.cfg and parsing issues

[Minigun_Cowboy]

I'm in the process of installing a nitehawk board and for some reason sometimes I can open and edit my .cfg files fine other times I have to click "save and restart" dozens of times before it'll actually do it. it'll say "unable to upload printer.cfg".

Then there's the parsing errors...

it'll say I have a parsing error on lines I haven't even touched, I need help desperately.

Thanks in advance

[claudermilk]

Have you tried replacing the SD card? That's sounding a lot like the card is starting to fail on you.

[mvdveer]

9 hours ago, Minigun_Cowboy said:

I need help desperately.

To me it sounds like a Raspi pi error, more specific communication between Raspi and controller board, which could be a faulty SD card. Nighthawk connects via USB and is just a link between the toolhead gizmos (heater, fans, motor, less) and the Controller board. Except it runs through the Raspi as an intermediate. The Raspi passes the signal on to the controller board and that executes the commands.  

Parsing errors happen when klipper reads the config file and comes across code that doesn't make sense. (wrong indentation, missing " or [ characters, additional info such as an accidentally type character in a specific section, unknown gcode commands not defined in klipper, etc)  If you are loosing connection randomly, I am thinking klipper may (I'm no expert) read the file at that time and due to loss of connection "misread" a section.

Things to check: 

• Using the correct USB cable for the Nighthawk board. (Supplied cable)
• Your Raspi has enough memory and cooling to handle multiple USB connections (Camera, Nighthawk, Controller board, etc)
• Try a different USB port on the Raspi for the nighthawk (USB2 rather than USB3 port)
• Change the USB cable between the Raspi and the Controller board
• Check you printer.cfg and macro.cfg (or other .cfg files called by the printer.cfg file - those in the [include ***.cfg] ) files for any possible mistakes/coding errors.
• Check you klippy log file for guidance to what is happening. (where, when, and what)
• Check the SD card for faults ( See this link for detailed instructions) There may be others as example this one. Both these are recent tutorials and should cover the latest software.
• If the SSD card is at fault - back up all your files to your PC (As I use Max OS, I use Cyberduck for this. They do have a windows version, but their may be better ones, I would not know)  Refresh a new SD card, restore your files and test.

Hope this gets you started troubleshooting. May also be helpful if you upload your printer.cfg file and klippy log if this will help troubleshooting.

[Dirk]

9 hours ago, Minigun_Cowboy said:

I'm in the process of installing a nitehawk board

You can try all that @mvdveersays, which is indeed a good way to see what is going on.

 

10 times opening before it opens... Hmm... 

 

I ask myself what I would do, when I buy a new windows / mac laptop and I try to open a word document I just wrote.. And I need to do it 10 times before I succeed.. (I do not mean all those agreement checkbox pages). 

I would contact the seller or return the package and ask for a new one... (or consider seriously getting a new one).

I would not have done so 20 years ago. But today, this is definitely the way I handle. I can advise you to do the same

 

[mvdveer]

The only thing I did not mention - a faulty nighthawk board - add it to the list - assumed it was new, My son was right - Assumption is the mother of all stuffups! 

Thanks @Dirk - simple solution - swap the nighthawk first.

[Minigun_Cowboy]

got the parsing errors taken care of, cleared the memory on the pi (I had 50+ stl's saved lol) got everything up and running now I'm just tuning.

 

still having trouble opening and saving .cfg files at times though.

 

To be clear this isn't a new build, I've been running it since early 2023. the .cfg file issue started happening sometime earlier this year.

The nitehawk was just a recent upgrade, I had a few hiccups with wiring but I got it sorted out it seems. I'm actually doing my first print since the swap right now.

Edited May 12 by Minigun_Cowboy
added more relevant info

[Jan_26]

@Minigun_Cowboy

What pi are you using? How old is the SD card, reputable brand? I had a pi fail on me, used it as a media server and NAS. The SD card died after like 5, or 6 years. New card, works fine. 

I short, I second claudermilk. 

[Minigun_Cowboy]

I believe Its a pi 4b 4gb bought in late 2022/early 2023, not sure on the brand of the card at the moment.

[Jan_26]

So definitively not an old one. You could check the card for damaged sectors, for example with disk drill.