Build Your Own SLA/SLS

Creation Workshop currently doesn't work too well under Mac. I've had some issues with the OpenGL/OpenTK bindings on the Mac platform under Mono. At this point, your best bet is to run it under Windows 7/8. Or you can install Linux (Ubuntu) under a virtual machine running on Mac.
I'm still working on getting it running better under Mac.
-Steve

Is the baud set up for 9600? Make sure you click 'Apply' to save all your changes before connecting to the machine.

If you go to the main 3d screen, then under 'View Options', click the 'Show Console' button. This will show debugging information. Make sure the machine is connecting.
Also in the File->Preferences menu, check the 'driver logging to comm.log' check box. Then try to send some commands with the Z control. Also, enable the GCode and projector options to show the GCode command window. You should be able to see the 'ok' responses coming from the machine.

-Steve

The good news is that I left the bootloader on the boards, I use xloader on windows to upload grbl there is hexuploader for osx also

https://github.com/downloads/grbl/grbl/ ... z_9600.hex

You can change the grbl settings in a terminal window connected to the arduino.

Ya those directions will work, you can flash the hex with an icsp programmer but that will kill the arduino bootloader, the xloader programs use the arduino bootloader to upload non arduino hex files letting you put grbl on with just a usb cable.

The main settings for the LittleRP and GRBL to change are:

200 - z axis steps/mm
25 - acceleration, mm/sec^2
255 - step port invert mask (for the included dvr stepper drivers)
200 - default feed rate, mm/min
200 - default seek rate, mm/min

If you want to check that things are working, you can open a terminal to the serial port and just send it some commands. It accepts Gcode, so the line G1 Z0.5 should move it half a millimeter (I don't have my Gcode reference handy so that might need another argument). Set it to 9600 baud, 8 bits, 1 stop bit, no flow control IIRC. That way you can test the connection from your host computer even if CW isn't working.

See if your COM port appears and disappears when you connect and disconnect the device.

I'm not familiar with macs, so in Windows, open your device manager and see if you see a COM port listed with the device connected, then disconnect it and see if the COM port goes away.

If it stays, than that COM port is for another device, which is why you're seeing that message. Look and see if there is something with bad drivers; mine was showing up as a device with no drivers installed, and I had to install the FTDI VCP drivers from here: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm (VCP = Virtual Com Port)

If it goes away, you have the right COM port, and you may just have a settings issue somewhere (baud rate or whatever). I'd give the terminal test a try; if you don't have a terminal program handy, PUTTY is a free one. Are you familiar with terminal programs, setup, etc? If not I can walk you through the setup.