Repetier Ramps 1.4 Dual Y Stepper Problem

I am building a cnc style (cartisian) laser engraver. You can see an old pic of it here I am using dual Y steppers. The main issue I am having is I can move the Y axis in the - direction fine but when I try to move in the + direction one of the steppers doesn't want to move or is moving wrong. The axis goes a little crooked but it will move, so the the second motor is not locked but is not moving. I know it is wired correctly because it works fine with Marlin. I have the second motor wired to E1 and the plug is rotated. I couldn't get Marlin and Repetier Host software to talk. So I am trying Repetier firmware. I checked pins against the marlins firmware and it was correct.
I have the Y axis duplicated to the E1.

I am using a Ramps 1.4 with the discount reprap smart display
I have 1 - X Axis stepper, 2 - Y Axis Steppers, There is no Z axis motor but I need the z axis output as if there was a motor.
I have Min and Max endstops for X & Y. Nothing on the Z.
I tried to disable as much of the heater settings as possible but some of it I wasn't sure.

I don't know why the Y moves in - direction fine but not in the +.

Please Help

If I remember right, that was a bug that has been solve din latest 0.92.3. Please try updating.

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Why not wire it up more traditional.
Two motors wired to Y axis.
or
Two motors wired into z axis (it has two connectors) and swap Z and Y axis in firmware

Why do you need the z axis driver if you are not using a motor?

Z commands can go directly out to laser to PWM the power output.

[reprap.org]

JTech laser

[jtechphotonics.com]

I have tried both versions of the firmware. I have figured out what is happening. Once I took the belts off of my Y drives I could see more what is happening. The second Y motor being output to E1 will only spin in the same direction. So if you tell it to move in the + direction it spins counter clockwise and if you tell it to move in the - direction it still only moves in a counter clockwise motion. It doesn't spin clockwise. It is still treating E1 as an extruder instead of a mirrored motor output.

How do I fix it???


"Why not wire it up more traditional. Two motors wired to Y axis."
Not enough power, my steppers need 1.5 A per axis.

"Two motors wired into z axis (it has two connectors) and swap Z and Y axis in firmware"
Not sure I can but might be possible. I am not sure exacly how.

"Why do you need the z axis driver if you are not using a motor?"
I will be doing full 8-bit laser engraving with picengrave. Picengrave takes your picture and converts the lightness and darkness and outputs it to the Z axis. It goes through a custom dac (digital variable resistor) that converts it to an analog signal which goes to the analog input on your laser driver.

"Z commands can go directly out to laser to PWM the power output."
I don't plan on using PWM pretty much ever. PWM is hard on your laser diodes and reduces their life span.

Just checked the code in printer.h responsible for this:

    static inline void setYDirection(bool positive)
    {
        if(positive)
        {
            WRITE(Y_DIR_PIN, !INVERT_Y_DIR);
#if FEATURE_TWO_YSTEPPER
            WRITE(Y2_DIR_PIN, !INVERT_Y_DIR);
#endif
        }
        else
        {
            WRITE(Y_DIR_PIN, INVERT_Y_DIR);
#if FEATURE_TWO_YSTEPPER
            WRITE(Y2_DIR_PIN, INVERT_Y_DIR);
#endif
        }
    }

As you see it shoudl work correctly. So we have two likely reasons:
1. Y2_DIR_PIN is not correctly defined or not defined as output
2. direction pin is not working.

As a test change E1 and Y in definition so E1 is primary motor. If now E1 works still wrong it is case 2 and your hardware has a problem, if Y is now working wrong it is case 1.

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I thought the same thing already. I have interchanged all motors, and drivers. The main thing is that did run correctly in marlin but I have not tried again since I tried repetier. So it is possible something went wrong. I will try switching from E1 to E0 and see if that fixes the issue and I will reload marlin if that doesn't work.

I had marlin working fine with the discount SS controller. I couldn't get marlin to interface with any software yours or pronterface. I tried repetier firmware. I ran into some compiling issues and it took me 5 or 6 tries to find the issue. I made all of them from the website. Once I got one that would compile and loaded it. I have been moving it from the controller not the software. The X moves fine. The Y will run smoothly in one direction but not the other.

Still seems like a code thing but what do I know. Seems like a code thing though. The motor moves fine but just in the same direction. It seems like something in the code is over riding the duplication of the Y stepper and treating it as an extruder. Basically only allowing it to move in one direction. It moves in time with the Y motor but will only move in one direction like an extruder would.....

If the direction pin was bad would the motor still work? Seems like it wouldn't move at all if it was bad and not just in one direction. I will try it when I get home. Try loading my version and see what you get.

Thanks for your help, I really appriciate it.

Without direction pin motor will always turn in same direction. Just as it is the case here. Of course you should not use the same pin for other functions as well:-) Also in one of the latest patches for 0.92.3 I found that not all pins got initailized as output correctly, which is why I said using the latest version of today, just to be sure. Thats also something that gets tested if you switch first and second stepper in configuration.h.

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I will make a new file off the new patch today and double check the pins. If I get the same thing, I will change the output from E1 to E0 to verify there is nothing wrong with the ramps board.

What is the best way to disable all of the heat and extruder settings? Like min and max temps, preheat, ect. I was putting in 0 for everything but ran into issues. I ran into compling issues with extruder retaction distance. It wouldn't compile if I used 0. What is the best thing to do if you have no heater, no extruder, ect.?

I am a big fan of your software and appriciate the help. I know I am the person trying to do something the software was really designed for so don't think I am knocking it at all. I just wanna help make it better.

First idea would be setting NUM_EXTRUDER 0

Currently this gives 2 compiler errors for zero length arrays like

static uint8_t pwm_cooler_pos_set[NUM_EXTRUDER];

Simply change these 2 into e.g.

static uint8_t pwm_cooler_pos_set[NUM_EXTRUDER + 1];

Should solve the compiler issue. Next update will have the fix already included. Hadn't compiled without extruders for some time :-) Last time to use it for my CNC.

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I have driven two Nema 17 motors on z-axis with no problem
What on laser engraver rig is causing a 1.5A draw -- maybe a bit less friction?

Extruders move in both directions extrude -- retract
At least the ones I use on my Ordbot with RAMPS1.4?

I have been using Jtech 1.75W blue diode laser PWM from pin 11 on arduino
to trigger on laser driver with little problem with laser (shapeoko 2 with G-shield, GRBL)
I use both Z depth 0-255 and spindle speed M3 S 0-255 to control laser.

I wonder how you intend to engrave without modulating the laser.

and turning laser ON/OFF at full power doesn't hurt laser?

What reference states PWM is bad for diode laser?

KISS not complicated

Jtech site could be helpful

[jtechphotonics.com]

[jtechphotonics.com]

Quote
DistortedDesigns
I have tried both versions of the firmware. I have figured out what is happening. Once I took the belts off of my Y drives I could see more what is happening. The second Y motor being output to E1 will only spin in the same direction. So if you tell it to move in the + direction it spins counter clockwise and if you tell it to move in the - direction it still only moves in a counter clockwise motion. It doesn't spin clockwise. It is still treating E1 as an extruder instead of a mirrored motor output.

How do I fix it???


"Why not wire it up more traditional. Two motors wired to Y axis."
Not enough power, my steppers need 1.5 A per axis.

"Two motors wired into z axis (it has two connectors) and swap Z and Y axis in firmware"
Not sure I can but might be possible. I am not sure exacly how.

"Why do you need the z axis driver if you are not using a motor?"
I will be doing full 8-bit laser engraving with picengrave. Picengrave takes your picture and converts the lightness and darkness and outputs it to the Z axis. It goes through a custom dac (digital variable resistor) that converts it to an analog signal which goes to the analog input on your laser driver.

"Z commands can go directly out to laser to PWM the power output."
I don't plan on using PWM pretty much ever. PWM is hard on your laser diodes and reduces their life span.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2015 09:10PM by cozmicray.

Ok I tried the new firmware. There was no change. I moved the output to E0 and there was no change. So doesn't that mean it is in the firmware?

"I wonder how you intend to engrave without modulating the laser."
It will be modulated by a dac circuit.

Repetier, removing the extruders from the temp. tab in the setup is what fixed it. I thought since I was duplicating the output to E0 that I had to have extruder 0 in the temp tab in it or it wouldn't function. That was wrong thinking on my part. Here is the config file so if someone else has an issue they can use it.

Thanks for your help.

Ok, I understand. No the motor modules are independent and should only be used for one thing, just as you found out.

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I have the exact same problem and not able to understand the solution. Verified your configuration but I do not see what or where did you remove the extruder. I'm trying to do dual Z with and available E2.

Use the config tool. As soon as you click mirror Z it shows a selector for the motor socket to use. Simply select extruder 2 there. As long as this is not used for a real extruder you have no problems.

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