Help Needed with Tronxy X3SA Firmware

Hi,

Help Needed with my Tronxy X3SA with LCD touch screen Firmware and/or Bootloader.

I have a big issue with this printer.

I suddenly came to a standstill after switching it off, and then went back and switched it on and no sound and no funky Tronxy music.
I somewhat decided it is firmware, but without the screen, i can't load a firmware file and run it.

I have looked on different sites etc and found that supposedly I need a bootloader for which I then got the recommended Arduino Uno board and wires.
Unfortunately, I can find nothing on the X3SA board that will allow me to connect the Uno board as described in the posts.

No luck trying to connect to the boards with USB on Win10.

I am stuck.

Tried to attach some pics that were not too large but forum would not let me do so.

I also purchased a later version board for a X5SA and it is almost the same but with an extra hotend plug.

That is the same and no place to put the pins.

I am now dead n the water and looking to swap the lot out for an Arduino setup, but love the auto-levelling on the Tronxy X3SA board.

Please help?

I need to get the firmware onto at least one of the boards.











Thanks and have a great week.
M

Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2019 06:55PM by Jaguars.

The images you provides clearly show the the processor on this controller is a stm32 of some sort (even with the sticker covering the details)
You may be able to update the firmware directly from the SD card on the board. (But most stm32 use serial or a stlink device)

Uno's are generally used as a AVRISP, this is for AVR based controller such as a mega2560 or a sanguino processor. This is not applicable to you.

The confusion seem to be from the previous version of the board the X3S or X5S , this was sanguino based, the X3SA or X5SA is stm32 based.


I don't think there is any opensource based firmware for your boards. Marlin2 may support it in the far off distant future.

Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2019 03:04AM by Dust.

Thanks.

Problem is I can't get the computer to recognise the board and run the firmware.
I need the printer lcd touch screen to do it manually but it is remaining blank until I can update the firmware.
So what can I do please?

How do I connect Arduino or other software to the board when I can't find stm32 as a choice please?

Thanks for your time and help.

M

What firmware do you think your going to install on theses controllers?

I have the original X3SA firmware.
I also have Arduino version.
Why?

As no firmware is publicly visible on tronxy website, or anywhere else that I can find. Makes it difficult to look into, see what they might have used to generate it...

Firmware attached

X3SA11.29.gcode

They also supplied Repetier host software with it, but I have been unable to connect to the board with Repetier.

Please help.

Alternatively, what is the best hardware to replace all of this on this Tronxy printer if I wanted to please?

Thanks for you help.

M

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2019 05:50PM by Jaguars.

That is not firmware

That is a text file that contains gcode, this configures the firmware for the printer the board is attached to


You send that file to the printer to configure it (once you connect to it)


So lets look at trying to connect to it...

There are two parts, first your operating system has to see the hardware and use the correct device driver. This will show up as a com port
Does your computer show a new com port when you plug the board in? (if it it windows this will be in device manager, if you not using windows what are you using?)
NB if you just plug in a USB cable you need to move the 5v power jumper to the usb side, or the board does not get power from usb.


Then your host software has to open that com port at the correct baud rate? have you tried different baud rates?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2019 02:01AM by Dust.

Removed do not want to confuse anyone.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2019 08:05AM by Roberts_Clif.

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Computer Programmer / Electronics Technician

@Roberts_Clif

That is for the X3S controller, not the X3SA which is a STM32 controller.

A very different board.

Yes it shows in device manager as Com5. On windows 10.

Have opened repetier-host and it shows as Com5. Doesn't work.

X5SA lights up and plays music as it does when powered but that is it.

Tried different baud rates but no different. No board information showing either.

Am I missing a port driver or something please?

Thanks for your help.

Thanks.

What firmware does the X3SA use please amd where can I get it?

Thanks.

M

Only Tronxy have firmware for this controller. You have to get it from them.

If it shows up as a com ports then you don't need any additional drivers.

Ok,
what software do I need to connect to the board then please?
I have tried with repetier host and no connection.

Thanks.

I have taken some pics of the board when it is powered up.
it used to have 2 lights on it when it was switched on and it played music.
Now only one light comes on now, no music and the lcd touchscreen doesn't come on.

I have added the pic for the X5SA with the 2 lights (which i still can't connect to) and it shows the position of the two lights and they are on and it plays music on powerup.

What could cause that please?
Is this a board fault or a firmware issue please?






Please help
Thanks.

Warm Regards
M

the X3SA sounds like its just dead... no way to recover it without a good electronics knowledge and if the MPU needs replacing a copy of the firmware.. not to mention really good surface mount solder rework ability.

The X5SA This board could just need external power as well as USB, especially to power up a LCD. So attach power to the 12/24v input. See if you can talk to it now?

Are you sure you have the lcd ribbon cable in correctly both ends (should be in nice and straight at both ends. 90 degrees from the connector)
Is the ribbon cable up the correct way? (its possible to pug it in upside down)

I use pronterface, its much simpler and doesn't try and hide stuff from the user.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2019 09:23PM by Dust.

Hi,
yes, lcd on correctly. It flashes up but nothing usable on it.
I have contacted tronxy but it appears it is their board and no firmware. Only a .gcode file to run first to get it to run, which is what I am trying to load.

What is the best hardware to replace it all with please?
I am at the point that just replacing the tronxy board would be the best thing to do.

I would appreciate help.

Thanks.

M

Quote
Jaguars
Hi,
yes, lcd on correctly. It flashes up but nothing usable on it.
I have contacted tronxy but it appears it is their board and no firmware. Only a .gcode file to run first to get it to run, which is what I am trying to load.

What is the best hardware to replace it all with please?
I am at the point that just replacing the tronxy board would be the best thing to do.

I would appreciate help.

Thanks.

M

I believe that you have a hardware failure. Potentially wiring, I would check your power. Firmware does not just disappear, so I would stop even going down that path. Your board is not running. Perhaps a lightning hit, or more likely, a power supply issue. Since your LCD flashes, it is getting power, so your power supply is most likely working. Check the wiring that is going to the board with a DVM, make sure it is correct - either 24V or 12V, I do not know this printer so I cannot say. If you measure something like 19V or 9V or even lower, then there is a high-resistance short in the system. Look for parts on your main board or other boards attached to your main board, that are getting really hot. You can usually "smell" hotness, use a non-contact temperature meter to find the part - using your finger will likely end up as a swearing binge when you burn yourself.

If you don't have an apparent short, and your controller is getting power, then something else has failed. Things get a lot harder from this point on. Again, I would start by looking for loose wires to or from your main board. You may find that you are looking at some kind of main board failure. If you are not a tech with detailed schematics and theory of op, then your only solution may be a replacement board from the factory. You may have suffered a power surge or lightning strike, both can damage electronics and are a bummer.

It happens...
DLC

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Kits: Folgertech Kossel 2020 upgraded E3Dv6, Anet A8 upgraded E3Dv6, Tevo Tarantula enhanced parts and dual-head, TronXY X5SA Pro(E3DHemera).
Scratch: Large bed Cartesian, exchangeable heads, Linear slide Delta, Maker-Beam XL Micro Delta, 220x220CoreXY.