Large Format Dowell to Duet conversion

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

Home x.g

; homex.g
; called to home the X axis
;
; generated by RepRapFirmware Configuration Tool v3.3.3 on Fri Oct 01 2021 16:59:55 GMT+0100 (British Summer Time)
G91                ; relative positioning
G1 H2 Z100 F6000   ; lift Z relative to current position
G1 H1 X-1205 F1800 ; move quickly to X axis endstop and stop there (first pass)
G1 H2 X5 F6000     ; go back a few mm
G1 H1 X-1205 F360  ; move slowly to X axis endstop once more (second pass)
G1 H2 Z-100 F6000  ; lower Z again
G90                ; absolute positioning

Homey.g

; homey.g
; called to home the Y axis
;
; generated by RepRapFirmware Configuration Tool v3.3.3 on Fri Oct 01 2021 16:59:55 GMT+0100 (British Summer Time)
G91                ; relative positioning
G1 H2 Z100 F6000   ; lift Z relative to current position
G1 H1 Y-2005 F1800 ; move quickly to Y axis endstop and stop there (first pass)
G1 H2 Y5 F6000     ; go back a few mm
G1 H1 Y-2005 F360  ; move slowly to Y axis endstop once more (second pass)
G1 H2 Z-100 F6000  ; lower Z again
G90                ; absolute positioning

Homeall.g

; homeall.g
; called to home all axes
;
; generated by RepRapFirmware Configuration Tool v3.3.3 on Fri Oct 01 2021 16:59:55 GMT+0100 (British Summer Time)
G91                       ; relative positioning
G1 H2 Z100 F6000          ; lift Z relative to current position
G1 H1 X-1205 Y-2005 F1800 ; move quickly to X and Y axis endstops and stop there (first pass)
G1 H2 X5 Y5 F6000         ; go back a few mm
G1 H1 X-1205 Y-2005 F360  ; move slowly to X and Y axis endstops once more (second pass)
G90                       ; absolute positioning
G1 X15 Y15 F6000          ; go to first bed probe point and home Z
G30                       ; home Z by probing the bed
 
; Uncomment the following lines to lift Z after probing
;G91                      ; relative positioning
;G1 Z100 F100             ; lift Z relative to current position
;G90                      ; absolute positioning

[T3P3Tony]

@charles-fraser from a noise perspective there is not lightly to be much difference over 16 steps/mm with interpolation (the I1 in the M350 command). that is because interpolation is basically the stepper driver doing 16 microsteps in between each microstep the processor sends. That said every stepper motor and motion system is a bit different so you can run it like you have it if its quieter. The only caveat is that your maximum speed may be limited by the Duets maximum step rates. You are running a 6HC (high step rates) with a heavy extruder which will need lower XY speeds so in reality you may never see any issues.

I see that your X and Y home files have significant Y movements in them (makes sense if you have a big pellet extruder that needs to be clear of the bed) so before you do homing if those can you do the same tests with movement on your Z axis (direction, amount) and then we can ensure the Z movement will be safe before trying X and Y homing.

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

Okay the z doesnt move when I send commands

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

It says:

29/10/2021, 12:04:40	M120 G91 G1 Z50 F6000 G90 M121
Error: G0/G1: insufficient axes homed

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

I sent it

G92 X600 Y600 Z200

And when I try to move the z -100 it makes a noise like a fan is going off and motors are locking but no movement

[T3P3Tony]

@charles-fraser ok try much sorter moves like 0.1 and see if that works. you can observe if the Z motors are rotating smoothly. Also is the bed trammed level so the leadscrews are not binding?

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

bed is super level, no movement just noises

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

Could it be I should send higher mA to the drives?

; Drives
M569 P0.0 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.0 goes forwards
M569 P0.1 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.1 goes forwards
M569 P0.2 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.2 goes forwards
M569 P0.3 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.3 goes forwards
M569 P0.4 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.4 goes forwards
M569 P0.5 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.5 goes forwards
M569 P1.0 S1                                                    ; physical drive 1.0 goes forwards
M584 X0.0 Y0.1 Z0.2:0.4:0.5:0.3 E1.0
M350 X16 Y128 Z16 E16  I1                                ; configure microstepping with interpolation
M92 X80.00 Y1280.00 Z400.00 E420.00          ; set steps per mm
M566 X900.00 Y900.00 Z60.00 E120.00        ; set maximum instantaneous speed changes (mm/min)
M203 X6000.00 Y6000.00 Z180.00 E1200.00 ; set maximum speeds (mm/min)
M201 X500.00 Y500.00 Z20.00 E250.00        ; set accelerations (mm/s^2)
M906 X2800 Y2800 Z1200 E1200 I30                      ; set motor currents (mA) and motor idle factor in per cent
M84 S30                                                         ; Set idle timeout

[T3P3Tony]

@charles-fraser it could be, where did those values come from originally? What Z motors do you have? also are you sure your Z steps/mm are right?

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

I just took standard NEMA17 1.6A power rating

The actual motor spec I can't find anywhere:

It's a screw with a lead of 5mm. It's defo not moving if I put +100 or +0.1 so is it really an issue with steps per mm ?

[T3P3Tony]

@charles-fraser said in Large Format Dowell to Duet conversion:

is it really an issue with steps per

assuming the gearing of those pulleys is 1.8:1 then 400 is correct I think. Other wise is probably not so far of that nothing moves when you only move 0.1mm in ZWithe the power turned off can you disconnect a Z motor and check the continuity of the two coils with a multi meter. Of the the 4 pins on the plug that you are plugging into the duet there should be two pairs of wires with low resistance.

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

Hi Tody I checked the pairs when wiring but I will double check now

[T3P3Tony]

@charles-fraser if the two pairs are pins 1-2 and pins 3-4 for the Z motors then the next step is to see if the motors turn individually, without the belts connected.

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

yup the pairs are pins 1+2 and 3+4

so I loosened the belt and stuck a sticker atop the motor so I can see it spinning and it does spin now the tension is off the belt.

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony it just sounds like the one z motor is trying to move though

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

It seems to be working now

I'll try and work out steps per mm

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

Okay +50 takes it +10 closer to the nozzle, i.e the bed goes up. I'm pretty sure we want + to make the bed go father from the nozzle right? Anyway, I will times the steps per mm by 5

[Charles Fraser]

@t3p3tony

Okay it repeatedly shows it’s just going beyond 50mm when I send 50mm

[T3P3Tony]

@charles-fraser said in Large Format Dowell to Duet conversion:

I'm pretty sure we want + to make the bed go father from the nozzle right?

yes Z+ should increase the gap between the nozzle and the Bed. this is controlled with the S parameter in M569:

M569 P0.2 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.2 goes forwards
M569 P0.3 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.3 goes forwards
M569 P0.4 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.4 goes forwards
M569 P0.5 S1                                                    ; physical drive 0.5 goes forwards

assumming all the Z motors are turning the same way then this should reverse that direction.

M569 P0.2 S0                                                    ; physical drive 0.2 goes forwards
M569 P0.3 S0                                                    ; physical drive 0.3 goes forwards
M569 P0.4 S0                                                    ; physical drive 0.4 goes forwards
M569 P0.5 S0                                                    ; physical drive 0.5 goes forwards

[T3P3Tony]

@Charles-Fraser please do me a favour, after you have made those changes and tested them post your full config.g here again - Is getting harder to quickly find it higher up the thread.