RAMBo v1.2 "Error: Printed halted. kill() called"

Hey guys! First time posting here.

I am having an issue that I have all but narrowed down to my RAMBo v1.2 board (in my Makergear M2). A few moments after connecting my machine to Simplify3D, I am given "Error: Printed halted. kill() called"--in the comms it seems to happen right after reading the temps of the two hotends and the heated bed. The reported temps all seem accurate for their ambient temperatures. I've tried swapping out the board into my other M2 and connecting it to it's confirmed-working wiring and hotends, but still get the same error upon connecting. I even the get kill() call when I am not connected to any hotends/beds, which does not happen when tested on my other board when I remove all relevant connections.

I've searched high and low on various forums and documentation for this issue, and most seem to be related to a bad thermistor, which I am confidently ruling out. If you guys have any ideas, please let me know!

Thank you!
Nick

Are you using Marlin firmware? Marlin has some timeout settings in the configuration file that will halt the printer if the thermistor-reported change in temperature is "too slow" in moving towards the specified target temperature. For example, I have an underpowered heated bed that can only heat up to about 59 degrees, and the temperature rise from 50 to 59 degrees is really slow (30 minutes). With the default Marlin configuration, the printer is halted after a few minutes because Marlin expects the temperature to rise more quickly, whereas my underpowered heater is not providing enough power to raise the temperature as quickly as expected.

It does sound like a potential sign of trouble if your temperature changes are not occurring as quickly as Marlin expects by default. But anyway, you can try increasing the timeout values in Marlin's configuration files, which might fix the halting error you are experiencing.

I found this possibly-relevant printer-halting code in Marlin's configuration_adv.h:

/**
 * Expected Printer Check
 * Add the M16 G-code to compare a string to the MACHINE_NAME.
 * M16 with a non-matching string causes the printer to halt.
 */
//#define EXPECTED_PRINTER_CHECK

The explanation of this feature is given as follows from the Marlin documentation:
[marlinfw.org]

Quote

Do a case-sensitive comparison between the string argument and the configured MACHINE_NAME. If the machine name doesn’t match, halt the printer so that a reset is required. This safety feature is meant to prevent G-code sliced for a specific machine from being used on any other machine.

Now, you mentioned that the timing when the problem occurs is "A few moments after connecting my machine to Simplify3D". According to [marlinfw.org], Simplify3D is a commercial slicer. It's conceivable that Simplify3D is outputting an M16 command to check for an expected machine name, but your board has been configured with a different name, causing your firmware to halt.

Hi qrp-gaijin !

Thanks for your replies. Sorry I've been slow to respond--I work in a library at a high school and am desperately trying to get one of our two Makergear M2's back up (both of them down with different issues) while juggling the rest of my duties.

Yes, I am running Marlin on the machine in question. I went into the firmware and tried fiddling with a few of the temp timeout settings in Configuration and Configuration_adv but didn't have any success. I am looking into your latest suggestion now and I will get back on here ASAP! Thanks again for taking the time to try and help me out!

Cool to hear you're able to expose kids to 3D printing at your high school library. I wonder how kids perceive and use this technology. In practice, who does the pre-print work (filament loading, bed leveling) and post-print work (removing the print and cleaning the bed)? Are the students interested in how to mechanically align and take care of the printer, or do they expect it to be a one-button machine that works perfectly every time?

Good luck in getting the printer working again. Have you tried using a different host software to connect to the printer? (I use pronterface, which works fine, but doesn't seem to be actively developed recently.) That might give some indication whether or not Simplify3D is at fault sending some specific gcode that is causing the printer to halt.

We actually teach a class in the library called Emerging Technology where we teach them how to use and maintain the 3D printers on top of how they function (among a few other cool toys--a vinyl cutter, music production software, video game design software)! The students do everything from loading the filament to cleaning the bed. They actually come up with some pretty creative stuff along and get excited about coming in to print personal projects on their free hours. Some of the kids that aren't enrolled in the class do come in and expect me to just set everything up them because they downloaded something cool from Thingiverse, but they'll get a quick crash course as well before they're allowed to print. We're lucky to have a pretty cool library space here.

Anyway, thank you for your suggestions and words. I'll get back on here if I am able to have any success--even if that success just means ordering a new RAMBo board!