Hi,

I have a problem with the extruder exerciser. Everytime I want to start the extruder exerciser in the host software(0.9), the host software is shutting down! The console displays that there is "no extruder available". I use a the 1st generation electronics and I have checked the wiring of erverything several times! The host software runs on ubuntu 7.10 and windows xp, but the mistake occurs on both systems. The stepper exerciser is working, too. I'm a RepRap beginner so that might be a stupid question for some people here,SORRY! Can somebody help me on this one?

thanks

Mathias

Hello Mathias,

Can you run the Host software with the debugging turned on, and post the output you get in the console here? You can turn the debugging on in the Properties of the host software. This might help finding the actual problem.

Cheers,
Joost

Hi Joost,

thanks for your interest!!!

When I start the host software (on linux) with debugging turn on the console ist displaying this:
"
Native lib Version = RXTX-2.1-7
Java lib Version = RXTX-2.1-7
RXTX Warning: Removing stale lock file. /var/lock/LCK..ttyS0
DEBUG: Attempting to initialize Arduino [0.117s/112ms]
Java 3D WARNING : reported GLX version = 1.2
GLX version 1.3 or higher is required
The reported version number may be incorrect. There is a known
ATI driver bug in glXQueryVersion that incorrectly reports the GLX
version as 1.2 when it really is 1.3, so Java 3D will attempt to
run anyway.
comms: tx 0->8: 0 ( = 0 ) [4.942s/4825ms]
comms: rx: 54 52 30 0 8 c3 ( = 84 82 48 0 8 195 ) [4.964s/22ms]
comms: tx 0->8: 0 ( = 0 ) [5.267s/303ms]
comms: rx: 54 53 30 0 8 4c ( = 84 83 48 0 8 76 ) [5.287s/20ms]
sendMessage error - retrying
"

And when I want to start the extruder exerciser:
"
comms: tx 0->8: 0 ( = 0 ) [43.451s/101ms]
DEBUG: Attempting to control or interrogate non-existent extruder for CAPA [43.468s/17ms]
comms: rx: 54 53 30 0 8 4c ( = 84 83 48 0 8 76 ) [43.470s/2ms]
sendMessage error - retrying
.
.
.
.
comms: tx 0->8: 0 ( = 0 ) [60.391s/100ms]
comms: rx: 54 52 30 0 8 c3 ( = 84 82 48 0 8 195 ) [60.392s/1ms]
comms: rx: 54 53 30 0 8 4c ( = 84 83 48 0 8 76 ) [60.410s/18ms]
DEBUG: Ignored and dropped packet [60.411s/1ms]
DEBUG: Attempting to control or interrogate non-existent extruder for CAPA [60.503s/92ms]
No extruders available!
"

I hope this information will help you to understand the problem!

Thanks very much!

Mathias

Trying to interpret this by looking at various doc pages...
RepRap SNAP comms: [reprap.org]
Extruder commands: [reprap.org]
SNAP docs: [www.hth.com]

If I understand the debug messages correctly, the host is sending command 0 to extruder 1. Command 0 is "get version". The first time the host sends this, it gets this response:

54 52 30 0 8 c3

54 - sync byte
52 - HDB2 (ack response)
30 - HDB1 (0 data bytes)
00 - destination = host
08 - source = extruder 1
c3 - checksum

So the extruder is saying "got your message". It's supposed to then send a second packet with the actual response (the version info) but it doesn't.

The host sends the same command again and gets this:

54 - sync byte
53 - HDB2 (nak response)
30 - HDB1 (0 data bytes)
00 - destination = host
08 - source = extruder 1
4c - checksum

This time, the extruder is saying "sorry, can't help you, busy", presumably because it's still processing the first command.

So, the good news is that the extruder is communicating with the host. The bad news is that it never seems to complete processing the first command.

The response to a version command should be immediate, I would've thought. For some reason, the extruder is taking forever to respond.

At least that's what it looks like from what I can tell.