Hi
I got my machine built and powered up last weekend thanks to awesome build instructions.
Everything else works like a charm except extruder #1 motor (only one extruder).
Extruder motor does not run at all. Not from repetier host nor from inbuilt menu motor control.
I swapped drive boards, no effect. Boards are ok.
I checked the connector cable, cable ok.
I swapped motors, no effect. Extruder motor runs when connected to X-axis so motor is ok.
Vmax e = 0, I tried changing that too, no effect.
I tried bot 1.0 and 1.1 firmware. No effect.
I used the m302 command to allow cold extrusion, but that does not solve the problem. Once I try to drive the motor to either direction it makes a sound and holds still but does not rotate. Fan starts to speed up and after maybe 20 seconds the board reboots.
Can you try and swap the stepper drivers between extruder and x axis and test if it runs then?
(i don’t know if that is possible with the vertex electronics)
Maybe you can post a pic of your main PCB?
I initially noticed the problem when trying to load the filament and despite nozzle temperature of 209C° the stepper did not run.
I also swapped stepper drivers between extruder and x-axis without effect. Measured driver voltage is 0,916V.
Are you sure that you used the correct extruder output on the mainboard? Can you see a led light up on the mainboard next to the extruder stepper when it should turn?
Connections are correct. HEATER1 TO EXT1 HEATER, SENSOR1 TO EXT1-THERM, EXT1 TO E1-MOTOR.
EDIT: I do not see the red led light up. LD10 it was?
The motor definitely is powered as it makes a faint sound and holds the torque when asked to move, but it never rotates to any direction.
This seems relevant: 5-50 seconds after move command the arduino reboots itself!
I disconnected everything from the mainboard and inspected the board visually. After connecting everything back symptoms are the same.
The motherboard didn’t have yellow quality control sticker which can be seen in the instruction photos. Should it be there?
This time however it seems there is something wrong with the stepper driver too. I swapped x and extruder drivers and now neither x nor extruder motors did work.
My conclusion is that the main board has a faulty ext1 circuit which eventually causes also the driver to fail.
Nope! Motors are just fine. Also the extruder motor runs nice and smooth if connected to x-axis.
Also X,Y and Z motors work without problems.
Only a motor (any motor) connected to ext1 does not rotate and causes reboot, which to me seems like an overload protection.
Recheck the voltage setting on the stepper dirvers, maybe it disadjusted.
You can try to measure the Stepper driver transistor with disconnected stepper module (the one driving the step line and led)
if it is short. (the step line LED should then be on all time i think)
Voltage is still 0.916V. T9 did not seem to be short.
But now that I realized there is a dozen of leds, I rechecked them and I actually do not see the specific LD10 led lit at all when requesting motor to rotate. So it seems the board has failed indeed. Hopefully i get a new one before christmas… Otherwise children won’t get their presents!
Hi
if the motor is ok, driver is ok, motor is holding the torque and makes sound, it seems the cable is broken (one line), or there is a wrong contact in connector or shortcut. Take a multimeter in beeper mode, and test all lines of the extruder cable, for conductivity and shortcuts too… The best way is to test the line directly starting from the appropriate pin of motor driver.
J.
[quote=“jkiss56”]Hi
if the motor is ok, driver is ok, motor is holding the torque and makes sound, it seems the cable is broken (one line), or there is a wrong contact in connector or shortcut. Take a multimeter in beeper mode, and test all lines of the extruder cable, for conductivity and shortcuts too… The best way is to test the line directly starting from the appropriate pin of motor driver.
J.[/quote]
I measured the cable earlier and tried with the ext2 cable also. The led LD10 that should light up in relation to stepping does not light up at all, so it most certainly is a failed main board.
But no worries! We have agreed the change of the main board and one failed driver with my reseller, so it’s only a matter of time now when I get the new ones. Hopefully before Christmas!
Thank you everybody for your support and effort! What is most important, I learned a lot about stepper motor control electronics from this.
[quote=“ronkeli”]
Thank you everybody for your support and effort! What is most important, I learned a lot about stepper motor control electronics from this.[/quote]
You’re welcome!
That is the exact reason why i bought the K8200. Learning by improving it. And i learned and still learn a lot!
