Need help with homing problems

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, what I'm experiencing seems to be somewhat different from what you described. No matter where the nozzle is positioned, it just stays in the same spot when I try homing. It makes noise like it wants to go someplace, but just stays stuck. For lack of a better explanation, it's kind of like hitting the gas with the transmission in park.

I'm using the endstops that came with the kit. It crossed my mind that maybe they're not compatible with the firmware I have installed, but I don't know why that would be, or if that could be the problem. It also crossed my mind that maybe the board is bad, but don't know much about how reliable those things are. Are they pretty much idiot proof, or prone to defects. I don't know.

Thanks. I've been racking my brain trying to puzzle this out and it's double tough in my not being familiar with the whole code writing thing. I've found several firmware builders online, but they don't seem to be getting me where I need to go.

As I mentioned in the first post, I can move along an axis using the controller. I don't think that'd be possible if adjustment on the pots was too far off. Something I noticed today while fooling around with it is when I do that, there's a note on the screen "endstops disabled". I went through the code I'm using to see what settings were used for endstops. The min endstop settings are all set to "true" for whether or not the endstops are "inverted".

I have no clue what is meant by "inverted" in that context. Is it a reference to "normally open" or "normally closed", as in being able to switch from one to the other?

The endstops that came with the kit are some sort of oddball units that I haven't seen anywhere else. They fit in the channels and the switch is alligned to be triggered when a nut rolls over it. I like the setup because it makes for a clean installation, without the need for additional mounting brackets, etc. It has 3 pins labled "Vcc", "gnd", and "out". Unfortunately, I've yet to find any source that translates that into "NC", "C", etc.

I'm thinking the problem is somehow related to the endstops, but I don't know for sure. At the moment I'm thinking I should just order some garden variety endstops to see if they'll work with the firmware I'm using.

Sheesh, I've had the printer itself all put together for months, but the software side of it has been an absolute nightmare.

I've about come to the conclusion that "open source" is just about the worst possible thing that could have happened to the 3D printing industry. If it was anything else, you'd just pay a few bucks for a preconfigured hex file on a CD and you'd be good to go in thirty seconds. Unfortunately, the dog in the manger geek types have pretty well managed to put up a complete roadblock to widespread adaptation of the technology because the learning curve to programming the muttering things is too steep for the typical consumer. Mutter. Mutter. Mutter. Grrrr.....

My endstops came pre-wired and I just plugged them into the RAMPS board...but they were bare switches which no brackets which I had to design and print out.

I'm afraid I don't know enough about the true nature of Disabling or Inverting endstops, etc to advise you further with any confidence...

But check out this thread and scroll down to the Banthafodder April 18, 2012 04:20PM post:

http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?146,125056

My advice is to just keep researching and trying and you will get it...if it was easy everyone would be doing it.

@Don9mm,

First, elmoret IS a Moderator on this board.

Second, if I recall, you were the one who was very rude and unappreciative in the past to the likes of Wardjr and elmoret while they were trying to help you.  You then fell silent for a long time until the other day.  I decided to give you a shot helping you out thinking you may have changed your style.  I guess I was wrong.

Too bad...