The new guy

Hi all,

You don't know how long I have been waiting for a project like this, meny thanx to the original team.
As a noob to RepRap, I do have a lot of experiance in control software and electronics, so I have no problem in any of the build, but I'm a little confused with which electronic boards to go for, I would like to build my own, but my dextrity and sight is not what it used to be so I don't want to use SMDs, could someone point me in the right direction for which thru hole boards I could use? meny thx.

Hello Qbert (Great screen-name by the way)

Take a look at - RAMPS

And look at the - Pololu Electronics

You basically just need to get an Arduino MEGA board (pre-made) and connect up a set of Pololu Stepper controllers, it's all 0.1" pitch connectors / pins from the MEGA and to the Pololu's so easy to wire up - or you can use a nice 'shield' PCB like the RAMPS design.

Then you just need a small number of conventional components (some mosfets, resistors and capacitors) to do the Power output (heaters) and ADC input (Thermistor reading).

Then when you have it all working, you can build your own control system -

Great to have you onboard.

Rich.

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[richrap.blogspot.com]

Meny thx for the info Rich.

Here is where I am ATM.

I have a small CNC hobby machine with name 23 steppers, the controller board is basic stamp board and the hardware is made out of laminated chipboard.
So not very good, but with a little programming I think I could get to to work with gcode, it uses a PIC controller which I have programed meny over the last 10 years. I would like to use this CNC to understand the process and get a better feel for 3D printing, the main aim is to print some small test parts and a couple of sets of RepRap parts. I have ordered a set of gen3 boards to get me going if the stamp board dosen't workout and if i have a total failier I can always get a set from someone else (paid for).

So less of the banter and come to the point.

Question:

I have had a good look at the gcode in some simple files (Monolith_small). there are some missing M codes in RepRapWiki that I don't see in the code (M101 & M103). If I had to guess what they were I would say turn on and off the extruder motor, is this right?

This is the address that says is the most uptodate Gcodes (http://reprap.org/wiki/GCodes#G1:_Controlled_move )?

Stephen.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2011 01:13PM by Qbert.

Ok no need to mess with the old pic controller, just bought the gen3 boards off ebay, I will see if they work with the CNC I have and go from there.

Quote
Qbert
I have had a good look at the gcode in some simple files (Monolith_small). there are some missing M codes in RepRapWiki that I don't see in the code (M101 & M103). If I had to guess what they were I would say turn on and off the extruder motor, is this right?

See the Bits from Bytes.com G-Code wiki page.

Special functions (M Codes)

M101 Turn extruder  1 on Forward.
M102 Turn extruder 1 on Reverse. (?)
M103 Turn all extruders off.
M104 S145.0 Set Extruder 1 target temperature to 145.0 C.
M105 Custom code for temperature reading. (Not used)
M106 Turn fan on.
M107 Turn fan off.
M108 S400 Set Extruder 1 speed to S value/10 = 40rpm.
M201 Turn second extruder on Forward.
M204 S145.0 Set Extruder 2 target temperature to 145.0 C
M208 S400 Set Extruder 2 speed to S value/10 = 40rpm.
M210 AUX 1 off
M211 AUX 1 on 
M220 AUX 2 off
M221 AUX 2 on
M222 Set speed of fast XY moves 
M223 Set speed of fast Z moves 
M224 Enable extruder motor during fast move
M225 Disable extruder motor during fast move
M226 Pause the printer until ESC key is pressed
M227 S1000 P800 on extruder stop (M103) reverse the extruder stepper for S turns and on extruder start (M101)
M228 - Disable M227
M229 - Same as M227 but P and S parameters specify prime and reverse extruder thread revolutions (not stepper steps)
M301 Turn extruder 3 on Forward.
M304 S145.0 Set target temperature of extruder 3  to 145.0 C
M308 S400 Set Extruder 3 speed to S value/10 = 40rpm. (Note to turn off extruders 2 and 3 use M103 which turns off all extruders) 
M542 - Enter 3000 nozzle wipe / move to RapMan rest location
M543 - Exit 3000 nozzle wipe / does nothing on RapMan
M551 / M552 / M553 - Prime extruder 1 / 2 / 3.  Parameter P = stepper steps, S = RPM * 10
M561 / M562 / M563 - Reverse extruder 1 / 2 / 3.  Parameter P = stepper steps, S = RPM * 10

If you are using Skeinforge you can use the Replace.csv file to automatically remove such M101 and M103 lines.

My Replace.csv looks as follows:

M108 S	;M108 S
M101	;M101
M103	;M103
M105	;M105

---

Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

rhmorrison Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > I have had a good look at the gcode in some
> simple files (Monolith_small). there are some
> missing M codes in RepRapWiki that I don't see in
> the code (M101 & M103). If I had to guess what
> they were I would say turn on and off the extruder
> motor, is this right?
>
>
> See the Bits from Bytes.com G-Code wiki page.
>
> Special functions (M Codes)
>
> M101 Turn extruder 1 on Forward.
> M102 Turn extruder 1 on Reverse. (?)
> M103 Turn all extruders off.
> M104 S145.0 Set Extruder 1 target temperature to
> 145.0 C.
> M105 Custom code for temperature reading. (Not
> used)
> M106 Turn fan on.
> M107 Turn fan off.
> M108 S400 Set Extruder 1 speed to S value/10 =
> 40rpm.
> M201 Turn second extruder on Forward.
> M204 S145.0 Set Extruder 2 target temperature to
> 145.0 C
> M208 S400 Set Extruder 2 speed to S value/10 =
> 40rpm.
> M210 AUX 1 off
> M211 AUX 1 on
> M220 AUX 2 off
> M221 AUX 2 on
> M222 Set speed of fast XY moves
> M223 Set speed of fast Z moves
> M224 Enable extruder motor during fast move
> M225 Disable extruder motor during fast move
> M226 Pause the printer until ESC key is pressed
> M227 S1000 P800 on extruder stop (M103) reverse
> the extruder stepper for S turns and on extruder
> start (M101)
> M228 - Disable M227
> M229 - Same as M227 but P and S parameters specify
> prime and reverse extruder thread revolutions (not
> stepper steps)
> M301 Turn extruder 3 on Forward.
> M304 S145.0 Set target temperature of extruder 3
> to 145.0 C
> M308 S400 Set Extruder 3 speed to S value/10 =
> 40rpm. (Note to turn off extruders 2 and 3 use
> M103 which turns off all extruders)
> M542 - Enter 3000 nozzle wipe / move to RapMan
> rest location
> M543 - Exit 3000 nozzle wipe / does nothing on
> RapMan
> M551 / M552 / M553 - Prime extruder 1 / 2 / 3.
> Parameter P = stepper steps, S = RPM * 10
> M561 / M562 / M563 - Reverse extruder 1 / 2 / 3.
> Parameter P = stepper steps, S = RPM * 10
>
>
> If you are using Skeinforge you can use the
> Replace.csv file to automatically remove such M101
> and M103 lines.
>
> My Replace.csv looks as follows:
>
> M108 S ;M108 S
> M101 ;M101
> M103 ;M103
> M105 ;M105
>


Great thx for the info Bob.

Sorry for the late reply, - Bob's your man for G-Code Questions

GEN 3 can be a bit of a pain, but it should be fine for you'r CNC machine. I had a Gen3 system working well with NEMA23 steppers on my first RepStrap. It only does 1/2 stepping so it may be a bit noisy on your CNC and the Extruder has a mindbending whine.

You may/will hate the way the Extruder controller works... and if you blow up the stepper drivers on the Extruder board (and it's a good chance you will) just use another Normal Gen3 stepper or a Pololu stepper as the Extruder drive. It's easy to connect (just ask) You should still be able to use the Heating and temperature measurement part of the Extruder controller.

Anyway good luck with Gen3 and when you get sick of it, take a look at the Mega and Pololu setup Pololu Electronics

Or - RAMPS

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[richrap.blogspot.com]