Firmware for the new RAMBo

[johnoly99]

Hey guys, here's my github for the firmware, as it stands now. The major difference is the current and microstep digipots, adjustable by the firmware in configuration.h

https://github.com/johnoly99/rambomarlinbyseemecnc

Comments/suggestions, lets have it!

[andematt]

Hey John (or anyone else ), does the config you have on github print alright? I was looking at the http://reprap.org/wiki/Calibration page and trying to print 0.5mm-thin-wall.stl (0.5mm-thin-wall.stl) but got some wild activity from the printer. The extruder left Home and maxed out X and Y and started the print at the right edge of the table (max X about mid Y). Pronterface seems to be controlling it alright through manual controls. I sliced that stl with slic3r after stepping through the setup wizard.

I measured extruder accuracy last night - 40mm of pla from pronterface was about 38.5mm actual.

I'm thinking i should get relatively close to a print with your config and maybe just have to fine tune the settings. Any ideas?

[johnoly99]

andematt, Hmmmm. Sounds like microstep setting is off maybe? Make a 10mm move in x and measure, and 10mm in Y, and if they're close, then it might be in your slicer config. Printer shape/print center etc...

[andematt]

Sounds like microstep setting is off maybe? Make a 10mm move in x and measure, and 10mm in Y

So I had a little more success with the nickel calibration thing on thingiverse last night but the print is almost double skewed/stretched in Y.

So if I take measurements and find that my Y-axis is off where are those adjustments made? I see these constants in Configuration.h:

Code: Select all

#define XMICROSTEP16
#define YMICROSTEP4
#define ZMICROSTEP16
#define E0MICROSTEP16
#define E1MICROSTEP16

and then they are used in stepper.cpp.

[johnoly99]

See that YMICROSTEP4. ? THAT 4 NEEDS TO BE A 16. Your y was 4 times the length of the x axis. That sets the motor microstepping. Change that, reflash the RAMBo and you should be good to go.

[andematt]

See that YMICROSTEP4. ? THAT 4 NEEDS TO BE A 16. Your y was 4 times the length of the x axis. That sets the motor microstepping. Change that, reflash the RAMBo and you should be good to go.

Yeah, I wondered if that could be the culprit but couldn't see how it translated in stepper.cpp. Cool, I'll try that.

By the way, that's straight (unmodified) from the rambo git repo.

[johnoly99]

Yeah, I noticed that in the github too. He'll prob. change it sooner or later

[Danger_J]

Is there anywhere I can find the current firmware for my Rambo Board? I'll admit that I am pretty new at these things, but I went through all the information I could find about the Repetier Firmware at https://github.com/repetier/Repetier-Firmware and I'm totally confused about how to actually configure my Rambo to get printing.

I've had my H1.1 all built and wired for more than a month now, but I've really been struggling to figure out how to make the little fella start doing something . . . anything at all. Is there any one who toss a little help my way?

-Jon

[mhackney]

RAMBo for an H-1.1 is likely uncharted territory. But, having done this with a Gen6 board, the process should be about the same. Start with the latest firmware release - you are choosing Repetier, which is fine.

Then, launch the Arduino IDE (make sure you have the latest release of this - 1.0.3) and open the Repetier.ino file in the Repetier folder. This will give you access to all of the source files in the Repetier firmware package.

Usually on the 3rd tab from the left will be "Configuration.h" - select it. This configuration file is where all the magic happens to set up for your printer. Read it from top to bottom. The key points are:

set your board type - 301 for RAMBo
and communication settings (close to the bottom of the file)

Once you have these you should compile and upload to your board to make sure you have things set up correctly and your host communications set up correctly.

From there, you can systematically work through configuration. I recommend this order:

1. end stops
2. stepper motors - movement and calibration. You can either calculate the steps per mm or derive them empirically by specifying a distance to move and measuring and then calculating the new value (I've posted on this process in the last week so search my posts).
3. hot end thermistor
4. hot end
5. hot bed thermistor
6. hot bed

There is a reason for this order. Many firmwares won't allow bi-directional stepper movement if there are no end stops hooked up. Many firmwares won't allow running the hot end if the thermistor is not hooked up or running the hot bed if no hot end thermistor is hooked up.

[dmpalmer]

Is there anywhere I can find the current firmware for my Rambo Board? I'll admit that I am pretty new at these things, but I went through all the information I could find about the Repetier Firmware at https://github.com/repetier/Repetier-Firmware and I'm totally confused about how to actually configure my Rambo to get printing.

I've had my H1.1 all built and wired for more than a month now, but I've really been struggling to figure out how to make the little fella start doing something . . . anything at all. Is there any one who toss a little help my way?

-Jon

With the latest from https://github.com/repetier/Repetier-Firmware (do a git pull to grab any changes since you downloaded), I use the following configuration file.

Configuration.h

H1.1 Repetier Configuration.h

(48.36 KiB) Downloaded 358 times

This is for RAMBo and the H1.1.

My printer has a maximumZ endstop switch at the top rather than a minimum Z at the bottom, so that's something to watch out for.

There has been a revsion to RAMBo which changes the number of microsteps, so carefully command a move of 1 centimeter and make sure it doesn't move by 0.5 or 2.0 cm (or some other number) on each axis individually.