Connecting the V1 MK8 Style Extruder to the RAMBO 1.4a Board

Attempting to switch from the DW660 Router out for the MK8 style Extruder I bought from V1 last Fall. Cannot find anything to tell me where to connect the stepper motor on the extruder to the RAMBO 1.4a board. I also don’t know where the Thermistor connects to. Can anyone help?

Here is a photo of my board:

https://reprap.org/wiki/Rambo_v1.4

Did you find this schematic? Does that help?

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It does show where the thermistor goes; T0 I assume. Halfway there. Thanks. I don’t see where the extruder motor plugs into. Am I missing it?

It looks like you’re running the dual end stop firmaware. Normally the extruder would plug into E0 or E1 but you already have those occupied with your X2 and Y2 steppers.

I think you would have to “regress” to series wired steppers and single end stops to free up a stepper drive.

The schematic @scrounge79 linked does mention 3 extra stepper outputs, but it also mentions that they share pins with max endstop pins, so I’m not sure that’s an option with the dual endstops either. You would need a external stepper drive even if it could be made to work.

Perhaps @vicious1 would know for sure.

It’s is hard to see from my photo, but the right hand side Z motor plug is open. The board had 6 total stepper connections, and my current setup only uses 5. I thought that is where the extruder motor would connect, but the connector provided with the V1 MK8 does not match the connector on the Rambo board. Is this a case where the connector must be replaced? Or does it go somewhere else as @Paradox_Pete indicates. HELP!?!

The second Z is a parallel connection to the first Z. Don’t use that. You can see the drivers though, there are only 5. You can run two motors off of one driver, if you wire them in series. The only thing you lose is the ability to auto square that axis.

Yes, I have the dual endstops wired. They work great for CNC Routing.

This page, https://docs.v1engineering.com/electronics/ultimachine/, shows the extruder connection for the Rambo mini. @vicious1, Did I buy the wrong control board to be able to switch from CNC Routing to 3D printing??

The mini Rambo won’t accommodate the dual endstop configuration at all.

The Rambo only has 5 stepper drivers, and the dual endstop configuration uses all 5, leaving none available to run an extruder.

Basically, it is not easily possible to add the extruder to your existing dual endstop MPCNC.

It may be possible, but it would not be trivial. I don’t know how to do it, and a brief search didn’t turn up anything that looked helpful.

Sorry.

If you’re willing to sacrifice the dual endstops it would be easy.

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You can not easily run Dual endstops and an extruder. You can change one axis back to series wiring and do some firmware changes. I have it pointed out in a few places that it is not possible.

Time to look into the 6 driver boards, or build a separate printer. The latter would be easier. :slight_smile:

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Yes, I am thinking that route. I am interesting in selling this extruder to someone and purchasing a Delta printer. The extruder is brand new.

@vicious1, I have the MK8 extruder with the mount and the heated bed from you. Would you like to take them back as a return? Looks like you are out of stock. I plan to go another route now that I know my electronics setup is for CNC routing only.

It would be better for me if you tried to sell it in the for sale section first, there is a demand for them.

Probably not a good starter printer, deltas are awesome to watch but from my understanding more difficult to tune and use.

Thanks Ryan.

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