Need help with new board

I've recently installed a new mks board into a makerbot clone so it can run marlin, but I've run into some problems.

Configuration issues
I'm not exactly sure how to edit the configuration.h but here are the issues I have so far:
-The y and z axis are moving in the reverse direction during manual control
-The y and z axis are unable to be moved past a certain point with manual control -Sometimes i get a SD int fail message but I dont have a SD card slot yet.

Board issue:
After trying to mess in the configuration.h files for a while, the board disconnects and shuts off, no leds flashing. Now when I try to connect it with a usb it flashes a single LED once and then dies off again. The LED is marked as d3 shown below.
[drive.google.com]
[drive.google.com]

Posting your configuration.h would help

find in your configuration.h

// Invert the stepper direction. Change (or reverse the motor connector) if an axis goes the wrong way.
#define INVERT_X_DIR
#define INVERT_Y_DIR
#define INVERT_Z_DIR

Some will say true, some will say false.
Change the ones that are backwards.

re SD card, turn it off
Find #define SDSUPPORT
change to //#define SDSUPPORT


re not moving past a certain point, could be a few things
check the following matches your bed sizes
// Travel limits after homing (units are in mm)
#define X_MIN_POS 0
#define Y_MIN_POS 0
#define Z_MIN_POS 0
#define X_MAX_POS 200
#define Y_MAX_POS 200
#define Z_MAX_POS 200

secondly check the following setting are accurate for your machine (is fairly obvious when you tell it to move say 10mm and it moves something totally different
/**
* Default Axis Steps Per Unit (steps/mm)
* Override with M92
* X, Y, Z, E0 [, E1[, E2[, E3[, E4]]]]
*/
#define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT { 80, 80, 4000, 500 }

No idea on last one... not from that short description.

I attached my config h. What other information could I provide to make the last issue more easily diagnose-able? The board is not showing up in the device manager as well.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2017 03:26AM by theblindsaint.

"board disconnects and shuts off"

this is not possible.... without a hardware fault



the only thing that come to mind is endstops.. if you plug these in backwards you short +5v to gnd... unplug your endstops.. does it keep running?


I have no idea what this D3 led is connected to, there are no circuit diagram provided for this board and dont have one to play with.

Yes! The board connects again once I pull off the end stops. So how exactly do I fix this? My end stops have 4 wires coming but since the board only has 3 connections for endstops i was told i can leave out one of the two middle wires as they are both gnd.
Also, the motors are moving in the opposite direction then I want when I press home axis, where in the config do i fix that?
Finally, for the motor calibration, would it help if I use the values from the old xml file from the previous firmware?

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2017 03:59AM by theblindsaint.

The end stop plugs have 3 pins. Sig, gnd and 5v. You need to make it so your endstop connects Sig with gnd. Not gnd and +5v Ie turn your endstop plug around 180 degrees (or rewire it if it has keys)

homeing directions find in configuration.h

#define X_HOME_DIR
#define Y_HOME_DIR
#define Z_HOME_DIR

will either be -1 or 1 swap as needed.

Thanks alot! Actually is there somewhere that I can find a guide for this kind of calibration, I'd rather not have to bother you with simple questions if i can(trust me there's gonna be a lot more...)

//===========================================================================
//============================= Getting Started =============================
//===========================================================================

/**
* Here are some standard links for getting your machine calibrated:
*
* [reprap.org]
* [youtu.be]
* [calculator.josefprusa.cz]
* [reprap.org]
* [www.thingiverse.com]
* [sites.google.com]
* [www.thingiverse.com]
*/

The board is pin compatible with RAMPS 1.4 and 24v capable. They’re good boards.

Geometry is a consideration when changing from makerbot/mightyboard to ramps/marlin. In the makerbot world the origin is the bed centre, but usually on marlin based printers the origin the the bed front left.

It actually doesn’t really matter but your slicer and your firmware need to agree where the origin is, or prints will turn out quite wrong.

"The board is pin compatible with RAMPS 1.4"

yes but if you use the ramps configuration you can't access the 4th mosfet

So I'm running into an issue not mentioned in any of the guides. When using repetier, after homing the axis', i can no longer manually control the motors?

Probably endstops/movement configured incorrectly in some way

Witch axis and where is the endstop located on the machine. (left,right/front/back) and what does the current configuration.h look like.

one thing to look at is the endstop status. when it homes send the printer a M119 This will tell you what the controller is seeing regarding endstops, paste result here . Any thing that says triggered, you cannot move in that direction.

I would also use pronterface till its full working, other software assumes the machine is fully working and hides errors messages

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2017 10:39PM by Dust.

So I was also using pronter face and the not moving after homing isnt happening there.

The endstops are located at the right back and top of the machine.

I've also attached my current config.h

Here is the M119 when homed
Reporting endstop status
x_min: open
x_max: TRIGGERED
y_min: open
y_max: TRIGGERED
z_min: open
z_max: TRIGGERED

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2017 11:08PM by theblindsaint.

opps attached wrong version, this is the config.h i am using RN.

Also, i'm not exactly sure how to set the vref of my drivers, since i dont know the motor current

The bed moves up and down on that machines doesn't it?

So when the board is fully up it is at z0 and as it builds the bed moves down?

If so your Z endstop should be on Z min. and your homing direction should be -1 and you will have to invert Z axis also

ie move Z endstop plug from max to min Z endstop socket
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1
#define INVERT_Z_DIR false

You controls will seem reversed as its counter intuitive. Ie clicking Z+, should make the bed move down
(think of clicking up Z+ as increasing the distance from the hotend to the bed, since the hotend cant move up and down the bed has to move down. same with Z- this decreases the distance from the bed to the hotend, so the bed must move up)

Fixed that. Two issues rn. The extruder fan doesn't turn on with protorface, i can't do manual control repetier. And in both, whenever I try to print the extruder doesn't stay at the require temperature but i can maually control it to reach the temperature.

Fixed that. Few more issues.

The extruder fan doesn't turn on with protorface.

When i send an extrusion command in protorface the extruder just wiggles back and forth

I can't do manual control in repetier.

In both, whenever I try to print the extruder doesn't stay at the require temperature but i can manually control it to reach the temperature and maintain it.

When i try to comment out the SDSUPPORT line the file wont be complied

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2017 04:22AM by theblindsaint.

fans have polarity,.... have you plugged it in the correct way?
In your first image which plug have you wire the fan into?

"When i send an extrusion command in protorface the extruder just wiggles back and forth"

do you have plastic in the extruder... is it heated, can you push plastic threw manually when it is heated, is the hotend reading the correct temperature?
Have you adjusted the vref on the stepper drivers?

"I can't do manual control in repetier. " sorry its repetier, in my view its crap... someone else will have to help you with that one.

"In both, whenever I try to print the extruder doesn't stay at the require temperature but i can manually control it to reach the temperature and maintain it."
Something wrong with how your slicing a file to gcode... the printer only does what you tell it to. if your slicer says set temp to 0c, it will...

get sli3r, get a test cube from thingiverse. slice .stl to .gcode file.
load .gcode into pronterface try that.
If it still fails, examine the gcode file. its just text. Look for any line that have M104 or M109 set extruder temperature (see [reprap.org] for details)

"When i try to comment out the SDSUPPORT line the file wont be complied"
Have you enabled a lcd that has a sd card. even if you don’t have one plugged it, this will break things.
edit: checked yoru configuration.h you have #define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER
so you have told it you have this lcd wich comes with a sdcard slot...

Do you have this lcd? if so leave SDSUPPORT enabled. If not comment out the #define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2017 06:14AM by Dust.

Quote
Dust
//===========================================================================
//============================= Getting Started =============================
//===========================================================================

/**
* Here are some standard links for getting your machine calibrated:
*
* [reprap.org]
* [youtu.be]
* [calculator.josefprusa.cz]
* [reprap.org]
* [www.thingiverse.com]
* [sites.google.com]
* [www.thingiverse.com]
*/

belting list that is , wish the admins could stick that at the top of general section

The hot end is heated, and reading the correct temperature since i can push the filament through by hand.

I have a question on the vref, all i could find are formulas to calculate the vref, but no one actually going through HOW to set it. Also, i dont know my motor current so IDK how i can even calculate my vref.

Any reason why repetier is crap? It's just familiar to me since I use it at school.

I finally got my LCD board but when I connect it it just keeps flashing and showing nothing?

The z axis motor also seems to "unlock" while waiting for the extruder to heat up, causing the bed to slide down while waiting. How do I make sure it stays locked in position?

Also, I've double checked with the Slic3r settings and extruder temp is not set to 0. Maybe it's the start g-code I'm using from my old settings? Here is the code:

(**** start.gcode for The Replicator, dual head ****)

M103 (disable RPM)

M73 P0 (enable build progress)

G21 (set units to mm)

G90 (set positioning to absolute)

M109 S100 T0 (set HBP temperature)

M104 S210 T0 (set extruder temperature)
(**** begin homing ****)

G162 X Y F2500 (home XY axes maximum)

G161 Z F1100 (home Z axis minimum)

G92 Z-5 (set Z to -5)

G1 Z0.0 (move Z to "0")

G161 Z F100 (home Z axis minimum)

M132 X Y Z A B (Recall stored home offsets for XYZAB axis)
(**** end homing ****)

G1 X-105 Y-74 Z150 F3300.0 (move to waiting position)

G130 X20 Y20 Z20 A20 B20 (Lower stepper Vrefs while heating)

M6 T0 (wait for toolhead, and HBP to reach temperature)

G130 X127 Y127 Z40 A127 B127 (Set Stepper motor Vref to defaults)

M108 R3.0 T0
G0 X-117 Y-90 F500 (Position Nozzle)

G0 Z0.6 (Position Height)

M108 R5.0 (Set Extruder Speed)

M101 (Start Extruder)


G4 P1500
G1 X-103 F500
G1 Y-87 F500
G1 X-110 F500
M103
G1 X-100 Y-85 Z10 F2000
(**** end of start.gcode ****)

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2017 12:58AM by theblindsaint.

See [reprap.org]

Google any part numbers on your stepper to see if you can find the rates current. If you can't find it out you might have to guess. My clone has 0.85A motors

So messing with the start files seems to change things a bit but still no fix in sight. This is the current start gcode i'm using. In repetier it heats up and moves according but cant extrude. In prontorface it sets both heat bed and extruder to 0....


G1 X125 Y100 Z120
M190 S100 ;set bed temp
M109 S230 ;set hotend temp

G90 ;absolute Positioning
G21 ;set units to millimeters
T0 ;select extruder 0
G28 ;homing
G92 E0 ;reset extruder length
G1 Z0.5
G1 G1 X3 Y0 F3000
G1 Z0
G1 E4.0 ;prime extruder
G1 Y10
G1 X8
G1 Y0
G92 E0 ;reset extruder length

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2017 02:47AM by theblindsaint.