Some of you may remember I reserved a kinematics type number back in August 2019.

And some of you remember I wanted to take a break from 3d printers.

Well, I failed either so far. But as of today, I have a prototype machine built that I can implement for. Luckily, someone did it for Smoothieware (the same person whose prototype build I copied, with his blessing and help).

Here is a first photo:

And here is a short video of me abusing delta mode and absolute tower moves to show that it's only mostly dead:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/c4ptuJajXeWNc8di9

Still missing are endstops, belt tension, anything on the effector to do useful stuff, a surface to do stuff on ... but for implementing the kinematics this should be sufficient. Let's see if I can get to there in less than nine months (-:

Hi,
I would like to document what I needed to do to compile RepRapFirmware and DuetWiFiSocketServer on a Debian Buster system (similar to a previous report on doing the same on Linux Arch).

First off, do not waste time trying to install the build chain from debian packages. They are sorely outdated and will not work.

The Build Instructions are a decent baseline, but to get everything going, I had to close some gaps.

Build Tools

1. Eclipse IDE for C++ downloaded from upstream. This requires a JRE to run, but openjdk is sufficient.
2. arm GNU toolchain downloaded from upstream. The Debian packages are massively outdated and builds will fail.
3. xtensa architecture toolchain from upstream is needed for DuetWifiSocketServer. As with the arm-gcc cross compiler, the Buster packages are outdated and won't build the project.
4. ESPtool because the esptool.py included in the xtensa architecture toolchain has different command line switches and the build will fail without the binary
5. eboot.elf from the Arduino ESP libraries

Additional Dependencies

In addition to the repositories listed in the build instructions, you need LwipESP8266 and CoreESP8266 as prerequisites to build DuetWiFiSocketServer.

More Project Variables and Paths

1. For LwipESP8266, set GccPath to the bin dir of the xtensa-lx106-elf compiler suite
2. For CoreESP8266, set GccPath to the bin dir of the xtensa-lx106-elf compiler suite
3. For DuetWifiSocketServer, set

• EspBootFile to the path to a valid eboot.bin
• EspToolPath to the esptool binary (NB esptool.py does not work because it has another call signature)
• GCCPath to the bin dir of the xtensa-lx106-compiler suite

From the default settings on the checked out projects it looks like you can find those when you added ESP8266 support to a local arduino installation, but when I set this up I was tired and couldn't remember how to set up board support on Arduino so it was more straightforward for me to download and build everything from source. It also made it possible for me to ensure that I really got the latest versions of everything.

With all this in place, I was able to build CoreNG, FreeRTOS, RRFLibraries, LwipEsp8266, CoreEsp8266, DuetWifiSocketServer and finally RepRapFirmware without a hitch.

The Duet2 Wifi will still serve you well, @Chriss -- it's not magically bad now that this board has been announced (-:

I like the JoKo Engineering FreeCAD tutorials and demos on YouTube (and I usually hate YouTube tutorials). He does a couple comparison between various tools as well, but for everyone that doubts FreeCADs capability, the demo where he builds something out of a Solidworks certification in FreeCAD, then exports it as step file and checks the result in Solidworks for full compliance is pretty amazing.

The last ten days I kept myself busy with a V-Core Pro Corexy kit. It sports a 750W AC heater, three independent z steppers, MGN15 linear rails, 9mm Gates belts, a Duet3 with a Raspberry Pi4, hall effect endstops, a polypropylene print plate, paracord-sleeved cabling, a 450W Meanwell PSU (overpowered without running a heater, but that hopefully means it will rarely switch on it's fans). Print volume is 300x300x300 -- but since I use integrated leadscrew steppers, Z is likely close to 330.

The kit is super chonky for lack of a better word. The belt runs are super clean and parallel to everything, and the belt tensioner is integrated in the X carriage requiring a single screw per belt to tension.

I am almost ready to do a first print, but am missing mounts for the endstops and Z calibration. After that, everything will be cleanup and incremental improvements.

Tom Sanlanderer has designed and published a cheap diameter sensing setup (see https://www.youmagine.com/designs/infidel-inline-filament-diameter-estimator-lowcost-10-24) -- it would be great to see that included in a future filament sensor design -- and to add a feature to adjust extrusion rate with the sensed diameter of course for those of us that like the last tiny bit of precision.

Hi,
Please consider offering the DuetPi image using f2fs rather than ext4. It's a filesystem written for use on SD cards and is much more resilient to power loss and sd card style faults. More info at https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/v5.7/filesystems/f2fs.html

I recently ran across a concept from 2014 that seems to have been implemented in LinuxCNC and MachineKit, but none of the main printer firmwares around: Velocity based extrusion.

In short, the extruder is not an axis controlled by the GCode directly, but the firmware is instructed about target line width and height and controls extrusion speed according to nozzle movement. This is similar to volumetric extrusion but different (extruder is still an axis) and should basically result in pressure equalization similar to Pressure Advance, but based on nozzle movement velocity rather than as a heuristic adjusting the extruder movement.

Further reading:
https://basdebruijn.com/2014/05/machinekit-and-additive-manufacturing/
https://basdebruijn.com/2014/09/velocity-extruding-revisited/
Post processing script for slic3r:
https://github.com/machinekoder/Machinekit-Slic3r-postprocess/blob/master/velocity-extrusion.py

I like weird machines, so I am biased (some may remember that I built a SCARA once just so).

I like that due to the limited overhead in Z it fits under my desk with room to spare at 80% the same attainable z height as my long-retired delta which needed almost a meter high uprights (I.e., triple the height).

I don't think it's super efficient in terms of space and recent CoreXY designs (like Voron0) beat it in that regard. The design is patent encumbered until 2022 I believe so you won't see it much outside non-commercial / research projects like mine.

That said, if we all would just build practical / sensible machines we would never enjoy things like deckingman's CoreXYUVAB -- not that I claim the same ingenuity or mechanical engineering skill. But that machine spurred the development of the mixing hotend; who knows what this or any other "objectively less practical than existing designs" will give rise to?

RatRig has the V-Cast which comes in an IDEX configuration if you are interested. Their basic mechanics kit for the IDEX V-Cast is about 380EUR: https://www.ratrig.com/3d-printing-cnc/rat-rig-v-cast.html

@o_lampe in my experience, the echos only get output after the macro finishes, while the M117 is shown immediately.

@r123 Macros are usually called via direct interaction, what would you use the logging information for?

For those Macros I need output from, I use M117 or M118, which allows even more granular messaging than just that a Macro was started. So if you need a message on your particular system whenever a Macro is called, you could just start with one of these.

Ratrig (Portugal, EU) recently started stocking cast tooling plates in various sizes.

I found cheap connectors on ebay and ordered them. This topic is solved but will stay around as a testament to my stupidity (-:

@dc42 glad to hear the next revision of the toolboard will have different connectors which are a bit easier to get hold of (and crimp). Luckily, I don't immediately need the second thermistor input right now (although I plan to use it to test heatsink/hotend performance in the future).

@dc42 I shorted it while live with a copper cable by being an idiot. It popped sparks and then burned like a match with a yellow-white flame until I overcame my shock and cut power.

@phaedrux considering I am currently ordering a set from a dubious seller on aliexpress, ebay does count. But also take this as an enhancement request for the Connector kit to include a 2x1 ZH connector in the future (-:

@o_lampe JST-VH is for the VIN and is included. Please look at the wiring diagram where you see the green screw pole connector at the bottom of my photo has been replaced by two JST-ZH connectors:

https://d17kynu4zpq5hy.cloudfront.net/igi/duet3d/rvvEGE3cdCX6H5sM.huge

@o_lampe nice thinking, but those are usually JST-XH....

I don't have a video, but here is an image of the aftermath:

Hi,
I just bought a new 1LC board because I shorted out the one I head leading to a visible exothermic phenomenon .... I also ordered a new connector pack because I knew the v1.0 board has an additional connector (IO2).
To make space, the TEMP_1 connector was switched to a JST-ZH 2x1 connector from the green screw-pole connector that was on the v0.6 board.

Unfortunately, the connector pack does not come with a connector for TEMP_1. What's a good source to get a pre-crimped JST-ZH 2x1 cable set similar to the 3x1 and 4x1s in the Connector pack? My usual sources seem to lack 2x1 ones ....

@o_lampe maybe @PCR would be able to collaborate, time permitting.