Noob help with Mendel90 install

Hello, I just finished the assembly of my first Mendel90 and i have a problem with the installation of the machine.
What I did: 1 - Finished the build.
2 - Turned on the PSU
3 - Installed FTDI USB
4 - Connected the machine via USB
5 - Run Arduino, opened Marlin.ino - changed in configuration.h tab the baud rate to 115200. Did not changed Z_HOME_POS or E_STEPS_PER_MM. Saved.
6 - Run Pronterface, Click Connect. I get this message:

Quote
Connecting... start Printer is now online. echo:Marlin: 1.0.0 RC2 echo: Last Updated: Jun 8 2013 18:10:37 | Author: nophead echo: Free Memory: 12982 PlannerBufferBytes: 1232 echo:Using Default settings: echoD card ok Error:0 : Extruder switched off. MINTEMP triggered ! Errorrinter stopped due to errors. Fix the error and use M999 to restart!. (Temperature is reset. Set it before restarting)

I cannot replace the printrunconf.ini file because Pronterface does not creates any file at first run.
7 - If I press any of the +,-X,Y,Z buttons nothing happens. If I press the Home button the printer goes crazy and tries to push the Y axis with the heatbed off the printer and does not stops when hith the microswitch. The microswitches are working, tested with M119. The fan does not work with M106 - M107.

I am a total noob at this things and i hope someone can help me.

Sounds like a pin configuration issue. If it's ignoring the Y-limit switch during auto-home then my guess is that you've got that swapped with something else - possibly one of the temperature thermistors. Did you check all the thermistors with a multi-meter before powering up for the first time? If they're all reading correctly then check the wires back to the board against the pin diagram in the manual?

You don't say which OS you are on but if you had to change the baud rate I assume it is Linux? If so copy the file on the SD card to ~/.pronsolerc.

Looks like you have several wiring errors. I would suspect the ribbon cable connections as the thermistor, and fan don't work and you don't mention the X axis moving. Double check the orientation of the D type connector as getting that wrong will destroy the Melzi.

Go through all the checks in the manual. Don't try homing until you establish all the axes move in the right directions and the limit switches are activated when you manually move the the axis so it activates the switch.

I can't explain the jog buttons not working on Y since the motor must be working. X might not be wired correctly as it is also on the ribbon cable. Z will only go up until it is homed.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

I use Windows 7 x64. i changed the baud rate in Arduino because the machine would not connect.
I will check the D type connector right now.

Check that the wires are towards to top of the connector and the unused pin is at the bottom.

On Win7 the pronterface config file should be C:\Users\Yorname\printrunconf.ini.

I don't understand why 250000 Baud did not connect. It works on my Win7 64 machine, same OS and same driver. Did you select 250000 in printerface, as without the config file it may default to 115200?

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

nophead Wrote:
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> Check that the wires are towards to top of the
> connector and the unused pin is at the bottom.

This was the problem. I can connect via Pronterface but i still have some problems.
1 - The fan does not work with M106 command.
2 - The X motors work alright
3 - The Y buttons in Pronterface are moving my Z motors(only the one on the right, the left one is not moving) , pressing -Y goes clockwise.
4 - The +Z button moves my Bed in front and -Z button moves it at the back of the machine.

Looks like trying to keep a low body temperature by drinking beer and building the Mendel90 is not a good ideea. I will try icecream from now on.

Edit: Wich of the Z motors are Nr. 1 and Nr. 2? for me, Nr.1 is the left motor and Nr.2 the right one, as you look at the machine standing in front of it...now that I look at the diagram in the manual I think it is the other way around...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2013 07:00AM by Șap7e.

Șap7e Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> nophead Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Check that the wires are towards to top of the
> > connector and the unused pin is at the bottom.
>
> This was the problem. I can connect via
> Pronterface but i still have some problems.
> 1 - The fan does not work with M106 command.

The Melzi might be damaged if the ribbon cable was one pin out. If you have a meter check the middle pin of the fan connector is connected to the bottom heater terminal on the Melzi and the pin nearest the motor is connected to the top fan terminal on the Melzi.

> 2 - The X motors work alright

I assume you mean X motor.

> 3 - The Y buttons in Pronterface are moving my Z
> motors(only the one on the right, the left one is
> not moving) , pressing -Y goes clockwise.

The Z and Y motor wires must be mixed up at the Melzi.

> 4 - The +Z button moves my Bed in front and -Z
> button moves it at the back of the machine.
>
> Looks like trying to keep a low body temperature
> by drinking beer and building the Mendel90 is not
> a good ideea. I will try icecream from now on.
>
> Edit: Wich of the Z motors are Nr. 1 and Nr. 2?
> for me, Nr.1 is the left motor and Nr.2 the right
> one, as you look at the machine standing in front
> of it...now that I look at the diagram in the
> manual I think it is the other way around...

It doesn't make any difference. The two Z motors are wired in series and should rotate the same direction, so which is on the left and which is on the right is immaterial.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

I stripped down all the motor wires and connected again to the Melzi. Everything works now, even the fan.
Thank you guys for helping.
Now...calibration and printing
Have a nice day.

Now I have some problems with the Z axis. When I try to print the Android figure, Printerface puts it in the right corner of the printer and the Z axis moves up to start printing, but touches the microswitch in the right corner and stays there.
From what I remember I changed something in Configuration.h when I was trying to make the axes work, but now I dont know what was the change i made.
Can someone please take a look at the Configuration.h file and see what I screwed up? Please

Might be worth paying a visit to Nophead's GITHUB repo and taking a look at the configuration.h file in the MARLIN section. [github.com]
Alan

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2013 06:28AM by Alzibiff.

I did that, all the lines are the same but E_STEPS_PER_MM. I did not had to change Z_HOME_POS because it was correct.

Pronterface will only display the gcode in the right place if you use the configuration provided to tell it Mendel90 has the origin in the middle of the bed. Also the slicer must be configured that way, but if you are using the gcode sample provided that is correct. I am surprised to see it top right, I would expect it to appear bottom left with the default configuration of the origin at 100,100.

Not sure what you mean by the Z axis touches the microswitch in the right corner. The Z limit switch is on the left. The gcode should home Z to the top, then X and Y together. It should then place the nozzle on the front of the bed while it warms up. I don't know what would make it home Z and then stop.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

Out of curiosity I started to print from the SD card. The printer started to warm up in the right upper corner and after the temperature reached 200 C, the Z axis lowered and the print started at the left corner of the heatbed.

> I would expect it to appear bottom left
> with the default configuration of the origin at
> 100,100.
What can I do to make the origin point at the middle of the heatbed?

EDIT: A few more specifications, maybe this are important in any way.
The buttons on Pronterface are working:
FL - Hotend at Front-Left
FM - Front-Middle
FR - Front-Right
BL - Back Left
BM - Back Middle
BR - Back Right
Origin - Hotend is placed at the middle of the bed
Home - The Z axis are going up, touches the Microswitch twice and the second time stays on the switch. The X and Y axis are activating the microswitch twice and then are moving at the middle.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2013 11:31AM by Șap7e.

Seems like the machine is working as expected but you are not printing the android.gcode supplied on the SD card. Looks like you resliced it with different settings than those provided (which would generate identical gcode).

I have attached a copy.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

This was it! Thank you verry much!
The first print turned out ok

Any ideea how I could improve the quality of the prints? I checked the rods and bolts, everything seems tight and steady, I dont know why the prints look like this...

The first one looks like something went wrong on the last layer. The second one looks like the first layer did not stick. The last one looks like the flow rate is a bit low.

Try re-slicing with a lower layer height, say 0.25mm.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

nophead Wrote:
> Try re-slicing with a lower layer height, say
> 0.25mm.

Thank you for the kit, support and patience. Like always, the kit was flawless and the only problem was the guy building it.
The print was a success!

Yes for some reason 0.3mm doesn't work as well now as it did for the first kits. Either the plastic has less die swell now, or the nozzle apertures have got a bit smaller.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

Is there any way to prevent the hotend to leak before and after printing? Before the printing is not really a problem, because the hotend is placed on the bed and leaks only a little, but after the print is done the hotend leaks a lot and sometimes the PLA is not enough to completely print the first layer of the next printed object.

You can add some commands to the start code that places the nozzle *near* the bed (placing it directly on the bed may take too much heat away from the nozzle) at one corner to prevent too much oozing, then extrudes a small amount (say 5mm) whilst wiping the nozzle across the edge of the bed to clear it out before each print. There are various threads around this forum that describe how to do it.
This should be enough to recharge the nozzle and ensure your first layer starts extruding immediately.

It's not recommended to move your nozzle back onto the bed after printing as this risks smashing into your work if you are printing anything that takes up more of the bed, but clearing it out before each print in this way usually solves this problem.

wow, amazing kit; that "first print" came out much much nicer than my MendelMax 1.5's first print. Really considering saving up for a Mendel90

as for the PLA leak being too much for the first layer, I suggest adding a skirt feature, about 2 loops and around 6mm away from the print, that way it makes a quick outline of the print before printing it. if the nozzle starts leaking a bit of PLA in the beginning this skirt will allow it to start the flow again and be ready when the print actually starts.

I also suggest you read through:
Slic3r is Nicer

parts 1, 2, and 3, and experiment with the different settings to get more acquainted with what changes depending on what feature you adjust

I updated the Arduino from the one nophead put on the USB SD card reader(1.0.1) to Arduino 1.0.5.
I cannot find the Board menu option to set the board to Melzi W/ ATmega1284p 16mHz
Should I keep using the 1.0.1 version?

Just copy the Arduino hardware folder from the SD card to the necessary location for Windows.
I haven't got mine in front of me but it should be obvious - something like Users/MyName/Documents/Arduino/Hardware/. I'm surprised that it hasn't just picked it up from your old install though.

This worked for 1.0.4, I haven't upgraded to 1.0.5 yet.

QuackingPlums Wrote:
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> I'm surprised that it hasn't just picked it up from
> your old install though.

Now I realise that I installed the 1.0.1 in another location, probably this is why 1.0.5 hasn't picked it up from the default folder.
Thank you.

Well there is no reason to update as 1.01 works. If you do you will need to copy the Melzi folder from the SD card into the hardware folder.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]