MakerBot Replicator 2 with Sailfish for PrusaSlicer

ReplicatorG and Sailfish firmware

Preparations - Option 1

• get ReplicatorG for your OS here
• connect your Replicator2 via USB
• run ReplicatorG
• select 'Machine -> Machine Type (Driver) -> Replicator 2'
• select 'Machine -> Connection (Serial Port) -> <your port>'
• click the connect icon
• screenshot/note your printer's specs show under
  'Machine -> Onboard Prefs'
• go to 'File -> Preferences -> Advanced'
• change 'Firmware update URL:' to the URL provided here
• go to 'Machine -> Upload new firmware...'
• select your printer model
• upload Sailfish firmware

Preparations - Option 2 (Linux only)

• git clone this repository
• connect your Replicator2 via USB
• run ReplicatorG from cloned repository
• select 'Machine -> Machine Type (Driver) -> Replicator 2'
• select 'Machine -> Connection (Serial Port) -> <your port>'
• click the connect icon
• screenshot/note your printer's specs show under
  'Machine -> Onboard Prefs'
• go to 'Machine -> Upload new firmware...'
• select your printer model
• upload Sailfish firmware

Connecting after Sailfish installation

• use Sailfish edition of ReplicatorG (available here) to connect
  to your printer after Sailfish firmware was installed
• IMPORTANT!
  a known issue is an old version of 'librxtxSerial.so' being
  distributed with ReplicatorG, leading to a connection error
  on x86_64 machines
  as a workaround install librxtx-java to your system and
  symlink it to 'lib-x86_64/librxtxSerial.so' within Sailfish
  edition of ReplicatorG directory
• if you cloned this repository, there is already a symlink
  pointing to '/usr/lib/jni/librxtxSerial.so' that you might need
  to change depending on which linux distro you use you
  still have to install librxtx-java, e.g. via apt
• on first connection after Sailfish installation check the
  settings under 'Machine -> Onboard Prefs' and compare
  them to your screenshots/notes

Homing and offset

As default the Replicator2's origin is in the middle of the printbed.
Running into several issues with that while trying to get good prints
with PrusaSlicer, I decided to change the origin to front left of the
printbed. This can be achieved with different methods.

• use ReplicatorG Sailfish edition to change offset to
  'X285 Y150 Z0 A0 B0' via 'Machine Onboard Prefs' and load it
  in start G-code after homing via 'M132 X Y Z A B'
• use the EEPROM version of the start G-code which sets the
  offset via 'G92 X285 Y150 Z0 A0 B0' after homing, stores it via
  'M131 X Y Z A B' and calls it via 'M132 X Y Z A B'

G-code to x3g

I personally use octoprint with GPX plugin to send the G-code files to my
Replicator2. The GPX plugin does the neccessary conversion from G-code to
x3g. You can also use ReplicatorG to do the conversion, use a custom
post-processing script in PursaSlicer to call GPX or use GPX as
command-line tool.

Tips

• don't cancel a print while homing, always wait until the print started
  to prevent damage to your steppers, belts and threaded rods

Sources