Help connecting Makerbot (CTC clone) to CW

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aurelm
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Help connecting Makerbot (CTC clone) to CW

Postby aurelm » Tue Mar 03, 2015 1:25 pm

Hello.
I am trying to do a bit of a workaround here and instead of building a new printer I want to use an existing Makerbot and build an "extension" for it that will allow it to print SLA. I will use the existing z-motor for the sla platform and x-axis for a resin wiper.Problem is I am unable to connect it properly to the software. From my understanding the printer cannot reciev raw gcode and oonly binary and maybe that is the reason. Is there any way I could control the printer from within CW ?

Thank you
-Aurel

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PacManFan
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Re: Help connecting Makerbot (CTC clone) to CW

Postby PacManFan » Tue Mar 03, 2015 1:58 pm

You might be better off building a new machine instead of re-purposing your old one. CW uses standard GCode, so, if the machine can accept that, it should work.
-Steve

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PomeroyB
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Re: Help connecting Makerbot (CTC clone) to CW

Postby PomeroyB » Tue Mar 03, 2015 3:26 pm

I'm going to agree with Steve, here. MakerBots cannot read standard GCode (it is converted to .x3g, as you mentioned in your post). Your workaround would be generating the gcode, converting it to x3g using an external program, and trying to sync start that x3g with starting the projector slice display. Seems convoluted, and not really worth it...

The other option is to repurpose your hardware, but replace the electronics. You can pick up an Mega/RAMPs combo for pretty cheap these days!

aurelm
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Re: Help connecting Makerbot (CTC clone) to CW

Postby aurelm » Mon Mar 09, 2015 5:46 pm

Hello.
Thank you for the replies. I asked a guy that has the necesarry hardware (laser cutter, metal axis, arduino, drivers and motors) to build a simple design dlp printer for me. I was thinking a design that works with both with bottom up and reverse. I will soon have a working prototype to experiment with and will give some more updates then .

Thank you. It would be nice if CW supported binary output/x3g convertor for more flexibility.

-Aurel


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