Equipment/Stratasys FDM 1650/Legacy
This sub-page is to serve as an archive for the old logs and data about the Stratasys before it's extensive refurbishment.
Logs
Current Status - 4/11/11
- Hipster got it working after striping the extruder assembly and cleaning the whole block.
01:20 < lovelace_> from hipster... I JUST GOT FDM TO DO ITS FIRST PRINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
new wiki entry:
[1]
2/11/11
- After Samthetechie took a look earlier this week, Hipster Chris managed to get the software running
- Set the port to COM1, sent a bathplug model, and tried to print
- Needs some config to set the limits
- Still needs the powering-off bug to be fixed.
27/10/11
- Attempted to run windows software. but windows refuses to run as it isn't licensed.
- Taken CD home in the hope I can install it elsewhere
17/10/11
- Moved out of alcove and tried a few basic things.
- Self-test ran (aborted) after restoring front panel connector.
- All axes capable of movement using arrow pad.
- Remaining parameters dumped and entered in wiki
- Feed Home command works
- Z home using buttons appears not to stop (aborted, looked dangerous)
- ACL manual reports that microstepping is used (but is that for a different controller ?)
6/10/11
(Billy posted this to the mailing list)
Ally, one of Dean's friends, has said that she's happy to help us repair it. She's worked on older versions of the Stratasys printers, and she's already had a look at the electronics. She's happy to to show people what needs doing, and how to do it, though she'll need her expenses covering for travel. I think it's inside the M25.
I'll pass along the contact details.
As for the state of the Stratasys. The transport mechanisms work fine. Both extruders seem to work. The temperature control mechanisms seem to work, though the machine has the tendency to run for a while, then shut down instantly.
From what Ally said, this is usually due to either leaking capacitors, or two-legged transistors. Usually simple enough to replace, but this project went waaaaaaaay past my skill levels in electronics a long time ago... :))
The server sitting next to the Stratasys is set up with the OS and software needed. We can communicate with the control boards happily.
2011-07-01
The rackmount machine on the floor is now running XP again; somebody, likely Billy, reinstalled the system without updating this page.
I've installed speedfan, and disconnected some of the non-software-controllable fans. This makes it somewhat less horribly loud.
I've also started documenting the initial parameters below.
The correct serial settings are 9600 7E1 (that is, even parity, 7 data bits, 1 stop bit). Other settings work, but ESC.E gives errors.
2011-06-23
The rackmount machine on the floor under the terminal to the right of the stratasys is named capak (the man who coined the term "robot"). The user is hackspace/hackspace. Please use sudo for root. (The root password is also hackspace.)
If you know why the monitor is nigh-unreadable, please fix it.
It should be possible to ssh to it from within the space. (Use capak.local.)
10/06/11
It's kind of functional.
There's an computer connected to it and we can get a serial port connection on COM1.
At the moment it's only returning error messages.
The automated tools can connect happily.
IT STILL NEEDS CALIBRATION BEFORE USE!!!
Please do this first, and let us know what happened.
There are two printed manuals, a printed service manual, and the rest of the docs are on the desktop in the Stratasys folder.
I'm in the middle of setting up the software. It's NOT usable yet!
I'll be back later tonight to finish setting it up...
DONE
- Power up normally. Are there any bad-looking lights on the front panel? If so, something is stuck.
DONE! - It's fine.
- Power up with left and right buttons pressed, should start self-test run. It will loop, power-off or hit reset to stop it.
DONE! - It works as expected. Ran through all the self-tests, and they came out ok. They're all in the service manual. Have a look.
- Connect the serial port up. Document how to reach it on this wiki page.
- Open her up, document the position of the switches on the back of the automove unit.
- Determine serial parameters from the dip switches, see page 9 of the automove operation manual.
DONE! Equipment:Stratasys_FDM_1650#COM1_Settings
- Using the acl docs, find the current values of the personality parameters, document them here. This will hopefully keep us from losing them by accident later, and tell us a bit about how the machine is set up. You'll want the OP command, page 3-50, and the list of personality parameters, page 14-1.
DONE! Equipment:Stratasys_FDM_1650#Initial_Conditions
