Marlin and Pronterface stepper always on Setting ?

Hi all,

I am a newbie for reprap. I had just converted my Up! printer to a reprap
I had installed a RAMPS 1.4 electronics, using Marlin firmware and Pronterface.

I had some issue with my setup which I need the forum members help.
Unlike Mendel lead screw, the setup of my Up! printer Z axis is belt drive. Basically Mendel X and Y axis working as a Z axis in Up! printer. I must constantly power the Z-axis to maintain the platform heigh, once the power is cut the platform will drop with gravity .

I manage to get all axis to work but i notice there is a "Power Saving Mode" in Marlin firmware or Pronterface.
1. Set my Z axis to some desired height.
2. Leave it for about 2mins on standby.
3. Power to all the stepper will be cut, there will no longer be holding torque for all stepper. Z-axis comes crashing down.
4. All stepper lost power until a new G-code is send from Pronterface.

Is there a setting or option which i can active so that stepper will always be on regardless in printing or just standby ?

Make sure these are all false


// Disables axis when it's not being used.
#define DISABLE_X false
#define DISABLE_Y false
#define DISABLE_Z false
#define DISABLE_E false // For all extruders

Z is usually set to true by default.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2013 09:42PM by ShadowRam.

Thanks for the reply.

I looked in to the code again. I found that there is a power saving mode in the configuration_adv.h of marlin firmware.

//default stepper release if idle
#define DEFAULT_STEPPER_DEACTIVE_TIME 60

set the 60 second to a very big number so that it cant cut the power supply

Problem solved thank you.