$50 Stable toolchain challenge

[da3v]

I love my MakerGear stepper extruders, and I would love to be able to
use my RAMPs board, but I don't have the bandwidth to keep up with all
of the forums on a regular basis, and sifting through the thousands of
possible combinations and permutations of cam+firmware+sofware is not
how I want to spend my free time, I'd much rather spend it designing
and printing. --So, I'll paypal $50 to the first person who posts a
reply to this thread specifying a skeinforge+firmware+software
toolchain that will work for me, end-to-end, on Windows XP *and* on OS
X 10.6 with a v1.1 RAMPs board and a MakerGear stepper extruder. It
doesn't need to be the latest & greatest cutting edge awesomeness, it
just needs to work for me.

To be eligible, please specify:

1) One specific version of skeinforge with dimension support that
works in this chain. I'm looking for ONE version (and ideally, a
specific path) not the phrase "or greater than."

2) One specific version of, path to, and, if needed, the EXACT header
file changes required to build the firmware for the v1.1 RAMPs board.
(Tonokip, Tesla, 5D, 6D, 7D... whatever it takes...just be really,
really specific and clear.)

3) The specific version of and path to the "host-ish" software that
works in this chain for each OS. I don't care if it is replicator-g,
resnapper, reprap host, etc, I just want to be able to get from power
on and temperature set through the end of my print, using the gcode
generated with the version of skeinforge specified and the firmware
specified. If different host-ish software is needed on OS X than Win
XP, that is fine as long as there is a specific tool path for each
platform that works.

Thanks!
-Dave

[Rick]

Thanks Dave!!

We'll match that with $50 credit in the MakerGear Store.

And, for folks who keep it up to date, we'll figure something
out...free filament or beta parts or something. It would be extremely
nice to be able say just use this -> [Hi I work]

but unfortunately, I can't keep up with all of the changes and right
now we are trying to chip away at the back-log while simultaneously
developing new products <- think you'll likey :)

Rick

[Sonny Mounicou]

Dave,

I'm using 

1) Skeinforge 40.  This is located here ... http://fabmetheus.crsndoo.com/files/40_reprap_python_beanshell.zip

2) I'm using tonokip with Tesla's modifications.  I'll send you a copy of what I am using if you want. It can be gotten from here ... https://github.com/tesla893/Tonokip-Firmware/tree/master/Tonokip_Firmware

3) I'm using repsnapper on osx.  I'm using the one from here ... https://sites.google.com/site/davidbuzz/repsnapper-for-osx-binaries

I believe there is the same version for windows, but I don't have windows to try it on.

I'm using this on a prusa mendel with ramps and an MG stepper extruder.

[Sonny Mounicou]

And I should have specified that for 2, I'm using the version from Feb 11th.  That can be downloaded from git.  I'm sure the latest one works, but I haven't tried it.

[Sharkcus]

It might be a cool idea to create a vm in vmware player to distribute
for various combinations with skeinforge, repsnapper, whatever...
already installed and preconfigured. Literally all you would have to
do is bring it up in VMWare player (free) on ANY computer and you are
ready to print without making a single configuration change.

Or you could throw the .vmdk on a dvd and run off that.

I'll volunteer to set that part up once a winning combo is suggested.
I'll distribute the VM for testing tweeking.

[Mike Payson]

That makes an easy, portable solution, but I suspect the virtual machine would quadruple the resource footprint required. It's probably not ideal for your day to day use machine, but would be a very handy solution for quickly installing on a new machine.

[Dave Casey]

At one point, I started working on a pre-configured bootable ubuntu thumbdrive image loaded with a compatible set of tools, but only got about as far as the "reprap-host is not talking to my firmware" stage. The next time I looked up, there was a new version or two of everything, and people seemed to be having new problems with a lot of the combos, hence this thread.

--
When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.
 - Mark Twain

[Sharkcus]

You'd be surprised, I run vmware player on some pretty low end
machines. I'll throw one together at some point and link back here
when I get time, for my *working* setup. I mean, you don't want to do
a lot of cpu/ram/etc intensive stuff while you have the VM running and
printing, but I don't think people usually do that stuff anyway while
printing. Either way, something to keep in the back of your mind. I'll
probably go ubuntu and strip it down. Or like Dave mentioned below, a
livecd would work too once the "magic combo" is discovered.

On Mar 18, 1:20 pm, Mike Payson <m...@dawgdayz.com> wrote:

[Dave Casey]

Sonny, any news on the windows side?

[Mike Payson]

Dave,

You should not have much trouble with the following setup on Windows:

Tesla's Tonokip Firmware - https://github.com/tesla893/Tonokip-Firmware

Kulitorium's RepSnapper version - http://www.kulitorum.com/RepSnapperBeta.rar

Ultimachine's Skeinforge profile - http://ultimachine.com/content/mendel-notes

The last will still need some tweaking probably, but should at least get you in the ballpark of what you need.

There are rumors of compatibility problems with the Mega 2560 and RepSnapper. I can confirm that the 2560 works just fine, but you need to use Tesla's firmware or you will run into serial issues.

Mike

[Jay Couture]

In the configuration.h file line 45:

//Uncomment below for hardware endstops. This will turn on the the built in Mega pull up resistors in the setup() routine

//#define USE_INTERNAL_PULLUPS

-Jay

[Dave Casey]

Notes:

With OS X 10.5.8

Arduino22 from http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
DON'T INSTALL THE FTDIUSBSerialDriver!!!!! Just copy the Arduino app to your applications folder.
Installing the FTDI driver seems to prevent the Arduino IDE from uploading sketches to the Mega 2560.

Repsnapper:
This version seems to work okay:
https://sites.google.com/site/davidbuzz/repsnapper-for-osx-binaries/RepSnapper-01-09-2010.dmg?attredirects=0&d=1
This version dies before it finishes loading:
https://sites.google.com/site/davidbuzz/repsnapper-for-osx-binaries/RepSnapper-28-10-2010.dmg?attredirects=0&d=1

Default repsnapper baud rate is 19200. Default firmware baud rate is 115200, so I had to change baud rate in repsnapper to 115200 before I could connect to my RAMPs board.

Firmware:
I tried  https://github.com/tesla893/Tonokip-Firmware/tree/master/Tonokip_Firmware  as of 3/10. After figuring out the baud rate mis-match, Initial jog tests seem to work. I haven't hooked a hot end up to the ramps board yet.

[MrAlvin]

I use RepSnapper (on windows) to run Mendel(s). And I use my own
version of a RAMPS style controller setup.

This version of RepSnapper can usually generate useable Gcode, but its
a fairly early version of RepSnapper.
http://www.3iii.dk/RepRap/RepSnapper/RepSnapper-workhorse.zip

I don't use the RepSnapper default settings, so included in the zip
file is a .xml settings file. If you unpack the zip file in its own
folder, you can test RepSnapper with the settings I find useful.

This version of RepSnapper can not save (or restore) End Code
settings, so I copy the text from the end-code.txt to the End Code
tab, before generating Gcode (or if I forget, then just copy the end-
code text to the bottom of the Gcode in the Result tab).

Please note that right-click to copy/paste does not work in these
versions of RepSnapper, but ctrl+c and ctrl+v does.



This version is the newest version I use for Windows.
http://www.3iii.dk/RepRap/RepSnapper/RepSnapper-feb.11-logick.zip
When using Logick's Shrinking Algorithm, you may also be able to
generate things like multi layered walls, more dense top and bottom
Layers, and more. It is however still very beta (and the other
shrinking algorithms have basically been destroyed some how).




This is my own beta version of RAMPS firmware - based on Tonokip.
http://www.3iii.dk/RepRap/RepSnapper/MrAlvin_Tonokip_Firmware.zip

I do not have a RAMPS board (only something like it), so I can not
test if I got the pins configuration precisely right. But this is how
I have set it up in this sample:
- D10 is for nozzle heater
- D9 is for a Fan
- D8 is for Heated Bed control
- I have not enabled the end stops in the firmware. I recommend to
wait with enabling them, till you have movement (in both directions)
of all axes, as wrong end-stop settings may otherwise prohibit any
movement at all.

Other notes about the firmware:
- I can only get it to compile in Arduino 0018-0021. Version 0022
gives me a very odd error message.
- No command G28 is implemented (RepSnapper "HomeAll" does not work/
should not be used)
- it should be directly compilable for a RAMPS setup of a Mendel.
- default communication speeds are 100000 baud (as this is better
suited for Arduino's clock divider than 115200)
- I have previously had some trouble with RAMPS nozzle temperature
control, but I think its working quite fine now.
- To have things run a bit faster, the firmware can manage two heater
wires for both the nozzle and the bed. It is however turned off with
the current RAMPS settings (needs more MOSFETs to work).
- As many as four FANs/LEDs can be PWM controlled, but only one is
enabled in the current RAMPS settings (needs more MOSFETs to work).

- My philosophy is that the computers (and machines) should support
the operator (user) and thus there are a few D (Debug commands )
available in this firmware. So without re-compiling, one can turn
debug options on and off. I find this very useful when first setting
up a Mendel printer (and when ever it has to be re-trimmed/calibrated
after a hardware repair).


I do not yet use Skeinforge, so I'll be of no help there.


/MrAlvin

[Antonio Santos - Brazil]

I don't really get why there are so many firmware realeases. I've
being using my own version of the EC based on Rick's, Skeinforge 31
and repg 13(yes, 13 I only use it to build and run, nothing else).

I am able to print over and over again, successfully. I have this
setup since oct 2010, and never had a single issue.

I really think that the more they change these firmware and software,
the worst its getting. I tried a couple of the latest ones, but some
wierd things happened, like nozzle getting slammed against the part on
the middle of the print, among some other crazy firmware related
issues.

-Antonio Santos

On 30 mar, 19:46, MrAlvin <per.al...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I use RepSnapper (on windows) to run Mendel(s). And I use my own
> version of a RAMPS style controller setup.
>
> This version of RepSnapper can usually generate useable Gcode, but its

> a fairly early version of RepSnapper.http://www.3iii.dk/RepRap/RepSnapper/RepSnapper-workhorse.zip

>
> I don't use the RepSnapper default settings, so included in the zip
> file is a .xml settings file. If you unpack the zip file in its own
> folder, you can test RepSnapper with the settings I find useful.
>
> This version of RepSnapper can not save (or restore) End Code
> settings, so I copy the text from the end-code.txt to the End Code
> tab, before generating Gcode (or if I forget, then just copy the end-
> code text to the bottom of the Gcode in the Result tab).
>
> Please note that right-click to copy/paste does not work in these
> versions of RepSnapper, but ctrl+c and ctrl+v does.
>

> This version is the newest version I use for Windows.http://www.3iii.dk/RepRap/RepSnapper/RepSnapper-feb.11-logick.zip

> When using Logick's Shrinking Algorithm, you may also be able to
> generate things like multi layered walls, more dense top and bottom
> Layers, and more.  It is however still very beta (and the other
> shrinking algorithms have basically been destroyed some how).
>

> This is my own beta version of RAMPS firmware - based on Tonokip.http://www.3iii.dk/RepRap/RepSnapper/MrAlvin_Tonokip_Firmware.zip

[Antonio Santos - Brazil]

btw, I know this thread is RAMPs related, but RAMPS is pretty new to
have as much versions going on... lol

I sort of wish that someday we will have a real easy, and stable
repository. And maybe get it a little less scary for the noobs out
there.

- Antonio Santos

[MrAlvin]

> ... but RAMPS is pretty new to have as much versions going on... lol

yes, but new is the exact reason why there are so many versions.
Everyone is working on making the firmware work with the "new" issues
of RAMPS.

> I sort of wish that someday we will have a real easy, and stable
> repository.

I suspect this will automatically happen over the coming months, where
all the Tonokip followers will be working on consolidating the new
functions into something as simple and easily readable as the original
Tonokip firmware was.

/MrAlvin

[Koen Kooi]

I noticed this in the reprap wiki: http://reprap.org/wiki/ReplicatorG-Skeinforge-RAMPS

It seems the author of that page is quite close to a working solution!

regards,

Koen

[Sonny Mounicou]

Dave,

The toolchain that I mentioned in my original post works with repg on windows too.  I'm using those exact software components and it works well.  I think you should give it a try.

[mike.dissidence]

http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?219,77994

there is a good forum thread close to this topic. the more relivent
stuff is near the end of it.