Category: hardware-hacking

My blink1-tool command-line program is very cross-platform. It currently supports Mac OS X 10.6.8-10.10.6, Windows XP-10, FreeBSD 10+,  most Linux distros including Ubuntu, RedHat, OpenWrt, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, and Linino Arduino Yun.  And I want it to work for C.H.I.P.

The NextThingCo C.H.I.P. runs a tiny Linux similar to OpenWrt or Arduino Yun.  For these systems, you don’t compile on the device itself but instead “cross-compile”: run a compiler on a computer that generates binaries for the target system.  If you’ve ever played with Arduino, you’re invoking the avr-gcc cross-compiler for the AVR chip on the Arduino board.

Setting up cross-compile with “buildroot” setups

In these small Linuxes, you use a system of Makefiles and cross-compiler suite called buildroot to build your kernel, select kernel features, and choose libraries and programs to build into your disk image. With C.H.I.P., NextThingCo has made things easy by creating  a pre-setup CHIP-buildroot and good instructions on how to get a tailored VM to run it.

Generally to compile your own program, you want to create a package for use by buildroot.  I find this a bit weighty, so I just create a section of my existing Makefile for new systems like CHIP.

The two things you need to know when doing it this way:

• Path of cross-compiler (CC) and linker  (LD)
• Path of any cross-compiled libraries your program needs (CFLAGS & LIBS)

Once I get the cross-compile system built with the libraries I need, I set up a Makefile sort of like this:

CCBASEDIR=/home/vagrant/CHIP-buildroot/output/host
TARGET_DIR=$(CCBASEDIR)/usr/arm-buildroot-linux-gnueabihf/sysroot

CC = $(CCBASEDIR)/usr/bin/arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc
LD = $(CCBASEDIR)/usr/bin/arm-linux-gnueabihf-ld

CFLAGS += -I$(TARGET_DIR)/usr/include/libusb-1.0
LIBS += -L$(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib -lusb-1.0

The above is showing what I discovered for CHIP-buildroot running inside the vagrant VM they’ve defined.  For a simple hello world program that talks libusb, the above’s all you need.  Here’s some additional discussion on simple cross-compiling for CHIP.

CHIP buildroot configuration

Unfortunately, CHIP’s firmware is currently highly pared down, so to get libusb I went to the buildroot config and added “libusb” as a package to build.

% cd CHIP-SDK
% vagrant up && vagrant ssh 
$ cd CHIP-buildroot 
$ make chip_defconfig 
$ make menuconfig

In menuconfig (pictured below), make the changes:

• Build options -> libraries (both static and shared) -> both static & shared
• Target packages -> Libraries -> Hardware handling -> libusb

$ make toolchain
$ make libusb  
$ make    # optional,builds new firmware & selected packages, ~60 mins

The results, sigh, *this close!*

At this point I could hack up the blink1-tool Makefile and start compiling. And… It worked! It compiled! I excitedly ‘scp’d the resulting binary to my CHIP, and blink1-tool --help and… It printed!

But when I tried scanning for USB devices, it came up empty. I’ve had this problem before where a Linux libusb-based program compiles and runs but libusb can’t see any devices. Generally recompiling with the “right” libusb solves the problem, but I’m not sure what that means here.

Time to go back to a simple libusb “hello world” with maximum error checking turned on and see what’s what.

I recently received part of my Kickstarter reward from the famous C.H.I.P. $9 computer project.  This is the “Alpha C.H.I.P.” board that is hardware complete, but has no firmware.  So you need to install the SDK and flash the firmware yourself.  If you’re a kernel hacker (like me, I’ve been poking on Linux internals since ’98 and OpenWrt since ’06), this is pretty great. It gives one a chance to see the build process for an interesting tiny Linux system.

The steps to get C.H.I.P. up and on WiFi and accessible via ssh were very straightforward, very non-frustrating, and spelled out in the following links:

• Install CHIP SDK: https://nextthingco.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/210863457-Installing-C-H-I-P-SDK-
• Flash CHIP firmware: https://nextthingco.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/210864097-Flash-C-H-I-P-from-C-H-I-P-SDK-Virtual-Machine-
• Connect CHIP to WiFi: https://nextthingco.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/209758368-Connecting-C-H-I-P-to-a-Wireless-Network

Each of those stages is pretty straight forward.  In short, these are the steps in each stage (where ‘%’ means my Mac, ‘$’ means the vagrant linux VM, and ‘#’ means CHIP command lines):

1. Install CHIP SDK

• Install Virtual Box & Oracle Extension Pack
• Install vagrant
• % vagrant up && vagrant ssh
• $ ./CHIP-SDK/setup_ubuntu1404.sh

2. Flash CHIP from CHIP SDK

• Put jumper wire between FEL & GND pins on CHIP
• Plug CHIP into computer’s USB
• % cd CHIP-SDK
• % vagrant up && vagrant ssh
• $ cd CHIP-tools && ./chip-update-firmware.sh
• $ cu -l /dev/ttyACM0 -s 115200
• # hwtest
• # exit
• % vagrant halt

3. Get CHIP on WiFi

• % sudo cu -l /dev/usbmodem14141 -s 115200
• # connmanctl enable wifi
• # connmanctl scan wifi
• # connmanctl connect wifi_….

Here’s a complete log of everything I did, showing output for those interested: http://pastebin.com/w5pDhHAe

And here’s a pic of the FEL to GND connection needed to reflash the firmware:

 

Note: you should have some familiarity with “vagrant” and Linux command lines if things go wrong.  If you do have a problem, just try deleting VirtualBox, vagrant, and the CHIP-SDK checkout and starting from scratch.  (I had an old VirtualBox and vagrant install that caused some issues initially)

 

After two years, I think I have my Replicator (apparently the first one shipped) finally working reliably to produce >1 hour prints. Thank you @iandanforth for asking if I had a description of the mods I did and prompting me to write this.

The Replicator has been a very frustrating product. After a few out-of-the-box failures, it worked great for the first week and then rapidly deteriorated. And a few months later, the Replicator 2 was announced and support for my product rapidly evaporated. Many of the things I print are small and take <15 minutes to print, so I’ve been dealing with a <30% success rate of printing, or using other 3d printers. But I think I’ve been slowly iterating towards a reliable Replicator.

Things I have done thus far (in roughly chronological order):
* Replaced heated build plate since the original was very non-flat
* Replaced both thermocouples with parts from Makerbot
* Installed new extruder design (eliminates all filament feed issues)
* Installed Bottleworks aluminum replacement arms
* Went to three-point bed leveling by removing one of the four leveling nuts.

The heated build platform and thermocouple issues were just bad original parts from Makerbot. I still sometimes have issues with “Heating Failure #3 my extruders are losing temperature. Check my connections.” on the right extruder, but I think that’s because of either a small crack in the replacement thermocouple or it just coming loose. I’m strongly considering using this Wanhao Duplicator replacement thermocouple if the problem comes up again. At least they terminate the thermocouple with a lug instead of trusting the assembler won’t crack it when tightening.

Assuming the basic mechatronics of the printer work, the most critical fix is the new extruder design. If you’ve ever experienced your Replicator stopping extruding or only partially extruding, it’s because the original mechanism to push the filament against the extruder motor sucked. This change was so important that Makerbot themselves retrofitted all Replicator 2s with it.

The next most critical mod is replacing those stupid plastic cantilever arms with something sturdier. Even at room temp, those arms exhibited considerable flex. Heat up the bed and the build plate would droop a few layers, causing so. many. failed prints. With the Bottleworks Aluminum arms, the bed is now rock solid.

I’ve also printed some little helper parts like extruder fan guards and leveling knob covers

Here’s some lists of other popular upgrades:
– Makerbot Users list – “Popular non-printed upgrades”
– EEWeb Gary’s blog – “Makerbot Replicator upgrades”

In general, be sure to poke around the Makerbot Users mailing list. It’s got useful tips and very knowledgable people.

From that and the (now discontinued) Makerbot Operators list, I’m just waiting for the day when the entire Replicator motherboard fries itself (another story, there are many) due to bad voltage regulator design. When that happens, not sure what I’ll do.

On the one hand, maybe get a steel Duplicator 4S, maybe a Lulzbot Taz 4 modded for 1.75mm filament, or maybe support the local guys and get a Bukobot.