TL-Smoother Module - Improved Printing Quality?
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Hi,
I came across this listing for a TL-Smoother plus add-on module on AliExpress and it caught my attention.
As can be seen in the listing, this module consists of nothing more than the familiar 8 fly-back diode arrangement typically used for protecting drivers against back-emf from the steppers.
The interesting part for me was that the author of the listing claims that this module/set-up will also significantly improve the printing quality (at least on lower-end drivers like the A4988 or DRV8825).
I was wondering if anyone knows if this claim about improved quality has any merit in real-life?
Also, has anyone tried this or a similar setup with the Duet and saw an actual difference?
All the best,
SnowCrash -
The DO improve cheap crap drivers, under some very narrow circumstances.
They DO NOT improve decent drivers. Specifically, they will do nothing good for the TMC series used on Duets.
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In this picture, the middle to top difference is TL SMoothers, the 8 diode ones. Printed on an Anycubic Kossel Linear, running Marlin 1.6.6, with A4988 Drivers.
You can clearly see the smoothing. It was literally the same G-Code file.
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And, it bears repeating:
Good drivers DO NOT have the poor wave forms that are cleaned up by these things, diode based smoothers cannot possibly give any benefit when placed in line with good drivers.
In fact the diodes drop some voltage and this could easily reduce quality.
This driver quality thing has all been very well researched with oscilloscope traces, etc, etc.
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Wow! that's some difference
But I take your point about it not being beneficial (or even detrimental) for using with the Duet.
Thanks for the clarifications (& pic!), @danal!
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I used them to eliminate a salmon skin texture on curved surfaces on a i3 cartesian with DRV8825 drivers. It was only the 4 diode version, but it helped enough.
