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Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface

Posted by c3opti 
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c3opti
Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 06, 2013 07:45PM
I am building a prusa mendel and I have gotten the motors and everything all wired. I am using a RAMPS 1.4 board and mechanical endstops and installed Marlin firmware. I tried to move they x, y, and z axis motors with pronterface and nothing happened, but I was able to successfully heat up the hot end and get the extruder to move, but I could not manage to make the axis motors move. Does anyone know of a solution for this?
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jbernardis
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 07, 2013 12:34AM
How did you configure your end stops. I think by default, marlin comes configured with both min and max end stops.
What is your end stop status. If you enter gcode command M119 it will tell you if it thinks an end stop is triggered. If an end stop is triggered, the motor will not move in that direction.
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c3opti
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 07, 2013 09:11AM
I tried entering the gcode command you specified and nothing was returned in pronterface. Attached is a picture of how I wired the endstops, are they correct? The end not shown is wired into the RAMPS board with a molex connector. Also I have not changed anything in the firmware related to the endstops because I didn't not know which parts to change. Thanks for your help.
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open | download - photo-2.JPG (582.5 KB)
jbernardis
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 07, 2013 11:36AM
I do not use mechanical endstops and do not know how they should be soldered, but it should be easy enough to test them with a multimeter. Only thing is, since I have never used mechanical endstops, I don't know if they should be normally open or normally closed.

I'm also concerned that you got no response to the M119 command. If you really do have marlin firmware, then you should get a response.
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rhmorrison
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 07, 2013 01:51PM
They should be normally closed so that a break in the line would register as the endstop being activated.

Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse
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c3opti
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 07, 2013 02:20PM
What do you mean by opened and closed?
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rhmorrison
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 07, 2013 02:53PM
A switch is either open (no connection between the two terminals) or closed (a short circuit between the two terminals).
An normally closed (NC) switch has a short between the terminals and when the switch is depressed it is open i.e. there is no short/connection between the terminals.

Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse
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jbernardis
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 07, 2013 03:10PM
and since they are normally closed, if they are missing or wired incorrectly, the firmware would think it was at the endstop and would refuse to move.

If you tried to home, you might get a short burst of movement, but it would stop almost immediately.
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c3opti
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 13, 2013 12:31PM
I was able to check and see that the xmin endstops were being automatically triggered, but I have no idea how to fix it. The firmware is the default Marlin all I changed was the motherboard settings. Also if I click x+ in pronterface the motor "tremors" it moves about 2 degrees and then back again.
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bigfilsing
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 13, 2013 04:27PM
motors tremoring sounds like current is set to low

end stop ..micro switches have 3 connection points C - NC - NO
C ( sometimes COM) = common > your signal input wire
NC = normally closed > if the switch is not activated/ pressed you will have signal here
NO = normally open > if the switch is not activated you will NOT have a signal here

when the switch is pressed NC & NO swap so > NC has no signal and NO has signal

On my gen6d board it will only allow + motion until the home switch has been activated i,e via the home command
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c3opti
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 13, 2013 04:50PM
So I put the same stepper driver on the z-axis and connected the two motors and it turn properly still had jerky movements but it spun all the way. Then I checked to make sure it wasn't the motor. And when I tried it on the y-axis the same tremoring occurred as on the x-axis. I tried turning the pot to increase power and the power supply wouldn't start, but as soon as I turned it back it worked again.
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bigfilsing
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 13, 2013 05:04PM
well if the symptoms are the same if you try the same motor on the y and x axis then chances are its your stepper motor.
Check the cables and molex connections

be carfull you dont burn out your electronics driver !! Ive never used a ramps 14 board but on my gen6 its turn anticlockwise till the motor stalls then trun clockwose til it just starts to run then 1/8 or a turn more. Pretty sensitive
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c3opti
Re: Prusa mendel New build not Responding to Pronterface
March 13, 2013 05:22PM
I was able to fix the stuttering in the motor by going back over the driver with the soldering iron again! smiling smiley
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