Thank you dc42, maybe I should consider spawning a thread, or using a subprocess to listen for the ACK? The way I've programmed it now, my GUI freezes while it is printing, because I'm stuck in a loop waiting for the ACK, before I send the next line of g-code.by Kyle R - Experimental
Thank you, I'm seeing the "ok" coming from Marlin now.by Kyle R - Experimental
Hi, I am a 3D printer enthusiast and a novice programmer. I am writing my own 3D printer host software in Python. I am able to send individual lines of G-code to my home-built printer (Marlin firmware), and now I want to try some test prints with many hundreds of lines of G-code. My slicing program saves it's G-code into a text file, and the program grabs a line and sends it serially to the prby Kyle R - Printrun/Pronterface
Hi, I am a 3D printer enthusiast and a novice programmer. I am writing my own 3D printer host software in Python. I am able to send individual lines of G-code to my home-built printer (Marlin firmware), and now I want to try some test prints with many hundreds of lines of G-code. My slicing program saves it's G-code into a text file, and the program grabs a line and sends it serially to the prby Kyle R - Experimental
The starting and ending g come sections are for before and after the entire print, or so I believe. I am replacing my filament extruder with the valves, placing material with the valves as the business end. Therefore I need commands to open and close valves in the same way commands would be send to the extruder motor to push more filament through, or stop pushing filament, etc. Is this sort ofby Kyle R - General
Thank you both for your thorough replies, I'm now really starting to get a strong feeling for how G code is structured. My next conceptual challenge is how to get the slicer to actually include those commands within the code itself. I have been able to manually enter g code commands and get my valves to open and close with my modified firmware, but am having trouble finding how to get them inclby Kyle R - General
Hey All, Is it possible to make your own G-code command and have the g-code generator include your command when generating the code? I would like to have a pin on the Arduino go high at the exact moment material would need to be extruded on the build platform. I'm having a syringe deposit my material pneumatically, and so the Arduino pin controls a valve that allows flow. How would I stop theby Kyle R - General
Hi all, Are there any free Tx/Rx pins on the RAMPS board? I want to interface with an RS232 connected device while printing. Thanks! Kyleby Kyle R - RAMPS Electronics
Thanks for your insight. I really like the look of the Ultimaker 2; I wish I could get the electronics from the source, but I think I'll be able to find a fork of Marlin and a shield combination that will work. Cheers!by Kyle R - General
Hi Reprappers! I am having a hard time purchasing Ultimaker's Mainboard 2.1.1 for the Ultimaker 2. Sales support has been very nice, but my ticket has been open nearly a month so I don't think they can help me, or don't want my business. Even though the printer is open source, it's not going to work very well without electronics haha. My question to the reprap universe is this: If I built aby Kyle R - General
Hi Ralph.Hilton, I am not printing with plastics, I am printing with several materials that will require the slightly elevated temperature. Any ideas on how to achieve this end? Thanks!by Kyle R - General
Also, I have a 12V power supply, and the heater is 24V. Since I have a relatively small temperature requirement, I thought this might be a good choice. I would love any thoughts regarding this as well. Thank you everyone!by Kyle R - General
Hi Reprappers! I am building a Kossel Mini and purchased the following Kapton heater: Instead of the normal heat associated with printing in ABS, I would like to maintain my borosilicate glass temperature at 37C (~100F). Where would I start, what would I have to change in Marlin, etc? Thank you!by Kyle R - General
Sungod3k--I'll post about the build when it gets going! A2--Thanks, I'll do that.by Kyle R - General
Hey All, Has anyone out there built an Ultimaker 2 from the open source plans they've released? If so, any tips? Thanks!by Kyle R - General
Garyhlucas-- That sounds like an incredible project, good luck to you! I've decided to build an Ultimaker 2, the plans and BOM are open-source. I will also build a delta-style printer, I think I'll go with something fairly stock at first, a Kossel or Rostock, and expand upon the designs once my knowledge grows. I'll be starting a new thread to gather others who have built an Ultimaker 2. Thanby Kyle R - General
Hey A2. Wow, just getting into the world of 3D printing, you hear so much about MakerBot, I didn't realize they were struggling so much. I don't see many people out there talking about making their own Ultimaker 2, but it seems like exactly what I need. The XY gantry and the resolution are in line with my specs. I found the BOM for the Ultimaker 2, it seems complete enough. It doesn't looby Kyle R - General
That is one sexy print! I will take your suggestions into consideration, I appreciate the insight from hackers who have been around the block. Thanks again!by Kyle R - General
CNC Dick, I'm sorry, price is not a concern for me. I just want to find something that suits my specs, I have a several thousand dollar budget for this project. Thanks again for your input.by Kyle R - General
I have read that too...The quoted resolutions for the deltas seem incredibly high also. The look is so elegant though. The Tantillus design might work, not sure about the Ultimaker. I'd like the system controlled by the MEGA/RAMPS combination, so some other systems I've seen are out. Any other ideas to achieve this end?by Kyle R - General
Hi All, If I purchased a Makerbot Replicator 2 for academic purposes (I'm a Bioengineering PhD student), what would it take to 'hack' the system? The idea is, I need a quality positioning system with a build platform that moves in the Z direction, while most repraps I'm seeing have platforms which move in the Y direction. I need this because I will be depositing gels which will solidify withinby Kyle R - General
A2, thank you for your input. I have a team working with me on all above-mentioned 'extras.' we have an enclosure capable of controlling the microenvironment around the printer and have a working deposition system. Since there are so many open-source designs for positioning systems out there I wanted to go with a reprap, and modify it over the course of my graduate work. So the question boilsby Kyle R - General
For the work volume, along the lines of 150-200mm in the X, Y, and Z directions, though initially I would be fine with short and wide, where the max height of a printer object is smaller than this. I am looking for consistent 50-100 micron resolution in all directions, where the printing speed and acceleration takes a backseat to accuracy in deposition. I have several "tools" in the works, butby Kyle R - General
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. Price isn't a concern, I'm trying to take the open-source printers to the next level and drive down the price point for 3D bioprinters. I'm a PhD student in Biomedical engineering and want to bring the contributions the world has made to filament printers to the world of bioprinters, so any lab can build and begin experimenting with cell deposition. Doby Kyle R - General
Hi all, The Cartesian open-source repraps seem to all use a print head that travels in the X and Z directions, with the stage travelling in the Y direction. Are there any Cartesian printers that have a stationary bed, with a design that allows the head to travel in 3 directions, or an open-source project like the Makerbot printer with a print head that travels in the X-Y plane, and a stage thatby Kyle R - General
Hi Everyone, I'm building a bioprinter for cell deposition using reprap as a launch point. Is it possible to use a heated build platform sold for ABS printing which gets very hot and maintain a lower, physiologic temperature around 37C (98.6F)?by Kyle R - Reprappers