[buddydog]

I found a driver file a couple levels up from marlin ino but has lots of items in it?

[Retroplayer]

I found a driver file a couple levels up from marlin ino but has lots of items in it?

Weird. You had it working before just fine didn't you?

Go into the Arduino folder and open the Drivers folder. In there, doubleclick on dpinst-x86.exe (assuming you have a 32 bit operating system.) If you have 64 bit, run dpinst-amd64.exe

How to determine if you are running 32 bit or 64 bit windows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_UfekUzO6g


Make sure the Arduino is plugged in first before doing anything below:

After doing the above, click on START, then RIGHT-CLICK on COMPUTER and choose Properties. On the left side of the window that pops up, you will see DEVICE MANAGER. Click on that.

You should see a list of hardware in your computer. First check if anything is shown with an exclamation mark beside it. If so, right click on it and choose Install/Update Driver

If nothing like that, then click on the top item (DESKTOP) and then the Action menu. Pick Scan For Hardware Changes

This might get things installed.

You can check to see if the Arduino is showing up properly by looking in the list of hardware. One of them should say Ports (COM & LPT) there you would find the Arduino if it is installed properly. If it shows up there, but isn't working, you might have deleted the driver file while you were purging your system. You can right-click on it and choose install/update driver. Then tell it to search for the driver.

[Retroplayer]

Also, Windows 7 sometimes has problems with Arduino. Take a look at this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPdSKT6KdF8

[Retroplayer]

BTW, neither of you have answered my question about which version of windows you are running. In order to solve any windows problems you guys are having with the steps, this is going to be important.

I have been assuming Windows 7, but it would be helpful to know for sure.

[buddydog]

Hi Retro. Post 155 I said I had windows 7. I hope that's the info I needed to give. You have the patience of Job! I do feel your almost on top of it. I will try the new things today, maybe right now. I'll report back.

[buddydog]

Yeah!! The driver is in and apparently it recognizes the arduino. BUT when I try and compile the marlin program I get this:
In yellow:

const u8g_fntpgm_uint8_t u8g_font_6x9[2300] U8G_SECTION(".progmem.u8g_font_6x9") = {

also at the bottom of the screen in brown:
UG8_ fntpgm_uint8_t' does not name a type.


Looks like something is corrupted in the sketch? I will watch the windows/arduino video now.

[buddydog]

I watched the video. I don't "think" I have a driver problem anymore although I didn't do exactly what that said but something like it and the tools say com5 is there so ?

Also yes the driver was working before with the tutorial program (basic arduino?) but I erased, shredded, cut, uninstalled 60,000 items that had the word arduino in them. Took a while. But I needed to start over so I went in with a crowbar and pulled it all out and reinstalled everything exactly like you said. I would miss little things like when you said to install dpinst-amd64.exe. I thought but you really meant something with.exe after it and so at first I overlooked the file but did find it later. There was no .exe visible on it.

[Retroplayer]

Yeah!! The driver is in and apparently it recognizes the arduino. BUT when I try and compile the marlin program I get this:
In yellow:

const u8g_fntpgm_uint8_t u8g_font_6x9[2300] U8G_SECTION(".progmem.u8g_font_6x9") = {

also at the bottom of the screen in brown:
UG8_ fntpgm_uint8_t' does not name a type.


Looks like something is corrupted in the sketch? I will watch the windows/arduino video now.

Are you using the 1.0.5 version of the Arduino program? That sounds like one of the differences between versions.

[Retroplayer]

I watched the video. I don't "think" I have a driver problem anymore although I didn't do exactly what that said but something like it and the tools say com5 is there so ?

Yeah, you wouldn't be able to pick it unless the driver is working. So I think you are good there. Arduino is complaining that it doesn't recognize Uint8_t. I really think you might be using a different version of the Arduino IDE. The tutorial and the code is written for version 1.0.5

[Retroplayer]

There was no .exe visible on it.

Yep. Another assumption on my part Windows hides extensions by default. It's there, it just isn't visible to you with your settings.

[buddydog]

I watched the video. I don't "think" I have a driver problem anymore although I didn't do exactly what that said but something like it and the tools say com5 is there so ?

The arduino program is 1.0.5 r2 I don't know if the r2 is the difference.?

[Retroplayer]

I watched the video. I don't "think" I have a driver problem anymore although I didn't do exactly what that said but something like it and the tools say com5 is there so ?

The arduino program is 1.0.5 r2 I don't know if the r2 is the difference.?

No, the r2 is the same as mine. Maybe you should try to download the Marlin firmware again and make sure you are copying over the right folders. I just tried the tutorial from scratch and it worked for me:



If you continue to get errors, copy all the text in the bottom window so I can see what is going on.

[Retroplayer]

You copied over the libraries folders correctly? I know you said you had issues with copying.

Attachment 267888 Attachment 267890

Right before that statement you said is yellow is to include one of those libraries. If you don't have the libraries copied over properly, it would generate that error. But again, copy all text that shows up in the bottom window. That is the debug output so it will tell us exactly what went wrong.

[buddydog]

No I don't think I copied them like that. I'll work on that tomorrow morning. I didn't see any "laser cutter"file.I just dragged and dropped the three items from the buildlog thing to the arduino files (library?) I think like you had said or like I understood. I think I'm going to get there especially after seeing your last post and I am looking forward to running the laser cutter off of the arduino but I still have no idea what I did after I get it working. Just a bunch of files and they seem to have to be in some order to work.? It would be nice to see the architecture that's needed. That was my real goal. I do believe I'm maybe going to have to seek out a tutorial but I don't even know what to look for sure. I feel like an appliance operator.

I did get the marlin into the projects file but the projects file was not in a laser cutter file like you show so I got something wrong.

[buddydog]

I (we, ok Retro) did it!! It works!!

[Retroplayer]

I (we, ok Retro) did it!! It works!!

:wee::wee::wee:

[Retroplayer]

It would be nice to see the architecture that's needed. That was my real goal. I do believe I'm maybe going to have to seek out a tutorial but I don't even know what to look for sure. I feel like an appliance operator.

We'll get there. Once you have everything installed and running, we will start looking at the files to customize the firmware. That is my goal.

For now, let's just celebrate that you have lift off

[buddydog]

OK I went back and somehow I had placed the three (spi, ug8-whatever, and crystal thing) in the main arduino folder, not the library. I moved them to library and restarted the arduino and voila. "Laser cutter ready"on the arduino display screen. Poking around it looks a lot like my 3D printer controls ahem why there is even an "extruder" function. I didn't know my laser had an extruder! So now the next thing to find out is how to load designs into it to cut? Thanks Retro!!!!

How's you doin Rolf?

Oh and where do I put the dongle? Wait a minute- where the sun don't shine :-)

[Retroplayer]

OK I went back and somehow I had placed the three (spi, ug8-whatever, and crystal thing) in the main arduino folder, not the library. I moved them to library and restarted the arduino and voila. "Laser cutter ready"on the arduino display screen. Poking around it looks a lot like my 3D printer controls ahem why there is even an "extruder" function. I didn't know my laser had an extruder! So now the next thing to find out is how to load designs into it to cut? Thanks Retro!!!!

How's you doin Rolf?

Oh and where do I put the dongle? Wait a minute- where the sun don't shine :-)

Yeah, the Marlin firmware which is at the base of this was intended for 3D printers. So, there is bound to be left-over junk. The modified firmware looks more like a quick hack. But, it gets you up and running with a fully functional laser cutter! I am hoping to do some further customization to it.


As for loading designs... start with looking at the workflow section of this site: equipment:buildlog_laser_cutter [Lansing Makers Network Wiki]

The workflow is not the best it could be yet, but is definitely better and less restricted than it was with the original software.

[buddydog]

So will these driver boards directly run the steppers in my laser machine. I have not actually plugged the boards onto the ramps yet. And the excitement is building. I wonder if I can design a 2D in openscad and slice it in cura and run it on the arduino? I think I'll go grab my camera card with some 3D stuffs on it and see what happens.