LF Mobo and extruder controller boards
Johnny Graves
Just making sure I asked everywhere...
Looking for Sanguino Motherboard and extruder controller board...
(@_*$^!%$)&^!@$&% makerbot!)
Nicholas McCoy
Someone has forked the 5D firmware and added support for the Arduino Mega to it. http://dev.forums.reprap.org/read.php?12,28742
I don't think you need the extruder controller board. It was a nice idea when it was running the motor and controlling the temperature, but they moved the motor control to the motherboard in the 5D firmware and the extruder controller board is now just a $45 heater controller. Without the board you just have to run a few more wires.
I've been using the Arduino Duemilanove with an AtMega328 upgrade, which is an effective combination, though it doesn't have as many pins. I had to port the 5D firmware to it.
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Jonathan Cohen
http://store.makerbot.com/sanguino-v1-0-kit.html
So should we go with the arduino mega instead? It's $65, rather than $25 - seems like a pretty steep upgrade, and probably overkill.
What controllers are people using? I know there are tons of Arduino-compatible boards out there, but it seems like they probably aren't all equal when it comes to driving a reprap.
I'm planning on dropping by for a few hours at i3d this weekend. I'll get more out of helping people with mechanical assembly than sitting there soldering my electronics together, so I'm just going to show up and help out whoever wants an extra pair of hands.
-Jon
Keith Mc
(Bare Bones Board) and the Sanquino? The BBB is only $11.
If the schematics are close enough, maybe one can make a
simple Backpack Board to update it as a cheaper solution.
But if there are a LOT of part differences, it probably isn't worth it.
May be worth a glance....
- Keith Mc.
Nicholas McCoy
If you are building a BBB from scratch, or willing to upgrade, you can use an ATMega328 instead which is pin compatible with the ATMega168, but has more program memory and more RAM. That would give you a board very close to what I have, which I know how to make work.
The Sanguino uses an ATMega644, which has more pins and I assume has even more program memory. Since the ATMega644 has more pins, you probably can't fit it into a BBB.
Keith Mc
> The BBB has an ATMega168 in it, which does not have enough program
> memory to run any of the firmwares except the original Gen 2 firmware.
> Both me and Devin struggled trying to get that to run well with little success.
> If you are building a BBB from scratch, or willing to upgrade, you can
> use an ATMega328 instead which is pin compatible with the ATMega168,
> but has more program memory and more RAM. That would give you a
> board very close to what I have, which I know how to make work.
I -think- it was a $5 upgrade over the $11 BBB kit (IOW... $16).
When you say "you know how to make it work", are there HARDWARE
differences (like on board MOSFETS), or only software differences?
If the hardware is different, please describe the diff(s).
> The Sanguino uses an ATMega644, which has more pins [...]
If you don't NEED the extra memory, then that is not an issue.
However, if there is an internal program model or instruction set diffs,
that's a whole 'nother story...
Given a BBB and the better CPU, what are the -specific- differences in
hardware, or software changes needed to make it work (addressing, etc.)?
If they are only software and harnessing differences, this may be
a $16 (in kit form) for everyone that still needs one.
- Keith Mc.
Nicholas McCoy
The ATMega168 has 16 kb of program memory, 2 kb of which is used by the bootloader. My latest build is 18 kb and so I need the ATMega328, which has 32 kb of memory. I believe the 5D firmware orginally took 15 or 16 kb, but as I add stuff (longer temperature table, heated base plate, auto shutdown) it has grown a little.
The changes required to get the 5D firmware working on the ATMega328 were:
1. Change the first line of code to the identifier for the chip.
2. Fix this bug: http://dev.forums.reprap.org/read.php?12,29749,29749#msg-29749
3. Change the pins to the pins I have available
Johnny Graves
idea
when it was running the motor and controlling the temperature, but
they
moved the motor control to the motherboard in the 5D firmware and the
extruder controller board is now just a $45 heater controller.
Without the
board you just have to run a few more wires. "
where?)
Has the stepper controllers on it? or has the extruder control on it?
(E.G. the $65 or whatever someone quoted is less than the Mobo &
extruder before?)
Keith Mc
IYHO, Do you think using a BBB with a processor swap is a viable
alternative (or even a possibility) as a cheaper Extruder Controller, or not?
IOW: Can the ATMega328 MPU be made to fit in the BBB socket, or not?
Does the BBB have compatible I/O hardware, connections, drive, buffering? Etc...
If the BBB hardware COULD be made to work, and all it takes are a few
software tweaks (and maybe a wiring harness change), then an EC could
very well cost under $20 in total...
...and THAT might be a really nice option worth exploring!
This could potentially save one a LOT of bucks (especially if we start talking
about designs that include changeable Heads, with individual Extruder Controllers).
- Keith Mc.
Tim Schmidt
> So what is your bottom line opinion?
>
> IYHO, Do you think using a BBB with a processor swap is a viable
> alternative (or even a possibility) as a cheaper Extruder Controller, or not?
>
> IOW: Can the ATMega328 MPU be made to fit in the BBB socket, or not?
> Does the BBB have compatible I/O hardware, connections, drive, buffering? Etc...
>
> If the BBB hardware COULD be made to work, and all it takes are a few
> software tweaks (and maybe a wiring harness change), then an EC could
> very well cost under $20 in total...
>
> ...and THAT might be a really nice option worth exploring!
>
> This could potentially save one a LOT of bucks (especially if we start talking
> about designs that include changeable Heads, with individual Extruder Controllers).
>
> - Keith Mc.
I think you're asking the wrong question Keith... The BBB is
electrically compatible with the Arduino Nick is using - so replacing
the Atmega 168 it uses with the 328 Nick is using would allow it to
run Nick's firmware. The important bit being missed is what needs to
be added and / or sacrificed to go this route - and the answer to both
is "much". As the 168/328 have very few IO pins, you lose features
like being able to enable / disable stepper controllers (which allows
them to stay cooler), you loose the ability to run 6 independent
endstops, and may even need to wire multiple endstops to the same IO
pin. You also have to add circuitry to control a power supply, handle
the thermistor, control power fets, and assorted other things.
I'm in favor of simplifying the electronics, but there is a minimum of
things required to make a RepRap work, and the motherboard / extruder
controller are still pretty close to that minimum in terms of
functionality. Makerbot even sells them for just a couple dollars
over cost in kit form.
I guess my point is that most of the cost is not in the uController,
but in the peripherals and PCBs - and switching to a BBB gets rid of
neither.
--tim