I was given a mpcnc from a friend. It has dual end stops and I’m trying to flash the software for the end stop firmware because I don’t have it in the board. I followed all the steps on the website to a T but it’s not pulling up the device. I can control the machine via repetier host in my laptop but when I try to hole the x and y axis it throws errors or it will hit one end stop on each axis but not the other end stop on same axis. My lcd screen I’m pretty sure is broken but I was able to see what firmware it has and it doesn’t have the D on the firmware screen. I disable the endstops and try entering g92 x0, y0, z0 to manually override the homing position it doesn’t reset the home positions. Is there something I’ve missed? I’ve verified everything is wired correctly. The board is a Rambo board.
So there’s firmware flashed on the machine at the moment and it’s able to move and be controlled via Repetier Host?
I don’t like thinking of G92 as setting the home position, home is always where the end stops get triggered, to me. You’re using G92 to set the current position of the machine to 0,0. Maybe that’s unnecessarily pedantic but it might help avoid confusion later on.
When you say it doesn’t reset the position, where are you seeing that? I don’t think Repetier host actually tracks the position reported by the machine, I think it just tracks what movements you’ve told the machine to make and goes from that. If you use Repetier host to send M114, what does that return? That should show you what the machine thinks its current position is, from memory.
if i enter m114 it says i need to home xyz first
never mind it shows it at x0 y0 z0.
when i try moving from where i want to define home to be. it only allows me to move Y -50.00mm before it stops moving.
Right, and presumably that doesn’t match what Repetier Host is showing you? That’s one of the challenges of working with Repetier host. It’s intended more for 3D printers where you’d always position the work on the bed during slicing, not for CNC where you tend to want to bring the machine to the work and set things relative to that.
I think there was a way to force Repetier Host to update the position with a macro but it’s been a while since I played with that.
When you’re moving things, are you doing it with the Repetier Host jog functions? Try moving with sending the G1 command manually and see if it behaves differently.
Hopefully someone here will be more familiar with this setup than I am, I’m going off pretty limited memory here.
what do you use for a software to control besides an lcd?
Previously, repetier host, the LCD, octoprint, lots of different approaches.
Unless you’ve got something specific you’re trying to do it’s not worth getting too crazy with it. I would say it’s better to figure out how to make what you’ve got do enough for you to use it right now.
And have you tried moving it with G1 gcode sent through Repetier host to see if it behaves differently? I’m trying to figure out if your issue is firmware or Repetier Host related.
From memory, RH has some weird issues when using it for a CNC machine. It works well enough to get the machine positioned and then to run a job, but it has a few traps.
Have you done the ‘Crown’ test? There’s a pre-made gcode file that can be downloaded here.
https://docs.v1e.com/software/estlcam-basics/#step-7-running-the-code
I’d try running that file first off and just make sure it’s moving in a way that seems logical. That’ll be a good first step to work forward from.
i have been able to move it via g1 but the main issue has been the homing. so i have not been able to try the crown test due to not being able to home it properly or set x, y, and z to 0 like i need to.
Ok, let’s make sure we’re going through this methodically, here. It sounds like you’ve missed a couple of things I’ve suggested or haven’t tried them etc.
SO.
Forget homing, it’s not needed at first.
Move the machine to the middle of the bed using RH. What does RH say the position is?
Check the position by sending the M114 G-code. What does that return?
Set the position to 0, 0 by sending G91 X0 Y0. What does RH say the position is?
Check the position by sending the M114 G-code. What does that return?
If my memory is correct, that should have the machine thinking it’s at 0,0 and RH thinking it’s somewhere else. It only matters what RH thinks for jogging, so as long as you’re not jogging anymore then it shouldn’t be needed.
From there, you should be able to load and run the Crown gcode file. Try that and see what happens.
This may be stuff you’ve already done but it’s an important double-check to make sure things are working fine. Homing is irrelevant if there are other workflow issues in place first.
Ok. maybe thats what ive been doing wrong. ive been doing g92 the whole time not 91 cause thats what a video i saw did and said to do.
m114 shows 0 for everything. it allows me to move steppers via manually though.
g91 doesnt move anything or even shows anything in the log.
after moving via manually and doing m114 again it still shows x0 y0 z0 and the x, y, and z in RH is red and not black saying its all zeroed.
Repetier host uses its own coordinates and doesn’t listen to M114 or G92 (make sure you use capital letter with Marlin).
If you send G92 X0 Y0 Z0, you can also put @isathome into the command line for repetier host and repetier will reset its zero position. It is an unwritten “feature” of RH. Alternatively, you can try something like pronterface or cncjs.
That was just a misremebered G-code command, sorry. I have it all set with macros so I can’t remember the actual G-codes.
@jeffeb3 has the answer, I think that’s what my macro is set for in Repetier host. Fundamentally the issue is as described, RH tracks coordinates separate to the machine and doesn’t care about the manual g-code you’re sending it.
I’d go down and check it but currently I’ve had to box it all up and that laptop isn’t with me at the moment.