[KwartzLab] 3d printer progress

[doug moen]

I tried printing the MakerGear "bracelet" pattern, using the gcode
conversion web site recommended by our vendor TechZoneCom.
It did not print correctly, there were a couple of problems.

Kevin watched the print screw up with me, and noticed that there were
some motor feed problems with the extruder, and diagnosed them by
looking at the gcode. We established that the gcode interpreter in our
firmware is not interpreting gcode correctly, in accordance with the
specs on reprap.org (M108 has a totally screwed up implementation).

The biggest problem was the Y axis screwing up, similar to what
happened to Ben's print.  We didn't get to the root of this problem,
but Kevin suggested that the gcode interpreter could be at fault, as
above.

I interpret this as meaning that a firmware upgrade is in order, and
that the various modern printing software packages that we've uploaded
recently are unlikely to work.  Until the firmware is upgraded, the
original Mendel host software is the only thing we've had any measure
of success with.

For future reference, we are using these electronics:
http://reprap.org/wiki/Generation_3_Electronics/Tech_Zone_Remix

Doug.