I have an SKR Pro 1.2 + TFT from the V1E store. It’s got the V1E firmware on it and I’m trying to flash other firmware to it. Each time I try (8gb microSD card formatted to FAT32) I see the green light flicker but the firmware still boots to V1E. It does change the firmware.bin to firmware.cur, but it doesn’t have the settings or menu options that it should.
If I set a jumper on BOOT0 and 3.3v, then power on and off, nothing changes - it still shows the original V1E splash and menus.
Is there some other method I should try to flash the firmware or clear the current firmware off?
Thank you for clarifying - I’m flashing the SKR, or at least attempting to flash it.
If the firmware I’m trying to flash has completely changed the functionality of the device - in this case, instead of an MPCNC it’s a pen plotter, so no need for extruder controls or other default menu options from the MPCNC - would I need to flash the TFT with some other firmware to configure the changes in the menu?
Yes. The TFT is its own self-contained computer. Changing the UI there is pretty difficult which is why we didn’t keep trying to update the changes to remove parts we don’t use in CNCs
So it comes back to the SKR, then. If it’s reading firmware.bin and writing firmware.cur, but it does not actually flash anything, and if jumpering BOOT0 and powering on/off without the microSD card, what could I be doing incorrectly?
What exactly are you expecting? Maybe show some pictures of the various screens.
Note that the menus and functions of the V1E firmware are basically 3D Printer screens, not CNC screens. There were some custom CNC screens available for earlier versions, but every time Marlin had an update, it required creating a new custom screen, which became impractical, so the default 3DP screen was used instead. Functionally they are pretty much the same.
I coughed up a few bucks for a Fiverr person to create and compile + provide source code. I don’t think he has an SKR Pro 1.2 handy to test so I’m reporting results to him. I figured it might be worth an ask here in parallel.
The one thing I’m expecting is a Pen Control menu option at the base menu once I boot in. It isn’t showing up at all, so just the default screens.
Is there maybe a way to fully clear the firmware so I can boot to absolutely nothing to start? I thought jumpering BOOT0 was supposed to do it but apparently not. If it helps, I have some kind of USB debugger - not sure what type it is, it’s offsite from me at the moment, but I think I used it last to futz with firmware on an Ender 3 v2 or Tronxy X5SA, not sure which or if it’s helpful in this situation.
If you have your TFT35 in “Marlin Mode”, then it might show up there. If you have your TFT in TFT mode then that gui is running on the TFT controller itself. I don’t know how else to say it, it is its own computer and if you aren’t flashing firmware into it then the TFT Mode displays and UI will not change. Only marlin mode is a GUI generated by Marlin on the ESP32.
You should hook up a sender to the SKR and test the machine functionality, and/or put the TFT into marlin mode.
I was able to switch it into Marlin mode. Once it boots, it shows “V1 Marlin Mode” at the top of the screen but it’s completely blank beneath. Same thing if I power-cycle.
OK, that says your Marlin build isn’t correctly configured to drive the screen. You’ll either need to fix that or switch to using a sender to check out Marlin.
If it was me, I would re-install the standard V1E firmware in both the SKR and TFT. Get that working properly. Once you have verified that it works properly, then you could start trying out the firmware that some dude on the Internet is ending to you. If that doesn’t work, then you know the problem is with his firmware, not your hardware.
I installed the standard firmware just now, at least as far as I can tell. The TFT shows the V1 menu and options, I can navigate through the menus in touch mode, and Marlin Mode doesn’t show anything.
Since it’s hooked up to steppers and endstops other than the stock V1E ones, it doesn’t move if I navigate to a move command or trigger an endstop. I didn’t make any changes to the stock V1E firmware.
FWIW it was always showing these at any point in this process. Even if I jumpered BOOT0 it still booted to V1E firmware.
EXP1 on the TFT is going to EXP1 on the SKR, EXP2 on TFT is going to EXP2 on the SKR. The black 5 pin cable in TFT RS232 is going to the TFT plug on the SKR. I can see the icons and navigate them normally.
It’s powered by 12/24v and connected to the PSU sold in the V1E shop. The three power lights on the SKR are all lit up when plugged in.
This SKR was running my MPCNC for a while until it hit the pullup resistor issue which I was unable to fix. At the time it still moved the steppers without incident and it has sat idle for around a year.
One clarification, when I say Marlin Mode shows nothing, I’m not sending anything or otherwise.
In case it’s useful, here’s a video showing the current state after it had firmware.bin from bone stock: https://imgur.com/a/SJGMxE8
That sounds right. Just wanted to verify stepper motors have power, because usb will power the controller but not steppers and it will appear to be functional but wont move anything.
You haven’t posted pictures. Not only do the grey cables have to be going between the correct connectors, they have to be in the correct orientation.
For what you want to do, the TFT has to be in Marlin mode. The V1e Marlin firmware 100% will run the TFT display in Marlin mode if the cables are right.
Put the display in Marlin mode, Unplug the black cable , power up the SKR.
If that doesn’t work then there’s only a few possibilities:
your TFT cables aren’t hooked up right
Your TFT marlin mode hardware is blown
Your SKR Marlin Mode hardware is blown
You didn’t correct flash the V1e Marlin firmware to the SKR