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Mk3S IR Filament Sensor  

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John~T
(@johnt)
Eminent Member
Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

New printer, running Wizard and get Filament Sensor Error, check wiring.

It's connected in the correct bottom row of pins and if I unplug the connector at the sensor the 1 (one) turns to 0 (zero) also have verified 5 vdc with Fluke meter at sensor connector. Not sure what signal value should be, lever and ball are free and slot is blocked with filament in. Wizard checks without filament in.

Attachment removed
Posted : 11/07/2019 12:26 pm
JustMe3D
(@justme3d)
Honorable Member
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

Lower pin row is fine according to my manual; two wires facing to the right, one to the left.  OXOO.

Check lifting the sensor about 1mm (i.e. loosen the tiny screw holding the sensor a couple of turns.

Hth

Chris

I try to give answers to the best of my ability, but I am not a 3D printing pro by any means, and anything you do you do at your own risk. BTW: I have no food for…

Posted : 11/07/2019 4:55 pm
John~T liked
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(@)
Illustrious Member
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

Important thing is the 1/0 should change when you insert and remove filament from the extruder.  If it isn't changing, then either the "flag" on the arm isn't clearing the sensor, or isn't reaching in far enough to interrupt the sensor.  Both cases have been described by users.  Some have placed 0.2 mm shims to move/flex the IR board towards the flag or away from the flag.  Others take the extruder apart to trim the flag.  

 

Posted : 11/07/2019 5:11 pm
nanotone and John~T liked
John~T
(@johnt)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor
Posted by: Tim

Important thing is the 1/0 should change when you insert and remove filament from the extruder.  If it isn't changing, then either the "flag" on the arm isn't clearing the sensor, or isn't reaching in far enough to interrupt the sensor.  Both cases have been described by users.  Some have placed 0.2 mm shims to move/flex the IR board towards the flag or away from the flag.  Others take the extruder apart to trim the flag.  

Thats just it, state will not change as designed. I tried placing a black object in slot with complete fill and nothing changed.  DHL will be here soon.

 

 

Posted : 11/07/2019 6:38 pm
John~T
(@johnt)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor
Posted by: Just3D

Lower pin row is fine according to my manual; two wires facing to the right, one to the left.  OXOO.

Check lifting the sensor about 1mm (i.e. loosen the tiny screw holding the sensor a couple of turns.

Hth

Chris

Never thought about the sensor and lever binding, good heads up Chris. Will check that during new install.

 

Posted : 11/07/2019 6:40 pm
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(@)
Illustrious Member
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

Before you plug in the new sensor - seriously - triple check the plug/socket orientation. You would not be the first person to plug it in wrong. Folks even caught their extruders on fire with the old laser motion sensor.

https://manual.prusa3d.com/Guide/8.+Electronics+assembly/1052 Step 35

 

ps: and if you inserted something to test one state, how did you deinsert the flag to test the other state?

This post was modified 5 years ago 2 times by --
Posted : 11/07/2019 9:05 pm
John~T
(@johnt)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

Fear not my friend, Live Support had me triple checking, photographing and triple checking again before they decided to eat crow.  A $2 wholesale circuit board holding up a $750 paper weight....Just for grins I'm dry running the provided Tricerotops on the SD as a shake down run.

 

Posted : 11/07/2019 9:36 pm
John~T
(@johnt)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

Spent so much time in the control cabinet I managed to unplug the extruder connector so I found out in testing. All systems are go except the filament run out redundancy.

 

Posted : 11/07/2019 9:39 pm
rmm200
(@rmm200)
Noble Member
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

Is there any video that covers this IR sensor mechanism? I was plugged on the top row (wrong) and was getting a solid zero.

Plugged on the bottom row, it is solid 1. Hopefully this did not fry the sensor.

It would help me a lot if I knew what the ball was for and how it operates.

Posted : 19/07/2019 3:09 am
rmm200
(@rmm200)
Noble Member
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor
Posted by: JohnMc

Fear not my friend, Live Support had me triple checking, photographing and triple checking again before they decided to eat crow.  A $2 wholesale circuit board holding up a $750 paper weight....Just for grins I'm dry running the provided Tricerotops on the SD as a shake down run.

 

Turn off the sensor in Settings. Works just fine without it. Just try to not run out of filament. I should know... My first print from the included SD card was beautiful.

Posted : 19/07/2019 3:12 am
rmm200
(@rmm200)
Noble Member
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

Update:

I was not looking forward to tearing into the extruder - so I removed the sensor lid.

Verified the wiring. Removed the sensor - checked it for visible damage.

Played around with inserting filament and watched ball move flag. All looked good.

Reinstalled sensor and tested again. Now everything works... Guess something was just rubbing a bit.

Tomorrow - I print something useful...

Posted : 19/07/2019 4:48 am
John~T liked
John~T
(@johnt)
Eminent Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

Reads like you as I did figured out how this new and improved Filament sensor works.

Live Support linked me to a modified Firmware that fixed my Wizard issue but not sure if "Filament Run~out" works. Having that tested this weekend.

 

Posted : 19/07/2019 12:33 pm
richardkwofie
(@richardkwofie)
New Member
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

When my filament sensor in my settings is turned on....i get an unload filament message and load filament message repeatedly...

unload filament.......i unload

then load filament i load......

then unload filament...

then load filament....in  a cycle and the prints never start

when i turn off the filament sensor in settings......my prints start and all is well

please any solution or idea why is so...i have latest firmware

Posted : 25/07/2019 9:11 pm
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(@)
Illustrious Member
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor
Posted by: richardkwofie

When my filament sensor in my settings is turned on....i get an unload filament message and load filament message repeatedly...

unload filament.......i unload

then load filament i load......

then unload filament...

then load filament....in  a cycle and the prints never start

when i turn off the filament sensor in settings......my prints start and all is well

please any solution or idea why is so...i have latest firmware

Prusa is of the mind there isn't a problem ... yet dozens have complained of this issue in the forums.

Make sure you aren't stuttering as you insert filament: that is, use one solid straight and continuous push into the feed horn: do NOT back the filament out during a load or the firmware thinks you are unloading so it triggers another load cycles.

Call Prusa (use CHAT) and complain to them the filament sensor is not working properly.  

Posted : 25/07/2019 9:26 pm
John~T liked
bernardjbisel
(@bernardjbisel)
Active Member
RE: Mk3S IR Filament Sensor

I also had an issue with the filament sensor. But I think that I have solved it now.

When checking the sensor state, I saw that it was always 1 even with no filament.

I unscrew the sensor screw, and moved it a little bit until the state went to 0, and screwed it again, then checked the status change with putting a filament in.

The state change seems to be reliable now. I had no more issue...

This post was modified 5 years ago by bernardjbisel
Posted : 31/07/2019 6:12 am
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