MakerGear Forum

I just upgraded to the M2. I was a pro with my old printer (Up! plus, or affinia here in the states), and now feel I have to learn to walk from scratch.

Got the box today, and went through all the unpacking instructions checking each step. I did get the printer on and connected with Simplify3D. Tested movement of x/y axis, and thought I am done and ready to print. While setting up the print I noticed that Simplify 3D is reporting that the print has started, but the printer does not move. Checking the Machine Control Panel, I see the x/y/z changing as though it is moving but nothing happened.

Turned off everything and started again, now trying to move the x/y/z does not work anymore. I read through various installation documentation on the MakerGear website (they are inconsistent) and just to make sure downloaded pronterface and tried with it. No luck.

I let everything rest and then tried again. Now neither Simplify3D nor pronterface manage to connect to the printer...

What is going on???? Suggestions??

To elaborate, when I turn the power on, Simplify3D automatically detects it and tries to connect:

Attempting connection at /dev/cu.usbmodem1411...
Testing plaintext communication protocol...
Testing binary communication protocol...
Testing alternate communication protocols...
Attempting RTS reset and trying again...
Connection failed.

Is your baud rate set to 115200? If not, it should be.

nirfriedman wrote:Attempting connection at /dev/cu.usbmodem1411...

Also, is this the right device? On my computer (Linux), if I unplug the USB, it switches to /dev/ttyUSB0, which is some default but not what my printer uses, and if I then plug the USB back in, it stays on that (wrong) setting until I manually select the correct one. (/dev/cu.usbmodem... is a Mac thing?).

Also note that powering down the printer may not reset the USB connection, as it continues to get power through the USB, so if the interface went down because the driver crashed or something, you might not cause anything to change by power cycling the printer.

That's the only thing I can think of.

jsc wrote:Is your baud rate set to 115200? If not, it should be.

Yes, it is set to the right number

Tim wrote:

nirfriedman wrote:Attempting connection at /dev/cu.usbmodem1411...

Also, is this the right device? On my computer (Linux), if I unplug the USB, it switches to /dev/ttyUSB0, which is some default but not what my printer uses, and if I then plug the USB back in, it stays on that (wrong) setting until I manually select the correct one. (/dev/cu.usbmodem... is a Mac thing?).

Yes, it is a Mac. I believe it is the right device, when I plugged the USB in another port it started working with the new port.

Tim wrote: Also note that powering down the printer may not reset the USB connection, as it continues to get power through the USB, so if the interface went down because the driver crashed or something, you might not cause anything to change by power cycling the printer.

Hmm, so how do you do a cold reset? I unplugged the power supply (physically after turning it off) and the USB cord. I thought that should be enough...

Thanks!

BTW, I started my day happy about the printer coming in and I am now very disappointed. I might be too harsh, but two issues that bother me after spending time viewing instruction videos and reading through forum messages.

1. The hardware seems really well built and thought out. But the software / user experience is really bad. To me it seems like a limitation of the current reprap standard that limits how much the software control of the printer can be "integrated"

2. I am also shocked to see that half the forum deals with how to get the print job to stick to the print surface. I thought that by this generation this problem should have been solved by the hardware people. (BTW, the Affinia perf-board is amazingly effective, but they seem to be the only company using this solution)

That's the current state of 3D printing. There are companies attempting to make everything "just work", but that requires that they control everything, including filament choice and software stack. And even then, half the time it doesn't just work anyway. What you give up in ease of use, you get back in the flexibility of choosing your own filaments, bed surfaces, modifications, etc. Whether that's a positive depends on what you value.

The Affinia is a good example. I've never used one, but based on hearsay, I believe you must use their filaments, you must use their software, you cannot control temperatures, it always generates support, and always uses a raft. I can believe that their bed adhesion works very well, but that's a lot of control to give up for it.

I think it's more helpful to think of 3D printers as "machine tools" rather than analogizing them to inkjet printers.

jsc wrote:it always generates support, and always uses a raft

A while back, I kibitzed with someone doing 3D printed cookie cutters on an Afinia. She was astonished that the M2 didn't require a raft and that I didn't spend hours picking bits of raft off my cutters: all I did was pick the thing off the platform when it was done.

As nearly as I can tell, good platform alignment and proper nozzle-to-platform spacing get you most of the way out of the "it doesn't stick" swamp, after which hairspray / glue stick can solve the rest of the problem.

Drop ten times more dollars on a closed machine & software stack and it should Just Work, although some of the fancy ones seem to use rafts, too.

ednisley wrote:.....Drop ten times more dollars on a closed machine & software stack and it should Just Work, although some of the fancy ones seem to use rafts, too.

Or drop 50 bucks on a Zebra plate and you're good to go. (PLA up to PETG) Best accessory so far for this spectaculous little machine!

The Affinia is a good example. I've never used one, but based on hearsay, I believe you must use their filaments, you must use their software, you cannot control temperatures, it always generates support, and always uses a raft. I can believe that their bed adhesion works very well, but that's a lot of control to give up for it.

I believe that the Afinia and UP! printers are very similar if not the same.

On the UP:

1) Don't have to use their filaments, but the extruder temp is setup for a filament with a higher melting point than most generic filaments (see below).
2) Their software is proprietary and not G-code.
3) You can control temperatures, but you do so by adding a switch setup from Octave that changes the characteristics of the thermistor to make the printer think it is printing at the factory set value.
4) You can select 0 square mm of support which I assume cuts off using support (there are several support parameters that you can change).
5) You can select to use a raft or not.
6) Bed adhesion is not much of an issue except for ABS warping which everyone deals with.