Pronterface to RAMPS Communication Failure

[old man emu]

My Pronterface software is not talking to my RAMPS board, and this is showing in three ways.

1. If I connect my RAMPS to my PC via the USB, but don't turn on my PSU; start Pronterface and click <CONNECT>, a connection is established. When I turn on the PSU I get this error message:
Error: Can't write to printer (disconnected?) (Serial Exception): write time out

I close Pronterface

2. If I turn on my PSU and have the printer connected via the USB; start Pronterface and click <CONNECT>, I get this error message:
[Error] Could not connect to COM3 at baudrate 250000 Serial Error: Could no open Port COM3 [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified

3. If I manage to get a connection and start a print, all goes well through he heating processes for the bed and extruder and the head moves to the print start point on the bed, but then everything hangs up.

I can print from the SD card without problems. I have the latest version of Pronterface installed.

Any suggestions to remedy these ills? Is there another program that does what Pronterface does that I could try?

Old Man Emu

[JohnA136]

You might try Repertier ?

[JohnA136]

Have you tried the simple things first? Like a different USB cable and different USB port?

[Roxy]

You might try Repertier ?

Hissssssssssssss.............

[old man emu]

I can get communication with the USB cable I'm using.

I was wondering if there might be a file corrupted on the Python side of things.

OME

[Roxy]

1. If I connect my RAMPS to my PC via the USB, but don't turn on my PSU; start Pronterface and click <CONNECT>, a connection is established. When I turn on the PSU I get this error message:
Error: Can't write to printer (disconnected?) (Serial Exception): write time out

If I just kill Pronterface and don't do a disconnect first, some times I have problems reconnecting. Also, if you are flashing firmware, it uses a different com: port and you can end up in a mess where it is difficult to connect. When that happens, I usually kill Pronterface and reset the printer, and then restart Pronterface and make sure it is trying to go to the correct com: port. I think it is possible you are fighting something like that. And starting fresh by rebooting the computer would not hurt either because those USB Com: ports get allocated and not released sometimes. And then you can't connect to them.

[old man emu]

There is a little button on the side of the RAMPS board which I think is a Reset button. When you say "reset the printer", do you mean that I should press that button on the RAMPS board?

OME