Tech Zone Remix Thermocouple and A/D help

I recently was finally able to get my stepper motors on my 3 axis to move correctly and now it's time to move on to mounting the extruder to the gantry. I ordered the Tech Zone Remix Thermocouple Kit with A/D along with the Extruder Tip Parts Kit which includes a small oak wooden block. I'm supposed to mount the nozzle to the bottom of my extruder (I'm using Adrian's Extruder) but I cannot find good instructions or a picture on how to actually do this. All I can find is from the Techzonecom.com website wiki (hosted on reprap.org) which says to use the screw provided to mount to the bottom of the extruder. This isn't too helpful. Would anyone out there be able to post a picture showing how the oak block is supposed to be mounted to the bottom of the extruder?

The other problem I'm having is that I cannot seem to get the software (Repsnapper or RepRap Host) to read a valid temperature from the thermocouple. I'm pretty certain that I've connected the cabling correctly. The instructions that I can find on it mention something about use "OneWire" on the extruder controller. The problem here is that the pictures only show one end of the wire and I am having trouble determining where the other end of the wire goes. Does anyone have a picture of this as well? I'm assuming that this is why my software is not reading the temperatures from the thermocouple.

If anyone has any help or comments, please post.
I'm so close to finally printing but am stuck.

Thanks,
Chad

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2010 03:37PM by Chad C.

I have just bought the tech zone thermocouple kit as well, but have not connected it yet. The thermocouple will not work with the official reprap firmware out of the box. You either need a special firmware, or inject control code into your existing firmware (which is what I intend to do).
The instructions are here: http://reprap.org/wiki/TechZone_A-D_With_OneWire

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-Nudel
Blog with RepRap Comic

I talked with Lambert from Techzonecom.com about a week ago and was told that the firmware on the Techzone extruder controller was shipped with the thermocouple firmware already in it which is why ordered it for the most part ( I didnt want to mod any firmware/software).
I'll try this out tonight if I get a chance though.

Thanks,
Chad

I am having extruder problems as well. Do I only have to load firmware to the extruder conroler or to both the main and etrder?

At the moment I have all three axis moving. But when I load the onewire firmware things aren't so good. When I start the reprap software sometimes all three axis start to go home without any command to do so. I can't get the stepper extruder stepper to mover at all and I have no temperature reading. And the hot end isn't. Basically the extruder controller board just sits there and blinks. Unless I unplug the communication jumpers then it kind of jitters every second or so. Could someone post a picture of the main and extruder all hooked up. From the pictures I have seen so far I can't tell if I have them cabled correctly.

Thanks

I confirmed with Lambert of Techzonecom.com that their Generation 3 Electronics are shipped with the Thermocouple A/D firmware already installed.

I attached a picture showing my setup for the mainboard and extruder controller.
I hope it helps some.

Chad C

I also bought Generation 3 Electronics from Techzone. But RepRap Host software does not work correctly with the firmware from Techzone. To recolve this problem I changed firmware to the standard RepRap firmware.

Lambert advised me to use Repsnapper host software with the monolithic electronics.
So far its working great.

You need to make sure you have the correct firmware for the monolithic board. Send me a PM if you need it.
Once I loaded this firmware all 4 stepper motors were enabled as well as the heater controller.