Setting up Cartesian Printer.
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Corexy, most slicers will auto include your start and end gcode files so you only need to set it up once. The advantage of having them in the slicer,especiallly for start gcodes, is that the slicer knows what temperatures you have set so can include the codes to wait while the configured temperatures are reached.
I can understand that for the start up (due to the various temps used, plus it's only a tick box on S3D), but I'd have thought that a simple procedure at the end of a print would have been the way to go. Something like:
1. Lower bed to bottom
2. Home tool to desired location
3. Shut down all heaters and drop steppers to 30% current (I realize they will time down and do that anyway).That's just my opinion, certainly not the only one out there, but if someone could show me the actual lines of code that will do that and where to put them I wouldn't mind try that.
I'd definitely leave the start up for the slicer due to reasons above.
In the meantime I'm getting "spurious heater faults" when trying to heat the bed/extruder right up to try an ABS print.
Should I try 1.15e firmware? I know I haven't got it as the board was sent earlier than it's release.
Thank you all for your replies as well.
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I'll bet someone else will respond while I'm typing this but if not…....
Warning - not tested! Put this in you slicer's end gcode.
1. Lower bed to bottom
G91; set relative positioning
G1 Z300 F240 S1Set Z to whatever your Z axis travel is, set F to whatever feed rate you use for the Z axis. IMPORTANT set S1 - this flag will check for end stop - if not set, the axis will try to keep moving by whatever amount you set
2. Home tool to desired location.
G90 ; Set absolute postioning
G1 Xnnn Ynnn FnnnChange Xnnn to wherever on the bed you want the head to go in X. Zero will send it to the home position but you could send it the right or centres- wherever you want it to be. Likewise Ynnn. Set speed of travel using Fnnn (say 3000)
3. Shut down heaters
Easy way - MO ; tuns off all heaters and motors.
Edit - this will also turn off your hot end cooling fan so maybe not such a good idea as you'll probably want it to run on. So, use the harder way below
Harder way
M140 S0; Turn off bed
M906 Xnnn Ynnn Znnn Enn:nnn:nnn; set motor currents - you'll have to work out what 30% isYou might also like to add M106 S0 ; turn off print cooling fan.
HTH
Ian -
Hey thanks mate, much appreciated.
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No worries. A quick google search of "RepRap start and end gcodes" or some such term will likely throw up some other examples, tips or tricks.
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Set Z to whatever your Z axis travel is, set F to whatever feed rate you use for the Z axis. IMPORTANT set S1 - this flag will check for end stop - if not set, the axis will try to keep moving by whatever amount you set
I don't have an end stop on the Z axis. It just homes at the IR probe/hot end and goes from there.
Will that be OK?
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Set Z to whatever your Z axis travel is, set F to whatever feed rate you use for the Z axis. IMPORTANT set S1 - this flag will check for end stop - if not set, the axis will try to keep moving by whatever amount you set
I don't have an end stop on the Z axis. It just homes at the IR probe/hot end and goes from there.
Will that be OK?
Yea that's fine. I just move the head up or bed down a few mm and then move to an XY position that makes the print easy to remove. Like this:
G91
G1 Z3 F300
G90
G1 X200 Y200
M0 -
If you want to send Z all the way to the far end, at the end of the print, you can do it by using absolute(G90) rather than relative (G91) but it's really important that the Z is homed before you use this command. i.e. the machine must know where Z=0 is. So, it'll be safe to use in your end gcode as the machine will have been homed prior to starting the print.
So you could use:
G90 ; set absolute positioning
G1 Znnn F240This will move to Z axis to the absolute position of nnn from home, so set nnn to whatever you max Z is (less a few mm for safety and comfort).
If you haven't already done so, it's a good idea to set your axes maxima in you config.g. Like this
M208 Xnnn Ynnn Znnn S0; S0 defines maxima (S1 defines minima)If you do that, then once the machine has been homed, it'll wont allow you to send an axis past those limits. So if your Z max was 200mm and you tried to send it (using absolute positioning) to 250 mm, it would just stop at 200mm.
If you want to be really belt and braces, you could do what I do and fit additional end stop switches on the maxima of all the axes and wire them up in series and connect them to a spare e stop. Then use M581 in your config.g. One caveat to this is that if you use the DWC to send a movement, this is treated like a macro and the switch will be ignored. David has it on his list to change this.
HTH -
If you want to send Z all the way to the far end, at the end of the print, you can do it by using absolute(G90) rather than relative (G91) but it's really important that the Z is homed before you use this command. i.e. the machine must know where Z=0 is. So, it'll be safe to use in your end gcode as the machine will have been homed prior to starting the print.
So you could use:
G90 ; set absolute positioning
G1 Znnn F240This will move to Z axis to the absolute position of nnn from home, so set nnn to whatever you max Z is (less a few mm for safety and comfort).
If you haven't already done so, it's a good idea to set your axes maxima in you config.g. Like this
M208 Xnnn Ynnn Znnn S0; S0 defines maxima (S1 defines minima)If you do that, then once the machine has been homed, it'll wont allow you to send an axis past those limits. So if your Z max was 200mm and you tried to send it (using absolute positioning) to 250 mm, it would just stop at 200mm.
If you want to be really belt and braces, you could do what I do and fit additional end stop switches on the maxima of all the axes and wire them up in series and connect them to a spare e stop. Then use M581 in your config.g. One caveat to this is that if you use the DWC to send a movement, this is treated like a macro and the switch will be ignored. David has it on his list to change this.
HTHCheers Deckingham,
This particular machine is my first go with the Duet, and is a conversion of an existing printer, therefore no limit switch on the Z axis.
I do however have my axis' max's set, and yes it wont let you go past those presets.
S3D does have a homing in the start of the print.
When I do build my own printer I will definitely add an extra limit switch at the bottom of the Z axis.
I must say I am enjoying this printing system.
The printer runs much quieter (I've got a standard unconverted Zortrax running right beside it), and the temps hold absolutely rock solid.
I did update both the board and panel firmwares today and re run the temp tuning on the extruder and bed.
I'm messing around with raft printing in ABS at the moment, trying to get that velcro style rip off raft happening.
All in all the combination of the DuetWifi and S3D are working reasonably well in my inexperienced hands, much better than I expected.
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That's good to hear. I'm thinking of switching from slic3r to S3D myself - just need to know if it can do 3 (or more) colour prints. It looks like it has some good features but might be a bit complicated for an old guy like me:)
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That's good to hear. I'm thinking of switching from slic3r to S3D myself - just need to know if it can do 3 (or more) colour prints. It looks like it has some good features but might be a bit complicated for an old guy like me:)
If you can use slic3r then S3D will be a breeze and yes you can do multi colour prints.
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It's not just multi colour that Ian needs tho He has to be able to handle 3 colour in a colour mixing hotend
Ian My offer still stands mate?
Doug
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Oh where did I read that! The Diamond head needs firmware retraction as it pulls all filaments at the same time during retraction.
And that is a difficult trick to do and I think S3D doesn't support it. Dang, cannot find where I read it.
Bouncing between so many forums at the moment! (Wonder why?) I lose track of what I read where.The guys of Reprap.me should know for sure.
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Lykle
It is supported on the Duet and S3D does support FW Retraction of a kind they use M101/102 and 103 codes which according to the RepRap wiki on GCodes has been deprecated in all but TeaCup firmware so we can't understand why S3D went that way at all
Fortunately you can post process all S3D Stuff very quickly within the SW Package by using the Scripting section to replace those M103 with G11 or whatever is required but it would be better if S3D Supported it on a FW Requirement basis it can't be that hard to do. mind I am not a software engineer so what do I know
Doug
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Ah, great thanks Doug!
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That's good to hear. I'm thinking of switching from slic3r to S3D myself - just need to know if it can do 3 (or more) colour prints. It looks like it has some good features but might be a bit complicated for an old guy like me:)
I'm an old bugger myself, and if I can use it I'm sure you can.
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I think I beat you all hands down. 60. Old enough to be the winner here?
New version of S3D came out and they now specifically support multi extruder setups (3 and more)
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Lykle
Unfortunately not Deckingman has that honour (I'll him admit to how much lol)
AS for multi extruders they have supported them for ages just not the easiest thing to get your head arround the main issue here is the Firmware Retraction that is essential for mixing hotends such as the Diamond?
Doug
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Lykle
Unfortunately not Deckingman has that honour (I'll him admit to how much lol)
Doug
I was born in year of our present queen's coronation.
Ian.
P.S. If you bothered to check when that was, you should be ashamed of yourself for not having anything better to do.
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I know when it was Ian but Lykle is a dutchman in Cyprus LOL. and for his benefit it was 1953.
Doug
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Perhaps we should start a club for Over 60's 3D printing enthusiasts? I'd be eligible too!