Ok so, forgive me If this isn't exactly the right place to post this, but I'm running out of options and I'm at my wit's end with this.
I've been doing an Arduino+ramps conversion for a chinese K40 laser cutter following THIS tutorial.
From what I've gathered, this seems to be quite a common problem but i've not really been able to find a working fix for it. The one or two posts I HAVE seen have no resolution to them. But basically the problem I'm having is that the X axis wants to go the wrong way. Or that's what it seems like is happening. The supposed alterations to the code on the github writeup dont seem to work and i'm stumped. I'll take it from the top and run you guys through what's happening.
Running a RAMPS1.4 on an Arduino Mega, obviously, with A4988 stepper drivers. all 3 jumpers are on, under each driver. LCD screen is attached. Everything is wired as it should be.
Fresh, untouched upload of Marlin:
PREPARE>AUTO HOME causes the head to move to X0,Y0. Stops clean, quiet and solid, like it should.
Stepper motors are now engaged, and per the fresh marlin copy, they stay engaged. You can hear them and they cant be moved by hand . good holding torque.
Jogging only the Y axis from this point
10.0.0.0.1 192.168.1.254 brings the head from top - Y0 to bottom - Y230. Stops clean, quiet and solid
Jogging only the X axis starting at left X0 causes it to grind and skip and grind to the LEFT when it should go right.
Running a print (with laser off) causes the same grinding against the left side with the X-axis. Y-axis continues as normal.
HOWEVER - homing, then disabling the steppers, manually moving the head all the way to the right allows it to think it's still at X0,Y0, and jogging the X-axis at this point allows the head to move from right to left. BUT. Regardless of whether the value is increasing, the head ALWAYS moves from toward the left, and will eventually jam an shudder against the gantry.
Now onto the fixes from the github:
#define DISABLE_X true (from false)
#define DISABLE_Y true (from false)
As they should, these disable the steppers when they are not actively being used. No problems here.
#define X_MAX_POS 330 (from 330)
Doing the home-to-X0-then-push-to-right trick, then jogging it back with the value going to X330 will cause it to stop nicely at a top right home so 330 seems to be a good calibration for the bed.
The "always moving left" bug is still present, and basically moving the dial either way will cause the head to ride left and then shudder up against the gantry unless you do the above and go from X0 to X330 in one go.
At this point, doing the home-to-X0-then-push-to-right trick then telling it to home makes it head home, but it stops just shy of the left side of the extraction duct, and i have no idea why.
#define MANUAL_Y_HOME_POS 230 (from 0)
No idea what this is supposed to do. Apparently is supposed to set the home of the Y axis to Y230 instead of Y0. Homing the head still makes it head for X0,Y0 top left. The home-push-right trick then homing again still has freezes over the duct.
#define Y_HOME_DIR 1 (from -1)
Now this is the one causing me the most bother which is why i've saved it for last. Upon changing this variable to 1, When telling it to home it still freezes over the duct spot when homing X.
Y however, becomes loaded with issues. it reads as Y230 when homed, but when homing, it homes top left... sort of. as above, X homes fine, but the Y axis just sorta scoots towards home a little.
Pulling the Y axis down to bottom, and jogging it from Y230 value to Y0 yields no problems. Axis set to home, thinking it's Y230 when it's really Y0. Attempting to jog the value down to Y0 makes the head shudder against the top of the gantry.
So yeah, I hope that explains what's happening, because it's got me at my wits end, Forgive me if this sounds like absolute waffle and makes no sense, because I'm gonna be honest, i'm doing this with limited experience here. I just want the cutter to the point where it works with some semblance of normality. Hopefully you guys know your way around this sorta thing more than I do, and we can get it fixed and working and I can start making cool things with y'all.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2022 07:14AM by shyam.