Help with Generic Kossel Mini (ANYCUBIC from Aliexpress)

Hello,
I am not quite sure where to post this as I am new to the forum and 3d printing as well, but I could really use some help in getting my machine up and running

All the help I can get would be appriciated. I recently purchased a ANYCUBIC(Generic Kossel Mini) 3d Printer off aliexpress. I have the assembly complete which was not too bad, only took 5 hours. Before I go any further I would like to point out that I am a complete novice to 3d printing. After assembly I verified everything was correct including all conections boards, stepper drivers, end stops, ect.

The printer comes with no firmware installed. The manaul with all the photos that was helpful in building the printer was useless for the next part. It named the programs to install as if they came with the printer which they did not. I downloaded the arduino software and drivers to connect to the printer. I downloaded the lastest Marlin firmware and uploaded it to the printer.
Here is a quick Youtube video, sorry about the quality it was taken with my phone

[www.youtube.com]

So here are my Issues:
1. The LCD controller lights up but does nothing, it is currently useless
2. Homing does not work, or work correctly - Only Z motor moves up
3. I cannot move any of the motors down only up
4. When I use the M119 command it tells me min's are all triggered. I do not believe I should have mins triggers active on this printer. Also note their is no auto leveling with this kit.

Any help would be greatly appriciated as I am new to this and at this point kinda lost. I did try many options i researched online for the lcd control panel such as remove the comment for the item below and import the recommended Lib file

// #define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER

All this did was make the lcd brighter and send static noise through the speaker.

I have the LCD control panel showing info now however I still cannot do anything with it. It is a LCD 2004. I have info on the screen now as well as a Err: MAXTEMP

Update - I hade to change the following settings in Marlin from -1 to 1 for MAXTEMP error to go away

#define TEMP_SENSOR_0 1
#define TEMP_SENSOR_1 1

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2016 03:39PM by SummersideGuy.

To get help on the LCD issue, best post on the Marlin firmware forum. Regarding the endstop switches, you need to disable min endstop switches in Marlin and enable max endstop switches instead. For help, ask either on the Marlin firmware forum or the Delta forum. Don't ask me how, I don't use Marlin.

Btw 8 bit controller electronics is too slow to run a graphics LCD on a delta printer under Marlin. So either get a 32-bit controller, or use Repetier firmware instead. Also the current draw of the graphical LCD may cause the voltage regulator to overheat.

These are the sorts of.problems you have to expect with cheap Chinese kits.

There is a delta calibration calculator on my web site, which makes delta calibration without a Z probe a lot faster that it used to be. Ask on the delta forum for calibration advice.

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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].

Marlin can cope with a 2004 LCD on a delta. From your initial message, I thought you had a graphical LCD.

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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].

Yeah I was not sure what define to go by in my initial message and through that out after looking at some forums and youtube videos. Then I did some research to figure out what the board was.

I still cannot get the printer running right with the towers. It is worse then the first firmware attempt. In this attempt I have the LCD working, I have the MAXTEMP error corrected, the setting for the sensor should have been 1 and Marlin had it defaut at -1. However none of my XYZ sides work correctly. When I home it, or home Y or home X only the Z tower moves and moves very very slowly. I entered all the parameters for the rod lengths, radius, max radius, ect. I am too new to this and am overlooking something. I was leaning between this Delta printer and another on Aliexpress, the other one came with all the firmware preset up on an SD Card, I assumed this one had similar, I assumed wrong.

I just ran a M119 and noticed that all my Max's are all triggered even though they are not, I pressed in one of the endstops and ran m119 again and while holding in the endstop it read it as open. Something else in the firmware not set right?

Update:
I had to edit const bool X_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING to false from true for all 3 now my endstops read correct.

Still not moving right though, far from it.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2016 04:17PM by SummersideGuy.

Make sure the maximum Z speed is reasonable.

Make sure the motors are wired up correctly and the stepper drivers have a reasonable current setting.

Make sure you've set it as a delta in firmware!

I am pretty sure I have it set up as a delta I am not sure abut maximum z speed I never played with that setting. The motors are wired up correctly based on the settings in the manual which has me set define invert for each of x,y,z to be true

It is just not working right at all and I think it is beyond my level of knowledge of this firmware atm to make it work right. for example when I pres X+ in Printrun both X and Y increase somewhat then stop and Z goes down some, When I try to home it gets really messed up. I am not sure what is the issues i need to fix in this firmware

I found a version of marlin with most of what I needed preset, I just had to tweak the parameters for sizing for my specific delta. See below for link, it is the first selection in the list Kossel Mini:

[www.dropbox.com]

With this firmware my positioning works, Homing works, and LCD control panel now work. All I have to do now is calibrate it and adjust the delta radius I think as when I move side to side I get a U pattern off the bed and not a parallel line like I want. I am not sure of how to go about this yet exactly but I am learning.

You're learning very fast so take heart, I think you will have it all figured out soon. Deltas are a bit fiddly to get going but they are excellent when they're working.

So my Steps per MM were out I adjusted them down from 100 to 80 and now My z height to center of bed is almost exact, I am out my 1mm there. I stll have to get the leveling down though At the center of the bed i am 1mm above the bed and at egdes I am touching the bed

Try this [escher3d.com]

Unless you want to setup a z probe and use an autocalibrating firmware such as rich cattels marlin for ramps or dc42 firmware for duet.

My extruder will not go now, Ive calibrated for the most part and I wanted to try a small sample part but when I go to print in Pronterface the extruder does not run. Im not sure why

Check the usual stuff cables, plugs. Can you post your configuration.h file here it's usually quick to spot a problem. You have to have heat to extrude as there is a minimum temperature below which extrusion is prevented.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2016 10:56AM by DjDemonD.

Stepper driver must have been no good i swapped it out with a spare they included and it is extruding. far from perfect print but it is printing!!!!!

I cannot get Pronterface to push m666 commands to the printer for manual calibration, is there something in the marlin firmware I need to set? I already activated eeprom
Also on my LCD when either x or y values go into the negative such as they do when I at each corresponding tower my lcd will not display the value, it will show nothing after that coordinate
IE see below

At Z tower my display say X 0 y 85, at my X Tower X - Y , at my Y tower X 73 Y . At center X 0 Y 0

I was hoping to use Pronterface and m666 to calibrate the printer but it is not pushing the values through when I type for example M666 X-0.3 to adjust for the 0.3 Z offset, it says sending M666 X-0.3 and that its nothing else and it does not do the adjustment. I am kinda in the dark again. I really dont want to do manual endstop adjustments they are difficult to find tune by hand

With Marlin firmware, changes you make using M666 do not take full effect until you home the printer.

---

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].

I am homing the printer, I will type m666 x-0.1, then I home the printer
but nothing changes the effect doesnt take place

I spent the last 30 minutes hand adjusting the endstops to get X,Y perfect to a sheet of paper, Z can up another .2 though but my center is about .4 too high. Not sure how to correct the center as Marlin doesnt support M665

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2016 04:38PM by SummersideGuy.

This is my current config.h file
This config.h doesnt have a convential Delta_Radius field instead I see it uses formulas based on rod lengths and other measurments. I was unfortunate that my kit came with rods and eyeloops pre assembled. As they are not all the same length. I matched up equal pairs two were 214, two were 215, and two were 215.5. they are put together super well and if I try to remove the eye pieces I would end up destroying them.
I had my rod length in marlin original set to 216 as the manual stated but I have just switched it down to 214 the shortest rods and now my center seems super close with the paper test, gotta go check the other 3 positions now

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2016 04:42PM by SummersideGuy.

Besides bed calibration what else do I need to fine tune, I have center, x, y, all decent with paper, z is a little snug prob out by 0.1 to 0.2. I am trying the glue stick + tape method as nothing sticks to the tape on the bed. My printer came with a free heated bed, however there is no wiring or thermistor come with it so I have not hooked it up nor can the power supply for the printer handle it I would have to rig something else up for it. I am not sure what else beside bed to calibrate. I am trying the pla i have at 220 as I found at 185-200 it was adhering as well as 220.

Quote
SummersideGuy
I am homing the printer, I will type m666 x-0.1, then I home the printer
but nothing changes the effect doesnt take place

I spent the last 30 minutes hand adjusting the endstops to get X,Y perfect to a sheet of paper, Z can up another .2 though but my center is about .4 too high. Not sure how to correct the center as Marlin doesnt support M665

Official Marlin now supports M665. Rich Cattel Marlin doesn't, but has extra parameters to M666 that replace the parameters normally sent via M665.

You will find manual calibration quicker using my calculator at [www.escher3d.com]. One thing missing from it is that if you select Marlin RC, you need to add the R (delta radius) parameter to the M666 command it generates.

---

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].

So I managed to print Light's Vengeance (Warcraft) Arthas Paladin Hammer head, took about 1h45min. the first 2 attempts didnt stick but this one went flawless
My stress levels are dropping

.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2016 09:13AM by SummersideGuy.

@SummersideGuy,

Hi Mate,

I also bought my printer from AnyCubic, but still having trouble setting it up properly
can you share your firmware code please,
currently I've uploaded the latest development branch Marlin firmware and have configured it according to the above thread,

I'll appreciate if I could have a look at your working code

thank you