anon4321

No problem. The end result is it's working and didn't cost anything more than some time. I'm glad you found it before you started replacing parts!!!

Hey GR5, the broken firmware is more like a broken installer or that the wrong firmware is selected. If you use Cura, select Ultimaker Original then self installed heated bed and you update the firmware, whatever Cura installs on the printer doesn't work and the printer immediately reports a temperature error.

Cool, glad it was an easy fix. For my heated bed on the UM1, I built the firmware. However, others have used that marlin builder. Maybe someone else can help.

OK, so I think we have the answer. There is a MOSFET that switches the heater off and on and it seems like it is bad. So you have a few options, - Get a new controller - EXPENSIVE!!!! - https://www.ultimaker.com/products/electronics - Contact UM and see if they will sell you just the mega shield. - Unsolder and replace the MOSFET The MOSFET part number is STP55NF06L. If you are really good at UNsoldering, you could "borrow" the second heater MOSFET and solder it into the first position. Or you could probably rebuild the firmware to make the second heater appear as the first and connect the heater to the second connector. I would ask that someone else verify all this so I'm not steering you wrong.

OK, that "Heating failed" message occurs if the firmware doesn't see the temp change by a certain amount for 40 seconds.

Hmmm, that's a new one for me. So the "Heating failed" message appear instantly or after some time? However, I think we can conclude a couple things. Your firmware and arduino are good. And it looks like the temp probe and amp board are good BUT it is still a little suspect. However, it's good that it is reporting around room temp or a little higher Not sure what condition causes the "Heating failed" message but I'll scan the firmware to see. In the meantime, I would set the machine on it's side and remove the electronics cover and example the connection to the nozzle heater. See Step 4 here : http://wiki.ultimaker.com/Ultimaker_rev.4_assembly:_Mounting_the_electronics If you have a multimeter, I would trigger the nozzle heating with the M109 T0 S180 command and then measure the voltage across the two screws at the top of the HEATER 1 connector. It should be around 19V. If the voltage is there, unplug the USB and power. Loosen the terminal screws and pull out the heater wires. Then measure the resistance across the to heater wires. It should be about 8 ohms.

Just to confirm did you get the "Error: SerialTimeoutException" after pulling the USB/power? Did you get a response to the M503? Did you send the M109 T0 S180.00 command? Did you feel the nozzle warm up?

Well, could be a number of things. We need more info. So try the following - - Cancel out of the first run wizard. - Go to File -> Preferences - Change the printing window type to Pronterface UI and click OK. - Now go to File -> Print - Watch the window title bar as it will show information on connecting to the printer. If you get a successful connection, let us know and then in the text box on the right at the bottom, type: M503 and press return (no spaces around the command). You should get a response similar to: > M503 < echo:Steps per unit: < echo: M92 X78.74 Y78.74 Z533.33 E608.00 < echo:Maximum feedrates (mm/s): < echo: M203 X500.00 Y500.00 Z40.00 E25.00 < echo:Maximum Acceleration (mm/s2): < echo: M201 X4000 Y4000 Z1000 E10000 < echo:Acceleration: S=acceleration, T=retract acceleration < echo: M204 S3000.00 T3000.00 < echo:Advanced variables: S=Min feedrate (mm/s), T=Min travel feedrate (mm/s), B=minimum segment time (ms), X=maximum XY jerk (mm/s), Z=maximum Z jerk (mm/s), E=maximum E jerk (mm/s) < echo: M205 S0.00 T0.00 B20000 X10.00 Z0.20 E5.00 < echo:Home offset (mm): < echo: M206 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00 < echo:PID settings: < echo: M301 P22.20 I1.08 D114.00 Now type but you should monitor the printer closely and quickly touch the nozzle to see if it is heating. M109 T0 S180.00 this will set the nozzle temp to 180C so be careful you don't burn yourself. Now after issuing the M109 command carefully and quickly touch the nozzle to see if it is heating. If it is, you should see the graph in the pronterface UI increasing. IF YOU DO NOT SEE THE GRAPH INCREASING OR THE TEMP VALUE IN THE WINDOW TITLE BAR, UNPLUG THE PRINTER POWER AND USB. Report back the results. Here is an example done on my printer under Windows 7:

That technique will suffer from the problem of using the nozzle as a electrical contact. Any plastic on the nozzle will mess up the measurement. Unfortunately, given our broken patent system, MB will probably get the patent, sue someone and that someone will have to spend $m to get the patent ruled invalid.

Oh yeah, I see the resistor now. Yeah I had a heck of a time getting the solder out of the holes. I didn't have a solder sucker so just sort of surface mounted it.

Unfortunately, that relay is 12VDC. The HEAT BED connection outputs about 19.5VDC. Most likely you will find that the relay heats up from the extra power. It might burn out at some point. If you want to use a SSR, I went with this one but @ $30 it isn't cheap: http://www.phidgets.com/products.php?category=9&product_id=3950_0 Just note that both the input and output are polarized so you need to be careful with connecting it.

**** WARNING - DANGER WILL ROBINSON ***** I scanned radioshack.com and there are NO suitable relays for this purpose!!!!!!

Three things: - You should tie the same polarity pins on the power supply together. So tie P1 and P2 together and P3 and P4 together. The reason is that you are going to have fairly high current in the circuit. That is the reason the PS has two pins for each polarity. Each lead in the PS cable and connecter pin should only carry half the current. - Which relay from Radio Shack are you using? If it is a normal electromechanical relay, the polarity of the connections to the HOT BED connector won't matter. However if it is a SSR, the polarity must be correct. On the HOT_BED connector, the terminal on the side towards the outside of the board is +. The terminal next to the HEATER2 terminal is - - Here is the difficult part, since you are using a thermistor, you will need to solder a 4.7k resistor to the control board in the R4 position.

Posted this for someone else and thought I would see if someone else can confirm so people like Daid can be made aware - I downloaded the latest Cura beta (RC6). Thought I should update to the firmware that came with it, Selected to Ultimaker Original with self built heated bed. I noticed that Cura flashed the HBK version but that shouldn't be a problem. Fortunately, I have the ulticontroller and after the update was complete and the Arduino restarted, the controller immediately displayed BED TEMP ERR and this is on a machine that was working 5 minutes before. It seems once the BED TEMP ERR appears, the printer won't communicate with either Cura or the Arduino IDE. However, I removed the Arduino and used by saved copy of the firmware config to rebuild for my bed (it runs in PID mode) and reflashed. After reinstalling the Arduino, the printer is fine. Anyone else seen this behavior?

So I just went through this and at least in my case this is what happened. I downloaded the latest Cura beta. Thought I should update to the firmware that came with it, Selected to Ultimaker Original with self built heated bed. I noticed that Cura flashed the HBK version. Fortunately, I have the ulticontroller and after the update was complete and the Arduino restarted, the controller immediately displayed BED TEMP ERROR and this is on a machine that was working 5 minutes before. It seems once the BED TEMP ERROR appears, the printer won't communicate with either Cura or the Arduino IDE. However, I removed the Arduino and used by saved copy of the firmware config to rebuild for my bed and reflashed. After reinstalling the Arduino, the printer is fine. This is why I recommend you reflash with the default firmware from the Cura install called just "MarlinUltimaker-250000.hex" and NOT the HBP version. There is a good chance that your printer is OK but the firmware has a problem that caused the Arduino to go into such a bad error state that you can't communicate with it.

I agree with Zoev89, that SSR won't work for switching DC.

Holy crap ! 40M for a pawn? Will Cura even slice it?

OK so you are saying that the arduino works when NOT connected to the UM shield? And please clarify where you saw the short. When you measure between the heated bed outputs, it's shorted with no power on (might as well leave the arduino off to simplify checking this)? Oh, also note that the outputs are protected by a diode so if they look shorted, reverse the probes to be sure. Shorted in one direction and not when reversed is probably OK.

I agree on the glue point! No printed sample is a turn off especially to see if it is what I want. This is really true for what I will classify as operational parts such as printer upgrades etc. I don't mine fasteners as long as they are standard and easy to come by. Some of the models have you go out and get plastite screws or non-metric hardware that might be hard to find (and I'm in the US so fractional inch hardware is plentiful but what I have left over from the UM1 is metric and therefore what I have on hand). As I'm a unsophisticated gorilla, I despise plastite screws since I will inevitably strip them. Don't mind clean up as long as it seems necessary. Some things are difficult to print with additive methods. Don't mind lots of parts either as long as there are instructions and it seems necessary. Shameless plug: this is my one contribution - https://www.youmagine.com/designs/um-original-bowden-tube-clips-and-retainer

Jonny, that is a good point. I would NEVER use it unattended and I would stress test it but putting it FULL ON and see what happens. Also a good point about the firmware. I'm wondering how hard it would be to add a safety measure to the firmware code that if 100% power is being supplied and the temp doesn't change over the period of say a minute, the firmware aborts and powers off

Interesting summary of the current state here: http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?340,333301,346258#msg-346258

By the way drayson, I have JasonHK's bed linked below and at big 24V 280W supply. The bed heats faster to 70C than the nozzle will to 200C. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heated-Bed-Premium-Kit-for-Ultimaker-3d-Printers-with-Borosilicate-Glass-Surface/151272164070?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D22946%26meid%3D7452814606783127047%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D9894%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D151272164070

Jonny, for Drayson's benefit and to address some concern your last post may have raised - " The description says: 215 x 215mm Ni-Cr Silicone self-adhesive heater Low temperature - at 12V 8A 96W about 60 deg C High temperature - at 18V 12A 216W must be regulated So the heater is rated to at least 216W so 254W *might* be OK. " Certainly, if it was a 100w element, 254w would NOT be OK. Oh and on Silicone verses silicon, I wasn't implying that the silicone was a concern in the runaway. I just included the semiconductor information to explain when electronics go POOF! Ultimately, the question would be if the heater that is spec'ed at 216w be damaged during heating by 254W. Personally, I would try it and monitor it but that's me. I 'm fortunate to be able to replace things and I know where the extinguisher is...

Reflash the default firmware through Cura. The FW update uses a different method to communicate with the printer so should work even though the rest of the Cura comm with the printer does.

NOTE THAT YOU DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK OF FIRE, INJURY AND/OR DEATH!!!! I ACCEPT NO LIABILITY IF YOU USE THIS INFORMATION. It depends on how sensitive you are to running the bed above the stated spec. I think you would be OK with the 19.5V supply, At 19.5V, the bed will be supplied about 254 watts which is well within the supply's 330W rating. HOWEVER, THE CAUTION WOULD BE that there is a possibility of burning out the bed or it catching on fire so don't use it unattended and have a fire extinguisher on hand. Also, monitor it's temperature and increase it slowly until you know how high and fast you can heat it. Also, at 254 watts, the current will be 13 amps so you need to make sure all the wiring and the relay can handle that current. The wiring should be at least 18 or 16 gauge but I would go with 14 gauge based on this info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge