MakerGear Forum

Hello everyone. My first post and I've just purchased a new M2 Ver. E, Dual head with the LCD panel. All factory installed. I'm also using Simplify 3D. This is my third 3D printer and I have to say, I'm very pleased with my results thus far.

My problem is this. The LCD screen seems to be working. I get a good display as it starts up in the info screen. The various indicators update and the values (Ext temps, bed temps, etc) are consistent with what I see on the setting screens on Simplify. So far, so good. I would like to be able to select files to print from the SD card. Of course, this requires navigation of the various menus. That brings me to the issue.

I can't get the LCD Panel to enter the main menu as defined here: http://makergear.wikidot.com/m2-lcd-panel#toc2. In theory a simple push of the selection knob should bring up that main menu screen but joy for me in that regard. I think the button/knob is working because I can modify the flow percentage on the info. screen and select a value by pushing but that is the extent of it. At no time have I gotten anything that appears to be the Marlin menu tree as shown here: https://www.scribd.com/doc/237971715/LC ... n-Firmware.

I thought perhaps it might not respond to the display if the USB cable was unplugged but unfortunately, unplugging and a restart did not result in any different behavior. I also attempted pushing and holding the knob, thinking it might have a timer with no success. Lastly, I waited for the screen to change after pushing the knob as these things can be a little slow. No luck. A quick search of the site revealed the two links I posted but none led me to a similar behavior. I'm betting this is cockpit trouble, but the pilot is too slow to figure it out. Fortunately, the plane is still on the ground.

Any assistance you guys might provide will be very helpful and much appreciated. I'm hoping to break the PC tether and the LCD panel seems a viable option to do just that if I can just get to that main menu.

Can you post a video? This *may* be a broken button.

Insta, I think you fixed it. That or gremlins.

My intent was to capture you some video. I moved the LCD panel a bit to better light. Turned on the power supply and pressed the knob. Most unexpectedly, the main menu popped up. I navigated normally to the SD chip, selected a file, pressed the knob and the printer started to heat the bed. USB cable was connected. PC not turned on.

Ok, what just happened? My current theory, I wasn't pressing the knob firmly enough. Loose cable maybe? I'll do some testing when this print finishes and update the thread.

rcsplinters wrote:Insta, I think you fixed it. That or gremlins.

My intent was to capture you some video. I moved the LCD panel a bit to better light. Turned on the power supply and pressed the knob. Most unexpectedly, the main menu popped up. I navigated normally to the SD chip, selected a file, pressed the knob and the printer started to heat the bed. USB cable was connected. PC not turned on.

Ok, what just happened? My current theory, I wasn't pressing the knob firmly enough. Loose cable maybe? I'll do some testing when this print finishes and update the thread.

In the development industry we call those Heisenbugs. Congrats on spotting one in the wild!

Heisenbug is likely a very good name for it. Only thing I can figure is a piece of debris was trapped under the button or the surface was somehow not level (its ribbed). Moving the panel may have dislodged it or steadied the panel. Maybe I was pressing with too light a touch. Since this morning, the LCD Panel and knob has worked without incident. In any case, I appreciate the responses. Printing directly from that SD card and still being able to monitor the progress is quite the luxury.

Had a couple of other adventures related to a print knocked off the bed and a clogged nozzle. Nothing a raft and .35mm mandrel didn't resolve.

I'm late to this discussion, but glad the issue seems to have went away. My experience with the LCD for the M2 Rev E is that it is fairly laggy (especially if you try to do things during a print) but from the sounds of it you were having some bigger issue than that.

It surprises me how little info is available on this thing. It's a great addition to the printer.

Yes, I've noticed it's a little laggy. I've had to stop a couple prints due to operator error (my printer's operator is a little laggy too). It can be a little slow to pop up the screen and a bit slow execute as well. My impression is that the machine is processing items off some manner of stack on first come first serve basis. It's always pretty quick to accept a main menu request but once printing it's slower.

My button is still working well.

Yeah, it seems like once it's printing it slows down quite a bit.

Related discussion: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3997