Prusa Mendel I2 Y axis

Hello everyone,

I just built my I2 and started calibrating it, when I tell the y axis to move 100 mm it only moves aboy 3.5 no matter the value set it marlin. The controller is a melzi. The x axis has been calibrated correctly. The y axis also won't move down more than about 15 mm from the limit switch.

Check if the endstop is properly wired.

Checked the end stops not the problem though. It still doesnt want to go more than 10 mm down or up.

I'd bet something is slipping. The set screws on the gears would be the first thing I would check.

1) The settings in Marlin should be done off of the physical construction of the printer. You have a gear / motor / belt combo that gets you to xxx steps / mm
2) The speeds in Marlin should be in the 100 to 500 range for X and Y, 2 or so for Z. Pronterface will let you fiddle with speeds.
3) What happens when you tell it to move:
a) The head moves continuously and stops
b) The head moves / stops and the motors keep going
c) The head moves and all the lights go out after a few mm
4) Does the Y axis move freely with no motor powered up?
5) Have you set the Vref voltages on your stepper drivers?

1) The settings in Marlin should be done off of the physical construction of the printer. You have a gear / motor / belt combo that gets you to xxx steps / mm

It that way for calbirated axes.

2) The speeds in Marlin should be in the 100 to 500 range for X and Y, 2 or so for Z. Pronterface will let you fiddle with speeds.

I don't think it would be the speed but I'll that anyway.

3) What happens when you tell it to move:

a) The head moves continuously and stops

b) The head moves / stops and the motors keep going

c) The head moves and all the lights go out after a few mm

D) None of the above. See video below.

[youtu.be]

4) Does the Y axis move freely with no motor powered up?

Yes it does.

5) Have you set the Vref voltages on your stepper drivers?

Yep. The Y is a little high currently due to more sporadic movement when its lower.

Are we talking about the Y axis or the Z axis motors? In your video you seem to be playing with the Z motors rather than the X or Y motors (Z is up and down, X is left and right, Y is front and back).

Do you have a spec sheet on your motors? If so:

How much current are they rated for?

How much torque are they rated for?

What is the rated voltage or winding resistance?

Are they 4 wire bipolar steppers or have you fiddled with (rewired) them?

You mention the drivers being at 180 degrees (hopefully F not C). Is that at the heatsink or somewhere else?

Sorry for the very late reply I went on vaccation to a place with out internet.

I don't have a spec sheet for them. I changed the axes to the proper driver mistake on my end wiring them wrong. I'm still running into the same issue as before and yes F on the heatsinks. I've changed out the melzi board to a new one (ripped off the SMD USB connector on the old one) so I'm starting all over again. They are also just normal 4 wire steppers.

EDIT: The issuse has been fixed. I wired the motors incorrectly the first time.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/2014 09:23AM by CS-137.