What is required for ramps?
Posted by j4ysen
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What is required for ramps? August 29, 2013 02:47PM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 21 |
Hey Guys
Building my first reprap, trying to make it as cheap as possible
Is $100 a good deal for:
- 5 Pololu Stepper drivers
- Ramps 1.4 shield
- Arduino mega 2560
- endstop + cables
(http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RAMPS-1-4-Fully-assembled-and-tested-REPRAP-MENDEL-PRUSA-3D-PRINTER-CONTROLLER-/271262722409?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3f2884a969)
While I have your attention, what else is required electronics wise excluding motors? Is there a list I'm missing?
Thanks
Building my first reprap, trying to make it as cheap as possible
Is $100 a good deal for:
- 5 Pololu Stepper drivers
- Ramps 1.4 shield
- Arduino mega 2560
- endstop + cables
(http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RAMPS-1-4-Fully-assembled-and-tested-REPRAP-MENDEL-PRUSA-3D-PRINTER-CONTROLLER-/271262722409?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3f2884a969)
While I have your attention, what else is required electronics wise excluding motors? Is there a list I'm missing?
Thanks
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 29, 2013 05:51PM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 7 |
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 29, 2013 08:21PM |
Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 1,797 |
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 29, 2013 09:43PM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 40 |
Both the previous posts are valid, the display and SD capability will make it a LOT easier to do things on the printer without having a computer locked into the scenario,
The power supply should not be dismissed, the printer needs power too, and that can be significant. A good idea for these things could well be to pick up a used server power supply from E-bay, I've just picked up 2 that can provide 12V at 121A, yes, over 100 Amps at 12 v, and they were less than £10 each. I got the idea from some of the radio control helicopter forums, they use large currents for charging LiPo cells, and the server supplies are a lot more stabilised than a PC supply.
The ones I got are from DELL 6850 servers, they can be modified to join 2 in series, with care, as if it's not done correctly and the cases short, that will also short one of the supplies. It's also possible to get the power backplane cheap, which saves having to butcher the power supply, the mods can be made on the connector. Needs a fan or 3, but they are also dirt cheap, and on that subject, the RAMPS card may well need a cooling fan, depending on the size of stepper you are using, and the size of the heatsink on the stepper driver chips. If there are no heat sinks on the stepper drivers, that's another item to go on the shopping list.
A coil of spiral wrap and a bag of cable ties will also make it a LOT easier to keep all the cables managed and tidy, making sure that the hot end can't get hung up on a hanging cable will be worth doing.
I'm just going through exactly this loop at the moment, the planning stage has been happening over the last couple of weeks, and the parts are all starting to arrive, hopefully, I will have a working Delta Pi before too long. I suspect the learning curve is going to be a lot steeper than I originally thought, having done a lot of reading in recent weeks.
Hope that helps
Shore, if twas easy, we'd all be doin it
Irish Steve
The power supply should not be dismissed, the printer needs power too, and that can be significant. A good idea for these things could well be to pick up a used server power supply from E-bay, I've just picked up 2 that can provide 12V at 121A, yes, over 100 Amps at 12 v, and they were less than £10 each. I got the idea from some of the radio control helicopter forums, they use large currents for charging LiPo cells, and the server supplies are a lot more stabilised than a PC supply.
The ones I got are from DELL 6850 servers, they can be modified to join 2 in series, with care, as if it's not done correctly and the cases short, that will also short one of the supplies. It's also possible to get the power backplane cheap, which saves having to butcher the power supply, the mods can be made on the connector. Needs a fan or 3, but they are also dirt cheap, and on that subject, the RAMPS card may well need a cooling fan, depending on the size of stepper you are using, and the size of the heatsink on the stepper driver chips. If there are no heat sinks on the stepper drivers, that's another item to go on the shopping list.
A coil of spiral wrap and a bag of cable ties will also make it a LOT easier to keep all the cables managed and tidy, making sure that the hot end can't get hung up on a hanging cable will be worth doing.
I'm just going through exactly this loop at the moment, the planning stage has been happening over the last couple of weeks, and the parts are all starting to arrive, hopefully, I will have a working Delta Pi before too long. I suspect the learning curve is going to be a lot steeper than I originally thought, having done a lot of reading in recent weeks.
Hope that helps
Shore, if twas easy, we'd all be doin it
Irish Steve
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 30, 2013 07:21AM |
Admin Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 7,000 |
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 30, 2013 08:16PM |
Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 1,797 |
quote:'A LCD and SD card reader are totally unneeded.. unless you want them. (for printing without a PC) '
At the minimum at least and sd card. If you do prints that are longer than 2 hours it is a must to ensure file data is sent smoothly.
it is only 8$ for an sd card attachment, if it is not already included. it is too important because if any data errors, or any pc process delays the comm, your print will be ruined. I think that you save enough to recover the costs of the sd card attachment in 1 spool of 3lb plastic.
At the minimum at least and sd card. If you do prints that are longer than 2 hours it is a must to ensure file data is sent smoothly.
it is only 8$ for an sd card attachment, if it is not already included. it is too important because if any data errors, or any pc process delays the comm, your print will be ruined. I think that you save enough to recover the costs of the sd card attachment in 1 spool of 3lb plastic.
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 31, 2013 01:15AM |
Admin Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 7,000 |
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 31, 2013 01:32AM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 342 |
What pins do you short on the connector for these to get them to run? Could you post a model number from one of them?
Irish_Steve Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The ones I got are from DELL 6850 servers, they
> can be modified to join 2 in series, with care, as
> if it's not done correctly and the cases short,
> that will also short one of the supplies. It's
> also possible to get the power backplane cheap,
> which saves having to butcher the power supply,
> the mods can be made on the connector.
Irish_Steve Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The ones I got are from DELL 6850 servers, they
> can be modified to join 2 in series, with care, as
> if it's not done correctly and the cases short,
> that will also short one of the supplies. It's
> also possible to get the power backplane cheap,
> which saves having to butcher the power supply,
> the mods can be made on the connector.
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 31, 2013 05:25AM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 40 |
Mine are still in transit to me, so I've not had chance to "play" yet, I got my information from this thread on the helicopter groups forum,
[www.helifreak.com]
which seems to cover pretty much most of the information you will need.
I also got for about £7 the board from a scrapped server that has the connector that mates to the PSU, so my plan is to butcher the board rather than the PSU, which will open up using external switching, variable speed fans (I think) and other options in an easier manner, and allow for other compatible supplies to be used. I'm not completely sure yet, but a number of supplies all use a similar connector.
My only caveat would be to say be careful, and make sure that the lines are appropriately fused, or otherwise protected, 1200 watts of power could do a lot of damage in the wrong places, it's enough to weld with quite comfortably
appdev007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What pins do you short on the connector for these
> to get them to run? Could you post a model number
> from one of them?
>
> Irish_Steve Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The ones I got are from DELL 6850 servers, they
> > can be modified to join 2 in series, with care,
> as
> > if it's not done correctly and the cases short,
> > that will also short one of the supplies. It's
> > also possible to get the power backplane cheap,
> > which saves having to butcher the power supply,
> > the mods can be made on the connector.
Shore, if twas easy, we'd all be doin it
Irish Steve
[www.helifreak.com]
which seems to cover pretty much most of the information you will need.
I also got for about £7 the board from a scrapped server that has the connector that mates to the PSU, so my plan is to butcher the board rather than the PSU, which will open up using external switching, variable speed fans (I think) and other options in an easier manner, and allow for other compatible supplies to be used. I'm not completely sure yet, but a number of supplies all use a similar connector.
My only caveat would be to say be careful, and make sure that the lines are appropriately fused, or otherwise protected, 1200 watts of power could do a lot of damage in the wrong places, it's enough to weld with quite comfortably
appdev007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What pins do you short on the connector for these
> to get them to run? Could you post a model number
> from one of them?
>
> Irish_Steve Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The ones I got are from DELL 6850 servers, they
> > can be modified to join 2 in series, with care,
> as
> > if it's not done correctly and the cases short,
> > that will also short one of the supplies. It's
> > also possible to get the power backplane cheap,
> > which saves having to butcher the power supply,
> > the mods can be made on the connector.
Shore, if twas easy, we'd all be doin it
Irish Steve
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 31, 2013 05:38AM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 40 |
The SD is a nice to have rather than a must have, but as it's on the back of the LCD display card, it's there anyway.
The LCD means that you can directly drive the printer without having to rely on the computer to interpret what you want the printer to do, and when setting up, or calibrating, or faultfinding, being able to directly see and control what's going on, or possibly not going on is a feature that for the low cost involved may save a lot of frustration and uncertainty.
Dust Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @jamesdanielv
>
> bollocks
>
> I run long prints, there is zero need for a SD
> card.
>
> its only 250000 baud, if your computer cant keep
> up with that... throw it out!
Shore, if twas easy, we'd all be doin it
Irish Steve
The LCD means that you can directly drive the printer without having to rely on the computer to interpret what you want the printer to do, and when setting up, or calibrating, or faultfinding, being able to directly see and control what's going on, or possibly not going on is a feature that for the low cost involved may save a lot of frustration and uncertainty.
Dust Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @jamesdanielv
>
> bollocks
>
> I run long prints, there is zero need for a SD
> card.
>
> its only 250000 baud, if your computer cant keep
> up with that... throw it out!
Shore, if twas easy, we'd all be doin it
Irish Steve
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Re: What is required for ramps? August 31, 2013 10:08PM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 661 |
Dust Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @jamesdanielv
>
> bollocks
>
> I run long prints, there is zero need for a SD
> card.
>
> its only 250000 baud, if your computer cant keep
> up with that... throw it out!
Baud is the signaling rate, not the bit rate. The weak link for communication are the printer electronics, not the PC. That said, I haven't had any issue that I know of printing over USB. However, if I'm repeating a part or several parts I do load them up on a card.
-------------------------------------------------------
> @jamesdanielv
>
> bollocks
>
> I run long prints, there is zero need for a SD
> card.
>
> its only 250000 baud, if your computer cant keep
> up with that... throw it out!
Baud is the signaling rate, not the bit rate. The weak link for communication are the printer electronics, not the PC. That said, I haven't had any issue that I know of printing over USB. However, if I'm repeating a part or several parts I do load them up on a card.
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