Renkforce RF500 Maker Construction Kit - 8 Software and Firmware Installation; A) Download and Unpacking of the Software;Firmware Package; B) General Information on the Repeater Host Software

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8. Software and Firmware Installation
a)DownloadandUnpackingoftheSoftware/FirmwarePackage
Thesoftware,rmware,toolsandprintingexamplesneededfortheprinterareavailableonlineasadownloadpackage.
Thisisregularlyupdated.Therefore,checkoccasionallywhetheranewversionmaybeavailable.
• Openthewebbrowserandnavigateeithertotheproductpageoftheprinterinourshopwww.conrad.comortoourdownloadpage(see
chapter "3. Intended Use" - Current operating instructions).
• Downloadthepackage"BUNDEL_Vx_x_x_RENKFORCE_RF500"here(x_x_xdesignatesthepackageversion).
• UnpackthedownloadedZIPleonyourharddisc.NotethatthearchivehasaverydeeppathduetothermwareandArduino
TM
software
contained. Therefore, we recommend directly unpacking the package into a folder on, e.g., C:\ or D:\.
• Findabriefexplanationonthefolderscontainedbelow.
 "Arduino"  AtextlewithadownloadlinkfortheArduino
TM
software is contained here. This is needed, e.g., to
    installthermwarewithoutupdater.
 "FirmwareUpdater" Thermwareupdaterinstallsthermware(hexversion)withjustafewclicks.
 "Firmware-Hex"  Firmwareversionforthermwareupdater("RF500-withoutBed"=withoutheating;"RF500-withBed"=withheat-
ing).
"Firmware-Source" Firmware version for the software Arduino
TM
.
"GCODE-PLA" Printing examples that are already sliced. Can be printed directly from an SD-card.
"Repeater Host" The Repeater Host software.
"STL" Print examples that are not sliced yet.
b)GeneralInformationontheRepeaterHostSoftware
It is unfortunately not possible to explain the complete function of the enclosed software in the scope of this instruction. For this, we refer to the
integrated online help function and the information on www.repetier.com.
Thebasicoperationandthepathtotherstprintoutare,however,describedbelowtothatyoucangetaresultquicklyandeasily.
Thearchiveyoudownloadedbeforeholdsacustomversionofthesoftwarethatcontainstheprintersettingsandcongu-
rationlesfortheRF500inthefolder"Repetier-Host".Weurgentlyrecommendtoinstallthecustomversionofthesoftware
sincethenyoudonotneedtocongurethesoftwareandtherequireddrivesarealreadyinstalledaswell.
 TherespectiveupdatedCustomversionofthesoftwarealwaysiscontainedinthedownloadpackage"BUNDEL_Vx_x_x_
RENKFORCE_RF500".
ThisversionoftheinstructionisvalidasoftheRepetier-Hostsoftwareversion1.6.2orhigher.
 CongurationofthesoftwareanddriverinstallationareexplainedbelowintheAnnextotheseinstructionsforthesake
ofcompleteness.However,thesoftwareonlyneedstobeconguredifyouinstallthebasicversionofthesoftwarefrom
www.repetier.com.
 Ifyouhavealreadyinstalledapreviousbasicversionofthesoftware,theoldversioncanbeuninstalledandthecustom
versioncanbenewlyinstalled.Theslicersettingsofthepreviousversionarenotdeletedandreappearinthecustomver-
sion.
The software Repetier-Host performs the following tasks:
• Placementofthe3D-objecttobeprintedontheprintingplate.
• Slicingoftheobjecttobeprintedintothinlayersthatthe3Dprintercanprintoutlayerforlayer.TheresultofthisprocessisaG-codele.
• ReviewoftheG-codelesforerrorandprintability.
• SendingtheG-codelestotheprinterorsavingonanSDcardforstandaloneprint.
• Monitoringthe3Dprinterinoperation.
• Settingandstorageofprinter-andlament-specicdata.