topic_solved I need help with setting up a BLTouch

BismuthBlues

As it turns out, as a beginner to all of this, I have no idea what I am doing, and need some help setting up a BLTouch (v3.1) on my duet 2 ethernet.

I used the reprap configurator and also tried using the betrue guide but havent had much success. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have uploaded .txt versions of various .g files. retractprobe g; homez g; deployprobe g ;config g

The wires are plugged in as follows:
Red - Expansion 1) +5V;
Brown - Expansion 2) GND
Orange - Expansion 8 ) Heater 3
Black - Z probe GND
White - Z_probe_In

I want the BLTouch to be the Z-endstop and for checking the level of the bed. I have a Cartesian printer.

Phaedrux

Can you confirm that you have RRF3 flashed on the board? Your configs indicate that's the case, but that just means the web configurator gave you the settings for RRF3. Does your board actually have it installed? You can send M115 to get the currently installed firmware version.

What exactly doesn't work?

If you send M401 and M402 does the pin deploy and retract?

If you send the servo control gcode to put the BLTouch in self-test mode, does it work?

What does the probe do when power is first applied?

Phaedrux

; Z-Probe
M950 S0 C"exp.heater3"                        ; create servo pin 0 for BLTouch
M558 P9 H3 F500 T4000            ; F120 T6000 set Z probe type to bltouch and the dive height + speeds

The M558 would be correct for 2.x firmware versions, but not correct for rrf3.

Once again, it would help to know exactly what firmware version you have installed and intend to use.

If you are running RRF3, try this isntead

M558 P9 C"^zprobe.in" H5 F120 T4000  ; BLTouch connected to Z probe IN pin
M950 S0 C"exp.heater3" ; create servo/gpio 0 on heater 3 pin on expansion connector

BismuthBlues

@Phaedrux said in I need help with setting up a BLTouch:

M558 P9 C"^zprobe.in" H5 F120 T4000 ; BLTouch connected to Z probe IN pin
M950 S0 C"exp.heater3" ; create servo/gpio 0 on heater 3 pin on expansion connector

I do have RRF3. I tried putting this in and when I click home z, the probe deploys but doesnt retract, and nothing else happens.

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it.

BismuthBlues

@Phaedrux

When I click Home Z, the probe deploys but doesnt retract, and the printer gets stuck on the Z Home command for a while.

M401 and M402 do work like they should.

I am not sure what the servo control gcode is. I may be in a little over my head with this project....

When power is first applied, the BLTouch lights up red, and then deploys and retracts twice. After that, the BLTouch stays lit up solid red.

dc42

@BismuthBlues said in I need help with setting up a BLTouch:

When I click Home Z, the probe deploys but doesnt retract, and the printer gets stuck on the Z Home command for a while.

Please post your homez.g file.

BismuthBlues

@dc42 retractprobe.g; homez.g; deployprobe.g; config.g

Phaedrux

G90               ; absolute positioning
G1 X35 Y-17 F6000 ; go to first probe point
G30               ; home Z by probing the bed

G31 P25 X-20 Y32 Z0

In your homez you have the probe move to an odd absolute position based on your probe offset. Try changing it to move to the center of the bed.

BismuthBlues

@Phaedrux I made a change to it to move the head to the middle. The now head moves to the middle, deploys the probe, and then nothing happens. After a while, the probe gets retracted.

I am sure its just that I have no idea what I am doing. The Z-axis of my printer is like it would be on a gantry robot, I am guessing that I didn't configure it correctly, but I don't know what I did wrong.

Phaedrux

What do you mean like a gantry robot?

Does the z axis move at all?

BismuthBlues

@Phaedrux Sorry I was unclear. This is my printer: https://imgur.com/a/YOc4DmV. So the head moves up and down on the arm.

BismuthBlues

@Phaedrux Turns out, I am just really bad at math and gear ratios. The Z-axis is moved with some gears and belts, and I dramatically miscalculated the number of steps per mm for the z axis. I still need to figure out the math exactly, but once I increased it from 5 to around 200, it is working correctly.
Thank you for your help, and sorry for wasting your time...

Phaedrux

@BismuthBlues said in I need help with setting up a BLTouch:

@Phaedrux Sorry I was unclear. This is my printer: https://imgur.com/a/YOc4DmV. So the head moves up and down on the arm.

That's a very interesting printer. Is it a cartesian where the bed is stationary and the print head moves in X Y Z?

BismuthBlues

@Phaedrux Yes, it is! It's being converted from an old piece of lab equipment that didn't work anymore.

Phaedrux

Cool. I hope you post more about it.

BismuthBlues

@Phaedrux Thanks! Once it is up and working, I plan on doing a detailed write up with a fair number of pictures.