MendleMax Homing Problem Arduino 2560 Mega RAMPS 1.4

My kit came with an LCD panel and a dial you press to select a command.
I am using the configured Marlin firmware supplied by the vendor.
When I select the HOME command the X axis move in the direction opposite the endstop.

The y-axis jitters without moving for about 10 seconds and stops.

The z-axis seems to work correctly. It move down toward the endstops and stops when it hits.

Any ideas?

Sounds like your .h file for the firmware does not match the setup of your printer or your X motor is plugged in backwards.

You Y motor driver likely is not set to give the motor enough current or there's a wiring error. Swap the X and Y motors and see what happens.

@ralphferro

I'd be tempted to plug your Ardino into a PC or Mac and use Pronterface, this will allow you to do some tests more easily and send individual comands to the Arduino e.g. to get the status of the end stops.

(Not you may also need to install the Arduino serial interface drivers).
FYI.
My kit had a download for all the software [www.blomker.com] which included all the files needed to run Pronterface. So you could download that software if you cant get pronterface and python from anywhere else.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/2013 07:05PM by rogerclark.

uncle_bob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sounds like your .h file for the firmware does not
> match the setup of your printer or your X motor is
> plugged in backwards.
>
> You Y motor driver likely is not set to give the
> motor enough current or there's a wiring error.
> Swap the X and Y motors and see what happens.

uncle_bob thanks,

The X motor is plugged in correctly. All of the connectors are oriented the same.

Can I safely flip the X wire connector without burning up the board?

rogerclark Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @ralphferro
>
> I'd be tempted to plug your Ardino into a PC or
> Mac and use Pronterface, this will allow you to do
> some tests more easily and send individual comands
> to the Arduino e.g. to get the status of the end
> stops.
>
> (Not you may also need to install the Arduino
> serial interface drivers).
> FYI.
> My kit had a download for all the software
> [www.blomker.com] which
> included all the files needed to run Pronterface.
> So you could download that software if you cant
> get pronterface and python from anywhere else.

Thanks rogerclark,

I have a connection from the PC I used Arduino IDE to load the firmware. I will try Pronterface.
Thanks, again

You can safely reverse the motor plug to reverse the direction the motor turns. You can also change things in the header files to do the same thing. It's quicker to reverse the motor plug when you are doing debugging. You can decide about the firmware later.

Thanks uncle_bob,

I flipped the X connector to the RAMPS and adjusted the pot with a multimeter and it appears to be behaving as it should.

Adjusted the pot on the Z and it is responding to commands from Pronterface.

I tried adjusting the pots on Y axis from high to low to right on the money and all it does is grumble and vibrate.

I guess I will try changing the stepper board.

The firmware I used is right from the vendor. I cannot understand why I would have to flip the X connector if I had the correct firmware.

I even had them resend it to make sure.

I would make sure that the table is completely free to move. Start the Y with the table manually set to the middle of it's travel. Then see if the Y motor still just rumbles. If it does, swap X and Y and see if the problem follows the motor or the driver. It's perfectly possible that the motor it's self is defective. It's also possible that one of the four little wires in the connector that goes to the Ramps board isn't quite right. They can be crimped wrong, they can also come loose in the plug body.

Thanks, uncle_bob,
I switched the x motor to y and y to x and it seems like any motor on the y channel jitters and rumbles.
The y motor on the x channel seemed to run smoothly.
I guess there is a problem with the RAMPS board itself.
Thanks, again for your help.

I would double check the current setting on the Y stepper driver. If it's correct, then swap drivers between the X and Y on the Ramps board. If the problem follows the driver, that's the issue. If not, then check the connectors on the Ramps for shorts or bum solder joints.