1 Topic by RaymondSheh (edited by RaymondSheh 2015-02-16 22:48:23)

  • RaymondSheh
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Topic: Solidoodle Workbench randomly pausing, extruding then retracting.

Hi all!

Unboxed my recently arrived Solidoodle Workbench, encountered the issues that others have been having (packaging not quite up to standard, broken glass build plate, Y axis way out of alignment, etc.) ... having spent a lot of time modifying my first-gen Solidoodle 3, I was able to solve all of these problems fairly easily and get the rig printing. I downloaded the version of Repetier Host Solidoodle that was available as of last week (V0.85b) and used all default settings (except for selecting Solidoodle Workbench where necessary).

I then ran into an odd issue. A few minutes into the print (using either extruder), the printer would stop all motors and just run the extruder for over 10 seconds, so I get a puddle of plastic under the head. It would then retract for about the same length of time, then continue on with the print. Of course, it doesn't work - the retract pulls the filament all the way out of the hot end so when it continues nothing comes out (and because of the puddle of plastic, the next time the head comes around it just knocks the incomplete print off).

To debug, I got the log to show all commands and the printer to use Ping-Pong Communications. During the time when the printer pauses and just extrudes, no commands get acknowledged (the log stops) but there are no errors.

I ran exactly the same G-code several times and each time this happened in a different place (and no single command seems to stand out) so I'm fairly certain the problem isn't with the G-code (or anything up to that point).

I've also installed a fresh copy of Repetier Host (not the Solidoodle version), manually configured everything using the Solidoodle version as a guide so as to sanity check (and in the process finding that for some odd reason Repetier Host Solidoodle hasn't got a few settings set by default that it should have - little things like filament temperature!) and tried the whole process on two completely different models of computers (both Windows 7 Pro). Same issue.

Thinking the control board was overheating, I tried taking the acrylic cover off and directing a fan into the housing. No difference.

The only clue I can think of is that it *seems* to print for a little bit longer if I up the baud rate. Repetier Host Solidoodle seems to default to 115200, setting it to 250000 (like for my Solidoodle 3) seems to result in a few more layers printing before it dies.

Here are my comms settings:

Baud rate: 250000
Transfer protocol: Autodetect
Rest on connect: DTR low-high-low
Receive cache size: 63

For those of you who have working Workbenches does this match what you've got?


I can't find any similar issues in the forums ... has anyone else encountered this issue?


Cheers!

- Raymond

2 Reply by RaymondSheh

  • RaymondSheh
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Re: Solidoodle Workbench randomly pausing, extruding then retracting.

Oh and as an additional clue, if I kill the job after it does this, it goes back to home - and runs through the endstop. So whatever the micro is doing, it's losing track of where the carriage is.

I guess this means no-one has seen this kind of behaviour?

3 Reply by wardjr

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Re: Solidoodle Workbench randomly pausing, extruding then retracting.

Sounds like a faulty endstop connection.

Printit Industries Model 8.10 fully enclosed CoreXY, Chamber heat
3-SD3's & a Workbench all fully enclosed, RH-Slic3r Win7pro, E3D V6, Volcano & Cyclops Hot End
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Thanks to all for your contributions

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4 Reply by RaymondSheh

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Re: Solidoodle Workbench randomly pausing, extruding then retracting.

Hmm ... if it were only running through the endstop I'd agree but in this case, it does home properly. And the endstops have nothing to do with it suddenly stopping and extruding I would have thought.

The endstops are "soft" (in that the microprocessor needs to be paying attention to them for them to work). I understand that apart from homing, they're largely ignored - as anyone who has had a head crash and resulting belt slip would find.

I'm getting pretty close to concluding that the motherboard has a problem of some sort. I'm trying to decide if it's worth reflashing or if it's better to wait for Solidoodle support to get back to my email that hasn't been replied to yet.

5 Reply by wardjr

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Re: Solidoodle Workbench randomly pausing, extruding then retracting.

RaymondSheh wrote:

Oh and as an additional clue, if I kill the job after it does this, it goes back to home - and runs through the endstop. So whatever the micro is doing, it's losing track of where the carriage is.

I guess this means no-one has seen this kind of behaviour?

I guess I misunderstood what you meant here.

Printit Industries Model 8.10 fully enclosed CoreXY, Chamber heat
3-SD3's & a Workbench all fully enclosed, RH-Slic3r Win7pro, E3D V6, Volcano & Cyclops Hot End
SSR/500W AC Heated Glass Bed, Linear bearings on SS rods. Direct Drive Y-axis, BulldogXL
Thanks to all for your contributions

wardjr's Website

6 Reply by warnweld

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Re: Solidoodle Workbench randomly pausing, extruding then retracting.

hi Raymond,
i also have a workbench and i had the usual setup issues. i have it printing fairly good at the moment except for one problem, my workbench will get to a random time into a print and everything just stops, no warning, no error message, it just freezes, i have read of others having this problem, but never what you are saying. this is the first i have heard of your problem. as for my problem of getting 45 min. into a hour and a half print , it is very frustrating, and if anybody has any clues why this is happening, i'd be glad to hear about it. some have said it's the usb cord , others say it's a spike from other electrical appliances being turned on or off, but i've pretty well ruled these things out.

7 Reply by hostinggeek

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Re: Solidoodle Workbench randomly pausing, extruding then retracting.

I had a similar issue, but mine gave me an error in Repetier host.  It turned out to be a communication issue.  This is why I'm currently shopping controller boards to get rid of the existing solidoodle board.

Of course I know what I'm doing.  I googled it.

hostinggeek's Website

8 Reply by heartless

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Re: Solidoodle Workbench randomly pausing, extruding then retracting.

FWIW - it may be the version of RH being used...

I had updated my RH to the latest about a month or so ago, and suddenly began having communication time-out issues.
Uninstalled that version, reverted back to the version I had been using previously and no more problems.
Currently use version 1.0.6 with Slic3r version 1.2.9 no issues what so ever.

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
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