[SOLVED] Cannot access marlin menu on 2004 LCD

Hi all,

I am new to reprap but had some experience with 3d printing before.
I have recently received my RAMPS board and tried testing it together with the 2004 LCD.
However, after installed the Marlin firmware to my mega, the screen outputs the first page perfectly, but I am unble to access the menu to select any of the options.
When i press down on the scoll wheel button, all the screen does is flashes and bringing back the original page.
When I hold down the button and turn the knob at the same time, I can catch a glimpse of the menu options but it will be brought back to the default screen on release of the button
Futhermore, everything I insert or remove at SD card from the slot, the screen would disapear from about 1 second before the display comes back again.

Here is a video of such an occurance: [youtu.be]

Does anyone know what is happening and has anyone encountered such a problem before?
Thank in advance for any help that I can get!
Cheers

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2015 08:39PM by Wiireless.

If the problem is not just due to mechanical button bouncing, I could image that putting seconds instead of milliseconds into the value of LCD_TIMEOUT_TO_STATUS in ultralcd.h could provoke this kind of strange behavior...

Hi, thanks for the reply.
The value of LCD_TIMEOUT_TO_STATUS in ultralcd.h is 15000.
However, I had left the ultralcd option commented and I only uncommented the reprapdiscount smart controller option so it probably isnt that i guess?
Is there any way to test for a faulty LCD controller?

Cheers!

The LCD_TIMEOUT_TO_STATUS is fine. The ultralcd file should be included automatically when you define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_SMART_CONTROLLER, I never had to uncomment the ULTRA_LCD or ULTIPANEL options explicitly.

Are you powering only via 12V? Is the problem the same when you power via USB?

Have you visually checked the Mega and RAMPS board for any bad solder joints or solder bridges between neighboring pins?

Have you tried switching two ribbon cables? (If one is faulty, this would not solve the problem, but the problem would show up differently.)

You can only switch to submenus when there is no "min-temp" error. Meaning, you have to add one or two thermistors to the Ramps board before you can navigate.
A faulty encoder switch is also possible. Some reported the controller would reset, when they push the encoder button or twist it too fast.
-Olaf

Quote
o_lampe
You can only switch to submenus when there is no "min-temp" error. Meaning, you have to add one or two thermistors to the Ramps board before you can navigate.
A faulty encoder switch is also possible. Some reported the controller would reset, when they push the encoder button or twist it too fast.
-Olaf

YES, this is the solution that solved my program.
Apparantly the termister must be plugged in before i could access the menu properly
Otherwise I will continuously be brought back to the infomation menu

Thanks alot to both enif and o_lampe for your help!!
Cheers