Trying to get every thing to work

My problem is that I can not get ReplicatorG or the RepRap Host software to do anything for me, minus updating the Motherboard through ReplicatorG.

What I have:
A RepStrap fully wired minus the temp and header components
I have a stepper based extruder.
Gen 3 Electronics pre assembled from Makerbot (im assuming that they are functioning correctly.)

What I Can Do:
Upload new firmware to the motherboard using ReplicatorG (using 1.6 firmware)


What I Cant Do:
Upload new firmware to the extruder controller in either Replicator G or the Arduino v17 software
I can not get the Arduino v17 software to upload new firmware to the motherboard, even though I have followed all the instructions to get it to work with the sanguino.

What I Have Tried:
Everything a search has come up with to get the arduino software to link with my motherboard and extruder controller I get an error that my google searches say is a problem with linking up to it.
To move the axises with ReplicatorG, program pauses then advances 10mm in software but nothing hardware side. I get the error "payload not big enough" when opening the control panel.
To move the axises with the RepRap Host software, when clicking on any button in "XYZ" "Extruder 0..." the program locks up. I have put it into debug mode no errors but it seams to hang at a part that mentions tring to communicate with a arduino or sanguino with a time aka 300ms 1.2s beside it. I can hit print, pause, resume, and stop with no errors. The software is the newest from sourceforge, I did not compile it.
If i move all axises by hand the led on the stepper boards flash and blink corresponding to the axis that I am moving.

Computer:
Windows XP fully updated as of 30 min ago, no missing drivers

also when the hardware is switched on there is a green light on ever component that lights up, on the opto endstops there is a light on on each axis, so 30 of 6 have a light on, if I switch wires around then the others will light up, but theres always only 3 lit at one time (1 per axis).


To the best of my knowledge everything is wired correctly, and it seams to be a communication problem between computer and motherboard. Also all software and firmware is the newest released versions.

Ive tried to be as thorough as possible, im sorry that i cant give the Arduino software errors but a separate computer is dedicated to this project and there isnt a comfortable chair in the garage to sit there and type all this up. ill head out there later and take care of that.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2009 06:37PM by Jeff B.

The Makerbot firmware spits out "payload not big enough" when it can't talk to the extruder controller. Which it probably can't, if you haven't been able to load the software on to the extruder controller.

When you're loading the software onto the extruder controller, make sure you unplug the RJ45 cable supplying power before you plug in the USB-TTL programming cable - sharing the 5V power line between the power supply and your USB port on your computer can cause your computer to instantly reboot.

Look up bootloaders, and make sure you've got a bootloader loaded on your extruder controller. If not, you'll need to load one with an ISP programmer.

Also, the RepRap host software hangs if it can't communicate - check your com port and speed settings very carefully.

I'm not sure the Makerbot firmware supports a stepper driven extruder - I'm building one myself right now, and I'm using the 5D firmware, because it supports stepper driven extruders out of the box.

Hope that helps.

Wade

When I tried to upload the firmware on the extruder controller I unplugged everything from it other than the ttl cable.

I have looked at my port settings but Im not exactly sure what I should set them at, Ive seen varying numbers.

Ill look into the 5D firmware.

Also can the extruders RJ45 cable be plugged into any of the 4 plugs on the motherboard? I have it plugged into the one closest to the SD card, I may switch it around some tonight.

The error I get in the Arduino Software is:

avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x48
avrdude: stk500_disable(): protocol error, expect=0x14, resp=0x48


I have tried every combination of button pushing to get it to work.

Any ideas?

I can now send new firmware to the motherboard from the arduino software, but i am still having problems with the extruder board.

The extruder board should have a bootloaded installed on it. How can I check that it does? Also i dont have the tool for up loading a boot loader is there a way to do it without a tool? I do have a arduino Duemilanove.

Also i dont understand the lock ups with the Host Software, any advice on that?

Im making slow progress, but progress none the less.

The cables going from the motherboard to the drivers had there connectors installed incorrectly.

ReplicatorG now works while still getting the payload not big enough error.

Problems still encountering:

Still cant load Firmware onto the extruder controller.
RepRap Host software locks up when pressing a button on the xyz and extruder tabs


New Problem:
Endstops seam to do nothing, machine just collides with the flags, flags are made of 1/16 inch aluminum.

If you have flags that reflect IR and you have room lighting with IR content, e.g. halogen, then it can cause the endstops not to work.

---

[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

I was fiddling with the code for the firmware, i tried to change it in the config page to get the endstops to work, that didnt work for me.

So I changed some code in the stepper section from high to low under the endstop part. This fixed my problem.

I have only tested all this with the X axis but it works as it should.

Ill make a post later if i cant get the extruder board going.

I had no end of problems with uploading.

I eventually bought a USBtinyISP board to upload the boot loader. I still had trouble with the firmware and then discovered how to upload firmware over the ISP.

Full details of using USBtinyISP here:-

[www.arduino.cc]

basically you add a line:-

boardname.upload.using=usbtinyisp to the correct section of boards.txt
Normal upload button then uses the USBtinyISP instead of the standard USB cable.

No other boards are affected.

To revert to normal programming using the boot loader just take the line out.

It is the only way I can upload firmware to a Sanguino from a Windows XP computer.

Be warned if you have upgraded Arduino many times board.txt has moved and you may have older versions in the wrong place. Fooled me for some time.

---

Regards

Ian

Warning, if you cannot program through ICSP then you probably have a faulty processor, like I found where the Tx line of the processor was tied high by an internal 100 Ohm short