You need to connect a computer to be able to change the steps. You need to connect to the ramps with repetier host or cncjs and send some gcode.
M92 will print the current settings
M92 Z800 will change the steps per mm to 800.
The settings won’t be persistent after a reboot unless you save them.
M500 saves them.
What is the history of this machine and controller. My best guess is that the controller used to be on an MPCNC with a different leadscrew or allthread.
It looks like you have a 4-start leadscrew. If you have ramps with drv8825 drivers, then the right number is 800. If you have a4498, then the right number is 400. You shouldn’t measure and tune it. If you calculate a number like 97, the number should be 100, and the error of 3 is in your measurements.
How did you get this ramps flashed without ever connecting it to a computer?
I don’t think we have specific instructions for that. I know you shouldn’t install repetier server. If it has V1 firmware, then it should be 250,000 baud rate. There is a box to send commands. It isn’t that complex and it is hard to break anything, so you can give it a go.
Do i do this inside repetier,or where do i send the gcode commands you listed once the laptop is hooked up? And do i need to change anything on the configuration.h file?
You send the commands in repetier host. It has a lot section with the results. You can also use it to control the machine. There are jog buttons.
The configuration.h file is only for cooking new defaults. If you want to ever flash it again, you can put the final Z value you came up with in the configuration.h file. But right now, that has no effect.
So from what you listed above i need to set z at either at 800 or at 400 depending on the drivers im using? Then from there i would need to fine tune it basically as in jogging the machine manually to get it exactly where i want? So the end result may end up being like 804 or 799something along those lines.
And to make sure i am understanding correctly once i hook the laptop up to the arduino/ramps and send the commands that way after using the using the m500 it will save it to the ramps itself then i shouldnt have to do anything else again after that?
And the history of the machine itself has always been a lead screw i just have been using it incorrectly this entire time. I have just been doing like 0.25 or 0.5mm for max depth in estlcam. Now that i am trying to use vbits for letters it is not working properly to get the effect it is supposed to be getting.
No. There is basically zero error in the Z positioning. The motors have exactly 200 steps per rotation. The drivers count exactly 16 or 32 microsteps per whole step. The leadscrew is (very nearly) exactly 8mm for one rotation. Any tuning to 805 or 799 is probably just errors in whatever measurement we could take.
You can guess and check. If 800 is still going twice as far as it should, then drop it to 400 or 200. But I would not adjust any more than that.
Some earlier versions of the firmware supported 5/16" allthread. The steps per mm were something like 4500.
There is newer firmware available at MarlinBuilder releases. I don’t want to send you down a rabbit hole. You can get your current version with M115. Especially because we don’t know what you have already, and I don’t know if you love it.
Well that looks like it worked. Thank you so much man. I cant believe how simple and quick that was and how hard ive been struggling lol. It is so very much appreciated. I have the drv8825 drivers as I do remember ordering those. But i did try both 800 and 400 and as of now 800 looks to be the more accurate.
Thanks for the offer, but it is definitely not needed. I do those things for fun, as well as I always post my dxfs for free. I like to share my stuff and try to help others. I was just like: Jeff did solve it, but I tried to help at least.
