Do I have to flash my board in ESTLCAM?

[deanwesterburg (Brad Payne)]

I use ESTLCAM and I have only been able to get my machine to work by flashing the Arduino from within ESTLCAM. I am upgrading to a MiniRAMBO and would prefer to be able to use the LCD and take files to the machine on a SD Card instead of leaving my comptuer connected.

Is there a way I can do this and not have to reflash the firmware in ESTLCAM? Just use the pre-flashed MiniRAMBO from Vicious as is? Can I tell ESTLCAM my machine specs and just output GCODE?

Thanks,

[kvcummins (K Cummins)]

Yes, you don’t need to use ESTLCam as the gcode sender/control software. You should be able to save the gcode (possibly as a .nc file that you can rename to a .gcode file, or adjust a setting to output .gcode files).

In fact, that’s the preferred workflow: Generate artwork, import into ESTLCam to create toolpaths (gcode), use SD card or other gcode sender (Repetier host, CNC.js, pronterface, etc.) to send gcode file to CNC.

[deanwesterburg (Brad Payne)]

Thanks for your reply!

When I setup my machine, the distance traveled when I told it to move 1" was not correct and I adjusted the machine’s steps per inch of momement in ESTLCAM’s setup for the Arduino… I assume that needs to be adjusted in the Marlin firmware if I use the SD Card method, correct?

[kvcummins (K Cummins)]

Yes, although you may want to analyze why your steps/mm is off (Marlin thinks in mm). Things should be pretty static and easy to calculate. 1.8° (or maybe 0.9°)/step, microstepping, GT2 belt pitch, teeth on the pulley, etc., etc.

Here’s a better description:

How accurate can I expect the LR2 to be?

Your steps/mm shouldn’t be that far off. So something else is wrong. The components are all very precise and they shouldn’t be off by 3%. The stepper has exactly 200 steps / rev. There’s no way for it to be 199, 201, or 200.5. The driver has exactly 16 microsteps/step. The chips are very good at counting. The pulley has exactly 16 teeth (you can count them). The belt has 2mm/tooth. This can be 2.01mm or 1.99mm, but it’s not a rubber band, it is reinforced with fiberglass and is very resistan…

[deanwesterburg (Brad Payne)]

I started off with the ESTLCAM defaults and programed my arduino/ramps with that, then calculated from there. ESTLCAM did not have a default setup for Lowrider 2 so I was on my own to figure out steps/inch.

I just ordered a new Mini-Rambo and I will keep it stock with the exception of flashing the LCD version and see how it goes.

Thanks for all your help!

[jeffeb3]

It should be 200 steps/mm if you are using 1/32nd microstepping. So 25.4x more for inch, or 5080 steps/in. The Z should be 4x that, or 20320 steps/in.

How’s my math that time?

[deanwesterburg (Brad Payne)]

I’m not sure how you are deducing that my steps traveled are off?