IDEX Z probe options
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I'm thinking about converting one pf my printers to be IDEX - independent extruders both on the X axis. I have a Duet2 WiFi and a DueX5 running this machine.
Seems clear there is only one Z-probe connector to use on the Duet2 WiFi, which I currently have connected to a Duet mini IR sensor. Looking at M558 P options, seems like my only other choice is a simple switch?
Would be very grateful if someone who has looked at this could give an overview of ways I might proceed to have a Z-probe on each extruder carriage? Or maybe explain that this is not really workable for some reason I have overlooked? Seems like I can do the hardware part of this on a Duet3 with more probes added on the bus, but would prefer not to replace my existing hardware.
Thanks!
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@robm You could probe backwards, ie have the carriage hit a fixed probe rather than the probe be on the moving carriage. This could be on the bed just out of the printable area, or a movable probe you place in a certain spot on the bed for probing.
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If you want to do ditto prints or mirror prints the you need to have the two nozzles at exactly the same height. In which case, there isn't much point in having separate Z probes for each carriage.
You can use an IR sensor like a simple switch, but you may need to connect it to a different input (e.g. one of the two inputs on CONN_LCD) to get it to work. If you use RepRapFirmware 3 then you can select any input you like.
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@robm said in IDEX Z probe options:
Is it reasonable to assume that IR sensors would probably be better than a mechanical switch, or not really clear cut?
That depends on entirely on the bed surface. The IR sensor works brilliantly with some surfaces (e.g. blue tape), but typically not as well as a mechanical sensor with transparent surfaces such as glass and PEI.
