Ok I’m done with this i2 another ramps blew up on me in less than a month switching from PLA to ABS… The HB MOSFET.
Any recommendations on a good controller board that’s not going to blow up on me every month?
And yes the ramps was clear of everything an anything that could make it blow up…
I was also thinking of either repurposing the i2 into a OB1 redwood or dropping some cash on a solidoodle or delta style printer.
Check the resistance on the heated bed. Check for a short where the wires connect to the heated bed. Perhaps the wires cross when the bed moves.
Have you tried just replacing the MOSFET the smoke get out of the entire board?
Tell you the truth I didn’t look at it this time, I flipped the mains power switch opened the window and left the room… Ill check the resistance on the board, when I get some time, I might have gotten lucky and just had the thermistor burn out and HB MOSFET just smoked the terminals.
also check under where the binder clips make contact as they are sharp and will scratch the bed. I put tape on mine to avoid this (ty jon)
Ya I switched from bulldog clips to little workbench clips that are coated in rubber. If you looked at the pic I put up of my build you can see them.
heh Im sure i saw it Just know someone it happened to so i figured i would try to help.
I had the trace that feeds the mosfet for my heated bed fail on my ramps board. I just soldered in a short segment of 14 gauge wire. Its never failed again.
Sorry addidis wasn’t trying to be rude my phone loves to correct me ware it shouldn’t. Ill be able to check it a little later tonight.
it has to be frustrating smoking boards , its understandable.
Sure is. Right when I found the sweet spot of calibration for the printer since I built it, blows its selfs out of commission again… I guess if all else fails I can use this printer for printing PLA…
I should be able to look at it tonight when the kiddo goes to bed and I finish my C, and VB homework. I might just disable the heated bed all together and figure out what printer if like to build next.
And I think for a controller I’m going to go with the whole Azteeg x3 setup. For the next printer.
One note at a glance. The x3 seems to have a pcb ‘cover’ over the board. PCB’s are expensive. All that is is a ramps (basically) with a fancy cover and onboard mega. You have already experienced multiple failures, and with this any failure is another 110+s&h.
Most of the guys who have been doing this longer than I seem to be fans of the rumba , same basic design. Onboard mega, one board, no fancy pcb cover (more money into the board instead of fancy covers?)
So that kit comes out to 212 with the options added in. and is BO for 1mo + .
My ramps kit, with t2.5pulley belt, wires, steppers, sd ramps, hot bed, basically everything but 3 switches, cost me 180 shipped.
With how you are going threw these , my suggestion is to continue on the path you are on. As you blow them up parts will stack up eventually leading to a spare set imho. Many , many people run ramps with absolutely no issue , and not to be mean , it is probably not the board , but what you are doing to them causing it. That said my guess is the x3 will die a horrible death and will be more expensive long term. Unless you vaporize traces , those can be repaired rather easily if you know what you are doing. If you were local Id do it for ya but shipping is out of hand. It is really to the point the thought has crossed my mind to ask what you are doing with the blown ones.
Just my two cents. But I would personally ask @ThantiK if he has seen that board and his thoughts on it vs a rumba. He is a living encyclopedia of all things 3dp imho and I trust his opinions. But my two cents is this is going to land up being a really really expensive way to go , assuming you still have some learning to do (releasing magic smoke) atleast keeping to ramps in a pinch you can mail me some broken ones and I can replace the parts you smoked.
Worth noting This is the first i have heard of the board, and I might actually know the mfg, I know someone located there working on one but dono if they are this far. Im not really saying its a bad board, i really dono.
Thanks for the incite @Addidis_no I figured it was just a prettied up Ramps but figured it had some better fail safes. I do still have a lot of learning to do, as most people are never done learning.
One of the Ramps I have that went supernova completely melted the vias out of the board. (for the HB mosfet) I might try to repair it, I have all the stuff and know how and most of the tools to repair these boards (went tool crazy a while back and bought up everything I could) I just currently don’t have the time I used to as I have a 4 month old, not to mention going to collage as an engineer / programmer. stuff demands a lot of my time now, so hobby’s almost become moot.
I probably will not go with the x3 as I don’t really like messing with stuff I cant get cheap first and really have no worry of blowing it up. thus the ramps I can get them for 9$ a board fully assembled I just have to wait a while for them. (just got 5 stepsticks for 13$ shipped the other day 
i think i have like 50 of these things now…)
I just need to get it up and running again, will just take time. I do have 2 blown ramps boards and a (i think) blown mega, plus one more spare mega. The rest I have sold. I might hit you up on your offer. one of these days after we get back from our vacation and move to Portland.
Right on, offer stands you just got to pay the costs (shipping / parts) I still have my car collecting dust. Need to fix it one of these days 
If you have the tools its not hard and I can probably help ya out on here if you have any issues.
Ah Portland, one of my best friends lives there.
Nice, and thank you. I’m sure I will have questions. I always do.
I really don’t like big cities but kinda have to for collage. Not to mention I have a job lined up at Intel after I finish my degree, worked there a while back but had issues with transportation.
Never forget. Experience just means they spent plenty of time failing already.
That’s very true. Well said.
Perhaps you should add a fuse between the board and the heated bed.
That’s a good Idea, the thing you dont think of, I’m pretty sure I have an inline fuse socket someware.
Yep just took a look at the board it fried the MOSFET for sure the bed is supposed to be off yet the MOSFET heats up quick and its separated from the heat plate… Might just take it off the board and use it for PLA for now. …or unplug the power to the heated bed portion of the board.
Mm mm LCD is no longer working as well… That sucks.