by evil2002usna » Thu Oct 24, 2013 4:14 am
I am having a problem that has been driving me crazy for months now that I just haven't been able to resolve. Whenever I am printing, I have issues with my printer stopping randomly mid-print and just sitting there with power to the hot end maintaining temp, but no ability to move any of the motors once I pause the machine. Additionally, before I am able to reset the printer, I have to unplug the AC power cord and disconnect the USB cable from my Azteeg X3. I feel like I have tried everything in order to resolve this issue without any indication that I am making headway. My machine specs are as follows:
24VDC 10A Allen Bradley Power Supply
Azteeg X3 Controller w/SureStepr SD8825 Drivers
Automation Technologies Hardware
QUBD extruder stepper w/modifed BDRING's Extruder Mod and J-Head Mount 24V Heater Core
Helios Heated Bed wired for 24V
2x12V 40mm fans cooling the J-Head and Motor respectively.
I have read through several posts online that list several suggestions. The overall consensus is that signal interference is the primary issue. Most people recommend using a high end power supply with a shielded 3ft USB cable w/ferrite core. I have also read theories that it could be the result of stepper drivers getting too hot as well as hot end connections becoming loose during the print. So far I have attempted the following:
(1) Placed a small fan close to my Azteeg to cool the stepper drivers during the print to prevent overheating. The print has stopped regardless of whether the fan is on or not so I do not believe this is the problem.
(2) Hardwired all my hot end connections so that there is no possibility of intermittent loss of signal. No effect.
(3) Currently using a 3ft USB cable w/ferrite core. I am not sure if it is shielded. I am currently waiting on one to be delivered from Monoprice.
(4) Turned off my heated bed during prints to ensure I am not drawing too much current. It is my belief that this could be one of the primary causes of my issue. I know that my power supply is good quality but undersized. I have ordered a 450W 19A 24VDC Meanwell power supply that should have enough juice to power my board.
(5) Tried printing at a different power outlet and connected to a different computer running MacOSx and Repetier. It made it through two out of three prints.
(6) I have made sure that I am not starting other appliances on the same circuit during printing to reduce the likelihood of electrical noise in the circuit. This has not had any effect.
(7) Attempted to print using SDCard only. Had issues with stopping as well.
If anyone has had this issue and corrected it or has any further recommendations, I would really appreciate some help. It kinda takes the fun out of 3D printing when you can't make it through a whole print.
Thanks!