HEllo! Use ctrl-C in the controller to open the console (or cmd-c on mac?), and then send your command and let us know what the console tells you.

(The console is a raw feed of the communications that are going between the controller and the machine. Should tell us what's up.)

Which version of firmware are you using?

sn

I thought it might be a Java issue...I have version 8 Update 66.

Not sure if it makes a difference.

-N

So I opened the serial monitor and got this:

POLARGRAPH ON!
Hardware: 1
MC_UNO
Loaded width:650
Loaded height:65
Loaded mmPerRev:nan
Loaded steps per rev:400
Loaded step multiplier:255
Loaded down pos:90
Loaded up pos:180
Recalc mmPerStep (nan), stepsPerMM (nan)
Recalc pageWidth in steps (-2147483648)
Recalc pageHeight in steps (-2147483648)
Estimated pre-scale: 2.81
Final pre-scale: 3
READY

But no recurring "Ready_200 messages". Tried sending the C02 message, but no response.

I commented out both the vector drawing and Pixel drawing, verified the sketch and got this//

Sketch uses 22,516 bytes (69%) of program storage space. Maximum is 32,256 bytes.
Global variables use 1,134 bytes (55%) of dynamic memory, leaving 914 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 2,048 bytes.

which seems fine, but once I loaded still no recurring ready messages. 🙁

Hello, I just found out this week about this cool polargraph.
I went from an Arduino Uno with a DK Electronics shield (adafruit v1 compatible) to Ramps 1.4. Commented out the two lines like it is said in the wiki.
The Uno ran "fine" but very jittery and jerky movements with like half a second inbetween each step. So I switched to a Ramps using A4988 drivers in 16th step.

I also get this Busy thing after connecting (servos are being released) and unpausing the queue.

I am running firmware: polargraph_server_polarshield_v2_2.4 from https://github.com/euphy/polargraph_server_polarshield/archive/v2.2.1.zip
Controller: 2.4.2 from https://github.com/euphy/polargraphcontroller/archive/v2.4.2.zip
This is my log from the Arduino Serial Monitor (my default.properties.txt looks different):

POLARGRAPH ON!
v1.3
Hardware: RAMPS14
Servo 4
Loaded machine width:9
Loaded machine height:8192
Loaded mm per rev:95.00
Loaded motor steps per rev:200
Loaded motor step multiplier:67
Loaded machine name:E
Loaded down pos:90
Loaded up pos:194
penWidth: 0.00
Recalc mmPerStep (0.01), stepsPerMM (141.05)
Recalc pageWidth in steps (1269)
Recalc pageHeight in steps (1155503)
Card failed, or not present
Released motors
READY_200
READY_200
READY_200
READY_200
READY_200
READY_200
READY_200
READY_200
READY_200
READY_200
READY_200

default.properties.txt:

#   ***  Polargraph properties file   ***  
#Thu Sep 08 21:04:46 CEST 2016
controller.pixel.samplearea=10
controller.pictureframe.position.y=976
controller.pictureframe.position.x=976
controller.testPenWidth.startSize=0.5
controller.machine.colour=969696
machine.motors.mmPerRev=122.0
controller.window.width=1078
controller.frame.colour=C80000
controller.image.position.y=916
controller.image.position.x=916
machine.motors.accel=400
controller.image.height=610
controller.machine.serialport=1
controller.window.height=687
controller.maxSegmentLength=2
controller.geomerative.polygonizerLength=1
machine.penlift.up=120
machine.penlift.down=0
controller.page.position.y=203
controller.vector.scaling=100
controller.page.position.x=303
controller.pictureframe.width=488
machine.step.multiplier=16
controller.grid.size=75.0
controller.testPenWidth.endSize=2
controller.pictureframe.height=488
controller.page.colour=DCDCDC
controller.testPenWidth.incrementSize=0.5
controller.image.width=610
machine.motors.stepsPerRev=200.0
machine.pen.size=0.8
controller.page.width=210
controller.pixel.mask.color=00FF00
controller.machine.baudrate=57600
controller.vector.minLineLength=2
machine.width=815
controller.geomerative.polygonizer=1
controller.page.height=297
controller.vector.position.y=0
controller.background.colour=646464
controller.image.filename=
controller.vector.position.x=0
controller.homepoint.y=237
controller.guide.colour=FFFFFF
machine.motors.maxSpeed=600
controller.homepoint.x=407
controller.density.preview.style=5
controller.pixel.scaling=1
controller.densitypreview.colour=000000
machine.height=900

Here is a screenshot. The last line in the debug window is written after clicking the queue unpause, obvioulsy.

Any help is greatly appreciated! 😯 😯

I think I actually did the upload. Problem with that was, that it didn't upload correctly on the first try. After uploading the specs they were returned with odd values I haven't setup in the controller. After uploading a second time it worked. Same is with download specs.
Also it idles in BUSY once I start the queue. Everytime, except if I clear the queue after a fresh start. Then it says Polargraph ready on the top. But once I send any command like "upload machine specs" it BUSY idles with that command.

In the meantime I tried a different approach. I took the a1 firmware and configured it for a MEGA including setting pins for discrete stepper drivers in configuration.ino.
Compiled and uploaded went fine. Connecting as well. I got a READY_100 and the queue was processed completely. No BUSY this time. But the motors and the servo did not move/work despite I got a "command executed" + "READY_100".
I am using a 2A 12V wall adapter from a satellite dish receiver (Technisat) with 2x 0.4A steppers. I use this adapter also for powering a plotter a corexy plotter with two 1.3A steppers. So this should be fine.

Anyways. The motorshield v1 works fine. I should maybe stick to this and get to know it better.
Now I uploaded to the current polarshield firmware 1.3.1 again (96kb upload verified), opened a serial terminal and got a READY_200 in return. So far so good. Also the machine specs were the same (the correct onces) that I uploaded while running from the latest stable release a1 firmware. But when processing the queue, the BUSY idle struck me again.

I replaced the USB cable (6m) for a shorter one (40cm) (I tried two different) but to no avail. Also when being able to upload via the 6m cable and being able to run the adafruit/dk electronics motorshield 1.0 with the 6m cable, it should be fine.
I am looking forward for the polarshields becoming available again sometime but until you find the time to dive into the batch I wanted to use my spare hardware I have laying around.

Er ... all's well that ends well? (ducks and hides)

It's very frustrating, but I admit, turning the debug comms on would have been what I'd do. Er though I wouldn't have expected it to fix anything in itself.

I'm scratching my head a bit about what's going on. The machine clearly isn't stuck on busy (it's sending its READY... regularly), but the controller isn't recognising the READY.

Do you know what the console showed directly after the C02,0.8,END is sent?

It is weird, you're right. I enjoyed your post though 🙂

sn

There was a reason for using E1 instead of X - it was because of some kind of unexpected interference ... with something... sorry I can't remember exactly now.

It is possible to crash the arduino when it runs out of working memory (SRAM - there's only 2k for all the variables at runtime), but that's unusual. It sometimes happens with an UNO.

Other thing to test (if you haven't already sorted it out) is forget about the controller for a moment and use the serial monitor in the arduino IDE on it's own. Baud rate to 57600, tick to send line endings. Try typing in one of the commands in your queue, "C32,0.8,END" for instance, and see what it does.

If it does nothing - that is, it just stops communicating with you - then there's something very wrong. This is a test to see if it's a polargraphcontroller issue, I guess.

sn

Hi! This seems like an entirely different problem.

One thing - if you have the Arduino IDE open, with the serial port, you won't be able to connect the Polargraph controller.

What you _should_ see when you C02,0.8,END (make sure you have line endings set to "new line") is a response resembling "Changed pen width to 0.8mm", followed by "minimum grid size is ...".

If you don't, something is up. The snippet you posted doesn't ring true either - though I couldn't get your image to load ("web server is down" message).

Pen width is 0.0 in that startup reporting, and step multiplier is 1 as well, so I don't think the machine spec upload has worked entirely.

Can you try something for me please? In the serial monitor, enter C27,END and see what happens. You should see the machine spec being read back to you, full of zeros. Then try the upload machine spec again.

I've had a couple of problems lately with upload machine spec, so I'm working on some improvements to that section, and might ask you to reflash with a new firmware soon!

sn

Hum it looks like there's just nothing working there at all, doesn't it. Have you ever uploaded firmware before? I've just pushed a new firmware update to github:

https://github.com/euphy/polargraph_server_polarshield

So if you are able to compile firmware (read http://www.polargraph.co.uk/setup/polargraphsd-updating-firmware/), give that a try, otherwise you can upload the hex file directly. Download it from here:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/euphy/polargraph_server_polarshield/master/polargraph_server_polarshield.ino.hex

I use Xloader to update the firmware, but it's a Windows thing. Have a read through https://github.com/euphy/polargraph/wiki/Uploading-precompiled-binary-hex-files and give http://buildaweso.me/project/2014/10/19/uploading-a-hex-file-to-an-arduino-on-a-mac a try for the tool to do the upload if you don't want to play on the command line!

All PolargraphSDs are tested and have firmware and a machine spec uploaded to them before they get packed and sent out, but this isn't the first case of this problem I've had reported recently. What's up. I've got a creeping dread... I don't actively test the USB connection, beyond uploading the firmware... Hmm.