Revision as of 14:51, 25 July 2014

Refresher

Remember in the RepRap Primer that firmware is software that runs on the controller. Since you are making the printer yourself, it will have slightly different dimensions than any other MOST Delta, and those differences must be accounted for in firmware to ensure that your printer works properly. Calibration (the process after this) is the process of making those adjustments in firmware, but before that can be completed, firmware must be loaded on the presently blank (no resident firmware) controller.

Note

Windows operating system frequently has a hard time loading the correct Arduino drivers:

Open the Windows device manager (different for different Windows versions - do a web search to learn how to access it if you are unsure).
Look for an unknown usb device in the list - it might include something about FTDI in the device description.
If there is an unknown usb device, install the device driver (in most Windows versions, right click on the device entry and select 'Update driver').
DO NOT use automatic update - instead, select browse your computer.
The drivers are typically located in C:\Program Files\Arduino\drivers.
Depending on the version of Windows, this process may need to be repeated twice as there are actually two separate drivers for this single device (thanks, Microsoft).

Mac OSX likewise can have problems with the Arduino driver, manifesting "serial port in use" errors when attempting to upload. The driver file is located at TBD. If errors persist after installing the new driver, try the following:

Open a terminal session.
Run lsof | grep usbserial, which return something like: activhard 257 elmhirstka 4u CHR 19,1 0t15 607 /dev/cu.usbserial-A703B45K.
Take note of the process id - in the line above, it's the first number in the line (257).
In the terminal session, run kill (process #). In the example, above: kill 257

Uploading Firmware to Controller

Connect the Melzi controller to the host computer with a USB A to mini B cable.
Open the Arduino IDE.
Arduino IDE select correct board.
Ensure that the proper hardware files for the Melzi controller have been installed by selecting Tools>Board and locate "Mighty 1284p 16 MHz using Optiboot". If not found in the list, return to overview and follow the instructions for installing the hardware files.
Ensure that the Arduino IDE has selected the correct communication port by selecting Tools>Serial Port. If there are multiple ports available, perform an internet search for "serial ports" for the operating system installed (e.g. "windows serial ports") and locate the port assigned to an FTDI USB-serial device. In Windows - go to the control panel and click on the unspecified device, and then the hardware tab and read what port it is.
Select File>Open and navigate to the location where the MOST printer firmware was saved and select Repetier.ino.
Open the configuration.h tab.
Note that the IDE separates the different files that make up Repetier firmware into different tabs along the top of the edit pane. Locate the Configuration.h tab and click on it.
The bulk of the definitions are logically named and documentation is thorough. Likewise, most of the settings will not need changing, but a few will. It is well worth the time to read through configuration.h and learn what some of the settings do - you will want to tweak your printer and this is the place where tweaking is done.
Locate #define DELTA_DIAGONAL_ROD and ensure that its value is about 250 (there may be a value right of the decimal - it's OK to start with this value).
Locate #define PRINTER_RADIUS and ensure its value is around 126.
Locate #define END_EFFECTOR_HORIZONTAL_OFFSET and ensure it is set to 0.
Locate #define CARRIAGE_HORIZONTAL_OFFSET and ensure that it is also set to 0.
Upload the firmware to the controller (right arrow on toolbar or File>Upload). If the upload was successful, the printer should be ready for commissioning. Calibration is the last step that should be performed.

Not having the autoreset jumper shorted produces the following error:

   Binary sketch size: 56,256 bytes (of a 130,048 byte maximum)
   avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00

Notes on Repetier Firmware for the Delta

It's recommended that new printer builders use the firmware maintained by MTU-MOST at github. After having some experience, everyone is encouraged to download the in-the-wild Repetier firmware https://github.com/repetier/Repetier-Firmware. Note that there are two versions, a release (master) version and a development version. Since these exist in the public domain and almost anyone can change them, what is downloaded will not be configured for your printer - you MUST configure the firmware to work with your printer.

All of OS 3-D printer firmwares were originally written for Cartesian printers and were subsequently modified for use with the increasingly popular delta printers. With some annoying exceptions, most all of the configuration settings for Repetier are located in Configuration.h. As of the current version (development v0.91) the following settings are required (assuming the printer is built per the BOM):

#define NUM_EXTRUDER 1

#define MOTHERBOARD 63

#define DRIVE_SYSTEM 3

#define BELT_PITCH 5

#define PULLEY_TEETH 12

#define STEPS_PER_ROTATION 200

#define MICRO_STEPS 16

#define EXT0_INVERSE false

#define EXT0_HEAT_MANAGER 0

#define ENDSTOP_PULLUP_X_MIN false
#define ENDSTOP_PULLUP_Y_MIN false
#define ENDSTOP_PULLUP_Z_MIN false
#define ENDSTOP_PULLUP_X_MAX true
#define ENDSTOP_PULLUP_Y_MAX true
#define ENDSTOP_PULLUP_Z_MAX true

#define ENDSTOP_X_MAX_INVERTING false
#define ENDSTOP_Y_MAX_INVERTING false
#define ENDSTOP_Z_MAX_INVERTING false

#define MIN_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_X false
#define MIN_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_Y false
#define MIN_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_Z false
#define MAX_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_X true
#define MAX_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_Y true
#define MAX_HARDWARE_ENDSTOP_Z true

#define INVERT_X_DIR false
#define INVERT_Y_DIR false
#define INVERT_Z_DIR false

#define X_HOME_DIR 1
#define Y_HOME_DIR 1
#define Z_HOME_DIR 1

Virtually anything else can be tweaked to the user's liking. If you notice nothing changes upon uploading a new configuration:

Setting EEPROM_MODE to anything other than 0 causes the firmware to load settings found in EEPROM - it will ignore changes to Configuration.h unless the value of EEPROM_MODE is changed.

Navigation

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 =Note=
-*'''Windows operating system''' frequently has a hard time loading the correct Arduino drivers. Check Device Manager (how to get there depends on the version of Windows) to see that the USB serial driver was correctly installed when the controller was first plugged into the host PC. If there is a USB device with a yellow exclamation point in the device list, then Windows didn't install the driver. Right click on the device and select Update driver. Manually locate the driver (it's in Program Files/Arduino/drivers) and with good fortune, Windows will associate and load the proper driver from now on.
+*'''Windows operating system''' frequently has a hard time loading the correct Arduino drivers:
+# Open the Windows device manager (different for different Windows versions - do a web search to learn how to access it if you are unsure).
+# Look for an unknown usb device in the list - it might include something about FTDI in the device description.
+# If there is an unknown usb device, install the device driver (in most Windows versions, right click on the device entry and select 'Update driver').
+# DO NOT use automatic update - instead, select browse your computer.
+# The drivers are typically located in C:\Program Files\Arduino\drivers.
+# Depending on the version of Windows, this process may need to be repeated twice as there are actually two separate drivers for this single device (thanks, Microsoft).
 *'''Mac OSX''' likewise can have problems with the Arduino driver, manifesting "serial port in use" errors when attempting to upload. The driver file is located at '''TBD'''. If errors persist after installing the new driver, try the following:
 # Open a terminal session.

Delta Firmware:MOST: Difference between revisions