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richard.l
(@richard-l)
Member Moderator
Where do I begin!

I was very excited to get my new printer and after 8 hours over 3 days I managed to get it put together. Now, I am horribly disappointed. As of now I still haven't managed to get anything to print. Nothing. It powers on, the screen comes up, I can pre-heat and the fans all work. I can go in a move all the axis through the menu.

I have all the software installed my PC does not see the printer so I can't use any of it. I tried printing from the SD card but it just sits at SD 0% no matter how long I let it go.

Also, isn't Auto Home supposed to move things to the 0,0,0 location? Choosing Auto Home does nothing.

Getting help on this is almost impossible. Please tell me buying this wasn't a mistake.

Posted : 07/11/2015 3:29 am
richard.l
(@richard-l)
Member Moderator
Topic starter answered:
Re: Where do I begin!

Ok, I hooked it up to another PC and was able to get it to talk with Pronterface. I can control the axis but still can't get it to auto home. Still can't print anything.

Posted : 07/11/2015 4:39 am
Josef Průša
(@josef-prusa)
Member Admin
Re: Where do I begin!

Did you try printing any of our provided sample g-code thru Pronterface?

If SD is misbehaving, please try reformat it. Please let me know asap so we can get you printing as soon as possible 🙂

Founder and owner / Majitel a zakladatel
Posted : 07/11/2015 8:02 am
richard.l
(@richard-l)
Member Moderator
Topic starter answered:
Re: Where do I begin!

Things are getting somewhat better. I am able to send the print job from Pronterface and the printer actually tries to print. The problem is that no matter where the printhead is it thinks that position is 0,0,0 when it starts printing.

Needless to say, I loaded a print job, centered the X-axis and raised the Z-axis, loaded the filament and started printing. Since it was raised and centered it started printing in mid air.

Resetting the X and Y axis are easy, the Z axis is really a pain. Is there any way to move the Z-axis other than using the screws on the side when it thinks the Z-axis is near the top?

Also, am I misinterpreting what Auto Home does? In my mind, you set 0 for all axis and then if you are off 0,0,0 and select Auto Home it would move back to 0,0,0.

Posted : 07/11/2015 6:24 pm
richard.l
(@richard-l)
Member Moderator
Topic starter answered:
Re: Where do I begin!

Finally got most of my issues figured out. Here are my first test prints...

Not sure what happened to the Prusa test and the alien had problems printing the hoop on the top of the head. The frog I thought turned out real nice.

It would still be nice to know if there is a way to tell the Z-axis to go down if it thinks 0 is at the top.

Posted : 09/11/2015 4:36 am
jack.z
(@jack-z)
Eminent Member
Re: Where do I begin!

I'm not exactly sure what caused the problems you were experiencing, but those prints look good!

By the way, auto-home is how you set the 0, 0, 0 position. Once you press auto-home, all of your axis should move to the end stops. Once they hit the end stops, they register that position as 0.

Posted : 09/11/2015 10:18 am
richard.l
(@richard-l)
Member Moderator
Topic starter answered:
Re: Where do I begin!

That's what I thought, but evidently Autohome isn't working on mine. It would seem if I select Autohome it sets the current position as 0,0,0. Easy enough to fix the X-Y axis but the Z can take 10-15 minutes to get it from the top to the bottom by hand.

Posted : 09/11/2015 1:24 pm
Josef Průša
(@josef-prusa)
Member Admin
Re: Where do I begin!

I am not sure if I understand what your Z axis is doing. Can you describe what your printer is doing before the print starts when you run the g-code.

Proper sequence is: X axis goes to left until it hits the endstops, that sets 0 for X axis..
Y axis goes to back, until it hits the endstop, that sets 0 for Y axis.
Z axis goes down until it hits the endstop, that sets 0 for Z axis.

Founder and owner / Majitel a zakladatel
Posted : 09/11/2015 5:45 pm
richard.l
(@richard-l)
Member Moderator
Topic starter answered:
Re: Where do I begin!

I'll try to explain...

It doesn't matter where the print head or heatbed are, if I start a print job it will assume that position is 0,0,0. It never moves the bed or the extruder to the endpoints to mark them 0,0,0.

I just tested this by raising the z-axis 20 and the x and y axis 50 from the 0 point. I then loaded a print job and started. It never moved the axis back to the endpoint and it just started printing in mid air.

Posted : 09/11/2015 11:29 pm
jack.z
(@jack-z)
Eminent Member
Re: Where do I begin!

You should try re-flashing the firmware. You can try these instructions:

1. Download the 1.6.1 driver from here (under "Drivers"): http://www.prusa3d.com/drivers/#_ga=1.123166923.1984510399.1443600934

2. Download the correct 2.2 firmware package for your board from the bottom of the page.

3. Unzip the 1.6.1 driver and open the Firmware Updater.

5. Unzip the 2.2 firmware.

6. In the firmware updater, under "Choose .hex file to flash:" locate the "hex_files" (inside the firmware you just downloaded) and then choose the hex that corresponds to your language.

7. If it's not already, connect the printer to your computer and then update.

8. Should take only a minute or so and then you're done.

Let me know if that fixes things.

Posted : 10/11/2015 8:57 pm
richard.l
(@richard-l)
Member Moderator
Topic starter answered:
Re: Where do I begin!

Unfortunately reflashing was the first thing I tried

Posted : 11/11/2015 12:54 am
richard.l
(@richard-l)
Member Moderator
Topic starter answered:
Re: Where do I begin!

I feel like a complete idiot. I took another look at the electronics and noticed I had plugged the endstops into the wrong row. I changed them to the proper side and all is working as it should.

Posted : 11/11/2015 1:10 am
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