EEPROM CONFUSION AND OTHER QUESTIONS EVENTUALLY

Mrshirtpocket

Hey, I am wanting to fix my EEPROM to make it so I can change my values on Repetier Host. I have an Arduino Mega 2560 with RAMPS 1.4 and I am running Repetier Firmware and Host simultaneously. When using the configuration tool I must have set it to the wrong value because my box is grayed out. How can I fix this? Should I buy a new board or can I still talk to the brain? Thanks in advance.

~Drew

MartinH

You will have to enable the eeprom in the config and then re upload the firmware to your arduino.

Repetier

A older 1.  version had a bug reporting it has no eeprom when it had. Send M205nand see log. It is says no eeprom support do what  artin said, otherwise also upgrade firmware.

Mrshirtpocket

Thank you both for your fast response time and helpful insight. I am totally okay with compiling a new config file and uploading it to my board. Though in the past I have "bricked" my previous boards by not uploading the second version correctly, so how may I go about this in a safe manner? Though slightly embarrassing, in my infinite knowledge, I have bricked 4 boards in the process of learning the basics. I have a new board still in the box if re-flashing my current board fails, though I would prefer if it did not. Do I just upload the updated config h file or the entire sketch? Thank you both again.

~Drew

Repetier

Upload working config to config tool and download zip, then compile and upload it. This is a process i have done hundreds of time during development and never bricked a board. If it contains an error just fix and reupload. The bootloader of the Arduino is protected so you can not really destroy it. Only bad thing is if you set a output signal to a component that can not handle the current or uses more current then then available from a pin. That could destroy that pin. So i guess your bricked boards are still working. Sometimes upload fails or has errors so firmware does nopt run, but then just reupload.

Roko

Just a suggestion, you could try uploading the Arduino sketch located under file - examples - eeprom named eeprom_clear before re-uploading firmware, also that might help "fix" your bricked boards and helps you start with a clean slate for a new upload.

Mrshirtpocket

Thank you both for the suggestions and correct paths to follow, I appreciate it very much. I will follow the steps to the best of my abilities to get on the right path.

Now, I should say that I have a home made machine, and it doesnt involve heat. I want to get rid of the need for a heating element for Repetier to recognize my extruder. Obviously it comes up with an error and does not talk to my non heating extruder. 

My question: Can I convince Repetier Host that a heating element is not needed for my machine? That way it will talk to my extruder like my LCD does.

Thank you once again. It means the world to me that there are more experienced peers around to aid me in my endeavours.

~Drew

Repetier

Why has your lcd no temperature for extruder? Anyway, you do not need to set a temperature if you have no heater, just like doing it for cnc machines.

Culturedropout

Mrshirtpocket said:

Though in the past I have "bricked" my previous boards by not uploading the second version correctly, so how may I go about this in a safe manner? 

You should be able to just re-write the bootloader on the Arduino's AVR chip and be back in business.  If you don't have an AVR programmer, there are a number of inexpensive ones available for purchase, as well as simple designs based on serial or parallel PC ports.  Oh - and I've read that you can use a functioning Arduino to reload the bootloader on a confused one.  https://www.arduino.cc/en/Hacking/Bootloader ; I'm curious what you could be doing to cause this behavior, as I've uploaded the firmware dozens of times to the same board with no problems.  

Mrshirtpocket

Hey Everyone, I have read through your comments an answers. They have been helpful and it has been very nice to know that I have support around me while I go through this. Here is the run down of my project. It can be a lot to wrap your head around. But here it is.

8 months ago my partners and I built a 12' by 12' by 12' machine. 12 feet is very large I know. It runs much more smooth than you may expect. Though I am having some trouble configuring the brain of this machine. This is the reason I have asked these questions. To my pleasant surprise you guys have answered. So here is where we are at now. I built a set up months ago to use a heated extruder. Though plans have altered and we have built an extruder that does not extrude plastic and no longer needs any source of heat. I want to tell my board, the firmware, and the host, that there is no heat required instead of just attaching a heater and letting it heat up willy nilly. I am working on my config H file now. How can I go about this to let everything know it doesn't need to heat up and does not require a heater.

I have the non heated extruder running fine on my board but when I go to hook it up to Host it gives me the error " Error Printer Set Into Dry Run Mode Until Restart!" Now I am aware this is because of a sensor defect, and I would expect this error because I don't even have a heater or sensor connected right now. Just wires going off into space. So how can I make all of my components ignore this? I could use a very detailed response right now in my time of need. Thank you all very much.

~Drew

RAyWB

easiest way is to use a 100KOhms resistor instead of the temperature sensor, just to simulate a sensor.

(or as i guess you have a sensor left, just connect the sensor).

Heater is not required.

Mrshirtpocket

Okay thank you. I will do that. I have downloaded my sketch to be set up in a way that I think would make the machine happy once I set up the sensor to leave it in the air. But when I go to compile in arduino IDE it gives me errors. I have heard that often you will get errors if you use certain versions of arduino ide but I have tried both 1.8.5 and 1.0.6 and neither accept my sketch. Any suggestions? Thank you.

~Drew

RAyWB

1.8.5 should work. which errors do you get? and which firmware version do you want to compile/upload?

Mrshirtpocket

I have tried 1.8.5 though it still gives me the following error

Expected primary expression before ';' token

How can I go about fixing this? Thank you.

RAyWB

it also shows file and line number where the error is, you just have to scroll. just share the complete error message

with this info i can try to help

Mrshirtpocket

Sorry for the late response, where the machine I am working on is, there is little to no internet. I try to get back to internet as frequently as possible when I need help. Thank you Ray for working with me to get this figured out. In the past day, Arduino 1.8.5 will still not compile my code. Here is the error message, thanks!

Arduino: 1.8.5 (Windows 10), Board: "Arduino/Genuino Mega or Mega 2560, ATmega2560 (Mega 2560)"

sketch\SDCard.cpp: In member function 'void SDCard::pausePrint(bool)':

SDCard.cpp:143: error: expected primary-expression before ';' token

Printer::memoryE - RETRACT_ON_PAUSE;

^

SDCard.cpp:144: error: expected ';' before ')' token

Printer::maxFeedrate[E_AXIS] / 2);

^

exit status 1
expected primary-expression before ';' token

This report would have more information with
"Show verbose output during compilation"
option enabled in File -> Preferences.


~Drew

Mrshirtpocket

Secondly, a couple more questions if Ray or anyone else would be willing to help me with, when uploading the config to the new board when I get to this point, do I upload all of repetier firmware onto the board or just the config H file? The board already has Repetier on it.

My second question is in Repetier Config tool, since I dont have a heater how do I make it so it doesnt have to heat up before starting?

Mrshirtpocket

Mrshirtpocket said:

Secondly, a couple more questions if Ray or anyone else would be willing to help me with, when uploading the config to the new board when I get to this point, do I upload all of repetier firmware onto the board or just the config H file? The board already has Repetier on it.

My second question is in Repetier Config tool, since I dont have a heater how do I make it so it doesnt have to heat up before starting?

Okay I got it to compile by re doing another config tool set up, but the questions I quoted still remain. Thanks again!

~Drew

RAyWB

it´s quite simple, in configuration.h you see a lot of #define  and values.

Arduino ide does the job to build one hex file picking the selected features and settings from all the firmware files.

this hex file is uploaded to your printer.

so you can say the whole firmware gets uploaded.

There is a little trap in this game.. it´s the eeprom.

after uploading you should use M502 command followed by M500 command to get EEprom updated.

see:   https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code

Mrshirtpocket

Hey again, apologies for the late reply. Haven't had a chance to get online. I have made it further into my project thanks to everyone on the forum. I am making models, slicing them, then running them in repetier. However, I am getting errors. One error is "Communication time out, resend buffer block" and the other is "Wrong Checksum" I get the communication error randomly and the wrong checksum error after each layer. I have tried to change buadrate to no success. How can I go about fixing this? Thanks again.

~Drew