RE:
Wow this makes me happy and I look forward to the final version, thanks Prusa team!!
Essentially, for easy models it prints at the same or very slightly better quality but at a ludicrous speed (I did not try out any of the provided gcodes or the Benchy), of the kind that it makes the iceweasel cower in fear. But as a hobbyist, I'm more interested in quality (non-bulging corners) than speed, apparently this is not active yet unless I play around with custom gcode commands.
Also, to me it seems that previous slicings no longer work even if you use the non-input shaper printer profile, as the alpha IS profile has a shorter retraction setting and no longer wipes while retracting, there also is no retract before wipe amount. Older slicings have gaps at the seams now for me. I'm printing in PETG.
I'll likely move back to the old FW until the final IS FW is here, for me it's not worth to play around with the settings in the meantine, but wow this looks soo promising!!
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
This is a NEW PRINTER! Been using Mini+ for 2+ years and today I needed to print a box for ESP32 so I gave it a try with the new FW. From 77mins down to 36mins, 0.2 layer, 0.4 nozzle - all standard. PLA. Absolutely super fast, precise, layers like from a render app... amazed by the speed and quality. And it is ALPHA! Prusa iOS the best!
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
You have to re-slice everything if you want to use it with the new firmware that's for sure!
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
I currently have these anti-vibration feet under my mini+. It makes the machine as quiet as it can get in the IKEA lack enclosure.
But…. I can imagine that these feet will definitely interfere with the input shaping. Any comments on my thoughts?
For obvious reasons I won’t be putting this alpha FW on my machine yet.
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
I flashed with the intent of testing with a .6 nozzle but during one test the filament failed to unload... So I flashed back to 4.41. I'm actually using the printer and need it to work right now as I am producing a lot of ASA and ABS parts.
This is a great thing though. As soon as these bugs are worked out, I'll re-flash and test. Even a small speed improvement with the same quality print is going to be a big deal.
X marks the spot.
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
It really should not because Input Shaping adjusts for vibration on the machine. Since the mini does not have an accelerometer, I am not sure. Any engineers out there?
I currently have these anti-vibration feet under my mini+. It makes the machine as quiet as it can get in the IKEA lack enclosure.
But…. I can imagine that these feet will definitely interfere with the input shaping. Any comments on my thoughts?
For obvious reasons I won’t be putting this alpha FW on my machine yet.
--------------------
Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
because Input Shaping adjusts for vibration on the machine
So do these feet. That’s why I’m curious. Hopefully some clever engineer pops up with the answer 🤣
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
I am having the same issue, but only when I try printing the Bonkers Benchy or other prebuilt GCode posted on the Github.
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
because Input Shaping adjusts for vibration on the machine
So do these feet. That’s why I’m curious. Hopefully some clever engineer pops up with the answer 🤣
I think they can only account for the vibration and movements that are made by the printer itself, so if you have a wobbly table or other resonances caused between the printer and table those should still come into play, especially when moving much faster than before. Yes, Input Shaping is minimizing the shock caused by the X and Y axis moving that speed, but either way you'd still want to minimize any vibrations that you can, and let IS take care of the printer's movements that it knows about.
I have my Mini on a silicone mat which is on a granite slab whch is on a piece of foam on top of my workbench, which may be overkill but so far everything's been great.
Out of curiousity I printed this non-IS GCode from a while back, and it printed nicely!
RE:
I have ported the 0.4 profiles to a 0.6 version.
Couldn't test the benchy yet, but for mechanical parts the machine works great! Up to its own volumetric flow limits for PLA + default hardware @ 0.6mm nozzle.
You can play with Max volumetric speed (Filament > Advanced). This will affect all print speeds at given 0.3mm layer height and 0.6mm nozzle are quite high.
Some insights:
Printing speeds are set as fast as 0.4 default profile but limited down by the Max volumetric speed (which will be the physical limit of the machine I guess). So the main concept is that the machine can handle printing & vibrations as high as the 0.4 profile speeds and accelerations suggest, but it won't be able to heat up all the plastic with a 0.6mm.
For reference: 0.35 layer height * 0.6mm nozzle * 140mm/s = 29.4mm3/s vs 0.2 layer height * 0.4mm nozzle * 140mm/s = 11.2mm3/s
PLA max flow should be around 15mm3/s (according to max flow on default 0.6mm profiles). I set it at 14 to be conservative but feel free to play with it.
I have also set the layer height to 0.3 as it never reaches the max speed, you can also play with it. If the high cap for speed is 140mm/s, at around 14mm3/s flow this would be:
0.2 layer height ≈ 120mm/s max printing speed
0.3 layer height ≈ 80mm/s max printing speed
0.35 layer height ≈ 70mm/s max printing speed
For me the goal is to print as fast as possible without
a) losing extruder steps (aka underextruding)
b) losing quality vs classic 'speed' profile
c) worsening layer adhesion & mechanical properties.
Only issue I've seen so far is that seams became more visible and will need some fine tuning.
👉 Profile bundle: https://file.io/8GtaxoE7FmUb
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
I also have an ikea enclosure and when i tested the test benchy. it moved quite a bit. and i wondered if i could find a way to hook it so that it would stop. Is this really used? or does IS take all movements into account?
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
I'm using mine on 6 squash ball feet, no issue.
However I tried to print a Spool holder ( https://www.printables.com/model/62910-use-m3-screws-spool-holder-for-prusa-mini-flexible/files) and I had a failed piece. It looks fine to the eyes but the long straight pieces are not perfect and they are too tight during movement. Checking closer the edges are showing some issues like a wrong LA settings, altering the dimensions, so they are not fit.
I will try to print the same with a bit slower settings on perimeter, especially on external perimeters.
RE:
because Input Shaping adjusts for vibration on the machine
So do these feet. That’s why I’m curious. Hopefully some clever engineer pops up with the answer 🤣
The feet are there to reduce the amount of resonance that passes into the surface on which the printer resides, but also benefits you by slightly reducing the amount of global wobble (read: wobble that spins up between the printer momentum and instability in the table). It's very likely that you be reaching ever so slightly into the last 10% of mechanical "noise" reduction, though I'm guessing a 16" paver stone would probably reduce it more than the rubber feet by preventing the resonances from passing into the table and increasing the density of the table.
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
Replacing the filament - the print head does not find the initial position, it just beats around until the printer reports an error.First layer calibration - same problemCan't print with new firmware...... 🙁
Reinstallation of the original firmware is required.
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
Same issue here.
+I have a PLA which is a bit weaker and brittle. The alpha firmware tears apart the filament during unload I have to remove it in pieces.
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
Thankyou Guillem for your thoughts,
but I think it's not the hotend that's the bottleneck, but the power of the extruder. I guess the maximum flow will therefore always be the same value, not depending on the nozzle. To increase the maximum flow, the temperature would have to be increased.
And that's how prusa solved it. If you look at the standard temperature values for the filament in the alpha firmware, they are all slightly increased.
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
My Mini is my workhorse - I use it for every print the heatbed is large enough. The speed increase is crazy! I only played around with it for a few prints, but this is amazing. 30 to 35% timesaving should be the typical value (assuming the parts are not too small).
Best regards, Clemens
Mini, i3 MK2.5S, i3 MK4, CClone (Eigenbau)
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
On your Mac you need to run it with Chrome. For what ever reason it lose t like Safari.
Just installed everything and it looks very promising. I ran into a bug though, when I try to login to prusalink it wont accept my password on a mac. I just keeps popping up the password menu. On my windows computer there is no problem loggin in.
Cheers!
Ps. holy crap its now printing the benchy and the speed is insane 😀
JayDub
Weened on MK3's at work, FrakenMini and MKs at home.
RE:
It is really awesome, just printing speed boat Race and can't leave. It is awesome to see how fast the printer is now!
Really great work of the firmware team 👌🏽
https://x.com/_stritti_/status/1705591937514783113?s=46&t=e2_nYJohysB7XX2U3HORzg
RE: 5.1.0-alpha1 Firmware for Original Prusa MINI/MINI+ with Input Shaper and Prusa Connect!
Yes! As an ex-engineer from BCN3D and the one who designed the hotend lineup & all their printing profiles for the Sigma (good times hah!) I can tell that the bottleneck is really a combination of all the hardware right now, for bigger than 0.4mm nozzles.
On one hand the hotend must be able to fuse all the plastic. This is why the volcano-style ones exist, or the nozzles like CHT from bondtech. A kinda dirty fix is to turn up the temps but you risk overheating the material and possible clogs and layer inconsistency if the piece is not completely symmetric. Don't get me wrong, raising the temperature a bit is completely ok and must be tested how high it's safe to go.
Rule of thumb is not more than the filament manufacturer suggests, but if the printer goes so fast then the material might not be reaching the real temp of the hotend as filament flows so fast through it.
Then the extruder is another important thing as you state: more powerful one (or dual drive etc) means you can actually push the filament at lower temperatures, in a more solid state. In that case even the bowden tube becomes an important factor as there will be more pressure inside it.
The software also plays an interesting role here, although not that critical, but with this Input Shaping tech the printer can go pretty much at the same volumetric speed no matter if it's infill, perimeters or top layers, and this allows for a more consistent temperature during all the print.
So... To sum up: all hardware and software will affect how much volumetric speed we can get with the 0.6mm nozzle. What we can tweak without changing hardware? Software. Then let's fine tune the temps up to the maximum safe and push our MINIs to the next level of productivity 🤘
As prusa guys did with 0.4 profiles. Trial and error is the way. Will update the profiles when I print more!
PS: Talking about bottlenecks, 0.4mm seems to be pushing more the XYZ axis, while 0.6mm more the hotend-extruder combo. This software upgrade has been impressive in terms of machine efficiency.