Connection problems after PC-upgrade

Hi!

I'm using a Gen7 1.5 with Teacup and Repetier Host. Everything worked perfectly on my Win7 32bit machine. Now I have a Win8.1 64bit machine and the printer doesn't work anymore. A can connect to it and the printer "boots", the PSU goes on and the fans start. So I assume the COM-connection works, and I also double-checked the baud-rate. However, from there communication stops. I don't receive a single temperature from the printer and I can not control it manually or automatically. And after some time I get the "connection timeout" error-message. Actually, one time I manually (with the software) moved the head in the X direction, and maybe a minute or so later it suddenly executed the command correctly.
Everything is the same, I imported the settings from the repetier on the old machine (which is unfortunately not accessible anymore), but I also tried with a clean install. I also tried rebooting the PC and different USB cables.

Any idea where to look? Thanks!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2015 04:28AM by GoingForGold.

If Repetier Host is using the Arduino drivers to communicate with the board, try updating the Arduino drivers.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2015 05:26AM by dc42.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

In my understanding, I just need the MCP2200 driver which emulates the serial port. Arduino is using FTDI chips, so I don't think they use the same drivers?

Have you installed the Arduino IDE? That is where I would get the current drivers from and also how I would confirm the COM port on the PC, which seems to change from computer to computer.

Is it possible that the 64-bit drivers work differently then the 32-bit drivers? I think there is a setting in Repetier Host that controls how the two components talk to each other. Something like reseting before or after a ping...sorry, its been awhile since I played with my settings.

Have you tried an alternative interface? Not a permanent replacement, just something to test if the printer is able to communicate with the PC. If it doesn't, then it is a communication issue, likely driver related like DC42 suggested. If it does, then it is probably software based, an issue with Repetier's settings.

Do you have an SD card on your printer? Depending on the firmware, you should be able to load a file on the SD card in order to start executing g-code as soon as the printer boots. Try throwing some g-code in the file to home the printer and move the head around to ensure nothing broke.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Yes, I have the Arduino IDE, but when I tell Windows to install a driver found inside the Arduino folder, it tells me that it doesn't find any. The only working driver is the one downloaded from the manufacturers website.

I found the ping-pong setting you were talking about, however it makes matters worse. The printer doesn't even start anymore. I take this as another sign that there must be some kind of communication, just that it freezes somehow.

I am going to test another host next. I could even talk to the printer via a simple terminal..

So far it looks like I solved the problem!

I found a WIn7 PC and connected the printer and it automatically installed a driver. And the communication worked perfectly! So I noticed that the driver on the Win7 machine is one version older than the one installed on the Win8.1 machine. I also installed the old version of the driver on the new PC and voilà, everything works so far.

Glad to hear it, congratulations.