German RepRap Protos V3 Firmware upates

So I replaced my mainboard , it just stopped working , no problem it happend before , tried to upload original software/firmware and it does not work , outdated program etc etc !! Any clues of what I can do please , I have just got a LCD with square dots and nothing else !!Mega 2560 board ,Arduino IDE.2.1.0 etc , Hope you can help , Harry

That printer came out in 2015. In my distant past experience with Arduino stuff, updates to the Arduino IDE broke compatibility with old printer firmware. This was one of the things that motivated me to dump Arduino based controllers- I was tired of hunting for and trying to maintain old versions of the IDE so I could keep my printer running. You might be able to find a compatible version of the IDE using the wayback machine. Otherwise, if the hardware is in good shape, consider upgrading the controller to something a bit more modern/capable - i.e. non Arduino. I suggest one of the many 32 bit controllers, especially one that has the motor drivers soldered to the main board, not plug-in modules, that can be very unreliable.

---

Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

... with the availability of the ArduinoDue I've usesd it first with an own BoB, last wit RADDS and RAPS128 drivers for my 3D-printers, paste-dispensers, laser-engravers and even "industrial" machines like 3-5m long ultrasonic cleaning systems with up to 5 vats ... so this Arduino isn't so bad

But for later, more sophisticated projects, I've used the AI boards from NVIDIA (Jetson Nano and Jetson Xavier NX) - something between a Raspberry and a PC with CUDA graphics for parallel processing ... but still using the ArduinoDue and even the smaller 8Bit-Arduinos (or other 8Bit to 32Bit µC's), where they are sufficient, too ...

---

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

One of the problems with Arduino based controllers is the necessity of recompiling the firmware every time you want to make a change to the printer's configuration. Newer/better controllers have printer configuration in text files that get read each time the controller boots up, so all you need is a text editor to change the config file, then cycle power and your changes are applied. There are no worries about updates to the Arduino IDE breaking compatibility with your firmware.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2023 07:14AM by the_digital_dentist.

---

Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

... yes, there are newer/better solutions with time ... but seems, there are enough of the "older" systems running smooth nd reliable still -- so depending on the individual circumstances

---

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Thank you for the feedback .As Im not a tecky ,Im just a mechanic , would it be possible to explain what I need and how to do it because up till now I had a printer that worked ,the mainboard fried , and I uploaded the original firmware stored on my pc .Its happend before and I just reloaded the firmware with said stored software , now after a long time , it does not work anymore . It shows error after error ,and needs repair , if thats the right term. Hope to hear soon, and again thank you for helping ,as apposed to others who say throw it away get another printer bla bla bla . Its mechanically top , just the electric /firmware / software needs an updated .Again thank you Harry

Quote
VDX
... yes, there are newer/better solutions with time ... but seems, there are enough of the "older" systems running smooth nd reliable still -- so depending on the individual circumstances

You make a valid point, there are plenty of obsolete systems still working, but unfortunately, zurferjoe's isn't one of them.

zurferjoe, from what you have described, in order to get it working again, you must either search for an obsolete IDE that is compatible with the printer's firmware and once it's working again, maintain that obsolete IDE so you can make changes to the printer's configuration in the future, or you can replace the obsolete controller with a better one that you'll be able to reconfigure any time without any concerns about obsolete IDEs. Both options will take some time, and the second option will cost a few $ for a new controller, but it will be time and $ better spent because you'll end up with a more serviceable, more reliable printer that might even be able to produce better quality prints when you're done, and you won't be wasting time working on obsolete stuff.

Most 3D printers are not appliances that you can just turn on and they work. You're going to need to learn about electronics, software, and the mechanics and physics of 3D printing, but you'll end up understanding how the printer works and what to do to fix it when it breaks (and sooner or later, it will break) and what to tweak to improve print quality problems. Some tweaks can be applied in the slicer, or even in your design of objects to be 3D printed, others have to be applied in the printer's controller firmware.

The wayback machine can help you find a compatible IDE if you want to try to get the old controller working. You might need to search your printer's documentation or support forums, if they still exist, to find out which version of the Arduino IDE works with your printer's firmware, then search for that IDE using the wayback machine. Once you have it loaded and working, you can compile the printer's firmware and load it on the controller board. You can learn how to do that via Arduino info that's all over the web, including thousands of youtube videos.

Better controllers will have the firmware already loaded on the board and all you'll have to do is wire the controller to the printer and edit the text config file(s) to get it working. Sooner or later you may want to update the firmware on that controller board (if you want new features and bug fixes), but that's usually pretty easy.

If and when you decide to select a new controller, I suggest you look for one that has active development and support forums. There are a lot of Chinese controller boards that are very cheap, but have no available support if you run into problems. There are controllers/firmware based on Raspberry Pi boards, or boards that are designed specifically for 3D printing and CNC machines such as the Duet boards and the Smoothieboards. Any of them can be used to modernize old printer hardware.

---

Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

... the "German RepRap" was in the beginning cooperating with RepRap-developers, but from the second year on they separated and built their "own" hardware and controllers, which weren't documented publicly.

So, as the_digital_dentist suggests -- better replace it with a (modern) electronics with complete documentation ...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2023 03:33PM by VDX.

---

Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Thank you for your super guidence and tips .I have since my last article , bought a Sovol Big and by god its great ! Super quick and easy to use ,but ! But I still hjave my original German Rep Rap Protos V3 and damn it I got to learn and get it into the 2023 pronto ! Starting with this -Mellow Gloomy FLY RRF E3 PRO V 3,0 Wifi 1,6 M/S 32Bit Control Board TMC2209 3D Drucker Teile upgrade Ender 3/5 Duet 2 " .Havent got it all in my head yet BUT it keeps me off the streets ! And we have got Mr Teaching Tech Micheal Laws on his excellent YouTube channel , if I dont get it right the first time ! After all its only a hobby !!

What documentation would you recommend for this board please`?