of your hotend. Not at your part. This fan is to keep the hotend from jamming when the PLA expands farther up the PEEK tube from heat working its way up. There is an stl of a very good fan mount for the J-head they included with the rapidbot 3.0 in this thread. [forums.reprap.org]

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2013 12:50AM by hendo420.

Thanks for the tips, I'll remember all that if I ever get it to connect.

What you say about the signed driver is a good possbility, I've read it elsewhere to and will try it tonight.

Does anyone here have a printrboard working with windows 8. Thanks.

Thanks everyone. I got my printer working. As soon as I disabled the requirement in Win 8 restricting unsigned drivers I had no trouble getting the printer to connect.

gratz.

Post up some pics when you get some successful prints.

Here are a couple prints. My first print ever was just a calibration piece I downloaded. The second pic is parts for a Mendel 90 I'm printing for a friend. I am having a problem with the prints sometimes comming loose from the Kapton tape. I tried some hairspray that seemed to help. Thanks everyone for all your help.

Bob