Basic connection problem - Repetier Host

Hi,

I have a Mega 2560 (r3) with a ramps 1.4 shield.

I have downloaded the latest versions of Repetier Host and Repetier Firmware. I have followed the instructions for installing the firmware via the Arduino IDE, setting the Motherboard and BAUD config options (33, 115200)

Repetier Host connects OK to /dev/ttyACM1, and seems to be able to send manual commands, from what the logs say.

If I try to send M115, I get gibberish back. If I reset the board while connected, I see another load of gibberish:

23:45:03.052 : ?M???????X??????,i?m???3!1??R???R??R????P?b??????W?c%?????X??(?K?Fm????

If I use the serial console in the Arduino IDE, I immediately get gibberish:

¡nP|HN³V!8&6HjFñJpOn6H5-ªJANL}Hmj-F^«HO5-p|H~Cð^èn6³M³w·è%iþ'*fç}mbo7d6p|³HsH6FñJJL·äLOæYáÿZ
:&H/^7
*'
ZäI¨IÈJÿzxñ:f©k>H$P|þ%ÿ%þ%h%xñé+^>JÐé jOXé+^>xñJJâAHJàaHJP|@a&M/M6L
IM^J«vl* ðX/+H>CÄ&Hh*Iæ&n^L
Iàf8n^l
xñJz"JjüJHJjÿ

MaH$p|4
I*IFñJ
o6FñJ¡J5ý-*³nÆ8O}¡v±kNm./hñ/^fNN^Á?~Cx©^H&NV!¤-HH7fI

Sending M115 from there either does nothing (tried all line-feed options available) or gives more gibberish. Printer information in Repetier Host is blank.

I also tried all these steps with the latest Marlin firmware, with very similar results.

Any clues what might be going on?

Thanks,

James

That is clearly a communication problem. If we assume your board is working it is the wrong baud rate. I guess your firmware uses 250000 and you have changed it only on a later installation to 115200. But now firmware takes the value from eeprom, not the one in configuration.h. Change EEPROM_MODE to 2 in Configuration.h and reinstall firmware. Then eeprom is reset and uses the new baud rate. In theory you could also select baudrate 250000 in the host, but only on a windows machine. Linux does not support that baud rate with mono.

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Thanks very much for your suggestion - board is communicating with host now.

I am now having trouble getting the stepper motors to move. This isn't a repetier question, as it is doing its job now. Could someone suggest the best place to ask for help with this?

Make sure the endstops do not report, that they are triggered. Use
M119
to ask endstop state. Also make sure motor cables are connected correctly and 12v power connected.

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Thanks again. 12V power is connected.

I have Wantai steppers, and they are wired as follows:

2B: black
2A: green
1A: red
1B: blue

I thought it might be the end stops. I am not sure whether they are NC, as I have seen stated elsewhere, but that wouldn't make sense.

I tried to take these out of the equation by using the following for x, y and z:

#define Z_MIN_PIN = -1

m119 gives

18:18:31.910 : x_min:H y_min:H z_min:H z_max:H

Cheers,

James

Well "H" means triggered. So all endstops send triggered signal preventing moves.

Change

#define MIN_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_Y false
#define MIN_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_Z false
#define MAX_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_X true
#define MAX_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_Y true
#define MAX_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_Z true

to deactivate endstops physically.

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Ok, thanks. M119 no longer returns anything, but the steppers still don't move on command.

I notice that the pololu drivers are completely cool. I haven't touched the calibration pot on these. Could it be the steppers need more juice?

EDIT: Just tried to follow some help elsewhere which says to set the trim pot on the pololus to 25% from anti cw to cw. Trouble is, the trim pot is continuous so I don't know where zero is. Hmm, reluctant to plug in again now as I don't want to fry these drivers.

EDIT 2: Number 1, was feeding the 12v to the 11a inputs instead of the 5a ones, Number 2, Found a guide on the cheap white Chinese pololu drivers I have (Sumpod basic), which informs how to trim. They need a reference voltage of 100mv vs 400mv for the real pololus:

[forums.reprap.org]

Result : x now moving, y and z chattering a bit. Thanks repetier for your help.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2013 04:58PM by jamesd256.

Hi,

I have installed my end stops now, so I reverted the end stop settings back to the original, and re-uploaded.

M119 now still gives:

23:45:23.992 : x_max:H y_max:H z_max:H

Even when the stop is actuated (NC). I have checked the stop with a meter and it's functioning. I have tried a jumper on the stop pins on the ramps board, still all the stop s are H.

Grateful for any suggestions.

James


Edit: After playing around with the pullup settings and realising that max stops are reading different pins to those in the ramps wiring diagram for me (max stops are every second pair), it's all OK. Thanks.

Edit 2: While the max z-stop halts positive z movement, the max y-stop doesn't halt positive y movement, even though m119 shows it going from L to H when pressed.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2013 07:24PM by jamesd256.

X and Y endstops can be set to work only during homing or all the time. The setting is something like ALWAYS_CHECK_ENDSTOPS that determines this behaviour.

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