Need help, willing to pay, I'm completely stuck.

jameswstubbs

I've bought a DuetWifi and for the last 3 months I've not been able to set it up with a AM8 I've built.

I used to have no problems when I used Marlin, I don't know, maybe it was something to do with how it was programmed or maybe it's because I learnt it first but now I've switched to the DuetWifi and the RepRapFirmware, it's just one thing doesn't work correctly after another and I can't seem to get my head around the documentation to figure it out.

I'm getting desperate.

Would somebody be able to offer me some one on one time online and I'll pay for your time.

Everything is wired up, I'd just need help configuring the board and getting it to work with my slicer.

If I can get it to the point where I can print a calibration cube, I'll be happy.

Where I am at the moment is that G28 works, G29 works and G32 works, but as soon as I try to print something, the nozzle just crashes into the bed. I think this is a combination of my slicer settings and my configuration files.

The Z travel is also way to fast and makes a stupidly loud noise.

Please don't take this as me complaining. From what I read the firmware and board are excellent, I just can't do it anymore, I've tried for so long to get it working that it's stopped being fun trying to figure it out, I'm borderline ready to sell up.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Phaedrux

It would help if you posted your config.g and homing files and described the mechanics and hardware of your printer.

jameswstubbs

Thank you for the reply.

The printer itself is an AM8-BLV (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2567757).

It has a 220x220 heated bed and is using a BlTouch as it's Z-probe and a titan extruder.

https://ibb.co/n7mAUp

This Is how I have things wired up, I followed the guide on the Duet Wiki to install the BlTouch https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Connecting_a_Z_probe)

https://ibb.co/gLL4pp

I have uploaded all of my config drives to OneDrive.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AvB1JFYrIu_kgv93DUkH7C0bVBaAcQ

My current starting script on Simplify3d is:

T0
M104 S[extruder0_temperature]
M140 S[bed0_temperature]
M116 H0
;M104 S[extruder0_temperature]
G28
G32
G1 X0 Y20 Z0.2 F3000 ; get ready to prime
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
G1 X100 E20 F600 ; prime nozzle

Any help would be much appreciated, I'm going mental with it.

Phaedrux

G31 X30.44 Y-9.48 Z-0.25 P25

Your z trigger height should be positive. I think the firmware will automatically convert it to a positive value in this case, but it also seems really small. This should be a measured value as it sets the distance between your nozzle tip and the bed.

Use this procedure to measure the trigger height.

https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Test_and_calibrate_the_Z_probe?revisionid=HEAD#Section_Calibrate_the_Z_probe_trigger_height

Then verify that when you move the head to Z0 it is just touching the bed.

In your homing files you can remove the M98 Pretractprobe.g and M98 Pdeployprobe.g commands since G30 will handle that on it's own.

What firmware version are you using by the way?

jameswstubbs

I've made the suggested changes and I've calibrated the z offset, but when I go to print the nozzle just crashes into the bed until I hit emergency stop. Is it an issue with the starting script?

Phaedrux

Can you post the first 50 lines or so of a sliced gcode file to show what it's all trying to do? Just in case S3D is inserting some other gcode into the start.

Also, I just noticed that you run G28 to home the printer, then G32 to run bed.g. And in bed.g you clear any bed compensation, so I think you end up running the print without compensation active. Add G29 S1 to the end of your bed.g to reload your heightmap and re-enable compensation.

jameswstubbs

The G28 command no longer works either, it just crashes the nozzle into the bed! Can't catch a break!

Phaedrux

What firmware version are you using? And can you repost your current config?

jameswstubbs

I've added the G29 S1 to the bed.g file.

My firmware version is 1.21 (2018-03-21).

My S3D starting script for gcode is:

T0
M104 S[extruder0_temperature]
M140 S[bed0_temperature]
M116 H0
;M104 S[extruder0_temperature]
G28
;G32
G1 X0 Y20 Z0.2 F3000 ; get ready to prime
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
G1 X100 E20 F600 ; prime nozzle

My current config with the suggested alterations.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AvB1JFYrIu_kgv94SEodTxkfG9fvBA

Phaedrux

Ok, you've added G29 S1 to the bed.g file, but you've commented out the G32 command in your start script, so bed.g isn't being called.

Phaedrux

Curious why you have your Z axis minimum set to -0.25mm below the bed.
M208 X-25 Y0 Z-0.25 S1 ; Set axis minima

Phaedrux

If you send M401 and M402 does the BLtouch deploy and retract?
If you raise the nozzle above the bed a good ways and send g30 does the probe deploy and head move toward the bed? If you trigger the probe by hand does it stop? Be ready to power down if it doesn't stop.

jameswstubbs

I can confirm that M401 deploys the prove and M402 retracts it.

I'm not sure why it's set to -0.25 I think this was me in the early stages of trying to figure this out using it like the M851 command in marlin.

I've set it to 0.

I used the g30 command the deploys the probe and when I stop it with my finger it does stop.

The Home all command still doesn't work though, back to crashing into the bed.

jameswstubbs

After a reboot Home all is now working.

Phaedrux

I see one problem with your homeall.g

; homeall.g
; called to home all axes
; generated by RepRapFirmware Configuration Tool on Mon Jul 02 2018 18:40:51 GMT+0100 (GMT Summer Time)
G90                     ; relative positioning
G1 Z5 F6000 S2          ; lift Z relative to current position
G1 S1 X-225 Y-225 F1800 ; move quickly to X and Y axis endstops and stop there (first pass)
G1 X5 Y5 F6000          ; go back a few mm
G1 S1 X-225 Y-225 F360  ; move slowly to X and Y axis endstops once more (second pass)
G90                     ; absolute positioning
G1 X110 Y110 F6000      ; go to first bed probe point and home Z
G30                     ; home Z by probing the bed

The very first line is G90 ; relative positioning except that G90 is absolute positioning. Change that to G91 to properly raise the head.

; homeall.g
; called to home all axes
; generated by RepRapFirmware Configuration Tool on Mon Jul 02 2018 18:40:51 GMT+0100 (GMT Summer Time)
G91                     ; relative positioning
G1 Z5 F6000 S2          ; lift Z relative to current position
G1 S1 X-225 Y-225 F1800 ; move quickly to X and Y axis endstops and stop there (first pass)
G1 X5 Y5 F6000          ; go back a few mm
G1 S1 X-225 Y-225 F360  ; move slowly to X and Y axis endstops once more (second pass)
G90                     ; absolute positioning
G1 X110 Y110 F6000      ; go to first bed probe point and home Z
G30                     ; home Z by probing the bed

jameswstubbs

That's done, should I go ahead and try and print?

jameswstubbs

Now when I try to print, it home all fine the first time, then goes to home all again and just crashes into the bed.

Phaedrux

You have another G28 in bed.g. remove that one.

jameswstubbs

Done, still getting a nozzle crash when trying to print the calibration cube unfortunately.

I just want to say how grateful I am for your help.

Phaedrux

Can you upload the gcode file you're trying to print? Or copy and paste the first 50 lines or so of it? I need to see what it's trying to do.

Can you post a picture of your heightmap being displayed? I'd like to see what it thinks the bed surface is like.

And just to recap. Homing now works correctly if you tell it to home x, homey, home z, and home all?

Can you post a video of what it looks like from when you start a print?

Is it going just a little too far down into the bed and stopping, or is it just trying to continuously push into the bed?

Can you measure each side of your x axis from the bed to see if your lead screws are misaligned and tilting the x axis.

wilriker

@jameswstubbs said in Need help, willing to pay, I'm completely stuck.:

The Z travel is also way to fast and makes a stupidly loud noise.

Is this solved by now? I am on my phone so I cannot check your steps/mm for Z but if you still use the stock Anet A8 lead screws this should be set to 400 (at x16 microstepping).

This is the one value that I got wrong when converting my A8 and it did what your described. It moved way to fast and also very choppy.

Another consequence of having your steps/mm for Z too high would be that it would move longer than it should what could explain the nozzle crashing into the bed.

Phaedrux

@wilriker Yeah z steps is currently set to 400 according to the config.

SLKittie

Also the speed of the z axis ,might be to fast. i had this and my z axis moved clunky but to fast.
here is a snippet from my g code
; Drives
M569 P0 S1 ; Drive 0 goes forwards
M569 P1 S1 ; Drive 1 goes forwards
M569 P2 S0 ; Drive 2 goes backwards
M569 P3 S1 ; Drive 3 goes forwards
M569 P4 S1 ; Drive 4 goes forwards
M350 X16 Y16 Z16 E16:16 I1 ; Configure microstepping with interpolation
M92 X80.14 Y79.89 Z401.04 E95.83:95.83 ; Set steps per mm
M566 X900 Y900 Z12 E120:120 ; Set maximum instantaneous speed changes (mm/min)
M203 X6000 Y6000 Z180 E1200:1200 ; Set maximum speeds (mm/min)
M201 X500 Y20 Z250 E250:250 ; Set accelerations (mm/s^2)
M906 X800 Y800 Z800 E800:800 I30 ; Set motor currents (mA) and motor idle factor in per cent
M84 S30

jameswstubbs

@latexcupcake Thank you for this, I've adjusted all my speeds to match yours. The Z axis is much quieter now.
Which extruder do you use, if I use a geared titan will I need to have a different speed?

This is the gcode I currently have ready to print.

https://pastebin.com/J36U077Z

This is the result of "Perform automatic bed compensation/calibration (G32)"

https://ibb.co/ny17x9

This is the result of "Perform automatic mesh compensation (G29)"

https://ibb.co/dixQjp

I'm not sure what's happening with the rear left of my bed in this case...

I can confirm that Home X, Home Y, Home Z and Home All works from the "Head Movement" menu.

I have aligned the x axis with the chassis of the frame (as advised by the creator of the printer) using two identical portable USB batteries.

I went to video the start of a print and the following happened.

It completed the G28 and then completed the G32, it then did it's priming streak in the gcode. As it was doing this and as it moved to start it's first layer the extruder was clicking. I thought this was either temperature too low or nozzle too close to the bed.

I'm printing in PETG and having used this filament before I set initially set it to 230 degrees and tried to extrude, but got clicking.

So I now have it set at 245 degrees and it'll extrude (although it seems to cool very quickly so it may still not be hot enough.

I tried to print again and there was more clicking, knowing that the temperature was able to extrude now, I decided to check the z offset.

In marlin, I used to use M851 Z-. and trial and error until I had it tuned in, but because I still don't know how to do this on reprapfirmware, I decided to edit it in the slicer. I experimented until I found that 0.5 to 0.6 wouldn't click and would extrude.

When I went to print again, the printer successfully completed G28 and the four corners of G32, but when it went to probe the centre of the bed, it crashed into it again.

This is a genuine BLTouch so it should be ok, could it be it that's at fault?

I'm currently uploading a video to One Drive, you'll see that the head crashes into the bed, the BLTouch starts flashing and then it continues to print with the nozzle too close to the bed.

The video is here:
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AvB1JFYrIu_kgv97807T8m62Fk_Xmg

Apologies for the size, as you can see on the G28 and the four corners of the G32 the BLTouch works as intended.

Then either the nozzle crashes into the bed and just keeps crashing, or, as shown in the video it will crash into the bed, the BLTouch will start flashing and then the print will continue with the nozzle too close to the bed.

jameswstubbs

Merged into one post