1 Topic by ammarqs

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Topic: USB not recognized by PC

Hello,
I dug up this SoliDoodle 3D printer from my company warehouse. Its been there for a couple years, may be more.
I couldnt find the main power adapter for it so i connected a computer power supply, 12VDC 17.8 Amps, temporary to get started. There is another 120VAC connected for the heat bed. and then i connected my USB to my PC. After multiple attempts and changing the cable, the PC is not recognizing the board. The fan on the stepper motor turns on, but there are no lights on the board or on the printing area.
So i assume my board went bad? but according to my old co-workers, they claim that this was working before being dumped. Not sure whats going on. I am attaching images below for any solidoode dude to help me out with recognizing this version and helping me out to fix it.

http://soliforum.com/i/?vPfZ45U.jpghttp://soliforum.com/i/?TLKHaej.jpghttp://soliforum.com/i/?NRmK9fG.jpghttp://soliforum.com/i/?P898XSD.jpghttp://soliforum.com/i/?dW5si2n.jpg

2 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

Also, if i am fixing this issue, i would might as well buy a new power supply for it. Any recommendations on what this system works on?

3 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

Are you sure that power adapter has the correct polarity and that the center pin in the board is making contact with the inner surface of the barrel on the plug? Those coaxial plugs as they are called come in a host of inner and outer diameter combinations. Many computer companies choose odd sizes to force you to  buy their replacement parts as well.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
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4 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

I had to rig the computer power supply with another adapter that fit. That is the reason the stepper motor fan turns on because it gets power. Once disconnected, the fan turns off.

5 Reply by justsomeguy

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

If it's a windows pc and has never controlled a printer before, you might need to install a driver so that the printer's usb connection is recognized as a serial port. Someone smarter than me may post a link.

Assuming Windows, if you look at the device manager, is there an unrecognized device?

6 Reply by knowack (edited by knowack 2019-02-13 00:31:05)

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

On my Win7 machine, my Solidoodle 4 with the same board shows up in Device Manager under Ports (COM & LPT) as "USB Serial (Communication Class, Abstract Control Model) (COM4)".  Your COM number may be different, depending on other devices you may have.

If you're not seeing that, you need to load a driver.  These Printrboards are pretty bulletproof; I'd be surprised if the USB is zapped on it.

Download and install Repetier-Host to control the printer.

-Kevin

7 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

justsomeguy wrote:

If it's a windows pc and has never controlled a printer before, you might need to install a driver so that the printer's usb connection is recognized as a serial port. Someone smarter than me may post a link.

Assuming Windows, if you look at the device manager, is there an unrecognized device?

Yes its windows. I usually play around with arduino and thats what did. I connected my arduino board to that same cable to check if it recognizes, and it did. i disconnected the cable and put it to the controller of the printer, nothing. I got no "unrecognized devices" or "generic USB device" or anything.

8 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

knowack wrote:

On my Win7 machine, my Solidoodle 4 with the same board shows up in Device Manager under Ports (COM & LPT) as "Arduino Leonardo (COM8)".  Your COM number may be different, depending on other devices you may have.

If you're not seeing that, you need to load a driver.  These Printrboards are pretty bulletproof; I'd be surprised if the USB is zapped on it.

Download and install Repetier-Host to control the printer.

-Kevin

i never played around with this. Where can i find a way to load a driver? i already installed a driver on my system. I installed the whole package available on the solidoodle website.
The USB when plugged in is never recognized. There are no lights on the controller board that turn on when the usb is connected.

9 Reply by heartless

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

ammarqs wrote:
knowack wrote:

On my Win7 machine, my Solidoodle 4 with the same board shows up in Device Manager under Ports (COM & LPT) as "Arduino Leonardo (COM8)".  Your COM number may be different, depending on other devices you may have.

If you're not seeing that, you need to load a driver.  These Printrboards are pretty bulletproof; I'd be surprised if the USB is zapped on it.

Download and install Repetier-Host to control the printer.

-Kevin

i never played around with this. Where can i find a way to load a driver? i already installed a driver on my system. I installed the whole package available on the solidoodle website.
The USB when plugged in is never recognized. There are no lights on the controller board that turn on when the usb is connected.

then either the power supply is not correct, or the board itself is done and needs to be replaced.


These Printrboards are pretty bulletproof; I'd be surprised if the USB is zapped on it

Oh, that is too funny.. that is what killed the board on my first SD4.. the USB crapped out.
I got a crash course in upgrading the board & firmware and never looked back.

the "retail" versions of the Printrboard might be ok, but the SD version not so much (and yes, these particular boards - the SD Rev E version - are specific to SD machines)

The machine is still salvageable, but it will take a little work and a few $$s to make it happen.. nothing earth shattering, but yeah.. new board is needed, is my guess, and if that is the case, find something better than the stock Printrboard.. there are loads of options out there.

SD4 #1 & #2 - Lawsy carriages, E3D v6, Rumba controller board, mirror bed plate, X motor fan, upgraded PSU & Mica bed heater
SD4 #3 - in the works ~ Folgertech FT-5, rev 1
Printit Industries Beta Tester - Horizon H1

10 Reply by knowack (edited by knowack 2019-02-13 00:27:07)

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

Of the 4 SD4's and 1 Workbench I've worked with, the only problems have been self-induced.  I've zapped the gcode fan MOSFETs twice.  Both times I've resoldered new MOSFETS (not the easiest with surface-mount components) and everything worked fine after that.  I have a personal stash of two extra Printrboards...just in case...but have never needed them.

Make certain that the power supply is connected correctly.  With power applied, you should have a power LED illuminated.  That LED is powered off the 5v supply, regulated down from 12v by U1, an LM2841...a completely separate chip from the processor (which handles the USB).  If that LED is not illuminated, I don't think you're getting 12v to the board.

If you're convinced that the power supply is connected properly, I recommend removing the Printrboard (make sure all the wires are marked, and a few digital photos won't hurt!), and checking the solder joints on the backside of the power connector.  Some people are not gentle when plugging/unplugging the power connector, which can cause the solder joint to crack, interrupting power to the board.

To my recollection (and according to the schematic), there's no LED that lights up simply because the USB is plugged in.

-Kevin

11 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

Alright so here is the deal.
The power to the system is good. 12 vdc, 17.8 Amps. I know this because when i plug in the power, the fan cooler for the stepper motor starts running. So i dont think there is anyway there is a problem with the supply. If there was, the fan motor would have never run..
Any advice now? Board replacements? Where do i begin looking for new boards? What are they called?
I have attacked pics above for anyone who can recommend me a board. I will order anything at this point if i have a walk through tutorial on what needs to be done.
I know arduino and the bootloader stuff so that should be a problem as far as i can get the proper firmware to load on the new board (if it doesnt come with a built in program). If its a simple plug and play, even better..
Any recommendations?

12 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

heartless wrote:
ammarqs wrote:
knowack wrote:

On my Win7 machine, my Solidoodle 4 with the same board shows up in Device Manager under Ports (COM & LPT) as "Arduino Leonardo (COM8)".  Your COM number may be different, depending on other devices you may have.

If you're not seeing that, you need to load a driver.  These Printrboards are pretty bulletproof; I'd be surprised if the USB is zapped on it.

Download and install Repetier-Host to control the printer.

-Kevin

i never played around with this. Where can i find a way to load a driver? i already installed a driver on my system. I installed the whole package available on the solidoodle website.
The USB when plugged in is never recognized. There are no lights on the controller board that turn on when the usb is connected.

then either the power supply is not correct, or the board itself is done and needs to be replaced.


These Printrboards are pretty bulletproof; I'd be surprised if the USB is zapped on it

Oh, that is too funny.. that is what killed the board on my first SD4.. the USB crapped out.
I got a crash course in upgrading the board & firmware and never looked back.

the "retail" versions of the Printrboard might be ok, but the SD version not so much (and yes, these particular boards - the SD Rev E version - are specific to SD machines)

The machine is still salvageable, but it will take a little work and a few $$s to make it happen.. nothing earth shattering, but yeah.. new board is needed, is my guess, and if that is the case, find something better than the stock Printrboard.. there are loads of options out there.


New board..? What am I looking for when googling?

13 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

ammarqs wrote:
heartless wrote:
ammarqs wrote:

i never played around with this. Where can i find a way to load a driver? i already installed a driver on my system. I installed the whole package available on the solidoodle website.
The USB when plugged in is never recognized. There are no lights on the controller board that turn on when the usb is connected.

then either the power supply is not correct, or the board itself is done and needs to be replaced.


These Printrboards are pretty bulletproof; I'd be surprised if the USB is zapped on it

Oh, that is too funny.. that is what killed the board on my first SD4.. the USB crapped out.
I got a crash course in upgrading the board & firmware and never looked back.

the "retail" versions of the Printrboard might be ok, but the SD version not so much (and yes, these particular boards - the SD Rev E version - are specific to SD machines)

The machine is still salvageable, but it will take a little work and a few $$s to make it happen.. nothing earth shattering, but yeah.. new board is needed, is my guess, and if that is the case, find something better than the stock Printrboard.. there are loads of options out there.


New board..? What am I looking for when googling?

Your choice really. They all are about even when it comes to installing and flashing. The RAMPS 1.4 is the most common then you the MKS, Rumba, and the more exotic smoothieware based boards..

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

14 Reply by heartless

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

my personal preference is Rumba, but Ramps or MKS would also be pretty easy..

all of these will run Marlin firmware and are pretty easy to set up with very little fuss.

I know very little of the Smoothie based boards, so someone else would have to chime in on those...

price wise, Ramps & MKS are probably the cheaper alternatives, with Rumba being at the higher end of the scale.

as far as actually installing.. it is basically just a matter of moving everything over to the appropriate connections on the new board, flashing the firmware to the board using Arduino, and making sure you have the board mounted properly on/in the printer. not that difficult really.

SD4 #1 & #2 - Lawsy carriages, E3D v6, Rumba controller board, mirror bed plate, X motor fan, upgraded PSU & Mica bed heater
SD4 #3 - in the works ~ Folgertech FT-5, rev 1
Printit Industries Beta Tester - Horizon H1

15 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

Excellent. I have looked into the RAMPS 1.4 board..
i already have a couple of arduino mega i can use with it. What else do i need here .? Like stepper motor drivers i suppose? Along with what else? Any particular power supplies or special adapter or something else?

16 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

I hope this works. Would this also work on the same PC software?

http://soliforum.com/i/?Q9NcdDA.jpg

17 Reply by Kronikabuse

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

ammarqs wrote:

I hope this works. Would this also work on the same PC software?

http://soliforum.com/i/?Q9NcdDA.jpg

that setup will get you started. You can use the same open source software to run the printer as before. Repetier and slic3r work really well for solidoodles

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18 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

Kronikabuse wrote:
ammarqs wrote:

I hope this works. Would this also work on the same PC software?

http://soliforum.com/i/?Q9NcdDA.jpg

that setup will get you started. You can use the same open source software to run the printer as before. Repetier and slic3r work really well for solidoodles

But then this wont be Solidoodles anymore once i replace the controls on it. So with the above kit, i would still be able to use Repetier?

19 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

ammarqs wrote:
Kronikabuse wrote:
ammarqs wrote:

I hope this works. Would this also work on the same PC software?

http://soliforum.com/i/?Q9NcdDA.jpg

that setup will get you started. You can use the same open source software to run the printer as before. Repetier and slic3r work really well for solidoodles

But then this wont be Solidoodles anymore once i replace the controls on it. So with the above kit, i would still be able to use Repetier?


Repetier works with any printer and is used by most printer owners. In fact there are very few host programs out there that are machine specific. The only machines that have a dedicated host are the XYZ machines and a few other obscure brands.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

20 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

I am also reading about this DUET board. Dont know anything about it? People recommend its better

21 Reply by carl_m1968 (edited by carl_m1968 2019-02-13 14:20:38)

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

ammarqs wrote:

I am also reading about this DUET board. Dont know anything about it? People recommend its better

It's better but overkill for your machine. A RAMPS 1.4 or MKS is more than sufficient for your machine. The MKS is simply an Arduino and RAMPS shield all combined on one board.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

22 Reply by ammarqs

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

So the MKS is similar to Rumba, because i guess thats what Rumba is. The good thing about the RAMPS 1.4 kit is that it comes with everything. The stepper drivers, mega, shield, cables etc.
Thank you.

23 Reply by justsomeguy (edited by justsomeguy 2019-02-13 20:20:26)

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

I run Azteeg X5 mini boards (smoothie firmware) on my Solidoodle and Geeetech (Solidoodle clone) printers. The workfow for updating firmware is very easy with smoothie based boards. You just make changes to a text file on an SD card and then put it back in the board.  All config options go in the one file. They're more expensive than a RAMPS but I like them. Don't know that performance is any better though.

Sounds like you are already familar with the the arduino tools so maybe you'll manage ok with a RAMPS. RUMBA, etc.

PS With MKS, read carefully what you are getting. I'm pretty sure they make a smoothie based board as well as an Arduino based one.

24 Reply by carl_m1968 (edited by carl_m1968 2019-02-13 20:57:53)

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

justsomeguy wrote:

I run Azteeg X5 mini boards (smoothie firmware) on my Solidoodle and Geeetech (Solidoodle clone) printers. The workfow for updating firmware is very easy with smoothie based boards. You just make changes to a text file on an SD card and then put it back in the board.  All config options go in the one file. They're more expensive than a RAMPS but I like them. Don't know that performance is any better though.

Sounds like you are already familar with the the arduino tools so maybe you'll manage ok with a RAMPS. RUMBA, etc.

PS With MKS, read carefully what you are getting. I'm pretty sure they make a smoothie based board as well as an Arduino based one.


I use an Azteeg X5 GT (smoothie based as well) and if your connect your PC to the board through USB you can edit the text file as if it was on an external drive. The SDcard on the Azteeg is seen as an external drive. You don't need to remove the card from the board.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

25 Reply by Tin Falcon (edited by Tin Falcon 2019-02-14 11:50:30)

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Re: USB not recognized by PC

Here is a guide from printed solid on some of the typical upgrades . Printed solid is a reputable supplier of these product. And there are certainly other option that may be cheaper. but to me it is worth a read of the pros and cons of different boards as well as other upgrades.
The eisi retro is an interesting option it is an arduno mega based board with automotive fuses and trinamic drivers buit into the board . This is the board that goes on the lulzbot mini 2 . This board is made in usa and sells for $120 us  a bit more than a import ramps.

https://www.printedsolid.com/blogs/news … 3d-printer


Here is a link to all the UltiMachine boards. The even have a usa made ramps board.
Most of there boards come with built in drivers
so if plug in drivers is important you will want a different choice.

https://ultimachine.com/

Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
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