Geeetech

On my system I have completed initial build and calibration but have yet to be able to print anything.

What I observe is that, using the Repetier-Host interface, manual commands to advance extruders will occasionally cause X/Y/Z axial stepper motors to activate, driving upwards. If the system is in home position, the end stop signals are ignored and I have to do an emergency stop.

Repeatability is not 100%, but here are steps I have used:

1. Connect
2. Select Manual Control Tab...
3. Home system
4. Click Heat Extruder
5. Select Extruder 2
6. Click Heat Extruder
7. Wait for extruders to heat to 200C
8. Select Extruder 1
9. Click down arrow by Extrude
10. Select Extruder 2
11. Click down arrow by Extrude
12. observe axial motors driving up with shaking click
13. Click Emergency Stop

Using G2S firmware downloaded 15aug2015. Internal file dates are 16jul2015.

If your wires were correct connected, might it be the firmware's problem?

Hello Brent,

I had a similar problem - it seems to behave badly shaking its way to the top and ignoring the endstops. I purchased another GT2560 and replacement A4988 (stepper motor boards), but the problem remained. It didn't do it all the time, but it sometimes took 10-20 power cycles to get it working OK - after it was OK, it could run for many hours without troubles.

I finally narrowed it down to a couple of G-code command that seem to cause issues. The commands are G1 Z15 Fxxxx (where xxxx is a travel rate) and G92 E0. When using the GeeeTech version of Repetier (an older version from the instructions), I would run the slicer and edit the G-codes to remove the problem commands. I also found that adding a G28 (home) right before printing helped with positioning. Using the newer versions of Repetier - I've switched to the Curra slicer and just comment out the G1 Z15 Fxxxx line in the G-code setup. I also found that I needed to add a conditional tool select (T0 or T1), to select the extruder - this also goes in the startup G-codes section.

I think there must be some bug in the firmware that causes this, but I haven't looked into it.

I hope this helps,

Jeff

Thank you both Mark and Jeff for your responses.

I imagine that if the motors were incorrectly connected, then I would not be able to home the system and extrusion would not sometimes work.

I have since updated to the August 24 version of the firmware with no perceivable difference in behavior.

I might have to try power cycling to see if that fixes the issue.

I am using the Geetech Repetier Host app V0.90D... from what Jeff writes, perhaps that is not the best choice. I'm open to suggestions.

With respect to the G-code commands that seem to cause issues, it seems pretty daunting if I have to manually edit the code for each sliced object. At this point I'm only trying to manually extrude and have not yet attempted to print a single piece. When I click the button to manually extrude 10mm on Extruder 1, I see the following commands sent to the printer:
G91 *53
G1 E10 F1000 *62
G90 *54

None of these seem to be the G-codes you have identified, but perhaps it is a similar problem.

As I write this, extruder 1 now seems starting to behave as desired, but I expect the wrong behavior to return after reboot.

Just FYI, I also have issues with auto leveling similar to the Autolevelling destruction G2S thread.

I know this one behavior: print with extruder 1 is OK, and if you manually control extruder 2 then the other axis will move up and extruder 2 have no response.
This is a bug and we'll fix it asap!

Hello Brent,

I'm pretty sure my problem was not wiring, but a firmware issue. I jammed up the first extruder pretty good (was able to unclog later) and started using the second one. With multiple versions of Repetier I ran into the problem - so I don't think it has anything to do with the version used. It just seems to be certain codes that cause problems. I used the G-code editor to comment out lines until it worked OK. I now use the newer version of Repetier and the Curra - this has a default job G-code section which I edited to remove the G1 Z15 Fxxxx line and added the conditional tool select (T0 or T1) - you won't need to do this each time. There may be other codes that cause issues, but I haven't run into them. For what it is worth, my manual extrudes do work, but I think I set to a lower feed rate (something like 50 or 25).

Mark - when you get a fix, please let me know - I'd love to give it a try...

Thanks,

Jeff

Mark wrote:I know this one behavior: print with extruder 1 is OK, and if you manually control extruder 2 then the other axis will move up and extruder 2 have no response.
This is a bug and we'll fix it asap!

I have been printing with one extruder successfully for a few weeks. Tonight I started working on getting the 2nd extruder running, and I am seeing this exact problem.

When I go to manually extrude using repetier, all 3 axes start moving upward. Please provide a fix ASAP!

flamtap

We are testing the latest firmware now, it won't take long to fix the problem, plz wait with patience, tks!

HI Flamtap,

Are you saying that after you "#defined 2 extruders" in your firmware, then you started having the problems we have all experienced?

Cheers, Rick

Rick,

Yes, but defining 2 extruders does not seem to trigger the problem. It only seems to happen when the 2nd extruder is told to actually extrude something.

I can still print "normally" using just the first extruder, even with 2 defined.

flamtap