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I have assembled a Rostock MAX using the RAMPS 1.4 board. However, I'm having an issue with the motors skipping. I've tried adjusting the pots on the stepper drivers. I've taken the arms completely apart and filed all the joints to ensure everything moves easily. When I turn the stepper shaft by hand, it really isn't that difficult. The motors move just fine when loading the firmware for the original Rostock, so my concern is maybe there is a setting I'm missing in the Rostock MAX firmware that is causing my issue. I've changed the motherboard setting in the Configuration.h for the Rostock MAX firmware to 34 (RAMPS 1.3).

Can someone that knows a bit more than I about this topic provide me some direction? Perhaps the micro-stepping is different, on the original Rostock wiki page it implies that 16x micro-stepping is being used, and on the Rostock MAX wiki page it implies that 8x micro-stepping is being used. Could that have something to do with it? Also, I'm using NEMA 17 motors.

Thanks!
Dylan

I'm going to assume that by skipping, the arms don't move at all and the motors make a clicking sound?
If it's not this you need to be more specific as to what you are seeing.

If turning the motor pulley by hand doesn't reveal mechanical resistance, it's likely the pots on the driver boards, you mention that you tried adjusting them, they can be very picky especially if they don't have heat sinks, though there is usually a fairly decent range where they will runa Ned only intermittently miss steps.

If you ramps board is configured for 16x micro stepping, (all of the jumpers under the drivers are on then you need to double the XYZ and E step values in configuration.h. But this will only so itself as the arms moving 1/2 the commanded distance.

Could also be the motor wiring.

It's also possible your Nema 17's are badly rated to be run off the RAMPS board.

Thanks for all your help. It turned out to be the POTS. My vision isn't what it used to be, so I think they weren't turning when I thought they were. I think I have them somewhere in the middle of their range now and there is no skipping to be had.

Thanks!