1 Topic by PrinterPapa

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Topic: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Please help me..

I just picked up a Solidoodle 2, used, and am having a hard time getting it to "know" where the print bed is.

I've searched the forums and google and can't figure out what search terms to use.

I've tried using the software from Solidoodle, but ran into trouble right off the bat with some sort of Perl erorr about multiplication.  Read on a page that it had to do with a setting that was off, so I downloaded Repetier 0.90 along with Slic3r 0.9.10b.

My problem is that every time I load in an STL, slice it, and run it, the extruder swings all the way to the left and grinds (opposite side of the X stop switch) and then will come forward and grind against the front (opposite side of the Y stop switch).

It's like it doesn't know it's own limits.

Can someone please enlighten me or help point me in the right direction?  I have (out of sheer luck with playing with the X stop switch at the right time) been able to print a couple small things, but they were not even close to the middle of the print bed.

Below are the settings that are displayed when Repetier connects to the printer.

Thanks in advance for any advice/information anyone can provide,

-Joe

20:36:28.869 : echo:Free Memory:1598 PlannerBufferBytes:1168
20:36:28.869 : echo:Stored settings retreived:
20:36:28.869 : echo:Steps per unit:
20:36:28.869 : echo:  M92 X88.00 Y88.00 Z2268.00 E115.00
20:36:28.869 : echo:Maximum feedrates (mm/s):
20:36:28.869 : echo:  M203 X500.00 Y500.00 Z5.00 E45.00
20:36:28.869 : echo:Maximum Acceleration (mm/s2):
20:36:28.869 : echo:  M201 X9000 Y9000 Z100 E10000
20:36:28.869 : echo:Acceleration: S=acceleration, T=retract acceleration
20:36:28.869 : echo:  M204 S3000.00 T3000.00
20:36:28.869 : echo:Advanced variables: S=Min feedrate (mm/s), T=Min travel feedrate (mm/s), B=minimum segment time (ms), X=maximum xY jerk (mm/s),  Z=maximum Z jerk (mm/s)
20:36:28.869 : echo:  M205 S0.00 T0.00 B20000 X20.00 Z0.40
20:36:28.869 : echo:PID settings:
20:36:28.869 : echo:   M301 P10.15 I0.17 D155.14
20:36:29.097 : FIRMWARE_NAME:Marlin; Sprinter/grbl mashup for gen6 FIRMWARE_URL:something PROTOCOL_VERSION:1.0 MACHINE_TYPE:Mendel EXTRUDER_COUNT:1ok
20:36:29.097 : echo:Active Extruder: 0

2 Reply by ronsii

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Make sure the Repetier 'printer settings'/'printer shape' has the correct settings describing your printer, print area should be no more than 150 in all directions.

You will also have to make sure the slicer settings match.

3 Reply by mconsidine

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Sounds like you need to set/check the limits in the firmware and/or the software you are using??  In RH can you move the head around easily using the "manual" mode?
Matt

4 Reply by PrinterPapa

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Yes, I can move the head around manually.  Sometimes I need to disconnect/reconnect in order for it to let me move farther (like towards the stop switches)

Is there a link to how I can manually calibrate this thing?  Like manually moving the head using RH and figuring out homing values and such?

5 Reply by mconsidine

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Try this for setting up RH
  http://www.repetier.com/documentation/r … iguration/
and/or this
  http://solidoodletips.wordpress.com/201 … tier-host/

And if you want to install/reinstall firmware, look at the configuration.h section of  this
  http://www.soliwiki.com/3D_Printing_Har … g_Firmware
for where bed size can be specified.

You mention buying the machine used.  Any idea why the prior owner sold it?  Was it related to this issue and is it possible they tried tweaking and uploading the software?

Hope this helps.

6 Reply by PrinterPapa

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Thank you very much for the links.... my next step was to attempt to reinstall the firmware, though it looked like quite a few dependencies needed to be installed first.

I'll definitely watch the videos and read the articles.  I should have some time tomorrow to fiddle with it again.

The previous owner simply wanted to unload it because he hadn't used it in months.  For all I know, it could have been having these problems.  However, I do think that it's probably some setting somewhere (EEPROM?) that I'm missing.

I did happen across the post about starting/ending G-code for the Solidoodle 2.  I tried the original set from the older post and seemed to work a bit better than the newer post.

Thanks again

7 Reply by spapadim (edited by spapadim 2013-06-26 03:41:48)

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

In my case, the home offset was way off in the factory-installed firmware, for whatever reason. Try this:

1. Hit "park" (which uses absolute positioning moves); it should move head to (what printer thinks is) 145,145 if you are using the SD preconfigured RH. Mark position.
2. Re-home x-y and move head manually to same spot using arrows (which use relative positions moves) and see what RH says the head position is.
3. Subtract the one x position from the other (and same for y), and enter that offset uned the EEPROM settings.

Alternatively, if you're comfortable entering gcode manually:
G90
G1 X75 Y75
Measure offset in mm from true center; say your head ends up 10mm to left and 5mm to back of true center, then:
M206 X-10.0 Y5.0
(or M206 X10.0 Y-5.0, not near printer to check now, but you get idea) and try G1 X75 Y75 to again to confirm you got it right.
Then either add that M206 command to your start gcode in slic3r, or enter M500 to save offset in EEPROM.

Hope this helps..

Edit: If the park position (145,145 or whatever it's set to) or 75,75 end up slamming the head at one end of the bed, then your home is way off, so just try to adjust these till you get head to move somewhere without grinding past edge, and then measure offsets against that position.

8 Reply by PrinterPapa

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

I'm attempting to use the M206 command to update the home offset.  I think I'm missing something in the sequence.  Could you look at what I'm doing and tell me if something is missing or incorrect or not needed (I'm only trying to do the X axis right now, to simplify troubleshooting):

1) power on SD2
2) click Connect in RH
3) enter M206 X(whatever)
4) enter M500
5) click the Home X button (the print head moves to the right and hits the stop switch, RH Home X = Max)
6) enter G90, G1 X75

What I'm not sure if is if I have to click Disconnect in RH and/or power cycle the SD2 before trying #3,4,5 and 6.

Thanks much

9 Reply by adrian (edited by adrian 2013-06-26 15:45:46)

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Have you tried just

1) Power on SD2
2) Click COnnect in RH
3) Click the "Home" Button under the Manual Control Tab
4) Everything should now just work ?....

You'll notice that when you first connect to the printer, the Y and X locations under the Manual tab are Red. This means they are 'unknown'. Click the picture of a House, then they should go black and the printer homes to its correct position.

Reading through the thread, I couldn't see if you're doing that mandatory 'click home' step - which needs to be basically the first thing you do whenever you connect to the printer. Without this step, it has no idea where the extruder head is and so yes, often shoots wildly off to where it shouldn't be...

I could be completly off base - and apologies if I am - but it sounds like you've just missed that simple step. There should be absolutely no need to fiddle with G-code to get it to behave correctly.

10 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Did you fix your original problem. I would put a dollar on the x-y connectors being backwards. You can either just flip the connectors over or in the firmware invert those motors which is just changing a 0 to a 1.

I had installed my motors backwards when switching to my ramps board and had the same problem. Make sure to unplug the 12v source before removing the motor connectors.

SD3 w/ mods:
Glass bed with QU-BD heat pad upgrade, threadless ballscrew w/ 8mm smooth rod, spectra line belt replacement, lawsy MK5 extruder, Lawsy replacement carriage, E3D hotend, Ramps 1.4 w/ reprap discount controller, DRV8825 drivers, 12v 30A PS, Acrylic case, Overkill Y-idlers, Filament alarm, Extruder fan + more.

2n2r5's Website

11 Reply by PrinterPapa

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

The Home-X button in Repetier seems to be working ok.  The head moves to the right against the switch and stops.  The GUI then shows the X=value in black. 

The Home-Y button doesn't make the head move at all.  The head is not currently even close to the switch.  The GUI however does show the Y=value in black.

Currently, after clicking the Home-X button, the gui reports X=159

Since the Home-Y button doesn't do anything, should I use the GUI arrows to position the head against the stop-switch, disconnect RH, then connect RH, and click Home-Y?

12 Reply by adrian (edited by adrian 2013-06-26 16:09:04)

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

So X is all good now, and at the correct position.

And what about when you click just the house - bottom-left corner. That one means 'home all axis'

So its just chasing the Y-issue now... Try resetting the printer (remove USB and remove external power) and closing repetier.

Open Repetier, reconnect USB, click Connect. Turn on external power to the printer, then click Bottom-Left-Home-Button (Home-All).

13 Reply by PrinterPapa

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Actually, I'm still having trouble with X.   Should I be power cycling (and removing usb) after every time I adjust m206 and write with m500?

14 Reply by adrian (edited by adrian 2013-06-26 16:41:35)

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

I'm not really confident you should have had or have need to adjust g-code just yet myself.... If you weren't hitting the home button as soon as you opened Repetier-Host then that was the original problem, but not sure where your printer is at now if it has been bashed around a bit and theres been gcodes entered to offset your home etc etc

Maybe best to speak to the professionals via http://www.soliwiki.com/Solidoodle_IRC_Channel ; Solidoodle should be able to sort it in a jiffy I'm sure. Or Skype them (they have Skype).

15 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Does the Y axis report endstop hit or anything like that? Can you post the output of M119? That is the endstop status.

SD3 w/ mods:
Glass bed with QU-BD heat pad upgrade, threadless ballscrew w/ 8mm smooth rod, spectra line belt replacement, lawsy MK5 extruder, Lawsy replacement carriage, E3D hotend, Ramps 1.4 w/ reprap discount controller, DRV8825 drivers, 12v 30A PS, Acrylic case, Overkill Y-idlers, Filament alarm, Extruder fan + more.

2n2r5's Website

16 Reply by PrinterPapa

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

I am sitting in the IRC channel right now and no responses yet...  been waiting about 30 minutes.

I manually moved (using the RH arrow buttons) the head away from the Y-stop and m119 reports:

11:58:41.144 : N520 M119 *13
11:58:41.155 : x_max:H y_max:L z_min:L

Reading the wiki about M206, I have probably really messed up the homing offsets.  It appears that M206 is additive, rather than absolute offsets.

I can't seem to figure out how to read the current offsets.  M501 reports everything EXCEPT the Home offsets.

17 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

It sounds like the original, buggy firmware.  One problem with it was that it wouldn't home Y, which is why you originally needed to update the firmware to use Repetier until they updated the official firmware to Lawsy's version.

18 Reply by PrinterPapa

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Thank you Ian for suggesting the firmware.  I followed the instructions and was able to successfully upload a good firmware version.  The Y-axis now Homes properly and I'm off to the races now.

Thank you all for the great support and responses!

19 Reply by spapadim

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Re: Newbie can't keep the extruder from ramming left and front sides

Sitting in front of printer, can confirm I have zero offset.  The workaround I described was what I spent the entire first day struggling with (got printer early June, firmware was dated 8/12, if I remember right).  I have since updated firmware for other reasons (and don't struggle as much smile.  Apologies if I caused any confusion!