Can't get square prints to save my life
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Hello! I have checked, double-checked and recalibrated this Delta machine more times in the last week than I think I have ever done in it's (grated) rather long life, but I just can't solve this skew issue. I can't tell if it is expanding outwards from the corners or being pinched in the center of the flats. Auto calibrate does nothing to help. Granted, I'm stuck with 1.20 firmware, so that may not help matters. This also seems to be something that can't be fixed; likely just too old of a board.
Please let me know what other information may be useful for assistance. At this point, I'm stumped.
Cheers!
-Russ
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@RSmalley said in Can't get square prints to save my life:
This also seems to be something that can't be fixed; likely just too old of a board.
There's no reason that board couldn't run the latest RRF v3 if you wanted to update it.
https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Installing_and_Updating_Firmware
And some more specific instructions for coming from a 1.x firmware here: https://forum.duet3d.com/topic/18962/firmware-not-updating?_=1615761252955
That said, even updating the firmware won't guarantee good prints from a delta.
Has it ever printed correctly?
What do the prints look like?
Have you gone through these lately?
https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/ConfiguringRepRapFirmwareDeltaPrinter
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@Phaedrux I'll see if the link to additional info. for the firmware update helps. Tried the other through the steps and while everything looked like it updated, nothing changed.
It used to print just fine as I remember. Generally I'm printing smaller, round things so dimensional inaccuracies were possibly not noticed. I'll take a rip through the configuration again, but it didn't seem to help the last couple of times. Who knows; maybe I'm just repeating an error without knowing it! Truth be told, I'm far more a hardware rather than a software sort of fellow; it wouldn't be a stretch to think that I'm just repeating a stupid mistake over and over again.
Cheers!
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@Phaedrux Ok, here goes the stupid questions:
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I followed your instructions re: upgrading from 1.x firmware (downloaded first set of .bin files and the .zip, uploaded them via the web interface, ran M997 S0) and while again, it appeared to do all the update things and restarted, the software info. screen still shows Firmware Version 1.20. Do I need to do some sort of clean install or delete files from the system prior to upgrading?
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The print following a recalibration per your above suggestions resulted in the following:
The print is the correct size when measuring the flat sides at the corners, but has a bow in the center of each flat area.
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There's always the direct method of using Bossa to flash the most recent firmware directly. Then manually installing the new dwc files in the /www folder.
Maybe a photo showing what files are there in sys
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The 3.0 firmware has a lot of changes to the config files, so you need to update your config files. The most easy way is to recreate them using the reprap configurator.
I think Phaedrux update instructions from here should help you updating your firmware.
I'm not sure though if upgrading the firmware solves all your issues, maybe something is not configured correctly. Can you post your config.g file?
Besides that, since you remember that your machine printed fine, maybe something got lose. Is there any play in the mechanics? Are all screws tight? A printer should be completely silent besides the stepper motors. If you can hear any rattling noises during the print, then usually there's a lose screw somewhere. Are your belts tight?
Then I recently had a lot of issues calibrating my delta printer. In the end I got very good results using the escher bed configurator with the following settings:
- 6 perephial points
- 0 halfway points
- radius of your print bed
I used manual calibration, because sometimes probes are not reliable
This however requires that your diagonal rod length is accurate. If that's not the case you should add more points and do a 7 factor calibration.
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@AdrAs Cheers!
I went through everything with a fine-toothed comb when I started finding this error and initially there were a number of things loose. went through and tightened everything including the belts, reverified the physical positions of the height endstops and heights of the towers. Nothing is currently making any noise other than the hum of the steppers.
My current config.g file is here:config.g.txt
Diagonal rod length is 288.27mm for 5 rods and 288.18mm for the other two. I'll give the escher bed configurator program a whirl and see what happens!
As a note, I'm using the Duet Smart Effector as the Z probe should that change any thoughts.
Really appreciate the assistance folks!
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@Phaedrux Here is a list of all files currently loaded into the printer:
Current Files on Delta Printer.pdf
I'll give Bossa a shot and see what that looks like.
Cheers!
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thats a pretty standard config and should be easily converted to rrf3
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@Vetig Good to hear!
The issue is that I can't seem to get my hardware to recognize the firmware updates. I'll sort it out I'm sure...just no idea what I'm failing at in the process.
Followed the steps laid out by previous folks and while everything looks to be going well (no errors, reboots at the required time) I seem stuck at 1.20 at the end of it.
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@RSmalley said in Can't get square prints to save my life:
Diagonal rod length is 288.27mm for 5 rods and 288.18mm for the other two. I'll give the escher bed configurator program a whirl and see what happens!
I suppose you mean 4 rods and the other two? I'm a bit curious, how did you determine those values? Seems to be difficult to measure if you ask me. Since you've got a distortion in one axis, I'm looking for something which is different compared to the other axis.
Just to be sure, can you try a testprint using the same diagonal rod length for all 6 rods?
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What happens if you upload this DWC zip file to the system tab?
https://github.com/Duet3D/RepRapFirmware/releases/download/2.0/DuetWebControl-1.21.1.zip
Does it update the web interface version?
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@AdrAs Yes, sorry; 4 rods, not 5.
The measurements were supplied by the manufacturer. I have done a test using the 288.17 measurement only with no difference. I'm starting to think there is a fundamental issue that I am missing somewhere; not seeing the forest for the trees if you know what I mean.
EDIT: I have just remeasured them to the best of my abilities and while not getting into the hundredths of a mm, the rods are all 288mm from center to center on the balls (they are magnetic Haydn's carbon fiber arms from Blue Eagle labs).
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@Phaedrux It does update the web interface to 1.21.1. Seem to be moving in the right direction!
Base firmware remains at 1.20:
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Ok now that you've got the web interface updated, lets try a firmware update.
First batch of files to upload:
https://github.com/Duet3D/RepRapFirmware/releases/download/2.0/Duet2CombinedFirmware.bin
https://github.com/Duet3D/RepRapFirmware/releases/download/2.0/iap.bin
https://github.com/Duet3D/RepRapFirmware/releases/download/2.0/iap4e.bin
https://github.com/Duet3D/RepRapFirmware/releases/download/2.0/iap4s.binUpload the IAP files first. Then upload the firmware file. See if it detects the upload and asks to update. If not, send M997. Check version after with M115.
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@Phaedrux Uploaded the IAP files first; did iap, iap4e and iap4s in a group, then the Duet2CombinedFirmware.bin. Saw the files upload screens complete successfully for all files. There was a popup that asked if I wanted to update, clicked 'yes' and the green Update progress bar at the bottom of the web screen completed successfully. No change in firmware version either via the Web interface or via the M115 command.
Also tried each file individually; no difference.
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Let's see if you can go to 1.21 then.
https://github.com/Duet3D/RepRapFirmware/releases/download/1.21/Duet2CombinedFirmware.bin
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you said you would give bossa a go. how did that go?
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@RSmalley said in Can't get square prints to save my life:
No change in firmware version either via the Web interface or via the M115 command.
Check the files and folders on the SD-card with a PC. Are they write-protected?
I had that issue, when I made an image file of my Sd-cards with Linux and later reflashed them using a Windows-tool.
