Ultimaker rebooting?

[uzziel 0]

Sorry in advance if this is off-topic; I'm not sure exactly where to post this.

My partner Jennifer and I are in the process of trying to get our Ultimaker to work and it is a huge headache. The machine is displaying some odd behavior, like powering up the fans and lights when we connect it to our laptops via the USB cable - it does this even if the power cable for the printer is not connected yet. It's definitely drawing power over the USB connection, which neither of us thought was normal.

I tried using the latest Cura download from github last night to run a calibration test. The first call to DoCommCommandWithTimeout in OnRun in the configWizard.py module always fails with "Error: Missing start message." because the output from the printer does not include a line beginning with 'start'. The output that does come back from the printer looks something like this:

##############################

2012 17:33:42 +0200 - b67dacdc8f1bd489e058e16d92ba29c364b2a8e5 |

Author: Build-Me-Marlin

echo: Free Memory: 4494 PlannerBufferBy?start

echo: External Reset

Marlin 1.0.0 RC2

###############################

The first line varies in length - sometimes it contains more bytes, sometimes fewer.

I changed the code to bypass that test and get the wizard to run all the way to the heating test, XYZ limit tests, and then the extruder test. On the extruder test it always fails when trying to feed 1000mm of filament. I modified the code there to print out the response from the printer, and this is what it's returning when it tries to drive the extruder motor:

###############################

x_min:L x_max:L y_min:L y_max:L z_min:L z_max:L

ok

x_min:L x_max:L y_min:L y_max:L z_min:L z_max:H

objc[71251]: Object 0x105aa4270 of class NSConcreteMapTable

autoreleased with no pool in place - just leaking - break on

objc_autoreleaseNoPool() to debug

objc[71251]: Object 0x10a569e70 of class __NSCFString autoreleased

with no pool in place - just leaking - break on

objc_autoreleaseNoPool() to debug

objc[71251]: Object 0x10a569e70 of class __NSCFString autoreleased

with no pool in place - just leaking - break on

objc_autoreleaseNoPool() to debug

Connecting to: /dev/tty.usbmodemfd121

Serial(port='/dev/tty.usbmodemfd121',

baudrate=250000, bytesize=8, parity='N', stopbits=1, timeout=2,

xonxoff=False, rtscts=False, dsrdtr=False)

2012 17:33:42 +0200 - b67dacdc8f1bd489e058e16d92ba29c364b2a8e5 |

Author: Build-Me-Marlin

echo: Free Memory: 4494 PlannerBufferBy?start

echo: External Reset

Marlin 1.0.0 RC2

echo: Last Updated: Marlin-Mon, 11 Jun 2012 17:33:42 +0200 -

b67dacdc8f1bd489e058e16d92ba29c364b2a8e5 | Author: Build-Me-Marlin

echo: Free Memory: 4494 PlannerBufferBytes: 1232

echo:Using Default settings:

echo:Steps per unit:

echo: M92 X78.74 Y78.74 Z533.33 E865.89

echo:Maximum feedrates (mm/s):

echo: M203 X250.00 Y250.00 Z5.00 E45.00

echo:Maximum Acceleration (mm/s2):

echo: M201 X9000 Y9000 Z100 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)

echo: M205 S0.00 T0.00 B20000 X20.00 Z0.40 E5.00

echo:PID settings:

echo: M301 P22.20 I1.08 D114.00

###############################

This looks to me like the arduino board is rebooting when the extruder head is being activated. Am I interpreting that correctly? Does anyone know if this would indicate a problem in the board itself?

[jennigma 0]

To clarify a little this happened after the feed test, which is the filament drive motor, not the extruder head (which we know is basically just a heater, a thermistor, and an LED in terms of electronics.)

I know the vocabulary around this hobby isn't clear yet, but I was confused the first time reading David's post, so I wanted to clarify for others. :-)

[Daid 306]

The "missing start message" is a known problem. It's caused by some combination of OS and a few other things. I haven't been able to find access to a machine that has this exact problem. So I haven't been able to pin it down.

However, a workaround is to close down the first run wizard, goto the preferences, and configure a serial port and baudrate (250000). As it is the auto-detection that is causing this.

[uzziel 0]

Daid,

That is helpful, but it doesn't address the main question I have. Do the messages above look to you like the system restarted when the configWizard script tried to activate the filament drive motor?

[Daid 306]

The config wizard restarts the machine whenever you do a new action, so that's normal. Sorry I did not add that.

[uzziel 0]

Ah, thank you Daid. I assumed it was an error condition because Cura failed to activate the extruder motor when the reboot happened. Good to know that (the reboot) is intended behavior.

[tomnagel 126]

However, a workaround is to close down the first run wizard, goto the preferences, and configure a serial port and baudrate (250000). As it is the auto-detection that is causing this.

Thank you Daid. I moved my Ultimaker from the living room where I built and tested it (with a netbook running WinXP) to my computer room, and was not able to connect normally. I changed the setting like you wrote and presto, it connects. (Win7 Home Premium, SP1, Cura 12.08, firmware UM upgraded via Cura)