Replicator disregards x-axis end stop, help!

[Tobias Hall]

Since my other sources of support are so slow I thought I would try getting some help here instead.

I got my Replicator 1 back from repairs, since my x-axis end stop stopped working and my motherboard died after that.

I got one print out of it before I ran into trouble again... My bot tries to go too far on the x-axis while homing.

My first thought was end stop problems again. But the red light turns on, it just disregards it and tries to continue, which it can't, resulting in violent noises and vibrations.

I'm running Makerbot firmware 6.2, I've tried RepG 39 and 40.  

I'm also on Windows 8 Pro. So I had follow the instructions on http://support.makerbot.com/entries/21722813-windows-8-currently-not-working-with-replicatorg-driver-install-fix to install the drivers. 

It was successful, and I can connect to the bot and everything. But each time I try to print something the bot will run the homing script and fail. 

I'm leaning towards some offset or settings error, or that the gantry needs re-alignment. 

English is not my first language, sorry if I haven't made the problem clear enough.

Best regards, Tobias.

[Greg Thorstad]

I would check the gantry alignment.   If you just got it shipped back it is quite possibly out of alignment.  There are instructions for fixing it on the support page.

 

Greg Thorstad, B. Comm.
Thorstad Computer/Thor3d.ca/Canadian Makerbot Distributor
Box 268
Outlook, SK
S0L 2N0
306 867-9596

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[Bottleworks]

Does the LED come on when you hit the switch manually, or when the extruder moves all the way to the right?

[Tobias Hall]

The led comes on when I hit it manually and when it hits it during homing.

I tried the jog mode, hit the switch and it stopped. But it still disregards it during a print...

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[Tobias Hall]

The switch is being hit when I print, or at least the light turns on. 

I jogged towards the switch, pressed it manually and it stopped. I only get the error when I try to print. 

On 13 December 2012 16:25, Mark Cohen <markc...@gmail.com> wrote:

if it is stopping when going in that direction then I think you have
an alignment problem and the switch is not actually being hit when
printing.

On Thu, Dec 13, 2012 at 10:24 AM, Mark Cohen <markc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> yes but is it stopping when you are going towards the switch?

[Laird Popkin]

I'm having the same problem. Did you get any resolution?

The printer's been working great, printing heavily for weeks. I started a new print (no power cycle, nothing unusual) and:

- The 'homing' at the start of a print moves back and stops, and moves right and doesn't stop.

- The x axis end stop switch is lighting up, so I believe it's powered, cabled, etc.

- Power cycling and resetting firmware to defaults doesn't change anything.

Any suggestions?

- LP

[Laird Popkin]

Tried disconnecting and reconnecting all of the cables, no impact. Did find a lot of little pieces of plastic that had fallen through the holes in the corner of the build area, though. I think that once I can print again I'll print something to block the holes into the build area (which gets quite hot, since I enclose the build area to improve ABS printing) and drill some holes to vent air directly into the MightBoard cooling fan.

[Gary Crowell]

On Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 7:46 AM, Laird Popkin <la...@popk.in> wrote:

Tried disconnecting and reconnecting all of the cables, no impact. Did find a lot of little pieces of plastic that had fallen through the holes in the corner of the build area, though. I think that once I can print again I'll print something to block the holes into the build area (which gets quite hot, since I enclose the build area to improve ABS printing) and drill some holes to vent air directly into the MightBoard cooling fan.

That's these things:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:29862

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:29858

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:30953

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:33779

Gary 

----------------------------------------------
Gary A. Crowell Sr., P.E., CID+

Linkedin  Elance  KE7FIZ

[Dan Newman]

On 21 Dec 2012 , at 6:14 AM, Laird Popkin wrote:

> I'm having the same problem. Did you get any resolution?
>
> The printer's been working great, printing heavily for weeks. I started a
> new print (no power cycle, nothing unusual) and:
>
> - The 'homing' at the start of a print moves back and stops, and moves
> right and doesn't stop.
> - The x axis end stop switch is lighting up, so I believe it's powered,
> cabled, etc.
> - Power cycling and resetting firmware to defaults doesn't change anything.

Check your onboard preferences and make sure that "Invert endstops" is
set to "No endstops installed". (That's definitely an odd name for the
correct setting, but I didn't pick it. It should say something
like "no inverted endstops" but it doesn't.)

Also on a Rep 1, it's normal for the X, Y, Z, amd B axes to all be
inverted. Also for Hold Z axis to be checked. Emergency stop should
be set to "No emergency stop installed".

Dan

[Laird Popkin]

Thanks. All of those settings were correct. Re-committed them to the motherboard, just to double check, and the behavior is the same.

Also tried in the control panel - jogging 1mm to the right (X+) lights up the X end stop, but will happily try to force the extruder platform through the right end stop. Stepping back (Y+) hits the end stop and doesn't go further.

Is there something physical that could have failed? Is there a way to see what the software thinks the status of the X end stop switch is?

[Dan Newman]

On 21 Dec 2012 , at 12:15 PM, Laird Popkin wrote:

> Thanks. All of those settings were correct. Re-committed them to the
> motherboard, just to double check, and the behavior is the same.
>
> Also tried in the control panel - jogging 1mm to the right (X+) lights up
> the X end stop, but will happily try to force the extruder platform through
> the right end stop. Stepping back (Y+) hits the end stop and doesn't go
> further.
>
> Is there something physical that could have failed? Is there a way to see
> what the software thinks the status of the X end stop switch is?

Well given that MBI has an issue with the X axis end stop cables failing,
it's conceivable that that has happened to you in some form. The LED
lighting is done locally on the end stop board and is not itself
an indication that the motherboard is receiving the signal.

On the ToM and Cupcake, we actually put into the Gen 4 LCD interface
a utility to test the end stops - a test to show what the firmware is
seeing when they trigger. But on the Replicator, we held back on adding
lots of new utilities since we were getting short on space. (Now that
we've gotten back close to 9K -- down from only 200 bytes left and
a deficit on the Rep 2 -- we can again consider putting in some of the
diagnostic utilities which ToM and Cupcake users already have.

Dan

[Tobias Hall]

I sent my bot back... Nothing I tried helped.

[BTHOON]

I'm on my phone so I can't find the post right now, but I posted about a similar issue a while ago. Turned out to be a mid wire break in one of my x axis stepper wires. When going to start the print, it would stretch the wire just far enough to make it freak out and grind like mad.

Can recreate by opening the control panel in rep g and moving left until it happens. If it happens before the x stop, it might be my issue.

[Tobias Hall]

I've sent it to repair. No words on what's wrong yet.
The Makerbot support thinks it might be related to the gantry

On Dec 31, 2012 6:20 PM, "Raymond Pierson" <raymond...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Tobias,

Last night my Bot began having the same issue as yours.  It just totally ignores the x-axis home sensor and grinds itself into the corner.

Was makerbot able to fix yours? What did they say was the issue?

Thanks

Ray

On Thursday, December 13, 2012 4:12:56 AM UTC-5, Tobias Hall wrote:

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[Tobias Hall]

I will share my finds, but you should try re-aligning the gantry. There is a walkthrough on Makerbots site. Happy new year!

On Dec 31, 2012 11:03 PM, "Raymond Pierson" <raymond...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks!  I opened up a support ticket last night regarding this problem.  Hoping to not have to ship it back to factory as it needed in my small biz and cant afford to go without the bot.   

Going to start testing cables and connections.

Best of luck with your bot, if you learn anything and have the time it would be great if you could share.

Ray

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[Tobias Hall]

Ok, sorry for the very late reply!

The cable connecting the end stop was glitching. I'm now on my fourth cable... But it seems to be running ok now.

// Tobias

[Peter Binkley]

This thread helped me diagnose the exact same problem. My printer was disregarding the x-stop button and grinding into the wall instead of stopping the stepper motor, in spite of the switch clearly being tripped, with the light turning on. I disconnected the plugs on either end of the endstop cable, (at the x-axis stepper motor and at the motherboard) got out my multimeter and switched it to ohms. I checked each wire for continuity, and found that the red wire must have broken internally, inside the insulation. It must have gotten repeatedly bent and pulled during printing and finally snapped. The cable looks flawless externally, btw. I put in an order for new endstop cables from Makerbot yesterday, and am looking forward to printing again soon. A set of three cables cost five bucks, plus twelve for shipping.

Cheers!
Peter

[Tobias Hall]

Glad the thread was helpfull! Good luck with your printing!

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