thats simply not true. The RAMPS is TOTALLY!!! passive on the 5V-Level. It just passes through the signals and sometimes lights 4 LEDs.
@Rene_Jurack the Arduino’s internal current controller is good enough for Arduino, but not for additional devices with high power consumption. Therefore, we need disconnect the +5V line from Arduino and connect external +5V to RAMPS. The Arduino will work correct from 12V source. If You cut out the diode D1, You will disconnect the +12V line to Arduino, no more. And no sense.
How about just plug in a 5v charger to the barrel plug on the arduino?
@Keith_Applegarth Just do it. It should help, if the DCDC-Converter is the Culprit. Read http://reprap.org/wiki/RAMPS_1.4#D1.2C_D2_-_Diodes for this specific Constellation
@Keith_Applegarth this with charger is possible, but wrong way.
@Rene_Jurack Awesome. That may be the ticket.
Maybe also think about reflashing your board. Check all wiring for dry solders or bad connections, specifically wiring to your thermistor, heater, ramps. Check endstops but I don’t think that’s the problem here unless your print is running into it. Check the thermal fuses on the ramps ( 2 flat usually yellow by power connector) had a dry solder on one that did similar to your symptoms. Check voltage to your steppers it could be to low causing skipped steps (floating you mentioned ) or over voltage causing thermal shutdown. Essentially you want to pull the machine appart and check all of it.
I re-flashed the board, changed out the full graphic LCD with my 4 line display. I also added 5v power to the Arduino Mega. I have now had several successful prints.
Now back to improving print quality.
I had a good look at the Ramps before installing. Re-flashed. Changed my full graphic LCD back to the original 4 line. Added a 5v power supply to the arduino and got several good prints. Now I need to work on print quality.
I must say, most of you where on the right track but i will point out a few things.
RAMP’s supplies the arduino with power through the pins that it receives from the psu.
I would check the arduino voltage regulator.
If you have an iduino or other knock off, just check specs on it. It may be that the larger LCD is taking too much current.
The LCD12864 drains a lot of power.
If one where to remove the regulator from arduino, you would have to supply the voltage to the arduino via the USB, and not all usbs are created equal because my laptop is less then 500ma but house cpu can supply more, like 2.5 amps or more, but some less then 1 amp.
Also, if voltage regulator is getting to hot, try adding a small heat sink to it as it relies the PCB for heat dissipation, try one of the small ones for the stepper drivers.
Everyone cools the RAMP’s, but I have not seen anyone else with additional cooling for the board that is running everything, why not? Does not the atmel chip get warm when in use? Or the regulator which is powering all logics and MOSFETs? It’s like everyone trys to cool the keyboard, mouse, and monitor, and restrict air to the tower? Just does not make sense.
@George_Robles_George not that I could tell. It is buried under the Ramps board. I have had several “successfull” prints; however, the quality needs work now.
Try my slic3r settings, on WordPress blog, and let me know the outcome, will need to change the nozzle to what you have. FYI, I have been working on a RAMP’s settup lately, moving been slowing me down, but have added two more filament presets, hips and one more I call extra and will be posting soon, still needs testing and my iduino mega board burned out, new one on the way. Also have been working on the Bluetooth setup as well. And check your firmware, the pin.h file, and make sure you pins are setup correctly for RAMP’s, Google RAMP’s pin layout to get the pin locations and confirm with the firmware version you are using.
@George_Robles_George My iduino started acting up. Fortunately I have 3 spares and uploaded a bunch of code until it gave me a different result. I tossed it. Once I get my quality issues ironed out I want to implement the code with the enhanced auto level code.