Cura 15.04.06 not connecting to printrbot simple metal

[shelby50411]

Hi i just bought a used printrbot simple metal

Ive never owned a 3d printer with no user interface so apparenlt cura is only non web based free software to communicate

I cant get cura 15.04.06 to connect to it...i dont get the print with usb icon...and no pronterface

Device manager sees my printrbot

Can someonemassist me or direct me to an alternative free method to be able to communicate with printrbot since it has no lcd screen interface like all other 3d printers have

Im using a windows xp desktop computer....

[Mooselake]

Repetier Host is what Printrbot recommended before getting into some sort of tiff with them, and it works well for a number of us here including RJ and I. You might need to track down a driver for the USB interface, been many years since I've used XP (well, there was the whole XPocolypse thing on the ambulance charting software I supported, upgraded a stack of refurb Panasonic Toughbooks to W7, then W10 a while after it stabilized, but that was 5 or more years ago. They sent me one down here after switching to browser based software and chromebooks and abandoning them, might dedicate it to some CNC gadget or other).

Quite likely that XP machine is approaching it's end of life and not worth upgrading. You could try LInux, but I wouldn't advise that unless you want to start another learning curve. XPs been dead for a while and you may need to dig up an older interface program that supports it. Maybe the real Pronterface, not the emulated version in Cura, would work. It'll take some research to find something that supports the approaching 20 year old XP, and of course never, ever, connect it to the Internet since it may be corrupted within minutes (don't know how many of the XP exploit scanners are still running, but it's still used in a lot of hoary old industrial, commercial, and medical gear). Maybe find a $25 used desktop/laptop that's already been updated to W10?

Kirk

[shelby50411]

repetier host is not an option since its web based

i may have found a solution..i downloaded printrun which has pronterface built in and it connects to my printrbot and allows me to move in xyz so thats a good sign

now i just need a program to send gcode to printrbot

looks like cura will be going to the recycle bin

[shelby50411]

thanks i like xp becasue i have an xp disk and is unlimited to instyalls no restrictions also the desktop pc that is connected to my printrbot is also connected to 2 older 2007/2008 cnc router systems and works great with them so no i will not change my operating system

xp is fine for what i use it for i dont need fancy..fancy is tooc costly and too many issues..im old school

it does seem the actual pronterface program connects fine as you did metniosn......the cura pronterface just doesnt connect but the real pronterface does via printrun program

this pc is not connected to the internet and thats why i would not use repetier nor would i want to

i do not beleive in web based software at all and never use web based software....web based software is only asking for trouble in my opinion and they can track everyhting you do and control you

[shelby50411]

im trying to home xyz but for some reason y limit is either mounted wrong or y direction is wrong

when i hit home y the head moves towards the front of the bed and the limit switch never triggers since the switch is located on the front of the carriage ..it needs to be on the rear of the carriage and there are no mounting holes there

i bought this used so not sure how prev owner had this configured but currently i cant home y..it just crashes since limit swith is in incorrect position

how can i tell the machine to home to back of bed so limit switch triggers?

[Mooselake]

[shelby50411]

Thanks
I thought repetier was web based..guess im wrong
Im sure repetier wontnwork,with windows,xp,anyways

Yes now i need to find out how to change y home direction ..y direction is opposite.to home limit switch....x direction is ok....z direction is ok

[shelby50411]

Looking at front of printrbot where is x y home?

Left front? Or left rear?

My y,limit,switch is mounted per manual but will only work if y home is left rear.....currently when i home y it moves to left front and onviously crashes,since no limit switch there

[shelby50411]

update i finally got my printrbot up and running

had to throw cura in trash

what i did was used slic3R to create the gcode and then used printrun (pronterface) to send the gcode to the printrbot and it is now printing a sample

had to flip the y motor connection 180deg since it appears it was installed wrong and had to reflash firmware in order for my windows xp computer to see it in devicemanager

after many many hours of frustration i now have it running..what a pain in the butt.....

thanks for all the help even though i ended up doing most of the troubleshooting outside of this thread....

[RetireeJay]

I've had some offline time due to travel, or I'd have responded sooner.

For some reason I was confused and thought that the Simple Metal was the model with the Rev G board that required cloud-based operation.

So yes, you have done the right thing in reversing the Y motor plug. There's a "sticky" post in the forum that shows you where 0, 0, 0 is on all Printrbots viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3484. However, some Printrbots "home" Y to Max instead of 0. So beware. Take a look at the reported value of Y when the printer is "home" to see if Y is zero or Max.

I really use Repetier all the time, even on my new Prusa MK3S printer. I just love the insight it gives into the printer's actual condition as well as controls that you can apply even while a print is running (speed it up, slow it down, tweak the flow rate, adjust temperatures, adjust fan speed...). I think that Printrbot abandoned Repetier because it's no longer strictly freeware; they ask for an optional donation when you download the latest copy. But as Mooselake said, once you have Repetier Host on your computer, it is totally independent of the Internet.

[shelby50411]

Thanks...pronterface,as a sender is good too..can change speeds while printing .which is a huge benefit ..i will,try,repetier sometime but i do belive it will not work with older,windows versions like xp its not always about features its sometimes what will work with your individual setup and needs....pronterface is fine for me though...i,rather,print via memory card (uses less electricity and more reliable) but on the printrbot this is just not very feasible nor is it very fun..its a pain since there is zero feedback of machine status and just plain ridiculous ...reminds me of technology in the 1970s lol...

[shelby50411]

I reallymwant to clip on a piece of glass for the bed like,i,did with my anet a8....i love glass as a bed surface as compared to metal...but then the autoleveling would fail i think since sensor detects metal...i saw someone who used glass and then put thin alum or copper tape on the auto leveling areas ..may try that sometime

[shelby50411]

Fyi when my printrbot doesmauto level it uses the front left corner...rear left corner and rear right corner which is diff than inhave seen online ...

Im going to try using alum tape on those 3 points on top of glass ill use .100 thick glass..and see how it turns out

[MartyS]