I have a recently retired Taz 5 with a nice RAMBO 1.3L board. I am planning to use that to swap out the old main board on my MPCNC. The old MKS base v1.2 board I am using is just not reliable. I have already run the extra wires I need to implement Dual Endstop motors. So I might as well just do it.
With my old board I had setup the second Extruder heater as a second Fan pin so I can use them with M106 P1 Sxxx commands. This is how I run my newer laser. This way the laser is completely powered by my main board through the heater MOSFET. Different but I like it. That is how the documentation suggested it anyway.
The other Extruder heater and bed heater I left alone but I disabled thermal runaway protection so I could use each of them to control some IOT relays (Spindle and dust Collector). It worked but in Octoprint is shows a big ugly warning about the firmware being a fire hazard. sigh. So I want to get rid of that message. With this new build should I just setup those heaters as fans as well? Can I do that or do I need at least one heater for the Extruder?
What firmware should I start with? Marlin 2.0? or the Ryan’s Rambo Dual Endstop? Or should I wait a short while for Ryan’s firmware to be based on the Marlin 2.0 release?
Is there any reason I should setup the spindle control or Laser control pin M103? I don’t think so because my laser needs a Mosfet and M103 is still buggy for lasers. And my spindle is powered through a relay so I don’t think I will get any other benefits from the M103 features.
The normal first Fan pin will be used as an air assist with the laser or a blower fan for the router. No changes needed for that but I wanted to mention it just so you know I have plans for it.
In my mind I think I would do well to start with the Marlin 2.0 firmware release and set Extruders = 0 Then make the rest of my changes from there. But I haven’t looked into it yet so I am not sure how easy it is to specify what each of the steppers are used for.
Well Marlin only nativly supports three fans so that is a limitation to one of my ideas. But that is ok. I could be ok with that. 1 for the air assist/ blower #2 for the laser #3 for the IOT relay that controls the spindle. The dust collector will just have to be controlled manually. no big deal.
Good ideas. My mind didn’t want to run the collector with the spindle because I plan to use the collector with the laser as well and don’t want the spindle turning on if i left it plugged in even with it pulled off the machine. But that is dangerous either way so I should make sure that isn’t unplugged just in case. So that idea could work.
The M3/M5 is what I was thinking when I said M103. My bad. But you are right. Setting it up to use the spindle on the M3/M5 would make it so I don’t have to use one of the limited fans. So that could work. I wouldn’t be gaining any other benefits from the M3 features like speed control but I don’t need them. I like it.
Ok. I have made some progress. I took the RAMBO 1.3L out of the TAZ. I hope I never have to put it back. There are a LOT of wires in there. Anyway. I can get Ryan’s Rambo Dual firmware to compile but not Upload to the board. I have 12v Power connected to all of the power inputs. USB connected. COM port selected. RAMBO board selected. But it won’t upload.
Sketch uses 114138 bytes (44%) of program storage space. Maximum is 258048 bytes.
Global variables use 4719 bytes of dynamic memory.
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500v2_getsync(): timeout communicating with programmer
An error occurred while uploading the sketch
This report would have more information with
“Show verbose output during compilation”
option enabled in File -> Preferences.
Update. Still can’t communicate with the board. RHost won’t connect with the same time out errors. I Installed the Arduino from window store and did the updates. Added the boards and libraries again. I can compile again with the new Arduino app.
I have confirmed that my power supply is providing the 12 V to the correct pins on the connector.
The one and only fuse i see looks good visually. I am looking for my multi-meter to test further. So far my testing has been with a 12V DC fan. I saw recently a post where the connector was bad. I want to test for that as well.
Thank you for the help everyone. I can’t find my spare fuzes. I may have given them to a friend. I am putting this on pause while I wait for fuses and a new RAMBO board to come in. I’ll put this 1.3L back in the TAZ and use the new 1.4 on the MPCNC.
Ryan no need to flash the firmware for me. I will be modifying some of the Pins and stuff anyway.