Broken PINDA  

Re: Broken PINDA

I would try to run a Z-axis calibration just to see if it still works without the black bit.

What is in that end piece? It looks in the photos as if it was just solid plastic, no cables entering.

If it does not work without the black bit, then I'd try to glue it back on and try again.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge about the internal workings of the probe will chime in, but in the meantime, I don't think you risk much by trying out my suggestions.

Good luck with it, Mik

Re: Broken PINDA

If you do try a z calibration be ready to kill it... I am pretty certain that the black bit is where the actual sensor is (needs to be in something nonmetallic since it's inductive). Pretty sure it won't ever trigger.

I just killed mine in a similar way last night except that it happened because I wasn't monitoring the print and I got a huge gob of ABS that built up around the nozzle. It took out both my thermistor and my PINDA probe 🙁 I ordered a new one from Prusa, but while they are pretty fast on shipping I don't expect to see it until early next year at this point. 🙁

Re: Broken PINDA

Simplest way to test the sensor is to raise the extruder and look at it from the top; red led should be lit. Then put something metal close to (or touching) the sensor; maybe a flat blade screwdriver. If the sensor is working, the LED should go out.

Peter

Re: Broken PINDA

because its a 5v I cant find anything to replace it here in the US
There is a lot of inductive probes rated for 6V input, they will most likely work at 5V as well, only triggering height will be a bit smaller.

Re: Broken PINDA

Hi all,

I live in France and i receive my Pursa MK42 last week.

I don't speak english very well.

I would like to put a protection to the sensor PINDA and I have print protection on ABS. it's OK but :

The thread is not a Metric M8 1.25 but I think is a thread US what is the solution to install a protection and what is the dimension of PINDA ?

I would make a tapping in US steps

Best regards.

Re: Broken PINDA

Hi Pascal, et bienvenu 🙂

Tu as raison, le pas n'est pas un pas standard, j'ai vérifié avec un boulon de 8 et ce n'est pas le même pas.

Néanmoins si tu prends la version officielle de Prusa, le modèle a un filetage intégré. Si tu prends mon modèle, c'est un peu plus compliqué il faut le visser en forçant, il va falloir que je prenne le temps d'intégrer un pas de vis ...

You are right, the M8 thread is not the standard M8, I tried using a standard bolt and it did not screw.

However if you use the official PR protector, the thread is integrated in the design. If you take mine you have to force a bit while screwing, I need to modify it one day to integrate a thread.

Re: Broken PINDA

Actually that's interesting !!

If the black part is just a mecanical passive protection, it could be possible to modify one of the PINDA protector hat to replace this black part and to have something to make curling part slide under the pinda and reduce the occurence of prints grabbed by the probe.

It should be then possible to make the probe itself closer to the bed, being more sensitive, while the bottom part of the global PINDA mount may be higher, by using a thiner equivalent of the black part.

Re: Broken PINDA

Okay, I had a look and now I'm pretty sure that the PINDA probe thread is ISO M8.1 (with 1mm thread step)

I made a threaded version of my PINDA hat protector, based on that thread size, and it's perfectly screwing now.

Re: Broken PINDA

James, do you confirm that the calibration process continue to work as is ?

Re: Broken PINDA

So did anyone figure out if the pinda allow calibration without the little black piece or not? (Mine lost its black part too).

Re: Broken PINDA

If you look really closely at the black piece that broke off you'll see that there were wires going into it.

No, it won't work.

Re: Broken PINDA

The black part is just a plastic protection? No it is the sensor part. To knock it off means your Z height was way too low. Guessing, I have no knowledge of how a PINDA probe works. Hall effect?

Re: Broken PINDA

Mine was destroyed by waterfall catastrophic failure of the printer which started via a part pulling off the warped bed and getting jammed. Not by a wrong z height. Support seems to agree after showing them pics.

That sucks that it is toast.

What a crappy little part. And impossible to find replacement in the US apparently.

Re: Broken PINDA

werewolf1479 That sucks. Many parts of the Prusa I3 MK2 build are in short supply, like the heated bed. And as you now point out the Pinda probe. Prusa must address spare parts for those that have failures. To not do so, means the company will suffer poor feedback.

Re: Broken PINDA

Ok, just got confirmation from support, the black part is actually needed by the probe. It's far from being obvious looking at the pictures.

Re: Broken PINDA

werewolf1479 That sucks. Many parts of the Prusa I3 MK2 build are in short supply, like the heated bed. And as you now point out the Pinda probe. Prusa must address spare parts for those that have failures. To not do so, means the company will suffer poor feedback.

Nigel, completely agree. I talked to chat support but I haven't seen anything but promises yet, though it has only been a couple business days.

I admit that this issue was about 50% my fault (could have done more to secure the print probably), 50% the fault of the machine (slightly warped bed hurt adhesion on the back side of the print) and the support even said because of that they would try to give me a discount on replacement parts. I need the full hotend, the pinda, and new x-carriage and both extruder cover pieces.

I can actually buy or print everything here locally in the US except that damn pinda probe. I've seen some 12mm and 18mm replacements on Amazon and I've seen some models on Thingaverse that could hold the bigger probes, but I have no idea if they will even work (the idea of the 18mm having an 8mm sensor distance is attractive though) with the stock firmware.

Re: Broken PINDA

In case somebody hasn't figured it out yet, the probes have this naming structure (in terms of things important to us):

Example: LJ12A3-4-Z/BY

LJ<diameter in mm>A3-<measuring distance in mm>-Z/<A is normally closed, B is normally open><Y is PNP, X in NPN>

I haven't figured out what the LJ, A3, and Z represent (I know capacitive are LJC). The diameter seems to almost always match up with a measuring distance: 8mm diameter = 2mm measure, 12 = 4, 18 = 8.

I know we want normal open, and probably want PNP so compatible models would be in the format:

LJ**A3-*-Z/BY.

Here is one that might fit in the stock cover that says it is NPN but that they were actually sending out PNP (not sure if it makes a big difference for our use): https://www.amazon.com/LJ8A3-2-Z-3-wire-Inductive-Proximity-Sensor/dp/B005GCM7BC

Not seeing a lot of talk in the english side of the forum in regards to this, hopefully this will help.

Pretty sure all of these would require some sort of voltage divider coming off the 12v rail to get it down to a proper input. Not positive though. Prusa either needs to get better stock or start chiming in on alternatives such as these.

Re: Broken PINDA

I need to replace my PIMDA, has anyone confirmed a suitable replacement? I had in issue with my printer yesterday where it stopped working properly and just created a huge 'ball' of PLA around the print head. In the process of trying to clean it out I damaged the leads to the thermal resistor. I ended up taking apart the print head to solder a new lead to reconnect it. I thought it would be a good time to add some loctite to the PIMDA... Well I should have calibrated first. Ended up locking it in a position that won't calibrate. I attempted to break the nuts free and damaged the sensor in the process. I also found that acetone is not good for the plastic bit at the tip of the sensor 😉

Re: Broken PINDA

I need to replace my PIMDA, has anyone confirmed a suitable replacement? I had in issue with my printer yesterday where it stopped working properly and just created a huge 'ball' of PLA around the print head. In the process of trying to clean it out I damaged the leads to the thermal resistor. I ended up taking apart the print head to solder a new lead to reconnect it. I thought it would be a good time to add some loctite to the PIMDA... Well I should have calibrated first. Ended up locking it in a position that won't calibrate. I attempted to break the nuts free and damaged the sensor in the process. I also found that acetone is not good for the plastic bit at the tip of the sensor 😉

In talking to somebody in the facebook group (this forum is near useless, at least on the english side), I was pointed to a normally closed one on amazon. But he wasn't sure if it would work either: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S50O152/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1B58U21CCAM0K&coliid=I2GHMDQO0A100H

My concern is the firmware. Currently the INVERT in 3.0.9 is set to true. Not sure what that means in terms of model of sensor.

I find it absolutely ridiculous that PRUSA is not using a standardized part for this. Everything else on this printer I can source online (well maybe not the heatbed, but I haven't looked), hell the rambo boards are built literally a half hour drive from my house.