No Menu on Ultimaker Controller

[rlrcstr 1]

Just finishing my build and I got to a step where it says to turn on the machine and use the Auto Home function on the controller. My controller lights up a brilliant blue, but displays no text. There are a couple of darker bands across the display. I have tried swapping the ribbon cable ends. I tried fiddling with the contrast adjust. Nothing has helped.

What else can I do to troubleshoot? I'm so close....

Thanks.

J

[rlrcstr 1]

I tested continuity for all pins on both cables and they are good.

I connected the printer to a PC via USB to see if I could update the firmware with Cura, but Cura never makes any progress. Just sits there. Not sure how to determine if it even sees the printer.

[nallath 1,120]

I tested continuity for all pins on both cables and they are good.

I connected the printer to a PC via USB to see if I could update the firmware with Cura, but Cura never makes any progress.  Just sits there.  Not sure how to determine if it even sees the printer.

 

Check this with prontoface / printrun. We don't spend much time on the USB interface for the UM2, so its not nearly as impressive as the one from prontoface.

It sounds like a hardware issue though, so i'd contact support to get replacement parts.

[gr5 2,172]

Are there any lights on the board underneath the printer? You have the white board, right? not the green one?

If you push the controller knob do you hear a beep?

I would start with pronterface as nallath says:

http://koti.kapsi.fi/~kliment/printrun/

See if you can even connect. When you installed cura it should have installed a usb driver that is compatible with any arduino. If not install it again? Then you should be able to see a new COM port on your list of com ports in device manager when you connect the usb cable. You have windows, right? You should hear the USB musical two notes when you plug the cable in or unplug it. If you don't hear the music something is wrong with the built in arduino - e.g. it doesn't have power or it is a complete failure.

[rlrcstr 1]

I have the white board.  I have one green LED, D7, I believe, lit up.

When I connect via USB, device manager shows Ultimaker 2.0 under "Other Devices".  (I have an Original+, not a 2, but I'm not sure if that's what the 2.0 refers to in that scenario.)  But it claims that the drivers are not installed.

I do hear a click when I press the button on the controller. And if I turn the dial and press again, the bed tries to lower itself through the bottom of the machine.

I am running Windows 7.

I will look into Pronter(o)face/printrun, but I have no idea what it is or how to use it.

I will also open a ticket with support.

Thanks for the responses, If there is anything else you can think of, please let me know.  I want to play!

Edited July 7, 2015 by Guest
Added the bit about the button press.

[gr5 2,172]

I do hear a click when I press the button on the controller.  And if I turn the dial and press again, the bed tries to lower itself through the bottom of the machine.

 

Ah! That means the white board is powered up and the knob is working. It's just the display. Or the cables. Or something on the white PCB. I would contact support.ultimaker.com. They are very good. You are in the USA so you should get a call from Simon most likely. In Memphis. He knows these machines very well.

[rlrcstr 1]

So...  Some progress...  I couldn't get Cura to talk to anything, nor Pronterface.  They just didn't see the printer.  In device manager, it was listed as an "Other Device"...  I downloaded and installed the Arduino toolkit which included a driver for the Mega2560.  Now it shows in Device Manager as a COM port.  Cura is still useless, but Pronterface can see it and talk to it.

I can move the head a bit, but the printer doesn't home properly.  Only the X axis seems to find its home.  Y and Z try to move through the walls/floor.

Cura still doesn't talk to the printer.  In the log it complains that it doesn't have permission to open the COM port.  I was hoping that a firmware update might kick the printer into shape.  Is there another way to update the firmware, besides Cura?

I have a ticket open. Waiting for them to respond.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Guest

[nallath 1,120]

Y and Z try to move through the walls/floor.

 

Means that your end switches aren't working. Combined with your other problems it probably means your main board is broken.

[gr5 2,172]

Y and Z try to move through the walls/floor.

that explains everything I think!

You have the wrong firmware. You have UM2 firmware but you need UMO firmware.

[gr5 2,172]

The firmware is in your cura installed folder.  Something like this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Cura_15.01\resources\firmware\MarlinUltimaker-UMOP-250000.hex

UMOP = UMO+

250000 is the baud rate that the new marlin will talk at once you install it.  115200 is a bit more reliable so you might want to go with that one but I think 250000 is the default that cura expects (and pronterface) but maybe they both autobaud and it doesn't matter.

To install it onto the arduino you can use the arduino software (not sure how or even if it's possible without building it first but hell it should be possiible so google it).  Or you can use cura "machine" "install custom firmware..." or you can probably use pronterface.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Guest

[rlrcstr 1]

 

Y and Z try to move through the walls/floor.

that explains everything I think!

You have the wrong firmware.  You have UM2 firmware but you need UMO firmware.

 

Does that happen, often? They ship an UMO+ with UM2 firmware?

Cura doesn't seem to be able to talk to the printer. The error log complains that it doesn't have permission to open the port. And I can't find an option in Pronterface to do it... Maybe the command line... I will look into it. Thanks.

[gr5 2,172]

I downloaded and installed the Arduino toolkit which included a driver for the Mega2560.  Now it shows in Device Manager as a COM port.  Cura is still useless, but Pronterface can see it and talk to it.

 

That is excellent. So did you note down the baud rate and also the COM port number? I think you can force cura to use a specific com port and baud rate. Not sure how to do that. You can't use it while pronterface is using it so close pronterface before opening cura.

Pronterface should tell you the version number/name of the software maybe?

Well I would guess marlin is pre-loaded on those white circuit boards and then placed in a stockroom and it should be easy to grab the wrong PCB or to think "oh - we are out of UMO PCBS - why can't I just grab one from over here?". For assembled machines of course you would never get it wrong as they would catch that in QA or earlier.

[gr5 2,172]

Keep in mind that this is a generic arduino product and for every person with an ultimaker there are 100 with an arduino. So you can google how to load a hex file onto your arduino using the arduino toolkit.

[rlrcstr 1]

Got it... And I got the proper firmware installed and the printer has come to life... I had to use Cure 15.04. The new version wouldn't talk to the printer. But 15.04 loaded the proper firmware without an issue.

There were no instructions on how to load the filament... I just kinda shoved it up through the tube and it seems to be working.

Now I just have to find a fun little model to print for my first attempt...

Thanks for your help. (Faster, and more accurate than the ticket system...)