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RAMBo Version?

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 2:05 am
by Gwhite
I thinking about upgrading the Marlin Firmware to the latest rev. I'm very green at this sort of thing, and wan to proceed cautiously. One thing I haven't bene able to verify by digging around on the forum or Makergear's website is the revision of the RAMBo board. I assume it's 1.4, but assumptions are often dangerous...

If It matters, I have an M2E, but the replacement board MG sells appears to be the same for all their printers.

Thanks!

Re: RAMBo Version?

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 2:42 pm
by ednisley
The board has a version legend somewhere near the MEGA chip telling you the revision.

You can compare what you see with doc for the boards:

https://reprap.org/wiki/Rambo

The linkie near the top produces this page for V 1.4:

https://reprap.org/wiki/Rambo_v1.4

Unless you have a compelling need for a new feature, don't update the firmware.

If you insist, make sure you record all the firmware configuration settings and transfer them to the new version.

Re: RAMBo Version?

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 6:59 pm
by Gwhite
I would like to experiment with Linear Advance, and any other improvements since the M2E firmware was released (many years ago). Someone that has gone down this road reported significant improvements in print quality, even though they had issues with Linear Advance. That was a while ago, and there may have been an issue with the firmware that has since been fixed:

viewtopic.php?t=8456

I am in no rush, and plan of proceeding VERY carefully.

Re: RAMBo Version?

Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2021 12:07 am
by Gwhite
I didn't want to stop printing long enough to take the cover off my RAMBo & check the Rev on the PCB. I checked out the picture of the RAMBo Ver. 1.4 board (https://reprap.org/wiki/Rambo_v1.4) against the picture in the M2E kit assembly guide
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0030/ ... 6934032519). The RAMBo Rev. printing is hidden in the kit photo, but basically, they match. The motor drive section of the Rev 1.3 board is very different. It looks like they added extra driver transistors for 1.4.

Bottom line: MakerGear is using RAMBo Version 1.4 boards.

Re: RAMBo Version?

Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2021 5:18 pm
by ednisley
Gwhite wrote:
Tue Aug 31, 2021 12:07 am
MakerGear is using RAMBo Version 1.4 boards
Wisely is it written: Hell hath no fury like that of an unjustified assumption. [grin]
PXL_20210831_160657037 - Makergear M2 RAMBo version 1.1b.jpg
Stipulated, mine is an old old M2, shipped long before MG had any notion of version numbers or serial numbers.

For those reading this in the future, you may safely assume MG shipped printers containing every possible the RAMBo board version.

Re: RAMBo Version?

Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2021 8:37 pm
by Gwhite
I was specifically interested in my July 2017 M2E, which I bought in the "kit" version. My assembly instructions aren't data, but the photo of the board matches the RAMBo Ver.1.4 board on the GitHub RAMBo site.

Although I think I'm safe, it's still not totally cut & dried. The M2E manual is data 2016, but I couldn't find the release date for the RAMBo Ver. 1.4 board. The GitHub info includes a schematic for Rev. 1.4a, but it's dated 9/1/2017.

The documentation on RAMBo Ver. 1.3 is all data January 2014.

At some point, it's looks like I will have to pop the cover, just to be sure (and to satisfy my curiosity...)

I also just found g-code M115, which may return the info I need. The description is: "Request the Firmware Version and Capabilities of the current microcontroller"

Re: RAMBo Version?

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 7:51 pm
by ibash
I started working on a port, no timeline yet, but maybe the diff in the first pr could be useful: https://forum.makergear.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10131

Re: RAMBo Version?

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2024 4:17 am
by Gwhite
I've got ringing on a print, and wanted to revisit the possibility of upgrading my firmware to take advantage of some of the newer features that might help.

The first thing I discovered is that the stock M2E firmware won't respond to a g-code M115 command, which is supposed to report firmware information. Ah well...