Pronterface not printing

So I have the G-code file from Slic3r and I load it into pronterface (everything is running, the bed and hotend are at the right temp, all the motors move when I tell them to) but once I hit print I just get relayed the temp of the hotend and bed every few seconds (this doesn't stop ... it just goes on and on and on )

any help would be great

thanks

Jeremy

gcode is just text

open it up and take a read... the machine does what its told to, line by line.

work out what the first 10 or so line do. use [reprap.org] as a reference.

I suspect there is a set temp and wait in their probably on your heated bed that you cant reach.

That is normal behaviour, the temperature of bed and hotend is reported every few seconds, until they reaches the temperature configured in Slic3r. Doesn't the relayed temperature rise?

Per default Slic3r will first set the bed temperature, wait for the bed to reach it, then warm up the hotend, and then start printing.

If your PID settings for the bed isn't tuned correctly, or if your PSU is short on power, the bed might never reach the set temperature, and it will just output the temperature, till the world ends, or the printer is turned off, whatever comes first.

If you set the bed temperature in Slic3r to 0, you can set the bed temperature manually in Pronterface, and you don't have to wait, but ideally the PID settings for the bed should be tuned.

Ok, try this...

Try setting the temps in Slic3r (Filament Settings tab) to zero's -all 4 boxes.
Set the bed temp manually in Pronterface. While waiting for that, create your g-code using the new settings you just set in Slic3r. (access Slic3r directly- not through Pronterface )
When the bed is at temp or close to it, switch on the hot-end and wait for it to reach temp. At this point, load your new g-code and press start- The printer should start immediately.

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_______________________________________
Waitaki 3D Printer

Thanks everyone for the replies I'm going to give it a crack now

Thanks Dust that link will come in very handy

Changing the bed and hot end temp in Slic3r didn't seem to do anything - the gcode still wouldn't run, so I opened the file

I have found that sending M190 S75 no later commands are done (the print head cannot move, the hotend will not heat up, I cannot reset the heated bed temp , M119 does not give endstop status), the console (do you call it that ?) just relays the temp every second - even when the temp has been reached -

I then sent the code and it all moved around as It should ..... but I have now found I have extruder problems

- I have seen plastic (I'm using ABS) come out of the hotend, but moving the extruder motor only seems to dig away at the filament , my stepper drivers are the a4988 pololu but they are just single step at the moment (would it be best to set up micro stepping ?)

I am not sure whether I have set up the extruder motor in Sprinter _ should the steps per mm be for 1 mm of filament or 1mm of extruded plastic (I have assumed extruded plastic)


any help would be great

thanks


Jeremy

M190: Is wait for bed temperature to reach target temp in this case 75c (weird temp, to high for PLA, to low for ABS)
ie the controller will wait (for ever if its not heating) to reach the set temperature, only after that will it accept further commands.

The issue most people have with their heated bed is no insulation under it. So your just tiring to heat up the room. Takes forever to reach temperature and sometime will never reach it.

Corrugated cardboard works well as insulation.

Most people use 1/16 mirco stepping on all axis X,Y, Z and E

Steps/mm for E is Plastic going into the extruder.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2014 09:28AM by Dust.

Brilliant thanks Dust,

I have cardboard under my heated bed - so not sure what the problem is (what is the min temp for ABS for the heated bed ?)

How can I change the stepper controller to 1/16 th (its 1 step at the moment - I know because my steps per unit values are like 3.4 ..something )

thanks

* I believe I need jumpers on MS1, MS2 and MS3 - I didn't get any jumpers with my electronics - any idea where I could buy them ?

** honestly I've go barley any idea what these jumpers are .... are they physical wires you attach - like connecting a jumper to the endstop pins - or are they in built in the board and need to be turned on in the firmware - any help would be great

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2014 12:16PM by Jerms.a320.

abs bed are normally 110C

Do some manual testing in Pronterface. Make sure you can get to that temp. If you can't check your power supply, You really need 12v on your heatbed (not something under) also check your cables to the heated bed arent getting warm, ie cables are to thin. And that they are screwed in tight on the power connector.

Presuming you have a ramps board, under each Pololu module is 3 lots of jumpers pins for setting microstepping, you need all 3 on for 1/16. (ie 12 jumpers minmum)

jumpers

Any computer shop should have them, or computer recycling place, or ebay "jumpers 2.54mm computer"

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2014 09:35PM by Dust.

Thanks Dust - I will check those things with the heated bed

- I am really slow ! - so where exactly do these jumpers go ? - have all of the pins on the stepper driver and all of the sockets (for each pin) on the ramps board

** I think I have worked it out - I need to connect each pair of pins (six pins in total) underneath the stepper driver - as per picture

- I did receive those pin header things (you might see one for the y axis motors) can I modify that ? - All I have to do is connect those two pins isn't it - we have an old PC - do you know where I could salvage some of those jumpers ?

thanks

- I could only find one jumper in that PC and none in the other I checked

I have found a store that stocks those jumpers , but It might be a few days before I can pick some up -- can I just go DIY and strip some wire and wrap it over the two pins to short them , in the meantime ?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2014 03:50AM by Jerms.a320.

yes thats the correct place...

as for wiring it... if you want... make sure the wire doesn’t touch the 12v parts... instant dead mega and everything on the 5v side...
Basically is it worth the risk?

Most dead pc's will have those jumpers... you can just harvest them... a working pc is probably using them.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2014 03:41AM by Dust.

Understandable ---- this PC isn't used anymore, but from what I've found on the internet there were lots of jumpers in old PC's (like very old - from what I've read they were used in pre -sata systems)- when I built my current PC I can't remember using any

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2014 06:14AM by Jerms.a320.