@Marto, Lambert posted the firmware on techzonecom.com/support on the Monotronics link last night. I tried it a few minutes ago but didn't work. All I'm getting is 3 LEDs lighting up in green on the top (fan, extruder and 12V). I'm starting to suspect if my monotronics card is functional. Can you upload the firmware posted by Lambert and let me know if it works for you? Regarding the 4 bearingsby Luis.Freeman - For Sale
Ok, I have finished mechanical assembly on my kit. Now I'm trying to get the monolithic board working. Any idea where the firmware is located? I tried out of the box to move XYZ with the reprap host software with no success. LEDs lighted up thou and motors made noise but no movement. So I assumed the firmware was not correct, (since my tip management card has a piece of paper that said I had toby Luis.Freeman - For Sale
Stephen, Thanks a lot for your help trying to figure out what's wrong. I guess it's time i take the plunge and buy a sanguino.by Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Stephen, Changed EXTRUDER_0_STEP_ENABLE_PIN to pin 7 and it didn't work either. The heater will still stop heating after M101; is issued. Tried also changing the heater pin from pin 9 to pin 10 to have a different arduino pin as well as PWM driver channel to discard potential shorts and it didn't work either. Enabled DEBUG_M101_why_have_you_stopped and it didn't fire any messages. Regards...by Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Hi Stephen, I changed heater_low to 200, uploaded and tested. Same results... waited for heater to reach temperature, entered M101; and the heater light went completely off. I'm now wondering If I may have a short to another pin on the arduino that gets shorted to ground (logic zero) when the extruder stepper is activated. Or perhaps a code of line on the firmware is treating the heater outputby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Hi Stephen, Here are the answers.... Does the extruder keep going even though the temperature light is off ? ** The extruder stepper will keep going even though the heater light goes off. Note that I am able to continue to send serial messages (i.e M101, M102, M103, M105). However, it comes to a point where if I send a M101 the serial won't print OK and i won't be able to send any more commaby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Thanks Stephen !!! I haven't done any changes other than the configuration (parameters.h, pins.h). Let me know if you want me to send you those files. Regards... Luis Freemanby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Hi Stephen, I'm using your firmware above with a stepper driven pinch wheel extruder that I milled out of Aluminum. The extruder barrel will heat up to the temperature pre-set on the firmware (i.e 200c) and stay there, then when I send a M101 command it will start extruding however I've noticed that the heater will stop heating the barrel (I can see the LED turn off on the PWM output) and willby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Drummerboyx, Sorry for the delay in my answer... I've been really busy at work. The DC motor extruder didn;t work that well. The screw was having trouble biting into the plastic rod. I just finished a CNC pinch wheel extruder and it works great. I'm having thou some probles with the RepRap host software. For some reason it will stop heating the barrel when I press extrude, so it will start extrby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
drummerboyx, Here are the pictures of the extruder.by Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Stephen, Sorry, I meant to say L293 above. The IC that got fried was the L293 on the DC Motor driver. I have a DC motor on my extruder, not a stepper. Mccoyn, Thanks for the input, I reduced the value to 180 and the new L293 (and new 74HC00) on the DC driver has been working for a few hrs. now without problem. I guess having 3000 (255) there caused the first one to fry. Drummerboyx, Let meby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Stephen, Below is the testing bit as requested... I decided to get rid of the Max endstops and instead use those pins for a second extruder. So far I've only tested the cartesian bed and the first extruder. Everything was doing well, the axis moving, the extruder heating and sensing the temp. and the extruder motor moving the filament up and down until the L294 on the DC Motor driver fried. Doby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Thanks Stephen. I'll give it a try today after I finish my extruder. Luis Freeman.by Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Thanks freds, drummerboyx and Stephen for your answers. that explains it. One more question, if I don't have a solenoid valve and I want to use pin 16 for the endstop Max Z. Should I change the following line to -1? or how do I disable this line? #define EXTRUDER_0_VALVE_DIR_PIN (byte)-1 I compiled it with 16 as the value but is causing the endstop to read ~3V at all times. Thanby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Stephen, I'm working on a mcwire repstrap with Gen2 electronics and the Arduino. Thanks for this modification. Quick question, on the pins.h file, under the arduino section. #define EXTRUDER_0_TEMPERATURE_PIN (byte) 0 // Analogue input isn't pin 0 used by the arduino to communicate with the USB port? Shouldn't it be pin 14 instead? Am I missing something? thanks... Luis Freemanby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
The poly holder, the screw holder and the offset-motor-coupling are complete now. You can take a look at my web page www.luis-freeman.com. Last step is to mill the clamp and assemble verything together. As soon as I get everything completed I'll post the Gcode in case somebody else wants to follow my steps.by Luis.Freeman - Reprappers
Jonathan, Thanks for replying... Actually I tested all my cards already with a stepper that has 10 ohm resistance and everything worked perfect. Unfortunately I only have one of those otherwise I would have use them on my mill instead of the ones there which are 2.5 ohm coils. I guess I'll have to go the same route (honking resistor) when I plug everything together on the CNC Mill and I use thoby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Last weekend I finished phase 1 of what will be the extruder made of aluminum parts (the motor holder, and a portion of the poly and screw holders. I plan to complete phase 2 this coming weekend which will complete the poly and screw holders and attach all 3 pieces together. Progress and GCode has been logged on my webpage. www.Luis-Freeman.comby Luis.Freeman - Reprappers
Eric, Can you tell me your steppers specs so that I can compare against my Mill steppers. Basically winding resistance and current is what I need. If you can also add the P/N and posibly the datasheet that would be great. Are you running them at 12V? thanks...by Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
I'm interested... please grant me access. I also want access to the Builders Blog... Do you know who can I get access?by Luis.Freeman - Reprappers
Zach, Excuse my ignorance, but what is the use for the iobox.hex and stepmotor-small.hex files?by Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Eric, Joost, I had the same problems with firmware this weekend... The ones in sourceforge seem to be compiled for a previous version of the stepper card and not the universal one. I noticed that because only 2 of the 4 stepper output pins were working... then I tracked back to the PIC having the outputs for the steppers on pin 10, 11, 12, 13 instead of 1, 10, 11, 17. Then checking the source coby Luis.Freeman - RepRap Host
Eric, To the best of my knowledge, it doesn't really matter what voltage you apply to the steppers as long as you don't go above their current limit. I'm using a xylotex controller on my mill and it's feeding 24V to the steppers limiting the current to 2.5 Amp. The motors actually are rated at 2 Amp however so far no problem of overheating and it's been already 2 years since I got them. My steby Luis.Freeman - Reprappers
Eric, I'm planning to do the same. I have a Taig CNC Mill which is very similar in size and function to the Sherline. You cannot use the Electronics on the Sherline or Taig to interface with RepRap. The RepRap uses a serial port to interface and the CNC Mills use the parallel port using step/dir commands. You will need to make the electronics as per the RepRap project, however you should be ablby Luis.Freeman - Reprappers
Nophead, The Solder Mask is made of paint used to decorate glass and Metal. I found the method on a PCB DYI forum. The paint has to be baked for 40 minutes at 275 Farenheit. The paint brand is Pebeo Vitrea 160 and I got mine at Michaels but is available almost everywhere. The color I used is "Oriental Green" but there are many colors to choose. I used strips of masking tape to cover the vias andby Luis.Freeman - General
Hi, I have a Taig CNC mill at home. It's basically a very small mill as you can see on the attached picture file. I'm planning to use the Mill to machine the extruder parts out of PTFE and or Aluminum? Once the extruder is ready then I plan to attach it to the Mill head and use the mill as the cartesian bed to Rapid Prototype all the Cartesian Assembly parts. Over the last 2 weeks I've beenby Luis.Freeman - General