Extruder Motor is does not run - strange problem

Dear RepRapers,

I got a little Problem and I am asking you for help because I don't know what else to do...

System I am using:
Genereation 2 Electronics with Sanguino
Bits from Bytes RepRap Version 2.0.1

Problem:
The Extruder Motor doesn't work with the RepRap Host Software

Things I tested:
I checked all cables from the DC Motor Driver to the Extruder Motor - correct
I checked all cables from the DC Motor Driver to the Sanguio - correct Pin Layout
I drove the DC Motor Driver with a testscript, for this I used the Pin Config from pins.h - and it worked!

So now I am wondereing why it doesn't with the RepRap Software?!? If I set the temp for the Extruder for example to 100°C it heets up... but the Extrude Button does not work!

Do you have any Ideas how I could solve this problem?
If you need any other information to help me --> please let me know!



Thanks for your support.
Al3x

Dude, you bet me to it to start a topic on this.
I too am having the same problem, the motor is over driven when using MakerBot firmware and ReplicatorG and I commu force it to slow down, but am using the RepRap firmware, latest version, the Host software is a little buggy with Java 6, but when it does work, the steppers work, but the extruder doesn't, not even light up.
I'm using a dc extruder motor too, so I think there is a problem in the firmware, though no firmware seem to work.

I did notice however that a 2nd pwm signal is being passed to a seperate fet,

I'm so confused, and need help also, please?

No one has an idea of why the extruder isn't turning on?

Hi

Exactly which firmware are you using? Give the URL of your download if you can.

I would test with commands from a terminal first to eliminate any Host issues.

You have issued a speed M108 Snnn before you tried M101.

Also I seem to remember you need to be at temperature on some version of the firmware so your problem may be due to that. Try M104 S10.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2010 04:00AM by emt.

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Regards

Ian

I'm using
[sourceforge.net]

As the SVN version is changing, and nt released under this format above.

And the firmware is
[reprap.svn.sourceforge.net]

Though i've been tinkering around with the latest from SVN and this released version to get it to work, so far to no avail using the above firmware.


I've not tried using terminal (HyperTerminal in Windows), will try that now.

I've done all that, looks like M101 isn't recognized
I'm going by what is on this page, which is out of date

I don't think that firmware supports DC motors. Are you using generation 2 electronics? That is what Al3x asked about. Firmware versions can get tricky as things are developing. If you do have G2 electronics I would start with this firmware [reprap.svn.sourceforge.net]

If you are using G3 electronics and DC motor I think the only option is Makerbot firmware and replicatorG. They no longer use G code so you can't test from a terminal as far as I am aware

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Regards

Ian

I have Gen3 electronics, ie a V1.2 mobo, V2.2 extruder and 3 V2.3 stepper drivers.

The plan is once I have it all going, in some partial way, I can change the firmware to use an encoder and use that to step the DC extruder.

At the moment, the extruder driver isn't even being turned on, even if I had a stepper pinch extruder, it wouldn't work anyway.

Looking through the firmware code while i'm at work on tea break, I see that M101 and M101 have been commented out with a note saying that its been replaced by E codes, not implemented by the look of it.
Another note says that M126 and M127 is now how the extruder gp controlled.
I'm just so confused, and it wont work.

My thought is that i'll uncomment the M101 and give it a shot when I get home

Whoops, I got a little distracted watching the large MakerBot blog video, then jumped onto YouTube to find a good video and found lots, of musical Tesla coil action.

Modifed that bit of code, won't compile, will have to comment it out.

I think I have found the problem, I ran some test code to turn on some leds, and it looks like my Arduino has some slightly half dead pins.

Whether it is from static or from back EMF from the MakerBot firmware, I dunno, so i'll have to get a couple from Farnell, as they are the closest supplier to me with stock, and i'll replace my Atmega 644 20PU (DIP) with another tqfp, as the once I had put onto the board first time had a dead tx pin.

Why do I always have such bad luck?

Edit: So this is really puzzling me now, if I copy and paste the code into the Arduino, it all works ok, so I still don't what is going on.
[www.reprap.org]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2010 06:03PM by Grogyan.

Which pins are acting up..

I have seen funies on pins related to active counter timers cant remember which pins but there are dual use pins that have a connection to the counter timers.

Now these funnies might be related to the base firmware on the device as since upgrading Iv not seen any of these problems.

So if it is related to base firmware and counter timer use each time you have a diffren program running you might well see a diffrent set of race conditions occuring on out put pins.

Is it possible your boot loader is an older version like mine was?

If so I would upgrade/burn a the new bootloader and se if your problem vanishes.

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Bodge It [reprap.org]
=======================================

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BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB	BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement	BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]

The pins that are giving issues are
H1D1
H1E1
H2D2
H2E2
Which are not timer pins, and are also not ADC input capable either.

I've got to take my extruder board into work to replace an LED, and to check other things, but in any case the other should light up when its working, regardless if a motor is connected or not, and I do have one connected.

I've not explored a bootloader issue, is the bootloader different than the one that came with Arduino V16?

And occasionally the Sanguino mobo loses comms to the host application for no apparent reason, which doesn't help the debugging process, and i'm certain that it is a Java issue. I got a reply back from Adrian about the host, suggesting I try the bleeding edge in SVN, so will try that out tonight or tomorrow.

My main concern is the extruder board right now.

Thanks BodgeIt.

If you have any more ideas, or anyone else, please let me know, and i'll check them during my lunch break of after work hours, when I can use an oscilloscope. I have an old oscilloscope, buts its a huge CRT one and no space to safely use it.

I'm fed up, so i've bought a couple new 644P-20AU and 168-20AU to replace the ones on my boards.
I can't really afford to buy them but bought them anyways

Just a dumb question (and im asking this cause i made the mistake myself) have you connected SCL/SDA pins from the Mobo to D9 / D10 on the extruder board cause the extruder stepper wont operate unless you do.

And if you happen to have a fused pin why not reroute the function to an unused pin ?

I found the same thing when trying to use the host (or gcgen/gcdump for that matter) to turn on my DC extruder motor.

Turns out the firmware has a extruder speed default of zero. So turning the extruder motor on doesn't do anything (since on with zero speed appears identical to off) unless you send a speed-change command beforehand, or change the default in the code.