PrusaBuildNotesBraino
Contents
Prof Braino's Prusa Build Log
Summary: To catch my build notes for my Prusa Build Autumn 2011
If your a n00b like me, some of this fancy computer stuff might be confusing. Here's some stuff I used to get my rig working or at least to the state that it is today.
High level project is to implement an alternative processor, specifically the Parallax Propeller per this discussion http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?129448-Prop-based-CNC-3D-printer
In order to establish a baseline as to what constitutes the current 3D-Printer (as of 20110701), I opted to build a unit for comparison. I settled on a modified Mendel Prusa http://reprap.org/wiki/Prusa. This includes a modified Wades extruder, and LM88uu linear bearings. The X-axis ends are different. Some parts are MDF instead of printed. So far, It has taken me 5 months to find all the parts and bring them together.
This is a log of the specifics I encountered. Hopefully, a person armed with the data in this log will be able to get up and running in a shorter time for a lower cost. The brick and mortar locations are in the Chicago Northwest Suburbs.
The total price was estimated to be $300-$400 USD. The actual prices are listed for each item. So far the total is: $638! Don't tell my wife!
The additional costs were due to the pre-built kits for hot end and motherboard.
I'm not do good with electronics (I'm more of a software guy), and saved my self at least a couple weeks with the solidoodle part.
The hot end was another spot of trouble. I did manage to find a very nice scape of PEEK, and couple sources for nichrome wire, but did not happen across Teflon rod yet. Since I bought the kit, there is no urgency to find Teflon rod, but its still on the list for future investigation.
Mechanical
Printed parts from Sacha at Pumping Station One http://pumpingstationone.org/tag/reprap/ This kit includes all the printed parts. The vertices are replaces by MDF pieces in this kit, that are very precise and are quicker to make. There might be one peice missing from Sacha's kit, the wooden plate for the modified Wades' extruder. Be sure to ask if you go this route.
$150
Rods from McMaster-Carr (they delivered to my door! Same day!)
$78
Fasterners from Jordan Supply (there's more than listed on the web site) http://www.jordanindustrial.com/
$11
Hot End
MakerGear - the instructions are not organized clearly. I made some major mistakes despite reading them first several times, and following quite closely.
http://www.makergear.com/products/operators-pack "Operator pack" and "Hot End Pack" and (there was third term) all refer to the assembly that holds the heater coil and extruder tip. It cost $75
The Hot End pack requires Wooden Mounting Pieces - Wade for $6.00 USD.
The wooden mounting plates did not fit the modified Wades extruder directly. (the screw holes were off by about 2mm). I don't know if there is and alternate wooden plate with the correct dimensions, perhaps Sacha laser cut his own and forgot to include them in the kit of parts he sells?
$86 including shipping
<include the full list of comments?>
Electronics
I opted for a one piece mainboard
http://reprap.org/wiki/Sanguinololu
This one is preassembled
http://store.solidoodle.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=63&product_id=52
It includes a bootloader pre-burned during assembly and testing during production.
This needed a two pin shunt header soldered to the AUTO RST labeled on the skilk screen to enable Autoreset. Shunting the jumper allows the PC to restart the Arduino for programming, etc. Removing the shunt (default) allow the unit to operate stand alone; that is, it will not reboot when the unit is disconnected or reconnected to the PC print.
This module is intended to be swapped out and replaced with the propeller chip implementation at some point.
$116 including shipping
Stepper Motors and Drivers
Pololu 1200 were recommended by several sources. FIVE are needed, two for the Z-axis. Reordering one more motor costs nearly double the price of the motor due to shipping.
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1200/faqs
The stepper drivers are refered to by the stepper driver IC. The unit we buy is the IC mounted on a carried board. The A4988 has over current protection. FOUR are needed. The one used for the Z-axis can drive the two Z-motors easily. New notes say to wire them in series instead of parallel contraindicating the instructions.
http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1182
$161 including shipping (would have been $11 less had it been a single order)
Belts and Pulleys
These we a bit of trouble to find. The instructions specify T5 belts and 11 tooth cog for 5mm shaft.
I ended up getting a 9 foot length of T5 belt and have enough left over to replace one axis.
The 11 tooth pulleys are for 1/4 inch and 3/16 inch belt. I had to drill them out to 5mm to fit on the Pololu motor shafts.
McMaster Carr - they delivered to my door AGAIN! Same day! 5710k12 (2) 7959k24 (9 feet)
$36
Power Supply, Connectors, harversted parts
Power Supply
I found a pre-ATX power supply in the junk box. This type uses a physical power switch instead of control by motherboard logic. Its a HIPRO Hp-200PPGN harvested from a Tiger Direct K-6/2. It was diagnosed as unstable, but claims 8 amps on the 12 volt rail.
Connectors
The sanguino board has 11 connectors for the motors, end stops, and thermistors.
The four 4 pins stepper motor connectors are the same size as 1.44 floppy drive connectors. I harvested these from dead power supplies and Y-cables. Cots $0
The three 3 pin endstop connectors are the same as size as PC fan connectors (with RPM monitoring). I harvested these from noise fans recovered from dead PCs. The yellow and black wires were swapped compared to the layout on the Sanguino. This was fixed with a toothpick and a magnifying glass.
The four 2 pin thermistor and heater connectors for the extruderr and heated bed are the same as PC fan connectors (without RPM monitoring). I don't have a heated bed at this time, so it was easy to find 2 dead fans.
Software
The firmware selected for the printer affects the software needed for the PC. After selecting and extracting the firmware archive, we discover what prerequisite software is needed on the PC. This is why the printe firmware is listed first, but appears in the middle of the PC software install list.
Firmware
SPRINTER archive https://github.com/kliment/Sprinter
PC
The PC software needs to be set up to run interface to the Arduino firmware.
I selected the first Recommended firmware from http://reprap.org/wiki/Sanguinololu#Software * SPRINTER *
The software needs to be set up on the PC before the firmware will respond.
The software might not need to be installed in this exact order, but do it this way to be safe.
Windows XP workstation:
Python
The Python programming environment is NOT included with Windows XP but fortunately we can download it for free and use it legally. Python is very small and reasonably quick and efficient. Python is the new BASIC, we don't need to use basic anymore. Use Python, its more modern that getting a trendy tattoo.
Anyway, the interface to the Arduino micro controller that run the Prusa is written in Python.
We install a bunch of Python packages to in preparation to running the printer.
[From Printrun README.md]
- Needs Python 2.7.2
http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.7.2/ I used http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.2/python-2.7.2.msi
- needs pyserial - I missed this twice!
http://pypi.python.org/packages/any/p/pyserial/pyserial-2.5.win32.exe
- Needs Python wx
http://www.wxpython.org/download.php#stable I used http://downloads.sourceforge.net/wxpython/wxPython2.8-win32-unicode-2.8.12.1-py27.exe
- needs pyreadline - I missed this twice!
http://launchpad.net/pyreadline/1.7/1.7/+download/pyreadline-1.7.win32.exe
Download and extract the SPRINTER archive https://github.com/kliment/Sprinter
Follow the instructions in the SPRINTER README
PC software
- Arduino IDE http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
I used current newest version 0023
Plug in the Sanguino board, Windows XP will detect the USB device. If the New Hardware Found wizard doesn't find the driver, let it fail and update it using the device manager per these steps:
http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/Windows#toc4
The machine that already had FTDI USB to serial set up for the parallax propeller worked without additional drivers;
On another machine I had to navigate to the FTDI folder Note the virtual COM port ID for SPRINTER
- Sanguino configuration files, version 0018
http://sanguino.cc/softwareforwindows Copy the directories as directed
Launch the ARDUINO application Open SPRINTER.PDE EDIT the files as directed
NOW TO TEST if its talking......
In the ARDUINO application, with SPRINTER open:
Select Tools-> Board-> Sanguino Select Tools-> Serial Port -> COM3 (or whatever you noted above) Select Tools-> Serial Monitor
After about 10 seconds, the serial monitor should display a "start" message from SPRINTER.pde
If it doesn't, try hitting the reset button on the Sanguino. Also check that the baud setting matches the settings in the config files.
For my, it did not respond correctly unitl I set the serial monitor window2 baud rate to 115200
NOTE in the SPRINTER source code file it can be useful to edit the
void setup()
function to contain a unique message, so you know your change has been loaded. Find teh line that says
Serial.println("start")
and change it to something you can recognize like
Serial.println("start Prof Braino is the coolest 20111122-1225")
If you include a date-time stamp as above each time you edit the file, you can always tell when a change has reached the device.
In configuration.h update
//#define MOTHERBOARD 3
to
#define MOTHERBOARD 62
You can also change
char uuid[] = "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000";
to sopmething you can recognize like
char uuid[] = "this is my board 00-0000-000000012345";
Ubuntu 11.04 Laptop:
<after I clear a space in the shop>
Both Window PC and Linux PC - Additional Python Scripts
IN ADDITION To SPRINTER, we need another set of Python scripts
Printrun
Download and extract Printrun
https://github.com/kliment/Printrun
I moved the whole printrun subdirectory to my Python directory so it would be easy to find from within Python
testing the system
At this point, there should be a PC properly equipped with the correct set of software, and the software should be configured. The Sanguino board should have its power light on when plugged into the PC USB port, and the should be talking to the serial monitor program by displaying a START message (that the user has modified to display an individualized message).
Now to test using the interactive prython script pronterface.py from the kliment-Printrun package
Start Python
Start -> programs -> python 2.7 -> IDLE (the Python GUI
For some reason, at thispoint I get an error that an icon file was not found. This does not appear to affect anything, so if you see it, ignore it by closing the error message window.
From the Python Shell File -> Open (navigate to kliment-Printrun that you previously extracted) -> pronterface.py
From the pronterface.py window that opens: Run -> Run Module (F5)
If at this point you get a message "no module named serial" you missed the pyserial install from above. Recheck.
The Printer Interface window is displayed. If you get this far, you should be doing ok. If not, go through the steps again, it took me several tries.
printer Interface
Select your com port, usually com 3 or higher. If only physical com ports are displayed, check if the Sanguino go unplugged. The virtual com port goes away when the cable is disconnected.
Select your baud rate. 115200 works for mine.
Select the monitor printer checkbox.
Select connect.
The resonse window should display the Connecting.... message. After about 10 seconds, the Connected message should be displayed. The If the Sanguino is not connected, the message will sit there forever. Once connected, the window should begin displaying
T:0 B:0
periodically to indicate that the Sanguino is still ticking. If this bcomes annoying, uncheck the Monitor Printer box.
