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Solved R1 Z axis travels much further than X or Y for same input?

Discussion in 'Troubleshooting' started by joea, Nov 14, 2019.

  1. joea

    joea Active Member

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    While testing my R1 and looking at lead screws to determine if they were upgraded, I noticed when using Matter Control 1.5 in manual, that the Z motion is much greater than X or Y.

    I did upgrade the Firmware as MC said there was an upgrade available.


    ISTR there was some issue with the stepper "ratio" when changing the lead screws and wondering where to find that, if it exists. I may be conflating that with another machine I was researching.
     
  2. joea

    joea Active Member

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    Seems the Z axis is actually correct, measuring about 3.9 inches for 100 mm, while X and Y seem to be roughly one half that distance covered for 100 mm indicated by Matter Control.

    And, seems the calibration circle I printed, seems to be about 1.75 inches while MC seems to spec it as 5.5 inches (my own MM to inch conversion).
     
    #2 joea, Nov 14, 2019
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2019
  3. joea

    joea Active Member

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    So, reversion to prior firmware seems to have resolved that issue. Have to find the secret code hack.+
     
  4. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Yea, never do that.

    Only update the firmware when you have a specific goal/change in mind that you KNOW requires a reload.
     
  5. joea

    joea Active Member

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    So, you suggest reverting and leaving it at that?

    I did hesitate to install it, but thought it could do no harm in virtually all my experience one of the first problem solving steps is "do you have the latest firmware?"

    Reverting did solve this particular dimension issue, but still leaves me with an apparent "half size" issue that I described elsewhere. I did find the "factory" settings described elsewhere at this site, but that was late evening and decided to start fresh sometime today.

    Probably best to download a few more simple objects to see if they print close to expected dimensions.
     
  6. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    But the firmware for the R1 series has not changed in years so ... it is unlikely that you are not on the latest version :)

    It does no harm if you reload the exact same firmware, but thanks to Robo's foresight the naming convention of their firmware is confusing and if you try to apply generic Marlin you are really out in left field without configuring it first.

    The player I least trust in this is MatterControl... How does it "know" you have an update? Robo has not released one in a long time :) (2015 at the latest)
     
  7. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    To further confuse matters, most printers have use the FLASH EPROM on the Arduino (sometimes called EEPROM) to store "EPROM" settings that override the installed firmware. So if you store settings in the flash ram you need to remember to flush it and reload it if you DO make firmware edits:

    ==== EEPROM GCodes ====
    M500 Store current settings in EEPROM for the next startup or M501.
    M501 Read all parameters from EEPROM. (Or, undo changes.)
    M502 Reset current settings to defaults, as set in Configurations.h. (Follow with M500 to reset the EEPROM too.)
    So after firmware is fixed you need the M502 and an M500 at some point for them to work.

    Flash RAM settings will last beyond a power reset which is handy if you want to make a simple change that you do not want to have to reload the firmware for. You just have to remember that is how you set it
     
  8. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    I am not really a fan of the EEPROM since I would need to remember which printer has what settings overridden (and with as many as I have I would end up just writing them on the printer). I prefer to fix it in the firmware and not mess with the EEPROM. Your mileage may vary ;)
     
  9. joea

    joea Active Member

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    Not sure how to determine what firmware it is at and where to get the latest version. I followed a link to github (IIRC) but it did not mention R1, only R2 and others.
     
  10. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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  11. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    None of this firmware has changed in a really long time.
    But that will get you the most recent official versions
     
  12. joea

    joea Active Member

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    Thanks. That saves me a lot of investigative work. (apologies to Nick Danger of Firesign Theater fame. Or infamy).

    However, how do I know which printer I have. Pretty sure we determined this is not a Beta and the fact it has two Z switches, couplers and threaded rods, seems to say R1.

    Well I did also find the original Getting Started Guide, Version 1.2, Rev 8-12-13. Talks about Assembled and unAssembled Kits and refers to Repetier software.

    So, I am guessing it is not an R1+.

    What could it hurt to load the wrong one?
     
  13. joea

    joea Active Member

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    So . . . there is still an error using the latest version of Arduino. I had to load 1.6.9. I had figured it would have been corrected in the current version. Oh well.

    So, I loaded the R1 version, but under MC the Z axis locks and "hums" after a very brief normal sound, either home or manual control. The X and Y work fine via MC.

    Also MC can no longer detect the Firmware level and claims there is no EEPROM Mapping.

    So,I downloaded the firmware for 5/16 rods and that resolved the issue with the locking Z axis. Also the problem with the EEPROM mapping and not seeing the Firmware.

    But the issue with Z distance traveled being correct and X/Y being short is still there.

    I guess more time is required.
     
    #13 joea, Nov 15, 2019
    Last edited: Nov 15, 2019
  14. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    the main difference (mechanically) between ALL of the R1 series (beta, R1, R1+) is the Z steps/mm.
    They are all different
    So if you load the incorrect one, your prints will fail. How badly they fail depends on which "wrong" version you load :)

    The beta has a Z steps/mm of 2267.72
    The R1 has a Z steps/mm of 2560
    The R1+ has a Z steps/mm of 800

    So as you can see the wrong one will move incorrectly on the Z -- maybe a little or maybe a lot
     
  15. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    There are other differences, but that is the key one from the firmware standpoint.
     
  16. joea

    joea Active Member

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    I had to change steps per mm to 160 for X and Y to come out correct. I wonder if that is an issue with MC rather than the firmware defaults? Seems unlikely, either way.

    I was also shocked, after several successful homes and preliminary prints, that it began digging into the painters tape I had put on the bed. I aborted that print, pulled off the tape and did a home. It started the Z up only business again and I found the left Z switch misplaced.

    Fixed that and did another home. It ignored the limits and continued to drive down until it pulled the hex nuts of the carriage and began to wrap the limit switch wires around the drive screws.

    I'll do some research later on to see if this is a known problem but wonder if this indicates problem with the control board? Or is there some communication to the software that stops the drive? I ask that as a couple of times it appeared that communication might be a bit iffy. Like being unable to see EEPROM mapping and read firmware, until a reconnect was done.
     
  17. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Nope. When you home an axis the firmware will stop it when the limit switch reads activated (note that for the two Z switches that means one is OPEN and for the X/Y that means CLOSED -- the Z switches are logically inverted in the firmware and you an see that in CONFIGURATION.H if you care).
     
  18. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    There are things a communications issue will affect if you are printing from a host program rather than an SD card, but homing is a single GCode command and the firmware handles that.
     
  19. joea

    joea Active Member

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    using the "beta" firmware and setting for Z, I get a slightly oversize "Z" measurement print with the "calibration circle". Using 160 steps/mm vs 80 gives me a spot on dimension for what I expect the diameter to be.
     
  20. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Run with it then. Whatever works for your hardware is what is correct.
    Maybe the jumpers under the stepper drivers are incorrectly set or the RAMPS is going strange.
    If those settings work, use them until it fails unless you really want to sort it back to what it was.
     

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