Motors suddenly "stall"
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 2:02 am
Hi all,
My name is Wim, I live in Belgium and fascinated with CNC/3D printing since a few years.
I have made my own CNC machine with success but recently also made my own 3D printer. (It mainly started with reading the build of Tristam on Instructables – Atum3D)
The whole build is DIY except for the electronics/software.
I am using:
- Arduino 2560 with RAMPS 1.4
- Creation Workshop
- Sprinter software
- Z-axis control + tilt mechanism
Last week, I came to the point where I did my first print.
The stepper motor I was using for the tilt mechanism was a bit too weak, so I left it out for the first prints.
It seemed that the 3D print didn’t adhere will enough to my build plate (a 3mm stainless steel plate roughed with sanding paper) and each time fell into the resin bad (bottom-up printer). So I left it for what it was and ordered a new motor. (At this time, everything was working! All axis movement, the projector control, slicing, ... everything).
So yesterday the new motor arrived and I plugged it into the RAMPS board.
Motor was working but it was moving a bit too slow when retracting so I opened the sprinter software and adjusted the max retract feedrate.
Uploaded to the arduino again but got an error:
avrdude: ser_open(): can't open device "\\.\COM1": The system cannot find the file specified.
avrdude: ser_drain(): read error: The handle is invalid.
However, after restarting my PC it would work again and I could upload the adapted code to the arduino/ramps.
Since then, when I manually jog the motors using Creation Workshop (move Z-axis +1 for instance), they will work for 1 or 2 times.
After that, the motor makes a high pitch noise and seems to stall (as if it can’t follow the steprate) and will stay under current (I almost can’t turn them with my hands)
I have tried almost everything I could think of:
- Replaced the arduino 2560 with a spare one = motors still “stall”
- Installed all software on another laptop and try again = motor still “stall”
- Replaced USB cable between pc and arduino = motor still “stall”
- Uploaded a brand new and “fresh” (nothing adjusted) sprinter software again = motor still “stall”
- Moved one of the A4988 stepper motors drivers from the unused places (Y,X axis) to the Z-axis = motor still “stall”
- In the sprinter software, enabled the delay_microseconds 1 = motor still “stall”
- Uploaded the testing code from the wiki (bottom pag http://www.reprap.org/wiki/RAMPS_1.4) = MOTORS WORK.. they rotate in both directions without problems for extended period of time
So now I am at a loss. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with RAMPS or arduino since it will still work with the code from the wiki.
PC must also be OK since I used two differents laptops and still get same problem.
Can’t be USB cable..
I thought there must be something wrong in the software but it still happens with freshly uploaded software..
Could be the communication between the laptop and the arduino? (I assume it sends commands from laptop to arduino during printing?)
But why does it happen for both PCs?
What is left to try for me?
Any help will be greatly appreciated. I am so eager to print something with my DIY printer!
Thanks a lot in advance,
Wim
My name is Wim, I live in Belgium and fascinated with CNC/3D printing since a few years.
I have made my own CNC machine with success but recently also made my own 3D printer. (It mainly started with reading the build of Tristam on Instructables – Atum3D)
The whole build is DIY except for the electronics/software.
I am using:
- Arduino 2560 with RAMPS 1.4
- Creation Workshop
- Sprinter software
- Z-axis control + tilt mechanism
Last week, I came to the point where I did my first print.
The stepper motor I was using for the tilt mechanism was a bit too weak, so I left it out for the first prints.
It seemed that the 3D print didn’t adhere will enough to my build plate (a 3mm stainless steel plate roughed with sanding paper) and each time fell into the resin bad (bottom-up printer). So I left it for what it was and ordered a new motor. (At this time, everything was working! All axis movement, the projector control, slicing, ... everything).
So yesterday the new motor arrived and I plugged it into the RAMPS board.
Motor was working but it was moving a bit too slow when retracting so I opened the sprinter software and adjusted the max retract feedrate.
Uploaded to the arduino again but got an error:
avrdude: ser_open(): can't open device "\\.\COM1": The system cannot find the file specified.
avrdude: ser_drain(): read error: The handle is invalid.
However, after restarting my PC it would work again and I could upload the adapted code to the arduino/ramps.
Since then, when I manually jog the motors using Creation Workshop (move Z-axis +1 for instance), they will work for 1 or 2 times.
After that, the motor makes a high pitch noise and seems to stall (as if it can’t follow the steprate) and will stay under current (I almost can’t turn them with my hands)
I have tried almost everything I could think of:
- Replaced the arduino 2560 with a spare one = motors still “stall”
- Installed all software on another laptop and try again = motor still “stall”
- Replaced USB cable between pc and arduino = motor still “stall”
- Uploaded a brand new and “fresh” (nothing adjusted) sprinter software again = motor still “stall”
- Moved one of the A4988 stepper motors drivers from the unused places (Y,X axis) to the Z-axis = motor still “stall”
- In the sprinter software, enabled the delay_microseconds 1 = motor still “stall”
- Uploaded the testing code from the wiki (bottom pag http://www.reprap.org/wiki/RAMPS_1.4) = MOTORS WORK.. they rotate in both directions without problems for extended period of time
So now I am at a loss. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with RAMPS or arduino since it will still work with the code from the wiki.
PC must also be OK since I used two differents laptops and still get same problem.
Can’t be USB cable..
I thought there must be something wrong in the software but it still happens with freshly uploaded software..
Could be the communication between the laptop and the arduino? (I assume it sends commands from laptop to arduino during printing?)
But why does it happen for both PCs?
What is left to try for me?
Any help will be greatly appreciated. I am so eager to print something with my DIY printer!
Thanks a lot in advance,
Wim