Makerbot Desktop thinks my Replicator 2x is Replicator 2

[waspinator]

Hi,

I'm trying to print directly from Makerbot Desktop, but I can't set the profiles right for my Replicator 2x. The bottom right hand corner of Makerbot Desktop says it's a Replicator 2x, but if you expand it out, it shows up as a Replicator 2. Also, profiles only show PLA options instead of ABS, and the build area is wider than it should be.

I tried messing around with the settings on the printer, and I found that I could make it think it was a Replicator 2 by switching an extruder and the hot bed off. That doesn't seem right, so I'm assuming my firmware is broken. I tried to downgrade from 7.6 to 7.3, but I have the same behavior. Windows Device Manager also thinks it's a Replicator 2 as well. So does my Macbook. I tried resetting to factory defaults, but it didn't help.

Is there a way I can update the firmware manually to the 2x version?

I have not tried installing any third party firmware or using third party slicers.

I just noticed this now because I used to print using the SD card slot, until it broke recently.

Thanks

[Matt Brame]

Have you tried uninstalling the MakerBot software and downgrading to a previous release to check the software side?

[waspinator]

Yes, I've tried using different versions, even different computers and OSes.

[tramalot]

he means to downgrade to MAKERWARE, not Makerware Desktop versions. MW desktop is designed to give you problems with older bots and clones ...

[adam paul]

If you need a copy of 2.4 makerware, send me a pm for a link to my private Dropbox.

[waspinator]

Hmm, okay I'll try that. I thought they just changed the name from MakerWare to Makerbot Desktop. At least that's what they claim here.
https://support.makerbot.com/learn/makerbot-desktop-software/using-makerbot-desktop/looking-for-makerware_11882

It also says that Makerbot Desktop should work with a MakerBot Replicator 2X.

Is this the software I should be trying instead?
http://downloads.makerbot.com/makerware/MakerWare_Bundle_of_Awesome_2.4.1.27_x86.exe

Thanks

[Ryan Carlyle]

When Makerbot released the 5th Gen machines, they up-rev'd Makerware 2.4 to "Makerware 3.0" with the new name Makerbot Desktop. So yes, it's the same software lineage but the name changed. They added a lot of new functionality for 5th Gen machines in 3.0 but really haven't done anything useful for "4th gen" machines in years, and have actively broken support for clones like FlashForges. If you don't have a 5th Gen machine, Makerware 2.4.x is good and functional and avoids all the bugs Makerbot periodically introduces via not thoroughly testing their software releases with older printers. 

[Ryan Carlyle]

Also, this is one of those issues where I'm pretty sure Dan Newman could give you the answer in 10 seconds -- something about how the Replicator 2 and 2x are basically the same printer and there's one little thing that Makerware/Desktop uses to tell them apart -- but I don't recall the details myself, and Dan is pretty busy with changing jobs right now. You might try searching the forums here and at the Jetty Firmware group a bit. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/jetty-firmware

[Daniel Newman]

On 08/08/2016 8:54 AM, Ryan Carlyle wrote:
> Also, this is one of those issues where I'm pretty sure Dan Newman could give you the answer in 10 seconds --
> something about how the Replicator 2 and 2x are basically the same printer and there's one little thing that
> Makerware/Desktop uses to tell them apart -- but I don't recall the details myself, and Dan is pretty busy with
> changing jobs right now. You might try searching the forums here and at the Jetty Firmware group a bit

When MBI commissions a Rep 2X (or Rep 2), they set in EEPROM two numbers which tell connected software whether
the machine is a Rep 2 or 2X. Fine and good until something happens and the EEPROM gets reset to defaults.
Since MBI uses the same firmware build for both the Rep 2 and 2X and since that firmware cannot tell which
printer you have when it resets the EEPROM, it sets the EEPROM to be a Rep 2.... Add to this that MBI has
changed those EEPROM values around a little and different versions of MakerWare and Desktop have had the
values in multiple locations in the code and with slight differences in each location.... So, you can
also see the problem you're seeing when you upgrade Desktop.

Sailfish avoids some of this by having two distinct builds of the firmware: one for the Rep 2 and one for
the Rep 2X. That way, you're less likely to step into this problem when the EEPROM is reset.

Anyhow, to fix this, you need to poke the EEPROM locations with the correct values. In the past, I've posted
a modified EEPROM map file which can be loaded into MakerWare or Desktop and which then gives you access to
those EEPROM locations. I think I posted them in this list. (you can search for a json file I've posed; however,
I've also posted makerware machine profiles which are also json files.) Right now, I'm not in a position to
regenerate and test the necessary EEPROM map file so searching this group may be your best bet.

Dan

[tramalot]

YOU NEED TO FIND OUT IF YOUR COMPUTER IS X86 (32BIT) OR 64x (64bit).Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\System, sorry caps

[waspinator]

Thanks for the clarification.

Is this the json file you were thinking of?
https://groups.google.com/group/makerbot-users/attach/101886f926e871/eeprom_map_7.7_0x80.json

found here
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/makerbot-users/dnewman$20json|sort:relevance/makerbot-users/evOaBbDOdw8/r4uA90_XEAAJ

You mentioned that sailfish avoids some of these issues. Should I be using Sailfish instead in the future?

Thanks

[waspinator]

I tried using the .json file from the other thread, but it looks like its for firmware 7.7_0x80, while my printer is on firmware 7.6_0x01. I added the last bit from the 7.7_0x80 file to allow me to change the VID PID info, and changed it from 9153 45077 to 9153 46084, wrote the changes (also changed the name of the printer to make sure that the changes actually wrote), but it still thinks it's a Replicator 2.

Any additional advice?

Thanks

[tramalot]

makerware does not like sailfish, 7.5 mbi firmware was the latest. but using the jasons from thingy verse helps....http://www.thingiverse.com/download:712447 

[waspinator]

As far as I know, I'm using the stock firmware updated through Makerbot Desktop, currently at 7.6. The json file that corresponds to my firmware is eeprom_map_7.6_0x01.json. Any ideas what the hex number at the end represents? Seems like there are also 0x80.json versions.

Is there a specific part of the json file I can edit in my version to change the machine model designation?

Attached is a screenshot showing some of the current settings of my Replicator 2x (which identifies as a 2)

Thanks