Maybe a silly question but if you don't ask, you 'll never learn

As the kit comes with a power supply that can be set at anything between 12v and 24v and the Gen6 board will also accept anything from 12v to 24v, is there any advantage/disadvantage to setting the voltage at say, 12v, 18v or 24v? I don't understand electronics (can't see the electrons!) and am too old to start learning something I can't see moving

Thanks,

Mike

At higher voltages your motor drivers can deliver a bit more power at high speeds. That`s about it.

Thanks, Elmar, my machine seems to be running just fine on 12v so I'll just leave it as it is for now. Not been able to extrude any plastic yet but I'm not far off.

I seem to have one of the boards that screams at high frequency and would love to cure this horrible noise. I remember seeing somewhere that there was a cure to be made through the firmware. Is this fix available as a download or do I have to find my way into the inner sanctum of firmware programming?

Thanks,

Mike

You can have a read of this.. see if it seems easy for you:

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=90

Al...

Hi Al,

You assume I know how to plug everything in to enable uploading new firmware . Is it all done through the USB cable that runs the machine? I have downloaded Arduino with Sanguino (whatever that is!!) from the Mendel Parts web site - is this the correct version? Also, I am assuming that the updated firmware on the web site does not already include this fix for screaming steppers?

Sorry to be a pain but once I'm up and running, I feel sure I will be able to contribute something on the mechanical and design side of things - definitely not electronics

Cheers,

Mike

If you just received your board (I mean: not have it laying around already for a few months) then theere is no screaming motors with you electronics. This is only in the first production batch...

Uploading is by the same cable as running it.

Hi Elmar,

I ordered my kit back in November 2010 but only received it in February with loads of missing parts that only arrived in the middle of March. As I ordered my kit a long time ago I presume I have one of the first batch boards because, believe me, this board screams at a very unpleasant frequency when idle.

Thanks for posting those links. I have an electronics wizard friend who is more than capable of doing the permanent fix with the resistors but I will still try to see if I can find my way through the firmware route too. Many thanks for the help.

Mike

I received mine in April I think and it doesn't scream, I wrote a description on changing the firmware for the E steps fro the Z motors it's in the thread under this http://www.mendel-parts.com/new_forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=256