Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
I've just assembled my MK4 kit. I assembled it with the supplied 0.4mm nozzle and it passed the initial diagnostic test first time. Then, before printing anything, I swapped out the supplied nozzle for a 0.4mm hardened steel E3D V6 nozzle on a Nextruder V6 nozzle adapter, and fitted a silicone sock over it. I re-ran the diagnostic check and it failed on the heaters test. After various tests I think I've narrowed down the culprit to the silicone sock. If I remove the sock, but keep the V6 adapter and the steel nozzle, it passes the full diagnostic. I've been round various things to try and diagnose this, but the two times I removed the sock it worked.
I haven't tried the diagnostic with the original nozzle and the sock - I've had enough of running tests and I want to do some printing!
My inexpert thought is that maybe the sock causes the nozzle to heat up at the wrong rate (too fast because of the insulation? Too slowly because of the extra thermal mass?), which the test routine objects to. Is that possible? Anyone else tried this combination (Nextruder adapter + steel nozzle + silicone sock) yet?
RE: Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
Forgot to say - Firmware 5.0.0-Alpha1.
RE: Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
There is a setting that tells the MK4 if there is a silicon sock installed. Try toggling that and rerun the test. I'm not sure if that will fix it, but I saw the setting when exploring the menus on my MK4.
RE: Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
Go back to 4.6.4 if you like to have the test passed. It seems the modification for the silicon sock didn’t make it in the alpha.
RE: Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
Thanks both, I didn't know about that option - I never used a sock on the MK3.
I can confirm that with 4.6.4 it fails the heaters test, but then prompts for whether there's a sock installed. When I select 'yes' it then passes the test. And the sock can be toggled in the 'Hardware' section of the 'Settings' menu.
That option isn't there in 5.0.0-Alpha1, and it doesn't prompt when the test fails. I've reverted to 5.0.0-Alpha1, and I just remove the sock before running the diagnostic test then refit it.
I wonder why it's been removed from the IS firmware - different mass on the extruder potentially messing up the IS settings?
RE: Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
Most likely just a timing issue, where the cutoff dates for including features in the Alpha and in the Production are not in sync. I'm guessing it will be in the next 5.0 Alpha release.
I wonder why it's been removed from the IS firmware - different mass on the extruder potentially messing up the IS settings?
RE: Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
Nice thank you for the tip
Silicone sock use .. 4.6.4
Without use alpha fw...or wait for an fix 🙂
RE: Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
Nice thank you for the tip
Silicone sock use .. 4.6.4
Without use alpha fw...or wait for an fix 🙂
...or take the sock off to get past the initial diagnostic test, then refit it. It seems to be just a matter of setting a flag to say that the test has been passed, otherwise it prompts to go through the full diagnostic test every time it is powered up.
RE:
Since the sock changes the thermal characteristics of the heat block, it might also be a good idea to run a new PID autotune (M303) and check the values against the ones in firmware (M503). I assume the "sock on/off" just changes the self-test parameters, rather than revising the PID parameters. Has anyone checked this (i.e., run a M503 before and after changing the sock on/off value in firmware, and see if the PID values are different)?
Unfortunately, I think custom values would have to be done via M301 in Start Gcode, since Prusa disables M500 in the buddy firmware -- is that correct?
RE: Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
Wanted to order the socks with my kit - but for some reason teh silicon socks doubles the postage charge! So by adding £5.49 silicon sock, the total price increases by £19!
I'm not paying £19 for some socks worth £5!
RE: Heaters test fails if silicone sock is installed
A new Alpha2 version of the 5.0.0 firmware is out, and the sock option is back. With that option set, my printer now passes the diagnostic test with the sock attached.
Case closed 🙂
RE:
The default PID values (firmware 4.6.4) are reported by M503 as: P14.00 I1.00 D100.00
I tried running PID autotune (M303) several times (with sock on). Using S210 as target, it cycled around 210C (5) times as expected, then completed normally and produced P19.92 I2.35 D42.23 as the result.
But every time I tried running it with S230 or S240 as target, it completed the first iteration of 5 and then got "stuck" -- with the temperature just continuing to go up slowly (I let it go to 260 before manually stopping it) -- and no further response from Marlin.
I haven't tried with the Alpha firmware, but it appears something with M303 is broken in 4.6.4.