Pronterface won't move negatively or return home

I'm trying to use pronterface to control my prusa with RAMPS 1.4 running sprinter firmware, all of my axes seem to be moving around just fine except that I can't get any of them to move backwards or return home. I've made sure everything is wired properly and I've started the printer with all axes depressing their endstops and nothing seems to work.

Anyone know what might be going on? Any help is appreciated!

The G-code list is your best friend.

[reprap.org]

M119 will get the state of your endstops. I'd check that first. You may have a wiring or firmware issue.

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- akhlut

Just remember - Iterate, Iterate, Iterate!

[myhomelessmind.blogspot.com]

Your MIN endstops wired wrong or need to be inverted.

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Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

I'm kind of an arduino newbie so I'm not sure how to check my Gcode.

I tried inverting all of my endstops but to no avail. I should mention I'm using mechanical endstops that were wired for a sanguinololu that only make use of 2 pins on the board. Should I be using all 3?

No, a mechanical endstop only needs two wires.

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Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

Alright so I found the M119 bit in sprinter and I'm not sure how to change the default state of the endstops, heres the code for reference:

case 119: // M119
#if (X_MIN_PIN > -1)
Serial.print("x_min:");
Serial.print((READ(X_MIN_PIN)^ENDSTOPS_INVERTING)?"H ":"L ");
#endif
#if (X_MAX_PIN > -1)
Serial.print("x_max:");
Serial.print((READ(X_MAX_PIN)^ENDSTOPS_INVERTING)?"H ":"L ");
#endif
#if (Y_MIN_PIN > -1)
Serial.print("y_min:");
Serial.print((READ(Y_MIN_PIN)^ENDSTOPS_INVERTING)?"H ":"L ");
#endif
#if (Y_MAX_PIN > -1)
Serial.print("y_max:");
Serial.print((READ(Y_MAX_PIN)^ENDSTOPS_INVERTING)?"H ":"L ");
#endif
#if (Z_MIN_PIN > -1)
Serial.print("z_min:");
Serial.print((READ(Z_MIN_PIN)^ENDSTOPS_INVERTING)?"H ":"L ");
#endif
#if (Z_MAX_PIN > -1)
Serial.print("z_max:");
Serial.print((READ(Z_MAX_PIN)^ENDSTOPS_INVERTING)?"H ":"L ");
#endif
Serial.println("");
break;

He meant connect to your electronics and send the code M119. This will tell you what is currently happening with your endstops so you know where to go next...


And for future reference, in your firmware most settings are set in the "config.h".

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2013 12:30PM by xclusive585.

I got it to work by changing my endstop settings in config.h. It now moves in all directions however when my axes get to an endstop they will keep going if I tell them to do so.

Before I inverted my endstops all of the axes showed up as H when I sent M119 through pronterface.

>>>m119
SENDING:M119
x_min:H y_min:H z_min:H

Afterward they show up as L.

>>>m119
SENDING:M119
x_min:L y_min:L z_min:L

If I depress one of the endstops with my finger and send the command again the state doesn't change, what could be wrong?

Hi,
I don't have any experience with the Ramps board, but you mentioned earlier that you had three terminals to wire your limit switch to.
This suggests that the switch can be wired to switch the input high or low when you press it.
Now, with a two wire switch, which is perfectly acceptable, you are switching the signal line lets say high when you push the button, but not necessarily low when you release it, the third wire would do that. The electronics board probably has pull up or pull down inputs, which quite possibly have changed since you inverted the input.
If the board is pulling the input high then the switch needs to be wired to connect the input to low when you press it, or vice versa.
Sorry , this is getting a bit long winded, Just try swapping the switch connections. Actually thinking about it, if the Ramps doesn't have any pull up or down input resistors, then maybe you do actually need a three wire microswitch type of end sensor.
The above may help a little, or provoke more comment, or maybe just confuse .
I think maybe I should have found out something about Ramps first!

Are you sure you didn't wire the switches to the max endstop pins by mistake? Also, check the switches with a multimeter. You should read low resistance when the switch is NOT being pressed and open circuit when the switch is pressed.

If the switch is not changing state when you press it the following problems are likely:
1) Switch wired wrong or faulty (check with multimeter at the end that connects to the RAMPS board)
2) Wired to wrong pins on RAMPS board (max instead of min)
3) Configured to wrong pins in firmware (wrong motherboard setting in configuration.h)
4) Faulty RAMPS/Arduno board (unlikely since it's affecting all three switches)

Turns out I didn't look closely enough at the wiring diagram and had my endstops wired improperly, after a minor rewiring job everything is working fine. Time to calibrate I guess.

Thanks SO MUCH for all your help, guys. I really appreciate it.