1)you need to verify you are using the correct software version. maybe dig through archives or ask some of the veterans... if you don't have a "stepper exerciser" that is shown in the instruction than you are not using the correct host version. the newer do all sorts of things including just sending gcode to the arduino. you need the correct software. 2)check the pinout configuration. with the aby Leav - RepRap Host
Hi, Could you please explain again what electronics you are running? (I am unfamiliar with gen1 electronics). Right from the bat I'm going to ask if you are willing to take the easy way out and upgrade your electronics, since even Gen2 (what I'm running) by now is in "Legacy" status... -Leavby Leav - RepRap Host
Hi, Trying to fine tune my Darwin which uses Gen2 electronics (Arduino). How can I change the acceleration value for the steppers? It is currently shaking my machine to bits... thanks! -Leavby Leav - RepRap Host
after 54 views and no comments.. i'll just hope that the old extruder is not too problematic (the design was replaced so there might be problems with it?). probably should have it assembled and working by the weekend. -Leavby Leav - Reprappers
Hi guys, I took a very long break building my darwin, and am now about to finish it now that someone has contacted me and requested parts. My current state of affairs is that I have the caretsian bot ready and working (might need some tweaking after a year sitting in the dust) and I now need to build an extruder! (exciting! I feel like i'm almost done!) I have all the rapid prototyped parts foby Leav - Reprappers
Thanks guys, the most help is knowing that PP is not the holy grail they were toting it to be. I will be needing something to test my extruder when it's ready anyway, so I think i'll call them up and ask for a sample of the plastics they have. (they also carry PE). After some tests I should be able to find out if something stands out as easiest to use. Thanks again! -Leavby Leav - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Hi, I'm about to order some material here in Israel, and the plastic company we work with didn't have ABS but they recommended polypropylene. They said it had a melting point of about 100 degrees celsius (I think they were slightly off here). Like a good forume member I searched the forum for "polypropylene" and came up with Forrest's post here: So I was a little dismayed but I went on a litby Leav - Plastic Extruder Working Group
Yes! Thanks wade! got it I mixed up the definition of positive for the z axis (as you explained) and this caused the whole right-hand confusion for me I flipped the Y cable, and successfully attached a pen to the machine and got it to print one layer of the minimug in 2D !!! >< (i hope that's a _thumbs_ up smiley... ) now I should start working in earnest on the extruder, while calibrby Leav - RepRap Host
Thanks for the help again nophead and Steve marking the positive direction as the direction the motor travells to when you press "Step +", should the axes (including directions) created follow the right hand rule? currently on my machine (If I remember correctly): positive X is away from the motor positive Y is away from the motor positive Z is towards the motor (My motors are placed like thiby Leav - RepRap Host
Ok so you were right: I found this in linearaxis.cpp (in the arduino /hardware/libraries/linearaxis folder): bool LinearAxis::atMin() { return digitalRead(this->min_pin); } and I changed it to: bool LinearAxis::atMin() { return !digitalRead(this->min_pin); } Now I have another problem of the Y axis motor turning the wrong way (while the X and Y are ok). I'm going to try and hack thby Leav - RepRap Host
Thank you all for your advice. it's a great feeling having people come to your aid like this I really think you are on to something with the opto-switches since I got inverted versions (marked clearly on the bag) which means their signal is oopsite: 1 is open and 0 is closed, I remember setting the "#define My_opto_switches_are_inverted 1" thing, but I might have missed it when I got a fresh cby Leav - RepRap Host
the plot thickens.... some observations. 1)under custom arduino software that I wrote the steppers have no problem working backwards. (james: this seems enough to make sure that it's not a faulty connection, do you agree?) 2)the host software does not even try to move them moving backwards (i.e. the "actual position" slider doesn't move and there are no pulses on the driver board lights when slby Leav - RepRap Host
OK so I have three "bugs" which might be problems in the software: 1)open stepper exerciser, move slider to right, stepper moves, move slider to left of current position slider indicator, motor does not move. 2)open stepper exerciser, move slider to right, stepper moves, close stepper exerciser, move slider to right, motor does not move. 3)no way (I could find) to flip directions. These occurby Leav - RepRap Host
Note to self: uploading a firmware to the arduino erases the previous firmware (face/palm)by Leav - RepRap Host
just FYI compiles with Arduino0011 without a hiccup. now trying to figure out why the host software will sometimes refuse to drive steppers, and when it does, why it always refuses to drive them backwards! -Leavby Leav - RepRap Host
Thanks Alot for the fast replies! it is very very very very very wrong to have an unreleased version in the instructions for the normal version. :-/ so SNAP firmware is for the old host software and the new one (read: Unreleased....) host supports both SNAP and G-Code? currently snap firmware is giving me a huge headache with math.h and stdlib.h errors.... downloading arduino0011 to see if thaby Leav - RepRap Host
Same Problem with the simulation hang. I also get infinity errors when trying to switch to Darwin (mine is on COM3): Any tips? -Leavby Leav - RepRap Host
Hi, I followed these instructions: and got host software version 0.9 from source forge: but it looks nothing like this: here is mine: I noticed it, by realizing that I do not have this window: 1)Am I missing something here? did i get the latest version? 2)are Host Software and Driver Software the same? 3)if not where do you get the Driver Software? 4)what goes on the arduino? I installeby Leav - RepRap Host
While the Arduino is connected to the pc, there is a button next to "send to I/O board" which reads something like "open terminal" When pressed it restarts the Arduino and prints out whatever the arduino jabbers about on the serial line. should be the same for the sanguino as far as I know.... -Leavby Leav - Reprappers
After some requests (ok just one ) I'm attaching some simple test codes here for straight uploading to the arduino. These are based off of the codes in the wiki pages for the electronics. Remember to tweak all the parameters for your system (e.g. the opto switch types and direction of the stepper motors) - I suggest just running it with a finger on the kill switch, that's how I tested out theby Leav - Reprappers
Just a thought that popped into my head but I am too scared to act on it because it might fry the chip. would it be possible to turn the driver boards on and off with the same signal from the STEP pin? does the chip have a boot/warm-up time? My drivers are getting really hot and I'm scared. Thanks! -Leavby Leav - Controllers
Hi Yovav, Nice to see another Israeli here I'm currently building a RepRap Darwin at the Technion, in Haifa as a project for my B.Sc in mechanical engineering. Good luck! -Leavby Leav - Mechanics
2D printing for the win!!! Also, a RepTube video: I wrote some basic code for the arduino to do this just so I could sleep better tonight Onwards! to the extruder!!!!! -Leavby Leav - Reprappers
RTFM!!! -Leavby Leav - RepRap Host
Hi, I was writing a simple code for the arduino to test out my setup and i noticed that the stepper board were getting immediately hot, very hot. By accident I figured out that they are always driving the motors by trying to turn of the driving rods while power was on, but no signal was given to turn. I am sending a low signal to all step and dir wires, the GNDs are connected to the arduino GNby Leav - RepRap Host
Thanks for the reply Higher voltage means that they can handle it higher, not that they need it higher, right? Since I already have the TIP122s I think i'll solder them in, and save the TIP120s for backup, especially since they got very hot when I tried to remove them. I touched them and didn't get burnt but my finger was sensitive for a couple of hours. Thanks again! -Leavby Leav - Controllers
Thanks for the help guys I went out and bought a solder sucker like you suggested and managed to get them out! Since it was so hard getting them out, and I have reason to believe I fried them (connecting backwards and also shorting the tabs), I got new transistors to solder in instead. just a quick question: the store only had TIP122 (instead of the current TIP120), they seem to be a drop inby Leav - Controllers
yeah... I kindoff found the problem... turns out transistors don't work when soldered on backwards... 4am + soldering = flipped transistors -Leav p.s. why are they impossible to get out??!??! *head/desk*by Leav - Controllers
Also, I added a heatsink to the transistors, but it's just one heatsink for all of them... it's not shorting stuff out is it?by Leav - Controllers
Hi, i just finished setting up the PWM driver and I hooked it up to the arduino and to the power. the power LED comes on. I uploaded the following firmware onto the arduino: but after it finished uploading the board does not respond. symptoms: -the solarbotics motor I hooked up does not move. -the LEDs do not light up (except the power LED}) -I can tell the Arduino is running code successfullyby Leav - Controllers