Marlin vs Repertier

Hi All,
I know there are advocates of both out there but which is the easiest to set up. I have Marlin on at the moment but I need to do some updates on it, but when I try to load it , I am getting so many errors, that I don't understand, so wondering if Repertier will work for me.

use a good short usb cable to upload firmware
long and attached cables causes communication problems

Thanks, but that does not seem to be the problem.
I downloaded another version of Marlin, and still get errors.
I enter the board name, and it then tells me, #error unknown Motherboard value in configuration.h
This what I entered
.#ifndef MOTHERBOARD
#define BOARD_RAMPS_13_EFB 33
What on earth is wrong with it, I copied and pasted it from board.h

the original is

#ifndef MOTHERBOARD
  #define MOTHERBOARD BOARD_RAMPS_14_EFB
#endif

The original is what it should be set to for a ramps 1.4 board. Examples that show "#define MOTHERBOARD 33" or other numbers are obsolete. (in marlin)

Here is how it works and why yours doesn't.

The #define statement defines one thing normally a easy to remember name equal to another thing often a number.
#define BOARD_RAMPS_14_EFB 33 sets the string "BOARD_RAMPS_14_EFB" to 33, so you don't have to remember 33 anymore.
#define MOTHERBOARD BOARD_RAMPS_14_EFB sets "MOTHERBOARD" to "BOARD_RAMPS_14_EFB"
or #define MOTHERBOARD BOARD_RAMPS_13_EFB is also valid, if you have a ramps 1.3 controller board (unlikely, its very old now)

but you replaced #define MOTHERBOARD with #define BOARD_RAMPS_14_EFB, so MOTHERBOARD was never set to anything.

In Repertier they haven't evolved very far since they copied the very old marlin code and they still use numbers
so they would have "#define MOTHERBOARD 33"

Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2018 01:54AM by Dust.

Thank you Dust.
that fixed that problem, now we have another.
#error "DIGIPOT_MCP4018 requires DIGIPOTS_I2C_SDA_* pins to be defined.".
where does that happen.
......

Ramps controller boards don't have digipots inbuilt...

So you need to disable these digipots

In Configiration_adv.h find "#define DIGIPOT_MCP4018" and change it to "//#define DIGIPOT_MCP4018"

Now on the off chance your trying to use an advanced stepper driver (in which case you seem to be trying to teleport before you can walk...)

What type of controller board do you really have and what type of stepper driver modules?

In previous posts I see you mention a "keyes base v1.4 ramps compatible"
I cannot find this board anywhere... mks basev1.4 is very common but not "keyes"
But if its ramps compatible, it doesn't have digipots

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2018 07:36AM by Dust.

Thanks again Dust, that worked but there seems to be more needed.
The board does have Keyes Base v1.4 printed on it, probably a Chinese clone, but it is Ramps compatible.
The drivers are your normal pololu drivers.
I have Marlin loaded on it,came with the original Kit, but now I am rebuilding it I need to make changes but do not have the original file.
These are the settings I entered.

// The size of the print bed
#define X_BED_SIZE 300
#define Y_BED_SIZE 300

// Travel limits (mm) after homing, corresponding to endstop positions.
#define X_MIN_POS 10
#define Y_MIN_POS 10
#define Z_MIN_POS 0
#define X_MAX_POS X_BED_SIZE
#define Y_MAX_POS Y_BED_SIZE
#define Z_MAX_POS 110.0.

This is the error received.
Static_assert (X_MAXLENGTH >= X_ BED_SIZE, && Y_MAXLENGTH >= Y_ BED_SIZE,
Movement Bounds({XY}_min_pos {XY}_min_pos) are to narrow to contain{XY}_bed_size/

expexted constructor,deconstructor, or type conversion before"("token

sorry for being so dumb, afraid the old brain doesn't work as well as it used to

re
#define X_MIN_POS 10
#define Y_MIN_POS 10

This says that when you home the X or the Y the nozzle is 10mm into the bed and you cant reach position 0,0

are you sure these are not meant to be -10 ie it takes 10 mm to move to 0 from the home position?

Dust,
No I am not sure of anything here, just kind of fishing in the dark. But I will give that a go. Thanks.
It's weird, I have tried 4 different versions, and have seen nothing but errors, isn't there an easier program out there for us dummies.

Your installing a brain... why do think this will be easy?

It has to know all the details of your printer, almost down to the nuts and bolt.

The only way for this to be easy is to find someone with an identical machine and get their configuration files. (ie they have done all the work)
Since your customizing a machine, it needs custom configurations.... and you need to put the work in.

You should read [marlinfw.org] in particular any areas your having issues with.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2018 04:42AM by Dust.

I am not really customizing it, the only thing I have changed is the bed size, so that is the only thing I needed to update, but there are so many different versions of Marlin out there, it's hard to find an original, they all have settings that I do not need and I do not know where to look to get rid of them.
Apart from the bed size everything is working OK

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2018 05:50PM by erniehatt.

you should search and control "X_MAXLENGTH" constant in marlin. It cant be bigger than bed size.
The problem is not the bed size. It is the definition of maximum movement allowed by Marlin on x plane. It is bigger than bed size.

try x and y min position to 0

You can download original marlin 1.1.8 here
[marlinfw.org]

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2018 02:47AM by serdar415.

Yes I have done that and it's now fine, but I am now being told the it can't compile to the board, I have tried several different cables, four boards and two computers, all the same result.
I think I will leave it as is the only problem it is giving me is it runs of the plate one side when I try to do a bed level.

for autobed leveling you can adjust max and min bed boundaries for leveling

`MESH_MIN_X`
`MESH_MAX_X`
`MESH_MIN_Y`
`MESH_MAX_Y`

adjust them in config.h

[github.com]

Your board is competable with mks gen 1.4
maybe usb drivers will solve the communication problem

[reprap.org] there is a driver in this page
MKS Gen USB Driver Chip FT232RL,you can get files from ftdichip to setup driver File:Ftdi-x86.zip.

Firmware
This section will show you how to get firmware into your controller and run it with basic settings.

Software required: FTDI USB drivers, Arduino IDE, Choice of firmware ( Marlin or Repetier or Sprinter ), Pronterface

1. USB VCP Drivers - MKS Gen uses the newer FT232 USB to UART chip and it needs the updated VCP(virtual com port) drivers from the

manufacturer's website . Download the correct version for your operating system or you can get the executable version for Windows(easier).

Windows Vista/7 may try to do an update to locate the proper drivers but it is recommended to install the FTDI drivers for better performance.

The VCP drivers will install a COM Port on your computer for the MKS Gen, you can check what port number was assigned by going to your device manager and click on Ports(COM & LPT) look for something that says "USB Serial Port(COM3)" where COM3 is you assigned port number(will vary from PC to PC). Remember this number as you will be using it later in configuring other software.



In Marlin 1.1.8 for Mks gen 1.4 you should set

#define MOTHERBOARD BOARD_MKS_GEN_13

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2018 07:10AM by serdar415.

Thanks,
sorry to say that I tried all that but, unfortunately it's still not accepting it.

Evidently I outlived my welcome.
But just to say I finally got Repetier to install
The good people on the Repetier forum, were very helpful indeed.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2018 05:21PM by erniehatt.

I've always found the repetier firmware much easier to deal with and has done what I need it to do. Not saying Marlin is not good. in fact quite the opposite, it's awesome firmware, but I don't need porsche class firmware when pinto class works for me

i agree almost entirely with your sentiments, I said almost because I am finding it somewhat difficult to get a Z probe to work.