Can You Help Me Flash My Mega2650/RAMPS With Repetier For PRUSA i3 Printer?

I am very very new to this all around. I am so happy this forum is here for help!.

I have my Prusa i3 rework 3d printer alsmost fully built (phisically) and I am now working on the electronics. I have a Arduino mega2650, a R.A.M.P.S 1.4 board, and 4 A4988 drivers.

I have been told that I need to change the firmware, is that correct?

I thought initally that I needed to use a spceial programmer or microUSB somehting or other, so I purchased THIS (Click To See Ebay Item
But I believe now that I can do this threw the USB port and Arduino IDE - Is that the case?

At any rate, I see there is many choices in firmware for a 3d printer - I choose Repetier as it seems to have many great features and a nice graphical user interface (LOVE that). Is that a proper choice? - If not, Any other recomendations?

So if that is a proper choice I understand I need to flash the firmware on the Arduino Mega (Do i do this with the ramps board installed or not?) and I need to install the host software on my PC (Windows 7).


Step one was to flash the board. The first time I did it It was just the MEGA and no RAMPS. I used Arduino IDE in Windows 7 64bit (I hear this can be problematic? Use Ubuntu Live?) - The HELP PAGE ON THE SITE was a but hard to follow. I have the following issues/questions:

1) I didnt know if I should use ArduinoAVR or ArduinoDUO folder - I believe AVR was the correct choice, that is what I went with.

2) I Couldnt find a "Repetier.pde" as instructed, only a "Repetier.ino" file that I could open - I opened this and it looked correct, that is OK/Correct right? I changed the configuration.h tab into to my board "33" and clicked upload - I didnt customize anything else in the config file as the link said I can adjust all that before I print.

3) After the upload I was instructed to open the host program and set the comp port and all then send a "M115" to see if it communicates, HMM how do I do that? It looks like its connected but it LOOKS like its connected even when the board is not hooked to the usb port at all. I said I could move the stappers manually - I see the manual control buttons and I click them - nothing happens , Do I need to click run job? still nothing.. I can not see my extuder temp or anything.


Im still not entirly sure the firmware is on the board properly. I only see one light on the RAMPS board, it blinks twice when I hit reset but nothing else (it did flash fast when I was uploading the firmware - I tried it a second time, this time with RAMPS attached.



-I still am not entirly sure what jumpers I need under the stepper contollers so I did one with none, one with one, one with two, and one with all 3 - none work. I have adjust the POT up a bit on all of them with no results.

-My hot end thermister is hooked to T0 (not polarity sensative)

-My end stops are normally closed and hooked to (-) and (S) pins in there respective loations on the board

-My hot end heater is hooked to D10 (not polarity sensative)




I must be missing somehting. Thank you so much for taking the time to help!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2014 05:24PM by ENRKyle20.

Got some communication (by searching this forum for tips)

I needed to sed the baud rate in the host program to match the firmware. I figured leaving everything defaulted would work but it was not the same. Now i see data flowing.