printerbot woes

I apologize if this is posted in the wrong location. Please move it if needed.

Recently I purchased a (used) printrbot play,
I use linux on my PC
I installed the cura software for printing and was able to print several items with no issues. So far so good.

After a short time, when I tried printing another item the printer hung indicating no heat on the extruder.
Research showed that this might be a printerboard issue (the printrbot board F6 initially had a micro USB port that was said to be easily damaged)
After several repeated attempts to print cura became unable to see the printer and said the printer was not connected (I suspected this might be a board failure that was progressing).

I purchased and installed a new upgraded printerboard with the new USB-B port, but the issue of cura not communicating with the printer still remains. The PC still creates the required hardware device.

In trouble shooting:
1. I replace the prnterboard.
2. I have removed the cura software and did a complete new (clean) install with no change (just in case something in the config had confused it).
3. The PC properly creates the /dev/ttyACM0 device when the printer is connected to USB as it has always done.
4. The external power supply is providing the rated 12v external power.
5. I disconnected all the stepper motor cables, the X-Y-&Z stop cables, the T-ext and hot end power cables with no changes. The only thing currently attached is the fan (and of course power) yet the printing software does not see either the original printer board or the new one I just purchased even though the PC recognizes it at the hardware level.

Does anyone have any further suggestion?
I am at my wits end since I can't recognize anything I have missed but the problem remains.

sudo cura? does that work?
If it does perhaps your user doesn't have access to serail ports. If so you need to add yourself to the dialout group

Edited: "addgroup $USER dialout"

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2019 02:19AM by Dust.

Thank you for your words of wisdom.
After I read your reply I thought about what all had been done and realized that initially I may have been running cura as root from the cli after installing cura from the ultimaker site.

When the printer problem started I removed the ultimaker version and installed the fedora version that can be run from the gui so it was then running as my user. That is when I totally lost the printer.

When I checked the dev file for the printer, sure enough it belonged to the group 'dialout' so after adding my user to that group I once again can access the printer.

Now I still have to fix the problem that started all this, which is the hot end is not heating up..... grrrr.
Guess I have to get a new extruder hot end, but that is a separate problem so on to the tasks at hand.

Not to be critical, but to avoid confusion for future readers I think the way you intended that command to read was "useradd -G dialout $USER"

Once again, Thanks to you @Dust.

I meant addgroup... This is what happens when you don't get enough sleep...

I've edited the original.

But I'm glad it still helped.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2019 02:22AM by Dust.

Quote
wildone
Thank you for your words of wisdom.
After I read your reply I thought about what all had been done and realized that initially I may have been running cura as root from the cli after installing cura from the ultimaker site.

When the printer problem started I removed the ultimaker version and installed the fedora version that can be run from the gui so it was then running as my user. That is when I totally lost the printer.

When I checked the dev file for the printer, sure enough it belonged to the group 'dialout' so after adding my user to that group I once again can access the printer.

Now I still have to fix the problem that started all this, which is the hot end is not heating up..... grrrr.
Guess I have to get a new extruder hot end, but that is a separate problem so on to the tasks at hand.

Not to be critical, but to avoid confusion for future readers I think the way you intended that command to read was "useradd -G dialout $USER"

Once again, Thanks to you @Dust.

You probably don't need a new hot end. You can fix it.
Does the hot end get hot, but temperature doesn't move? Need a new thermistor, check to see if yours is a "rice grain" or cartridge type. Both are easily available on-line. Match the thermistor numbers to information in your configuration.h (Marlin firmware) to use the right setting. I have a thermistor on my DVM meter to check temperatures.
Does the hot end not even heat up? You need a new heater - Choose the correct type, 12V or 24V, 30W to 40W are fine, and practically a commodity item, (standard size, cheap).

In either case it is a screw or two, some thermal grease, and running a new wire back to the controller. 10 minute job. Then run PID tune to get everything set up correctly.

have fun,
DLC

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