Hi
Last night I worked out cura. It’s strange though.
It seems eventide I want to connect the 3d printer to cura using usb. I have to go into cura marketplace untick usb printer close cura reopen and tick usb printer otherwise it will say connect printer for some reason. I managed to get dwin firmware onto lcd finally and then with cura managed to upload the other firmware through to mainboard via usb cord. Nothing changed with the -15 degree. I tried 2 different firmware tiny machine and creality. So don’t know what’s next.
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It shows -15 degrees, but does the hotend actually start heating when you try a hotend heat cycle (do not let it continue heating if it does - you only want to test whether or not it starts)? Remember that you have already proved that the hotend will heat up if voltage is applied.
If it doesn’t heat then the most likely cause is a mainboard failure.
However, it is possible that the controller won’t try to start the hotend if it sees -15, because it reads that as ‘not connected’. If so, then the problem could still be in the thermistor. So review everything you have done so far to confirm the thermistor. Double check that the results you have obtained really do eliminate the thermistor, its wiring and its connection to the mainboard as the cause. It would require careful examination of the code to determine whether or not the controller will try to heat the hotend when it sees -15, and that might be difficult.
If you are unable to examine the code for this detail, or if you can’t find someone who already knows this, then the next step would be to replace the main controller.
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I have tried several times to heat up the hot end but nothing. I will go over all that I have done with thermistor. Should I try with pot. If yes how would I use it. Can u explain.
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Hi Rolando,
I think what Jeff means here, is that you need to isolate your fault to either the thermistor or the mainboard. To do this, you need to test each separately. Here’s a guide on plugging a thermistor into an Arduino (If you have the bits on hand and feel up to the task) in order to test that it responds to large changes in temperature.
If you establish that the thermistor or connection to it has failed, you can go down the path of replacing it, as Bryce has mentioned: Hotend nozzle temp issues - #4 by Bryce
If your thermistor seems fine, then it’s likely your mainboard is at fault (I assume you are not storing your printer in a freezer 
). That one is a little more involved, but I’m happy to point you in the right direction.
One more thing, where and when did you purchase the printer?
-James
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Hi
Estimation bought it august last year. From Amazon.
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The point of that test was to determine if the control board would respond to changes in the thermistor resistance. Your test has shown that (1) the thermistor does change resistance with temperature and (2) the control board does not display a temerature change as the thermistor changes temperature. Therefore testing with the pot does not tell you anything you don’t already know. If you are unsure about any of your previous tests then you can repeat them.
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Hi
I took all cable of the pcb where the heatblock and thermistor is hooked onto. I left the coloured IDE ribbon on and tested that. I put a probe on 1 end and the other end onto the pcb board. Checked all I think 20 odd colour strand and all gave a reading of the same. I put on the thermister the pcb and tested the soldered on pins and that gave a reading of 100k. I put heat on the other end of thermistor and the multimeter meter reading kept moving. This pcb that I am talking about does it require firmware or not? If it does require firmware would that info come from mainboard?
Thanks
The multi-coloured ribbon cable is not part of it. The thermistor is a two-wire connector which is probably a white plastic fitting. Your installation manual should identify it exactly. Unplug it from the mainboard and measure the resistance across the two ends of the plug as you (gently) apply heat to the tiny thermistor bead you removed from the hot end. The resistance should change in line with the temperature (it should come down from about 100k as the temperature rises). If it does, then you have proved that the thermistor is not faulty. Then put everything back together except for the thermistor in the hotend. Start a hotend heating cycle, and (gently) apply heat to the tiny thermistor bead you removed from the hot end. The temperature display should follow the change in temperature. If it doesn’t then that shows the main board is not responding to the thermistor.
If you upgrade the firmware then both boards need upgrading. You upgrade the display board by inserting a SD card with the image folder on it and powering up, and you update the main board through CURA with the HEX file.
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Hi
I did all that Friday. I updated the firmware on lcd screen. On the mainboard I used first the creality firmware and the -15 was still there. I then tried tiny machine firmware update that did not change temp either but having tiny machine firmware on there. Cura,creality slicer and pronterface say they don’t have access to printer. I also used the printer to heatup the hotend and got a warning message. Not sure why tiny machine firmware not allowing the programs to run printer via usb.
If the main board update proceeded as expected based on that video then the main board is mostly working. The result from the Tiny Machines firmware should be ignored. Remember that you are not trying to fix the problem because you don’t know what it is. Only when you have found what the problem is can you consider what is needed to fix it. You can worry about thermal runaway and Tiny Machines when your machine is operating like it was before.
Based on the evidence from your testing I believe there are two possibilities.
- The thermistor is the wrong type, is not working, or its cable or connector is broken.
- The main board has partly failed and is unable to read the thermistor correctly.
What was the result when you placed a multimeter across the thermistor terminals to read the resistance and gently heated the tiny bead at the end?
Based on the potential causes of the problem and what is involved in detecting which one it is, I would suggest replacing the thermistor again with an official Creality replacement part. If that indicates that the problem is not with the thermistor or its connections then a partial failure of the main board could be confirmed by replacing the main board.
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Hi
When I tested the thermistor while it was connected to the pcb it read 100k. When I put heat on the other end the multimeter changed up and down readings. Where would you a buy creality thermistor because I thought I had purchased a official part. I got a thermistor which I bought of amazon.
I did test the whole pcb where the thermistor is connected to to make sure all connection are working.
Thanks
Hi
I have finally solved the problem.
I just put the thermistor onto a different connection on the pcb and it went to normal. I did test that connection that it was on originally and there was current on that connection. I wonder if I need to change the connection then? Not sure why is was giving me a 100k reading.
Thanks
That’s not the test. The thermistor should be tested while it is disconnected from the board, and you should get a steady change in resistance as its temperature rises - typically a fall from about 100k at 25 degrees to ~30k at 50 degrees.
What does ‘went to normal’ mean? If you mean it reads 100k at that other connection that doesn’t mean anything - the 100k reading must be taken when it is not connected. It must be connected to the correct socket in order for the printer to work - there are two identical sockets but they do not do the same thing!
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Hi
I did do 2 tests. when it was of the board and on the board and it gave me the same reading. That’s why I thought I did everything correct. When I change the thermistor in the first place. I thought I did put in the right connection. This was a good learning experience for me.
Thanks
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Hi
Any idea how I can fix the firmware. As I mention before. Ultimate Cura and Pronterface cant seem to access printer via usb cable.
Thanks
If you can update the main board using Creality Cura then that is sufficient. You have a sufficient problem with the nozzle heating without worrying about how to use other slicers.
You haven’t indicated whether the multimeter readings with the thermistor disconnected fluctuated as you first described or changed smoothly as it heated and cooled. If the readings fluctuated then the thermistor is faulty. If you had it connected in the wrong slot then it could have been damaged - I think the other slot is for a fan, and that would put a voltage through the device that might be more than it can handle.
Hi
It seems like I did put the thermistor in the wrong plug as the printer started working yesterday. It looks like I did not break the thermistor as it showed normal temps as the hotend heated up. So it all looks good now.
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Hi all
I have been looking with interest at this thread. Turned out to be a simple fix after all. This could be called a design flaw. Surely it would not have been too much trouble to use different connectors for a fan and thermistor. Even the same styles with an extra pin on one so they would not get interchanged.
This sort of thing adds weight to what I have said in the past. Continual blindly loading and reloading software, operating systems and firmware without reason until the system “works” (sort of sometimes) is not a real fix as no one is really sure what the original problem was (or still is).
Cheers Bob
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Yes you are correct, now I have software issues which I am now trying to fix. The problem I have is the ultimate cure is not working with printer but this issue I have always had. . With the new software on there it seems to have lost its y and x axis direction which I am trying to correct. But not having much luck yet. I am using pronterface to try and fix. I managed to use creality slicer to get updated creality software on there.
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Hey Rolando,
It sounds like something has gone wrong with the mainboard, either with the hardware on it, or some problem when attempting to reflash the firmware. The quickest and easiest solution is to simply switch it out (I usually recommend upgrading the mainboard on the Creality printers for a few reasons, I’m sure my colleague @Liam who also uses the Creality range would agree too).
I’ve attached the official version and Crealities tutorial below, please note that some of the instructions will appear in Chinese. However, if you look up Creality CR 10 motherboard replacement or Creality CR 10s motherboard replacement there should be a few videos online about putting it together in English, and feel free to ask here if you need any help with it and send through some photos of the seutp.
Please let us know if there’s anything else that we can help you with. Happy printing! 
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