Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware  

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Guys,

Thanks for the tips. I managed to get everything sorted out with Arduino IDE and the firmware last night. Calibration took a little longer than I had hoped. I had a hard time getting the height just right. Realized after I connected back to the Pi that I had the Z Offset wrong. Just added a -0.1 to my slicer and everything is great.

Been using this for a week http://www.geckotek3d.com/products/reprap so I didn't have to worry about metal tape. I have been using it with a temp of 40 for PLA and 90 for ABS and things stick incredibly well. We'll see how durable and lasting it is but so far it is wonderful.

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

@All

Having now used the servo and micro switch for a week I have decided to change back to the capacitive probe. The reason is that the servo was not of good enough quality and after a while the positions changed and it had to be re-calibrated.

I have also looked a bit more about the physics of the capacitive probe and I was wrong about it not detecting glass. It is all to do with the dielectric index of the material being sensed, for glass this is about 5 which is OK for a 10mm probe as it reduces the sensing distance to about 3-4mm.

Installation is as for Nathan's inductive probe if you get a NO (normally open) NPN type otherwise you will need to invert the Z endstop pin. Take the +12V from the power supply plugs on the Mini Rambo and the -ve and Signal from the end stop connector.

These probes ar 18mm diameter (as is the 8mm inductive probe), I have a file for the bracket required I'll put up on Thingiverse.

Ken

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

For anyone who wants to do auto leveling with an inductive sensor and wants to keep using a glass plate instead of switching to a metal plate, may I suggest using the NPN Normal Open LJ18A3-8-Z/BX sensor ($5-6 on ebay). This is an 8mm sensor that can detect through 3mm glass, thus allowing you to use a sheet of aluminum or strips of aluminum tape UNDER the glass build plate. I just tried it out and it works with the same precision as the 4mm sensor. The only downside is that sensor is twice the diameter.

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Hello, I continue to set the firmware with Arduino, but instead of doing self-calibration stops at 0 and rises a few centimeters ...
I do also gcode to make the system work or not?
Thanks and bye

Franco

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Hi guys, nice to follow your adventures with auto tramming. I just wanted to share my weekend project of replicating Martin Rice's development for the Wilson II. Basically auto tramming with no need for servo nor inductive sensor.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1384116

I didn't get around to hack the firmware to utilise it yet, but I hope to get around to do that this weekend.

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

needs some help guys i get this error when i verify

( Bootloader file specified but missing: C:\Users\stark\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\rambo\hardware\avr\1.0.0\bootloaders\stk500boot_v2_mega2560.hex) any suggestions ?

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Dale

Do you have the board set to "RAMBo"?

If not, you will have to install the RAMBo into the Arduino IDE and select it before you compile. Search my posts for "repository" to see how to do this.

Peter

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Yes sorry should have given more info I read threw the forums here before I asked seen another had same problem but no answer Rambo board selected and com 3 is where it's at

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

also using 2.2.0 as it seems to be the latest that not already a hex file

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Latest firmware and some instructions here: https://github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-i3-Plus

Peter

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

@All

Having now used the servo and micro switch for a week I have decided to change back to the capacitive probe. The reason is that the servo was not of good enough quality and after a while the positions changed and it had to be re-calibrated.

I have also looked a bit more about the physics of the capacitive probe and I was wrong about it not detecting glass. It is all to do with the dielectric index of the material being sensed, for glass this is about 5 which is OK for a 10mm probe as it reduces the sensing distance to about 3-4mm.

Installation is as for Nathan's inductive probe if you get a NO (normally open) NPN type otherwise you will need to invert the Z endstop pin. Take the +12V from the power supply plugs on the Mini Rambo and the -ve and Signal from the end stop connector.

These probes ar 18mm diameter (as is the 8mm inductive probe), I have a file for the bracket required I'll put up on Thingiverse.

Ken

Hey Ken,

I was wondering if I could get your code for making Servos work on the Rambo Mini. I'm having the same problems, e.g. the stepper motors stop working. Has anyone else figured out why?

Thanks
Phei

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

@Phei

I have added the code and a servo bracket to my "Manual Z Probe" thing on thingiverse.com

Enjoy

Ken

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

😯 I just wish I could compile newest firmware had to use older version

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Dale

Must be something you are not doing correctly. I can compile/upload the latest firmware exactly the same as previous versions.

I have to so that I can implement all the changes I have made.

Peter

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

I got fantastic news! I managed to fix the issue in Marlin, no external components required. All I had to do was make it use another hardware timer; the servo library uses Timer 5 first, which is already in use, probably for the current control of the motor drivers on MiniRambo. I just changed it to 4, and boom! 🙂

I will commit it to the Marlin repo.

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Hi

I have been trying to enable Auto Leveling on my new Prusa, but I am unable to compile the firmware when I define ENABLE_AUTO_BED_LEVELING in Configuration.h. If I leave it commented out, I get no errors, but also no Auto Leveling.

The compiler complains about line 67 in Marlin.h:
Marlin.h:67: error: initializer fails to determine size of '__c'

I have cloned the Github repository and copied the variants\1_75mm-RAMBo13a-E3Dv6lite.h into Configuration_Prusa.h, installed the RAMBo board definition into the IDE. My Arduino IDE is version 1.6.9 running on Windows. I have also removed LiquidCrystal from Arduino\libraries.

What am I missing ?

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

I would like to add that I'm in the same boat as Jank. The code doesn't work they way it exists in github. Having only uncommented the single line about auto leveling I get the exact same error as Jank.

I have no issue compiling 2.2.2, or straight up marlin. I would love to use the newest version of the provided firmware as the starting point for my modifications - any assistance with this would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Guys

Do you really expect "auto bed levelling" to work by just removing the comment from a single line of code?

I believe there are a few other things you must do first, like installing a sensor and defining the pin(s) used for that sensor.

Again, I point out that what you will get is not auto bed levelling, but real-time Z adjust to partially compensate for a poorly-levelled bed.

Personally, I believe that it would take significant time and investment to implement this and the savings made by not doing so enable me to generate many more prints. Yes, I do have to spend 15 seconds every 10 to 20 prints just to check calibration, but overall, that is quite irrelevant.

I really don't see what the problem is in learning how to properly calibrate the bed.

Peter

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

No, I do not expect Auto Bed Leveling to work just by removing a single comment. I have attached a sensor, did the wiring, read all the posts in this thread, checked Youtube several times, edited the Configuration.h to suit my sensor, and all I have left is to compile the firmware...

But whenever i define ENABLE_AUTO_BED_LEVELING, the compile fails. I tried to remove all my other changes in Configuration.h to isolate any errors on my side.

I am aware of how this leveling works by adjusting the Z axis up an down, but for a 3D print newbie having trouble leveling the bed manually, this would be a great help.

Re: Enabling Auto Leveling in Firmware

Hi Jank

I don't agree with your final sentence; I do believe that learning the basics is essential to use these machines properly.

I also am aware that Z movement during the printing of a single layer is not always successful and can prevent good print results which may deter new users from printing.

I have had a quick look at the problem, but I don't have time at present to go into too much detail, but personally, I would start by looking for issues in vector_3.h as that is only included when bed levelling is enabled.

Peter