Have I caught the Pronterface y2k+13 bug?

Here’s a very strange problem that has got me confused. Has anybody got any ideas??

Using Ramps 1.4 on a Prusa Mendal ii, Slic3r and Pronterface on a Mac.
Everything I created and made into gcode worked fine (or at least would produce a plastic ‘thing’), up until 31/12/2012…
Then strange behaviour started.

Here is a snapshot of pronterface starting a print of a gcode file I created in 2012
oh no snapshots possible-it's actually the file 'untitled1'

Note ‘T’ is reading to 1 decimal place, and the ‘?’ at the end of the line, until it starts to countdown from 9, then prints. This is what I’ve been used to at the start of a happy print

Here is another file 'untitled' of pronterface trying to print something created after 1/1/13

To cut a long story short, this is typical despite trying different versions of Slic3r both from Mac and PC and different Slic3r settings, including the ones used to make the gcode file that worked. Note the 2 digits past the decimal point on this shot, and the machine never prints, even when the temperature goes over the limit. Pronterface requires a restart everytime it gets into this mode, ie even gcode that previously worked will not print when loaded into Pronterface in this state…

So, not being much of an expert at gcode, I thought I’d look at the files anyway.

Here is the start of the file that works (2012 file..)

; generated by Slic3r 0.9.5 on 2012-12-30 at 20:22:42

; 27122012 first layer changed from 200% to 120%

; layer_height = 0.3
; perimeters = 2
; top_solid_layers = 3
; bottom_solid_layers = 3
; fill_density = 0.2
; perimeter_speed = 10
; infill_speed = 20
; travel_speed = 150
; scale = 1
; nozzle_diameter = 0.5
; filament_diameter = 2.95
; extrusion_multiplier = 1
; perimeters extrusion width = 0.70mm
; infill extrusion width = 0.70mm
; first layer extrusion width = 0.36mm

M190 S70 ; wait for bed temperature to be reached
M104 S216 ; set temperature
G28 ; home all axes
G92 E0 ;reset extruder
G1 E3 F1200 ;Prime extruder 3mm
G1 E2 F1200 ;retract extruder 1mm
G92 E0 ;reset extruder
M109 S216 ; wait for temperature to be reached
G90 ; use absolute coordinates
G21 ; set units to millimeters
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
M82 ; use absolute distances for extrusion
G1 F1800.000 E-1.00000 ; retract
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
G1 Z0.800 F9000.000 ; move to next layer (0)
G1 X69.680 Y64.330 ; move to first skirt point
G1 F1800.000 E1.00000 ; compensate retraction
G1 X69.890 Y64.100 F180.000 E1.00533 ; skirt
G1 X70.100 Y63.890 E1.01042 ; skirt
G1 X70.330 Y63.680 E1.01575 ; skirt

Here’s the one that doesn’t print

; generated by Slic3r 0.9.5 on 2013-01-06 at 11:18:49

; 27122012 first layer changed from 200% to 120%

; layer_height = 0.3
; perimeters = 2
; top_solid_layers = 3
; bottom_solid_layers = 3
; fill_density = 0.2
; perimeter_speed = 10
; infill_speed = 20
; travel_speed = 150
; scale = 1
; nozzle_diameter = 0.5
; filament_diameter = 2.95
; extrusion_multiplier = 1
; perimeters extrusion width = 0.70mm
; infill extrusion width = 0.70mm
; first layer extrusion width = 0.36mm

M190 S110 ; wait for bed temperature to be reached
M104 S216 ; set temperature
G28 ; home all axes
G92 E0 ;reset extruder
G1 E3 F1200 ;Prime extruder 3mm
G1 E2 F1200 ;retract extruder 1mm
G92 E0 ;reset extruder
M109 S216 ; wait for temperature to be reached
G90 ; use absolute coordinates
G21 ; set units to millimeters
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
M82 ; use absolute distances for extrusion
G1 F1800.000 E-1.00000 ; retract
G1 Z1.100 F9000.000 ; move to next layer (0) and lift
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
G1 X69.680 Y64.330 ; move to first skirt point
G1 Z0.800 ; restore layer Z
G1 F1800.000 E1.00000 ; compensate retraction
G1 X69.890 Y64.100 F180.000 E1.00533 ; skirt
G1 X70.100 Y63.890 E1.01042 ; skirt
G1 X70.330 Y63.680 E1.01575 ; skirt

There are some differences, so I copied and pasted the beginning of the code from the working file over the non-working file…and tried that. Guess what it didn’t work!


; generated by Slic3r 0.9.5 on 2013-01-06 at 11:18:49

; 27122012 first layer changed from 200% to 120%

; layer_height = 0.3
; perimeters = 2
; top_solid_layers = 3
; bottom_solid_layers = 3
; fill_density = 0.2
; perimeter_speed = 10
; infill_speed = 20
; travel_speed = 150
; scale = 1
; nozzle_diameter = 0.5
; filament_diameter = 2.95
; extrusion_multiplier = 1
; perimeters extrusion width = 0.70mm
; infill extrusion width = 0.70mm
; first layer extrusion width = 0.36mm

M190 S70 ; wait for bed temperature to be reached
M104 S216 ; set temperature
G28 ; home all axes
G92 E0 ;reset extruder
G1 E3 F1200 ;Prime extruder 3mm
G1 E2 F1200 ;retract extruder 1mm
G92 E0 ;reset extruder
M109 S216 ; wait for temperature to be reached
G90 ; use absolute coordinates
G21 ; set units to millimeters
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
M82 ; use absolute distances for extrusion
G1 F1800.000 E-1.00000 ; retract
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
G1 Z0.800 F9000.000 ; move to next layer (0)
G1 X69.680 Y64.330 ; move to first skirt point
G1 F1800.000 E1.00000 ; compensate retraction
G1 X69.890 Y64.100 F180.000 E1.00533 ; skirt
G1 X70.100 Y63.890 E1.01042 ; skirt
G1 X70.330 Y63.680 E1.01575 ; skirt

As far as I can see , the files should?? Be identical, at least at the beginning, where I believe the problem to be. What’s going on? Is there some metadata or something that I can’t see? Is it the Pronterface y2k+13 bug? Maybe I should fool my computer thats it's still last year, and get that idea either confirmed or eliminated?
If anyone has any suggestions, I’d be very very happy to hear
Thanks

I think you chasing red hearings, no one has reported any date based bugs.

The controller also doesn't do anything date related.

From what I can see the first image is just weird... no idea where W is coming from.
The second image looks fine, just hasn't gotten to temp yet

The gcode looks a little weird. in that you wait for bed to get to temp
M190 S70 ; wait for bed temperature to be reached

but then you set the hot end temp but dont wait for it, so it wont be hot enough before you start to extrude your priming
M104 S216 ; set temperature (but dont wait)
G28 ; home all axes
G92 E0 ;reset extruder
G1 E3 F1200 ;Prime extruder 3mm
G1 E2 F1200 ;retract extruder 1mm
G92 E0 ;reset extruder

You might want to use a M109 instead of M104

Then another M109 which will wait for it to reach temperature.


I think you should take a step back, test all basic functions threw pronterface.
Especially bringing the bed and the hot end up to temperature

Also provide images of what its doing wrong...

Yes, the herring was red. I entered the gcodes you suggested into the preamble box in Slic3r, and I'm printing again.
Awesome, thanks.
Not sure how I got the original code wrong-probably a cut and paste error.
Also, it helped to realise what I thought was the wrong behaviour (picture Untitled) was in fact right, and vice versa!

This was the first thing I've ever posted, and I'm really impressed with the whole open source community thing.