Mendel Wiring Schematics

Im having some problems with finding out how to wire a Mendel with a Arduino (Mega). I eventually found the schematics in the reprap mendel software download but i cant open the file in gEDA it opens but nothing is displayed.

Am I using the wrong program to open it?

What stepper controllers and firmware are you using? It can vastly alter the wiring layout. I am currently using a mega and pololu drivers so I can potentially help.

Hi
This [store.makerbot.com] is the stepper controller i'm using. Because this is the first time making a RepRap i'm not sure what firmware to use. Maybe you could recommend one?

If you can let us know exactly which schematic file(s) from where in the Reprap svn tree you are having problems reading/opening, that would help others to help you.

The current Reprap Mendel "Gen3" electronics were designed using Eagle, not Geda, as far as I know. There is work under way by Nick McCoyn to create a set of electronics design files using Geda, but that's a single board design, so not what you need if you want to use an existing Arduino Mega board ... see http://reprap.org/wiki/Gen2OnABoard .

My best guess would be that you should try opening the schematic file(s) in Eagle.

Jonathan

Thanks ill try opening it in Eagle tonight.

Yes, I can now load the schematics in Eagle. But now my problem is that wiring guide isn't for Arduino Boards, Is there another wiring guide available for use with arduino mega motherboards?

Think i might of found out what i want, But to confirm are the Pin Numbers for the Sanguino the same to use on the Arduino Mega? And aswell how do you make up the RS232 Cables? are they just straight through or are they special type?

Quote
Dean Gardiner
I can now load the schematics in Eagle. But now my problem is that wiring guide isn't for Arduino Boards, Is there another wiring guide available for use with arduino mega motherboards?

Using an Arduino Mega, although increasingly popular from what I am hearing, is an "alternative" approach to the RepRap electronics, so I doubt there is a schematic or a full wiring diagram for the "Mega + Gen3 stepper drivers" combination in the Reprap svn. If there is, I have not found it. By choosing the Mega as your controller, you have chosen a more "experimental" and so somewhat less-documented approach to your electronics.

Perhaps someone who has this kind of setup working could contribute a description and schematic of their wiring to the wiki?

Tesla893: Since you have a working Mega + Pololu setup, perhaps you could create a wiki page documenting how it "fits together", including inter-board wiring and what firmware you are using, and add a pointer to your page on the http://reprap.org/wiki/Alternative_electronics page?

Mega plus Pololu stepper controllers is the direction I am heading in, so that kind of documentation could be useful to me, too, once my parts arrive.

I find that searching for pololu on the wiki returns a post by johnnyr.

[www.reprap.org]

It has an Eagle schematic on the page, and images of the schematic and board... pretty easy to figure out what's going on.

Al...

Thanks for finding that! I just linked to it from Adrian's Pololu_Electronics wiki page, so it is now (hopefully!) a bit easier to find, for others looking into Mega-based electronics.

Jonathan