New Mainboard anet a8

I need help please. My first 3d printer...a CTC DIY worked fine for awhile then the mainboard burned out. I have a better printer now but wanted to resurrect the CTC to use as a laser engraver. I bought a new anet a8 board and installed it. It read on the package that it was 200x200x180...which is what the original was. Note: I can use a printer but I don't know about calibration, etc. So...the steppers don't move correctly though they will move in short bursts if I press the button each time. I don't know how to home it or make the hot end travel correctly via the steppers. If someone could tell me what to do or point me to a website I would much appreciate it. I would have thought the firmware was already set for 200x200x180...the other issue I thought of was maybe the LCD controls may be sending the wrong signals? It doesn't have a rotating knob but rather 5 buttons, center and then north, south, east, west of that...so to speak. Also...if anyone could tell me the technical terms for what I need to do perhaps I can find a solution on my own. It's still a 3d printer at the moment...I'll muddle through the laser after I get it working properly. Thanks for your help.

how far a printer moves is related to all the hardware on the axis

the size of stepper step commonly 1.8 or 0.9 degree
The micro stepping selected
the belts or leadscrew specs, teeth per mms or distance per revolution.
and and gearing and/or pulleys

If you know all this you can just plug the values into a reprap calculator such as [blog.prusaprinters.org]

You set the steps/mm to match your hardware.

First thing I would do is install some control software on your pc. The LCD is really designed for a machine that is fully working. It is missing many tools
Install pronterface , get it talking to your controller.

send your machine a "M503" this should print the current settings.
You need to work out values that suit your machine.

If you can find a configuration for your old printers firmware, you can just copy the values over.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2019 02:35AM by Dust.