1 Topic by DLM

  • DLM
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  • Registered: 2013-05-13
  • Posts: 37

Topic: Machine stopped printing!

Solidoodle 2
Win XP 32 bit
4gigs ram
Nvidia 8800 1gig
Repetier Host / Slic3r

My machine has only been turned on twice since getting it.  The first time I tried a couple test prints.  Machine was working fine, albeit with some calibration issues that was picking up the prints off the print bed.  Next day, plugged in the power cord, opened Repetier Host, heated up extruder and bed (both heated up just fine) and moved the extruder via Z arrow, and that worked just fine.  Sliced up a simple test file and ran the job.  Machine does nothing, and I left it running for 20 minutes just to be sure.  Restarted computer and set everything up for a second run.  Again, the Z arrow does move the extruder, but when I go to run the print, nothing.  Dialog at the bottom of th screen says "Printing..." next to the progress bar, but nothing happens. 

Was reading online about bad power supplies, but my printer lights up, heats up, and does move when before I print.  After I run the print and nothing happens, the Z arrow no longer responds until I close out of Repetier and open it again.  I also noticed a red led light on the circuit board next to a connector (e4 maybe?).  Is that normal?  The light stays on even after I unplug the machine.  Oh, and by the way, the ground wire in my power supply clearly broke off the solder despite me babying the machine while unpacking, but that didn't seem to be the issue.   

Starting to panic now.  $600. paperweight?

2 Reply by Gordym (edited by Gordym 2013-05-16 10:24:23)

  • Gordym
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  • From: Adrian, MI
  • Registered: 2012-08-10
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Re: Machine stopped printing!

The red light on the circuit board is supposed to be on when the USB cable is plugged in. The board is driven off the 5V connection from the USB cable. The 12V power supply is for the heat bed and other power hungry devices connected to the board. Can you move your motors in all directions by using the buttons in the software? If so, check your custom G-Code to see if it has been deleted from your printer configuration. Check your slicer settings to make sure the Solidoodle configs are chosen. I accidentally had a default printer configuration chosen once and had a similar issue when I tried to print.

BTW, when using repetier-Host, it will wait until your hot end temp reaches your set level before it starts printing. Watch your temp and see if it starts prinitng after it reaches the desired temp. Also, check your start G-Code to make sure you did not add the code to wait until your bed is heated before it starts the print job. Apparently, this feature does not work with SD.

SD2
E3D V6
MK5 V6

3 Reply by DLM

  • DLM
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Re: Machine stopped printing!

Gordym wrote:

The red light on the circuit board is supposed to be on when the USB cable is plugged in. The board is driven off the 5V connection from the USB cable. The 12V power supply is for the heat bed and other power hungry devices connected to the board. Can you move your motors in all directions by using the buttons in the software? If so, check your custom G-Code to see if it has been deleted from your printer configuration. Check your slicer settings to make sure the Solidoodle configs are chosen. I accidentally had a default printer configuration chosen once and had a similar issue when I tried to print.

BTW, when using repetier-Host, it will wait until your hot end temp reaches your set level before it starts printing. Watch your temp and see if it starts prinitng after it reaches the desired temp. Also, check your start G-Code to make sure you did not add the code to wait until your bed is heated before it starts the print job. Apparently, this feature does not work with SD.

I think you may have figured out my problem.  I had preset my extruder temp hi in effort to test different temp levels to see the results.  I had set it to 200C, which it may have hit at one point, but it tends to hover around 196-198C.  If what you wrote about it not printed until it hits 200C is true all the time, that could be it.  I'll check everything you wrote later tonight when I get home.  I appreciate your feedback.

4 Reply by Gordym

  • Gordym
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  • From: Adrian, MI
  • Registered: 2012-08-10
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Re: Machine stopped printing!

When I watch mine, It bounces up to about 203, then levels off at 195 (My print temp) before it starts printing.

SD2
E3D V6
MK5 V6

5 Reply by DLM

  • DLM
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Re: Machine stopped printing!

Gordym wrote:

The red light on the circuit board is supposed to be on when the USB cable is plugged in. The board is driven off the 5V connection from the USB cable. The 12V power supply is for the heat bed and other power hungry devices connected to the board. Can you move your motors in all directions by using the buttons in the software? If so, check your custom G-Code to see if it has been deleted from your printer configuration. Check your slicer settings to make sure the Solidoodle configs are chosen. I accidentally had a default printer configuration chosen once and had a similar issue when I tried to print.

BTW, when using repetier-Host, it will wait until your hot end temp reaches your set level before it starts printing. Watch your temp and see if it starts prinitng after it reaches the desired temp. Also, check your start G-Code to make sure you did not add the code to wait until your bed is heated before it starts the print job. Apparently, this feature does not work with SD.


BTW - It most likely was the heat sensor that was preventing printing when I tested the bed heating by jacking the temp up to 120C.  I brought it back down to 90C and it started as soon as it hit 90.  120C was just not achievable, so it wasn't printing when I had it set that high.  Thank you.