mendel commisioning - need help

Hi,

I have just finished building and wiring my first mendel i2. I moved on to commissioning but encountered multiple problems. keep in mind I am a complete noob.

First of all I upload sprinter and connected my printer to my mac using pronterface. The printer connects fine. when I try to move the motors they each move one step at a time no matter if I press 1,10, or 100. None of the motors move in a negative direction either ( endstops?). the bed and extruder heat but the extruder motor and the z motors wont move in either direction. all motors make are a buzzing or humming sound when activated and they seem to work fine until mounted to the printer. I have tweeked my pots so all the drivers read .7v and im pretty sure that the pots are not the problem. When I press the home button the motors still only move one "step" except for one time when the y axis actually returned to the endstop. note that the frame measurements are slightly off because the printed parts got stuck but I made sure the rods are all parallel. also my extruder motor on the wade is interferring with my "X" belt is this normal?

could any of this have to do with my steps per unit? or maybe something else in the firmware.(I have done my research on firmware but still do not fully understand how to configure it)

and finally, would switching to marlin do any good?

Thanks,
Ryan Miller
www.basicblacklabel.com

There is no reason to not use Sprinter. Upload the config file so we can take a look.
Are you using Ramps? If so, have you installed all the jumpers under the Pololu chips?
Have you calculated your X,Y and Z steps? ( [reprap.org] )

note that the frame measurements are slightly off because the printed parts got stuck but I made sure the rods are all parallel What is this? Did you mean to upload a pic?

Regarding the X belt rubbing on the extruder motor...yes, it happens but it can be relieved by putting a twist in the belt which has the added advantage of running the flat side of the belt over the X end idler bearing.

The X end stop is usually at the left side.
The Y end stop is usually at the back on the left.

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Waitaki 3D Printer

here are the pictures of my mendel and ramps 1.4, notice the bed isnt centered in the frame. is this a problem? I will upload my sprinter sketch in a few minutes becuase it is on another computer. thanks to any that offer help

here is my sprinter arduino sketch

Quote
Basicblacklabel.com
notice the bed isnt centered in the frame. is this a problem?

No. It doesn't need to be centered on the frame. It needs to be centered under the extruder. So that when the X-Carriage is zeroed, you are on the edge of the board (or the white lined square on the border) and when you move the carriage 200mm it's on the other side.

Quote
Basicblacklabel.com
here is my sprinter arduino sketch

We need config.h

Also, if the Y motor is at the front of the machine as is suggested in the photo (which is normal), then your X end stop should be on the left side and your Y endstop should be at the back on the left side.
I am puzzled by your power connections - you seem to only have the 11A power input for the bed connected. Without power to the 5A socket the hotend can't work. Both connectors should have 12v supplied.
I could be wrong, but your (2 wire?) endstop connectors look to plugged into the wrong ports - they should be in S and -.
Have you checked under the pololu chips for the jumpers?

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Waitaki 3D Printer

here is my configuration.h file.

here is a detailed picture of my board, i marked where everything is. and i included the diagram i used to hook everything up. The power to my bed and extruder seem to be the only thing that are working consistently. I also measured out the maximum travel distance for the x axis and included that in my configuration but so far my motors are still only moving one step at a time.

I just used to the m119 command to check the status of my endstops, no matter where the axises start or end it always registers as home, why is this?

I just found an online calculator to adjust my steps per unit. it turns out that my SPU is 3.74 instead of the 80 i had set. my axises are now moving normally in the positive direction. I now need to figure out how to get them to move in the negative direction which I think has something to do with the endstops. and i need to figure out why the m119 command always says that the axises are home. thanks to everyone and please help me with the last problem

UPDATE: axises are now moving in negative direction, I am so close to fixing all my problems can someone please help me figure out why the board always thinks the endstops are triggered

What exactly does M119 say?

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Waitaki 3D Printer

>>>m119
SENDING:M119
x_min:H y_min:H z_min:H

my z motors are also still not working, i have the max feedrate for Z set to 1 mm/sec and the pots are set to .7v the motors make noise and vibrate but nothing moves. I have tryed multiple different steps per units.

Are your endstops fitted in the positions shown in the attached pic?


ALSO, in your config.h file...

// Inverting axis direction
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------
const bool INVERT_X_DIR = false;
const bool INVERT_Y_DIR = false;
const bool INVERT_Z_DIR = true; >>>Why is this set to "True"?
const bool INVERT_E_DIR = false;

//Max Length for Prusa Mendel, check the ways of your axis and set this Values
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------
const int X_MAX_LENGTH = 243;>>>>For a Prusa2 I would expect this to be nearer 200
const int Y_MAX_LENGTH = 133; >>>> this nearer to 100
const int Z_MAX_LENGTH = 200;

const int NUM_AXIS = 4; // The axis order in all axis related arrays is X, Y, Z, E
#define _MAX_FEEDRATE {400, 400, 2, 45} // (mm/sec)
#define _HOMING_FEEDRATE {1500,1500,120} // (mm/min) !! >>>try 500 for this
#define _AXIS_RELATIVE_MODES {false, false, false, false}

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2014 04:36AM by waitaki.

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Waitaki 3D Printer

I tryed everything you said but nothing seems to be working. m119 is stlll the same so I tryed using g92 and that didnt work either. I tryed to do a test print and it begun to print on the top right hannd corner of the be but the z axis was about 2 inch above the bed and the extruder just spewed out plastic from there.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2014 05:31PM by Basicblacklabel.com.

You didn't say whether you had installed all the jumpers under the Pololu's.

If you depress and hold the Z microswitch, what reading do you get with M119?

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Waitaki 3D Printer

no i have no jumpers connected, what is the purpose of jumpers, I didnt come across them on any of my assembly manuals.

I first sent m119 as a baseline and then I press the z endstops in. here is the result.

SENDING:M119
x_min:H y_min:L z_min:H
>>>m119
SENDING:M119
x_min:H y_min:L z_min:L

it seems like this is backwards since it originally started at home and when depressed showed "L"

I was able to get all endstops to know when they where being depressed but all of them were saying the opposite of what they were so I inverted endstops in sprinter firmware and they register what they should now. however my motors are not moving in a negative direction now. this seems to be an endless cycle of problems.

Without the jumpers under the pololu's, you will have no microstepping!

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Waitaki 3D Printer

how do i install jumpers, i cant find anything on them

They are standard 0.1" spacing jumpers as used on computer motherboards etc. You will need 3 under each Pololu for 1/16th microstepping. Look at the pic to see what I mean. If you have 4 pololu's, then you will need 12 obviously.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2014 11:58PM by waitaki.

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Waitaki 3D Printer

Here's a pack of 24 jumpers on Amazon. [www.amazon.com]

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MakerFarm 8" Prusa i3v
RAMPS 1.4
0.4mm E3D v6 for 1.75mm

alright thank you, turns out they did come with my kit I just never knew what to do with them. ill install them now and post the result. are jumpers sensitive to polarity?

no, just stick 'em on.

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Waitaki 3D Printer

I installed the jumpers, the microstepping is now working but the endstops still do not register (the led's do light up but motors continue) and the motors still do not move in the negative direction.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2014 07:57PM by Basicblacklabel.com.

Are your endstops 3 or 4 wires? What type are they? >> The reason the motors will not move in the negative direction is simple - the controller thinks the endstops are triggered i.e already in the home position.
Also, if you face the front of the printer (Y motor nearest to you), where are the endstops located?
Where did you buy the kit?

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/2014 02:17AM by waitaki.

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Waitaki 3D Printer

the kit is from makergeeks.com, facing the front of the printer the x endstop is on the right, the y is closest to the front and the z is on the left closest to the bed. im using the geeetech.com mechanical endstop v1.2, the one with the PCB and LED. I used [www.mendelcraft.com] to install my endstops. It says to use a 3 wire cable and cut one wire. My LED does light up when depressed but m119 reports no change.
SENDING:M119
x_min:H y_min:L z_min:L
>>>m119
SENDING:M119
x_min:H y_min:L z_min:L

Quote
Basicblacklabel.com
I used [www.mendelcraft.com] to install my endstops. It says to use a 3 wire cable and cut one wire. My LED does light up when depressed but m119 reports no change.

The mechanical endstop boards require 3 wires to be connected. 1 for signal, 1 each for + and - for power. My guess is that you have + and - connected, which is why the LED on the board works, but do not have the signal wire connected.

That guide you linked to is assuming that you are using bare switches for your endstops, which do only require two wires.

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i tryed switching the wires out for 3 instead of two, it didnt work but the LED still lit. I only have two uncut 3 wire cables left so i attached them to the x and y endstops and tryed to test them, would not connecting the z endstop effect the result. and if I have a 4 wire extension would cutting one wire from that be the same as a 3 wire?

m119 has changed to
>>>m119
SENDING:M119
x_min:L y_min:L z_min:L
>>>m119
SENDING:M119
x_min:L y_min:L z_min:L

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2014 12:41PM by Basicblacklabel.com.

Quote
Basicblacklabel.com
I was able to get all endstops to know when they where being depressed but all of them were saying the opposite of what they were so I inverted endstops in sprinter firmware and they register what they should now. however my motors are not moving in a negative direction now. this seems to be an endless cycle of problems.

I assume you still have them inverted in config.h like this? >>>>
const bool X_ENDSTOP_INVERT = true;
const bool Y_ENDSTOP_INVERT = true;
const bool Z_ENDSTOP_INVERT = true;

If so,,do the following...

Remove the X,Y and Z connectors from the Ramps board.
Put the X and Y axes in the middle of their travel.
Send a command to move the X axis by, say, +10mm and then -10mm. Does it work ok?
Do the same for the Y axis. Does it work?
Finally command the Z axis to lift 10mm then drop 10mm. Does that work also?

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Waitaki 3D Printer