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LCD turning off when I try to start a print?

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 2:30 am
by xxhaxx
Hey guys it is me again :( with another issuer. I am finally starting to calibrate it and right when I 'start' the print via MatterControl the LCD turns itself off. It worked ok for the first print, but starting on the 2nd print it started to become iffy, it turned itself off twice but after two attempted (turning rostock on and off) it started working. Tried it again for the third print and the same issue appeared.

Edit: The whole system powers off not just the LCD

Re: LCD turning off when I try to start a print?

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 2:56 am
by jdurand
Check your power supply voltage, is the supply dropping out?

Re: LCD turning off when I try to start a print?

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 3:26 am
by xxhaxx
jdurand wrote:Check your power supply voltage, is the supply dropping out?
How do I check my PSU voltage? Opps I was suppose to say that the PSU turns itself off not only the LCD :\

Re: LCD turning off when I try to start a print?

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 9:41 am
by Mac The Knife
Either you have a shorted connection in the wiring for the bed, or hotend, or you have a weak psu. A cheap digital multimeter really comes in handy for troubleshooting these things.

Re: LCD turning off when I try to start a print?

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 4:43 pm
by xxhaxx
Mac The Knife wrote:Either you have a shorted connection in the wiring for the bed, or hotend, or you have a weak psu. A cheap digital multimeter really comes in handy for troubleshooting these things.
Already checked the hotend and bed for shorts

Re: LCD turning off when I try to start a print?

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 6:50 pm
by bvandiepenbos
those PSU's SeeMeCNC includes with kit, are know to be flaky and cut out under load. They are just not a very high quality psu.
Unfortunately this is pretty common.
I would recommend just replacing the psu with a higher quality one and be done with it.
search this forum for psu's recommended by others.
The SilverStone ST45SF-G works great for me.
Rather pricey, but really nice. ...small form factor, and fully modular wiring.
They also make others that are not modular and/or small form factor that are cheaper and I would guess just as good quality.
One thing to be aware of is the overall wattage of the psu is not as important as the amp rating on the +12 volt rail AND how well can it maintain 12 volts under load. For example, if it drops to 11 volts under load your heated bed really struggles.
For example the ST45SF-G is "Only" 450 watts, BUT it can deliver 37 amps on single +12 volt rail... AND the voltage barely drops under load.
The 450 VioteK from one of my builds came from SeeMeCNC, it is laying on my bench, just looked at it's specs label... 22 amps +12 volts... and I have had a meter on it watching voltage under load, it drops below 11 volts !!

Re: LCD turning off when I try to start a print?

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 11:42 pm
by jram
Very well could be the PSU, my Diablotek went out during calibration. Upon recommendation from JJ of seemecnc, I was able to print my ABS fan shroud without using the heated bed. This worked fine for me until I got my replacement. I bought an EVGA 650w modular and the problems are gone. They sent a replacement Viotek but it's still sitting here in the box, might use as a back up.By the way, I took the Diablotek box in to Micro Center with me so I could show a sales associate what I needed, before I said anything to her, she looked at the box and said " that's a fire hazard, we don't sell those here". This isn't my view as I didn't see fire from the unit but it was certainly interesting to hear this coming from her. Who knows, maybe she was trying to sell me on an expensive PSU..

Re: LCD turning off when I try to start a print?

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 8:44 am
by add1ct3dd
They're truly budget PSUs, I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them, so I think she was right to disregard it completely. When you're pulling a decent amount of power from a PSU which is frankly incapable of the ratings they claim, that's where the issue happens.

I think she did the right thing imo. If you buy a good quality PSU, it will outlive any PC/3d Printer that you put it in. I'm using my 7 year old Corsair PSU, it's still absolutely solid.

Re: LCD turning off when I try to start a print?

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 10:14 pm
by jram
That's good to know that your Corsair is going on 7 years, I'm hoping that this EVGA gives me at least 3-4 good years, we'll see...