Only some bits work

I have inherited an R1 printer and after lots of messing about finding a driver which was not on the CD or mentioned anywhere ROBO 3d related, I can get the X Y and Z axis to zero and that's all.
I cannot control anything else with the PC or see what the ambient temp of the extruder or bed.
This problem has manifested itself on 2 PC's one XP and the other 7.
The Matter Control keeps loosing the link to the printer if left idle, is this normal?
I am hoping for a solution
Thank you

 

Disable any power saving modes on your PC that might be disabling the USB ports, and be sure you install the driver package from arduino ide at arduino.cc

 

Thank you for getting back to me. There are no power saving modes in use on both my PC's. The USB is talking to the printer insomuch that when I "press" the homing buttons the printer homes OK. It is that when I try to drive the X, Y, Z, extruder and warm up the heaters nothing happens, the ambient temperature is not showing. Also the link to the printer switches off by itself.
Because the homing works and everything else doesn't and the problem is the same on 2 different PC's I think the problem lies within the control board. Why does it respond to a few commands and not others.

 

Usually it's a driver issue. The wrong one gets installed so some commands work and others don't. Generally it's a driver issue, but people love to blame the control board.

In order of likelyhood:

Driver not set to Arduino Mega 2560
USB cable is bad
Arduino needs a reflash

 

I have tried 2 USB cables which I know to be good.

The driver is RUMBA ATMEGA 2560 (this could be the problem as there is no "official" link to the correct driver) There seem to be lots of variations of driver types with vague descriptions as to what they do.

I dont think the board needs reflashing if it does I hope you can provide instructions

 

arduino.cc/en/Main/Software#toc2 install this and their driver package, then update the driver for the ATMega to Arduino Mega 2560

Lemme know if that works.

When did you get your printer? Does it have a bottom cover? If it does I do not have the latest firmware for that. Otherwise I can help you

 

It does not have a bottom cover.
I am hoping that the driver is wrong as that seems to make some sort of sense.
The only trouble is that I cannot get rid of the current driver and cannot find the mega 2560 driver to install. The reason I was given this printer was that the previous owner got fed up trawling the web to get the information to operate it and gave up. I would have thought that all the required drivers etc would be easy to find if not supplied with the printer.
If I click on mega 2560 driver it takes you to all sorts of dodgy looking sites, the arduino site does not have a driver download page(unless its hidden)

 

I really appreciate all the advice and ask you to forgive my ignorance in these matters. I have found the firmware link OK but still am having problems obtaining the mega 2560 driver. I am now beginning to think that this does not install like other drivers and that you need lots of prior knowledge before printing can begin. My other printer, a Wanhao, was running about an hour after unpacking.
Please do not give up on me, I have seen the ROBO moving so I know it sort of works.

 

Please R->C->P a little more. I give concise but precise information. In my post I linked you to Arduino 1.0.5 which has a link for Windows installer. I said:

While installing it (step 1 of what I said to do) you would have seen the popup that says "Would you like to install the drivers?" if you had clicked no to that then my advice wouldn't have worked. Hence why I bunched it together.


The driver is included in MatterControl software, but I KNOW this method works well so this is what I suggest. R3D cares about being self contained, which matter control mostly is. I care about fixing peoples problems as fast and easy for me. Explaining how to find the driver file is more effort than just saying "install this"

 

I have now lost the will to live!
I have tried all of advice and the only difference is the firmware update box now says version RoBoDR1AUTOV3.
I have also found the Matter Control driver which was the one installed in the 1st place
I have tried the mega 2560 driver and all that did was to reverse the Z travel direction.
I am off to a steam rally this weekend so hopefully I will be ready for more frustration next week.

 

Z travel direction means your switch is not activated. Watch this: help.robo3dprinter.com/Guide/Homing+Your+Extruder/7

 

My printer does not have one of these switches. It zeroed OK and ran in the correct direction until I changed the driver and now has changed direction???
perhaps my printer needs an earlier version of software or driver? nothing else changed.

 

How does your Z axis home?

 

It used to home OK until I changed the driver etc and now it heads in the opposite direction (away from the stop switch) for about 10mm and stops

 

I mean like is it a screw that contacts a switch? Sounds like yes

You shouldn't have done anything to your firmware, if you did install this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/04hedq3az25p92t/Auto_Level_Series_6_10.zip?dl=0

 

2 off M8 lengths of studding, right hand side (viewed from the front) is a micro switch attached to a bracket on the 8mm dia rod.

 

Ok well install the firmware I linked. This will work for the Beta models without the auto-leveling. That should fix the problem from installing the firmware you did before.