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Can't Print Any Models At All Except Sample

Michael GalindoMichael Galindo Posts: 5Member
in Getting Started & Troubleshooting
New A5S owner here. Hello wonderful fellow JGAurora enthusiasts!

I cannot get any gcode file to make the printer do anything at all. It will not heat up, it will not home, it will not move the nozzle or the bed, and it will not print. The % done gauge ticks up slowly to 100%, but nothing else happens. The only exception is the "YF20 20181101.gcode" file that came as a sample on the SD card. That file works perfectly.

I have tried Cura 3.6, 4.0, and the 15.04.6 + JCreate version I found on the SD card. I tried many settings inside each version of Cura, and generated many, many gcode files, but none of them make the printer do anything at all.
I copied everything I could out of the sample gcode file by hand in Notepad, even just replacing everything except the move instructions. Still, only the original, completely unaltered sample file will make the printer respond.

I know at least two other people have encountered this same problem. Does anyone know how to resolve it?

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Comments

  • Michael GalindoMichael Galindo Posts: 5Member
    Resolved!

    That was fast.
    1. I removed comments (e.g.: "; home the printer") from the start and end code in Cura 4.0 (using RepRap flavor).
    2. I formatted the SD card. (A complete format in FAT32, not a Windows "quick format", takes about 20 minutes.)
    3. I pasted only 1 single gcode file onto the card, and nothing else.
    It is finally printing! After so much frustration!

    Not perfect.
    The printer still will not preheat the nozzle from the gcode file, only the print bed. However, by using Options -> Heat -> Extru., I can manually change the nozzle temperature from 0 to 225 (the temperature I set in Cura), and once it preheats the print will start.
    Thanked by 1Samuel Pinches
  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    Very bizarre... I’m still very confused as to what could be causing this...  but this is obviously a problem with jgaurora’s proprietary firmware, sigh. 

    You could try the community firmware if you want something different? 
  • Michael GalindoMichael Galindo Posts: 5Member
    Hi Samuel.

    I am very sure that formatting the SD card is what fixed the problem. Now that I have it working, I am afraid to change anything, so I doubt I would install the community firmware unless another insoluble problem arose. I am glad to know it exists though. I will remember that in case something similar happens in the future.
  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    edited May 2019
    Formatting the SD card has been the solution I have been recommending to other people, and it seems to be working for them too. I can understand your hesitancy, but I guess I can say with complete confidence that the community firmware is 100% reversible with no permanent changes made, in case you ever want to try it out.

    Also, there's a very recent update A5S official firmware on the wiki, I strongly recommend to install that one if you get a chance.

    Happy printing,
    Sam
    Post edited by Samuel Pinches on
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    I have formatted my SD card to FAT32 but still nothing is happening. 
  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    Welcome @Conner Reyes  - what else have you tried?
    • Can you see the files on the SD card?
    • Do the sample files provided by jgaurora work?
    •  Can you print from a pc using Pronterface over a USB cable?
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    I can see the files on my SD card, the sample file from jgaurora works. What is Prontreface? I haven't tried the USB cable as of yet

  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    edited June 2019
    You can print files from a computer using software like Pronterface (also known as PrintRun)


    Post edited by Samuel Pinches on
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    Got it but when I download it, it just gives me files and PNG images. Not application to open.
  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    edited June 2019

    Please try the link above. (from http://kliment.kapsi.fi/printrun/)

    Post edited by Samuel Pinches on
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    Anything I should look for?

  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    edited June 2019
    • When you print a file from pronterface, what happens?
    • In the console on the right side, so you see any error messages?
    • Can you set temperature and move the axis manually without issue from pronterface?
    Post edited by Samuel Pinches on
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    Pronterface is stuck on the connecting command

  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    I haven't even had the printer for a week and it is acting up.
  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    edited June 2019
    If you haven't already, install the latest official firmware: https://jgaurorawiki.com/a5s/firmware

    Connection speed should be 250000. Make sure you have the correct COM port selected, you can find the COM port in device manager under serial ports.

    They're good printers, but without more info its hard to know what exactly is going wrong in your case. When you say acting up, were you able to print files before, and it stopped working?


    Post edited by Samuel Pinches on
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    I was only able to print the test file that was sent over on the SD card directly from the jgaurora factory.
  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    Well, that's a good start at least, it confirms the hardware is working... If you want me to check your gcode file is ok, feel free to upload it here.
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    I got an error message on Pronterface:

    Connecting...
    kú™½
    ½ÖSåMIª*MIª*M™ª*MIª*MIª*=K©*MIª*MIª*MIª*MIª*MIª*MIª*MIª*MIª*MIª*MIªªø
    Attempted to write invalid text to console, which could be due to an invalid baudrate
    Attempted to write invalid text to console, which could be due to an invalid baudrate

  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    edited June 2019
    Have you set the baudrate to 250000? If you are on the old firmware it may need to be set to 115200... in which case, you should definitely update the firmware!
    Post edited by Samuel Pinches on
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    Changed it, now printer is online

  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    Does that mean I can only 3d print from my computer?

  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    edited June 2019
    No. I'm just suggesting you try a print from the computer and see if that works without issues, as if there is an error while printing you may see the error code in the console. If that doesnt work either, then it confirms that the problem is not related to the SD card function.

    The new firmware fixes many bugs...
    Post edited by Samuel Pinches on
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    I am going to give it a shot, printing from my computer. What bugs does the new firmware fix?
  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    You'll have to ask JGAurora for the change log. But there have been several updates for communication problems, SD card problems, print reliability, emergency stop functions, octoprint compatibility....
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    Okay, gonna try the test print. How do I print from Pronterface?
  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    Hit load file, then hit print. Buttons above the yellow grid layer viewer.
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    what does no file or directory mean?
  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    edited June 2019
    Sorry Conner, that I don't know. Haven't seen that error before. Maybe check the name of the file doesnt have any strange characters, maybe try copy the file to your desktop first before loading it. Not real sure.

    You need to print a ".gcode" file.
    Post edited by Samuel Pinches on
  • Conner ReyesConner Reyes Posts: 18Member
    So change them to gcode in Cura then load it to Pronterface?

  • Samuel PinchesSamuel Pinches Posts: 2,997Administrator
    edited June 2019
    Yes, exactly. The printer only understands Gcode. Pronterface just sends the Gcode file to the printer line by line.

    I'm in Australia... so I'm off to bed. I'll try reply later. Best of luck.

    Post edited by Samuel Pinches on
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