Built Wilson TS, having some issues!!!

I decided I wanted to get into 3D printing and found this whole open source community and decided to go this route for my printer. After some research decided on the Wilson TS. I got it all together and now I can't get it to work. I'm hoping some people on here can help.

The parts I'm having issue with are the Ramps 1.4 board, the Arduino Mega2560 and the LCD display, which is a 12864 Full graphic start controller. The problem is I can't get the LCD to display anything. I have checked google and youtube and tried everyhing that has been said, like cables and changing lines in the firmware. I have the the #define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_SMART_CONTROLLER, and #define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER and the others I need to make it work uncommented. After watching another video on youtube, I believe my Mega's voltage regulator is fried. I'm pretty sure it was my endstops that did it, I had them backwards (I followed a video, it was apparently wrong), I think anyway. Is there any way to test this before I make a run to micro center for a new mega2560?

The other issue I'm having might be a symtom of the voltage regulator, I just don't know. I can't find any information on if it is. This would be my nemma 17 motors aren't working properly. I can't get them to move right, and they only move one way when I do get them to move. When I try the other way, I get an error about the end stops, not sure how to fix this. Plus the nemma's wine loudly. I have checked the voltage on the A4988 stepper drivers, and I have them set a .840 right now, I have tried from .6 to 1.2, with the same results.

Here is where and what I got that I'm having issues with. The electronics: Electronics and the nemma 17 motors: Nemma 17 motors.

If pictures are needed and any other information just ask and I'll post it. I would like to get this working soon, I'm tired of pulling my hair out.

You can't tell me no one has had this problem. If I'm on the right track and that it is my Mega board at least say it is.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2015 07:51AM by Bloodember.

Not sure if you fried the Mega voltage regulator - but my advice is to get the printer working with movement and end stops before you worry about trying to control it from an LCD screen.
Use pronterface (or repetier) to move the printer axis
The reason you can only move the motors one way is because they don't know where the home position is because of the end stops and you need to fix this first.

In pronterface an X + movement should send the carriage to the right, a Y + should move the bed forward and a Z + should move the carriage up.
If the X end stop is on the left it's a MIN end stop, if it's on the right it's a MAX end stop
If the Y end stop is at the back it's a MIN end stop, if it's at the front it's a MAX end stop
The Z end stop should be on the bottom and is a MIN end stop
These need to be set in your Marlin firmware and plugged into the correct pins on your RAMPs:

// ENDSTOP SETTINGS:
// Sets direction of endstops when homing; 1=MAX, -1=MIN
#define X_HOME_DIR -1
#define Y_HOME_DIR -1
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1

You also need to define if the end stop switches are normally open or normally closed (shown as NO):

// The pullups are needed if you directly connect a mechanical endswitch between the signal and ground pins.
const bool X_ENDSTOPS_INVERTING = true; // set to true to invert the logic of the endstops.
const bool Y_ENDSTOPS_INVERTING = true; // set to true to invert the logic of the endstops.
const bool Z_ENDSTOPS_INVERTING = true; // set to true to invert the logic of the endstops.

Use a M119 command to test the end stops.
I only use 2 wires from the end stop switches and those go on the GND and S pins

I've also found you need to change the DEFAULT_MAX_FEEDRATE for the Z axis:

#define DEFAULT_MAX_FEEDRATE {500, 500, 2, 25} // (mm/sec)

I've found around .6v is good for the stepper voltages, maybe a little more for the Z-axis

Hope this helps, send me a PM if you need more help

Steve

---

My updated Instructable on our Prusa i3 Build
[www.instructables.com]

Thanks, PMing you.

1) it doesn't sound like it's your voltage regulator if you can get the motors to move in one direction but not the other, that is almost always because the endstops are hooked up wrong OR your firmware settings for the end stops are wrong. In your configuration.h, you should have pullups enabled for the endstops, which leads to (2)

2) you may be experiencing just known bugs with marlin, or at least the dev version of marlin. I have patched several such issues in my forked version of marlin (github.com/mjrice/Marlin) - you may want to give that a try and see if it cleans things up (you'll just need to define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER.

Quote
mjrice
1) it doesn't sound like it's your voltage regulator if you can get the motors to move in one direction but not the other, that is almost always because the endstops are hooked up wrong OR your firmware settings for the end stops are wrong. In your configuration.h, you should have pullups enabled for the endstops, which leads to (2)

2) you may be experiencing just known bugs with marlin, or at least the dev version of marlin. I have patched several such issues in my forked version of marlin (github.com/mjrice/Marlin) - you may want to give that a try and see if it cleans things up (you'll just need to define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER.

Thanks for the replay. I'm actually using your configuration.h file, which is all I see on your github.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/13/2015 06:34AM by Bloodember.

OK, got everything working, thanks to SteveRoy. He has been great in helping me. Now I just need to figure out how to get it to print. I just tried and it wouldn't do anything. I didn't have the heated bed plugged in, so that might have been the issue though.

Now the hotend heats up no matter if I tell it too or not, and it doesn't stop where I tell it too. Anyone know how to fix this?

edit:
I've tried autotuning it and it fails because the hot end just keeps getting hotter, it's always on. Even when it says it's off. My PID settings are Kp 12.6, Ki 0.66, Kd 60.6. These are just temporary till I can run the autotune, I'm using an E3D V6 clone from 3D Cam on Amazon. I've been using Prontoface, but tried Repetier to see if it was the software, it wasn't does the same thing.

edit 2:
I'm pretty sure it's my Ramps 1.4 board, it's keeping D10 on all the time, I put my fan on it, and it is always on.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2015 04:26AM by Bloodember.

It sounds like the RAMPS is faulty
You should be able to test this by sending a M104 code to the printer via pronterface

M104 S0

See here for other examples:
[reprap.org]

Steve

Got my new ramps board today. Will try it out on Friday. Hopefully it fixes the lcd issues also.

Also the M104 didnt do anything.

I got the motors to work and home, the heaters to heat up and down correctly. Now the hotend won't extrude anything. I cleaned it all out and made sure nothing was stuck in the extruder or the hotend, it's just not extruding anything. Anyone know why, I'm about to throw it out the window.

Edit: Ok, I've figured out it's the Thermistor settings are not right. The Therimistor that I'm using is the NTC3950 thermistor. I found some setting are they are close, the temp from the Pronterface and my temp gun are now off by 20C, the temp gun reads 20C less than what Pronterface says. I have no idea how to change this, some help would be appreciated. Here's the settings I'm using:

const short temptable_8[][2] PROGMEM = {
         {1*OVERSAMPLENR,        938},
         {31*OVERSAMPLENR,       314},
         {41*OVERSAMPLENR,       290},
         {51*OVERSAMPLENR,       272},
         {61*OVERSAMPLENR,       258},
         {71*OVERSAMPLENR,       247},
         {81*OVERSAMPLENR,       237},
         {91*OVERSAMPLENR,       229},
         {101*OVERSAMPLENR,      221},
         {111*OVERSAMPLENR,      215},
         {121*OVERSAMPLENR,      209},
         {131*OVERSAMPLENR,      204},
         {141*OVERSAMPLENR,      199},
         {151*OVERSAMPLENR,      195},
         {161*OVERSAMPLENR,      190},
         {171*OVERSAMPLENR,      187},
         {181*OVERSAMPLENR,      183},
         {191*OVERSAMPLENR,      179},
         {201*OVERSAMPLENR,      176},
         {221*OVERSAMPLENR,      170},
         {241*OVERSAMPLENR,      165},
         {261*OVERSAMPLENR,      160},
         {281*OVERSAMPLENR,      155},
         {301*OVERSAMPLENR,      150},
         {331*OVERSAMPLENR,      144},
         {361*OVERSAMPLENR,      139},
         {391*OVERSAMPLENR,      133},
         {421*OVERSAMPLENR,      128},
         {451*OVERSAMPLENR,      123},
         {491*OVERSAMPLENR,      117},
         {531*OVERSAMPLENR,      111},
         {571*OVERSAMPLENR,      105},
         {611*OVERSAMPLENR,      100},
         {641*OVERSAMPLENR,      95},
         {681*OVERSAMPLENR,      90},
         {711*OVERSAMPLENR,      85},
         {751*OVERSAMPLENR,      79},
         {791*OVERSAMPLENR,      72},
         {811*OVERSAMPLENR,      69},
         {831*OVERSAMPLENR,      65},
         {871*OVERSAMPLENR,      57},
         {881*OVERSAMPLENR,      55},
         {901*OVERSAMPLENR,      51},
         {921*OVERSAMPLENR,      45},
         {941*OVERSAMPLENR,      39},
         {971*OVERSAMPLENR,      28},
         {981*OVERSAMPLENR,      23},
         {991*OVERSAMPLENR,      17},
         {1001*OVERSAMPLENR,     9},
         {1021*OVERSAMPLENR,     -27}
};

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2015 07:18AM by Bloodember.

It looks like you need to define it as 11 in your Marlin, and you will need the latest release of Marlin

#define TEMP_SENSOR_0 11
#define TEMP_SENSOR_1 0
#define TEMP_SENSOR_2 0

if you have the same thermistor for the heated bed then
#define TEMP_SENSOR_BED 11

I have found it hard to get a temperature reading of the hot end with a heat gun, the bed is easy enough

Steve

OK, I put it at 11, it's still about 15C off. It might just be my temp gun.

My thermistor for the bed is a 60, I figured that out pretty quickly, it's reading right on with the temp gun.

Now to test the hot end, I just use extrude on Ponterface, correct. This is how I've been doing it and it keeps clogging, I'm assuming because of the temp not being right. Any tips on getting this running.

Thanks

I only have used a wades style extruder with either a genuine j-head or a hexagon, but not a direct drive, but things should be similar if you have a direct drive.
With PLA you need to have a fan running all the time on the fins of the hot-end tube to keep the filament from expanding and cloging.
Connect it to the 12v side of the powersupply or use the 2 12v pins off the ramps.
The D9 connection on the RAMPS is for a fan to cool the piece being printed.

You could try either decreading or increading the temp to see if it helps.

To calibrate the E steps of the extruder you need to tell pronterface to extrude "x" amount of filament (usually 100mm) then measure how much it extruded.
Then using this formula adjust the steps in Marlin (using 100mm for the value extruded)- old_value being existing value in Marlin

new_value = old_value * (100 / actual_amount_extruded)

Steve

Quote
SteveRoy
I only have used a wades style extruder with either a genuine j-head or a hexagon, but not a direct drive, but things should be similar if you have a direct drive.
With PLA you need to have a fan running all the time on the fins of the hot-end tube to keep the filament from expanding and cloging.
Connect it to the 12v side of the powersupply or use the 2 12v pins off the ramps.
The D9 connection on the RAMPS is for a fan to cool the piece being printed.

You could try either decreading or increading the temp to see if it helps.

To calibrate the E steps of the extruder you need to tell pronterface to extrude "x" amount of filament (usually 100mm) then measure how much it extruded.
Then using this formula adjust the steps in Marlin (using 100mm for the value extruded)- old_value being existing value in Marlin

new_value = old_value * (100 / actual_amount_extruded)

Steve

Do the extruding without the hot end on? I'm assuming this way so I can measure the length. Also where are these values in Marlin?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2015 02:05AM by Bloodember.

I did it with the hot-end off the extruder.
last number - goes x,y,z,extruder

#define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT {80,80,4000,473}

Sent you a PM, SteveRoy.

OK, I'm beyond frustrated now, I can't get it to extrude any material!!!! The motor works, just no plastic comes out. It's all stuck in the head. I'm using this head: this. Anyone think it may be just crap and I should buy something else. If so, what? I want to be able to print all types of plastic. I don't care what it costs at this point I just want it to work. My printer is designed for the V6, should I just get the real one? But will it fix my problem?

Personally I would never use a knock-off from China.
I have used 2 genuine J-Head's and 1 hexagon in my builds - only ever cleared on jam in the hexagon and I don't know who did it as it was in the 3D printer I built for my local hackspace.
I`ve printed hours of PLA with the j-head and never had an issue.

The j-Head is good for PLA and ABS, the hexagon is all metal and should do any type of filament

[www.hotends.com]
and
[www.makerfarm.com]

Plenty of options with genuine E3D`s too
Always run a fan on the hotend to stop heat creeping up the nozzle and causing jams

Steve

---

My updated Instructable on our Prusa i3 Build
[www.instructables.com]

Ok, I've tried a few different things with this thing and it just keeps clogging. I'm done, will buy one from makerfarm.com. Should I start out with the .4mm brass nozzle or should I start with a .5mm brass nozzle till I get the hang of this? Well, if I can find a .5mm nozzle, makerfarm.com seems to not carry brass nozzles.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2016 05:40PM by Bloodember.

ok, I bought the E3D V6 Full kit from Maker Farm. Hopefully this fixes my issues.