Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Start

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Hugs
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Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Start

Post by Hugs » Wed Mar 09, 2016 3:15 am

Hi All,

My M2 Rev. E just arrived today and I've been working with the new "Quick Start" app. I've run through about 4-5 iterations and everything seems to be bang-on using a 0.15mm feeler gauge in lieu of the included blue strip.

However, when I print the bracelet.g file on the SD card as instructed by the app, the first few layers are always way above the bed.

Is the setting not getting saved and used?

FWIW, I also purchased and am using the LCD interface from MakerGear.

Pics of the first three attempts attached:
bracelet1.jpg
The attachment bracelet2.jpg is no longer available
Attachments
bracelet2.jpg

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insta
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Re: Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Sta

Post by insta » Wed Mar 09, 2016 4:12 am

Did you go through Jules' thread? viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2778
Custom 3D printing for you or your business -- quote [at] pingring.org

Hugs
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Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Sta

Post by Hugs » Wed Mar 09, 2016 4:27 am

I did indeed go through it several times in anticipation of my delivery today.

Some of that thread is outdated with the Rev. E...especially the Z-stop setting. The Z-Stop microswitch on the latest models is on the *bottom* of the printer so the calibration is reversed. There is no end-stop bolt on the E to adjust and it appears to be done all in software using the Quick Start App.

I'm just not sure where all of that calibration is stored. On the SD card? In some NVRAM on the RAMBo? It certainly seemed to be iterative with each pass getting better.

That said, it looks like the 6th time is a charm :D
bracelet3.jpg

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PcS
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Re: Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Sta

Post by PcS » Wed Mar 09, 2016 1:04 pm

Did you slice the bracelet ? Might not be sitting on the bed before slicing ?

Hugs
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Re: Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Sta

Post by Hugs » Wed Mar 09, 2016 1:56 pm

PcS wrote:Did you slice the bracelet ? Might not be sitting on the bed before slicing ?
I used the pre-sliced gcode that was provided on the SD card. The new Rev. E "Quick Start App" has its own procedure to level the bed, set the starting height, verify heaters & fans, and print a first test.

It's fine now...I had to run through a few more calibration cycles (6 total) and eventually the first layer was right on.

tofu702
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Re: Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Sta

Post by tofu702 » Thu Apr 21, 2016 7:16 am

I'm having a similar problem. I have a 1 day old Rev E and I'm having a hard a time getting the starting height calibration information to save correctly when I press the "Save Starting Height" button in the "Getting Started" application. I've been very careful to always make sure the height on the calibration screens is the thickness of the plastic gauge. About 50% of the time it seems to instead just default to a position that's about 25 mm too high on the z-axis and a couple of other times, when it's tried to print, the nozzle has collided with the glass. (Unsurprisingly, when it tries to the print from 25 mm too high, the PLA goes all over the place.)

I did get the starting height perfect at one point but I had to overwrote it because I had to rerun the bed leveling process.

A few questions:
1. Is there some manner of determining what the saved starting height actually is? Perhaps with a GCode command?
2. Is there a way of setting the starting height without having to go through the entire bed leveling flow in the "Getting Started" application? My bed is quite level at this point and the "Getting Started" application doesn't suggest making adjustments after measuring the corners, so the bed leveling does nothing but waste time.
3. Does anyone know to make this information reliably save to the printer every time?

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Jules
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Re: Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Sta

Post by Jules » Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:13 pm

tofu702 wrote:I'm having a similar problem. I have a 1 day old Rev E and I'm having a hard a time getting the starting height calibration information to save correctly when I press the "Save Starting Height" button in the "Getting Started" application. I've been very careful to always make sure the height on the calibration screens is the thickness of the plastic gauge. About 50% of the time it seems to instead just default to a position that's about 25 mm too high on the z-axis and a couple of other times, when it's tried to print, the nozzle has collided with the glass. (Unsurprisingly, when it tries to the print from 25 mm too high, the PLA goes all over the place.)
You might have the wrong firmware installed on your machine. The correct (i think) versions for the Rev. E are listed below, but contact Support before you change it and describe the problem for them:

Single Extruder:
M2E-Production-SnNRd-V100.zip
(1.16 MiB) Downloaded 492 times
Dual Extruder:
M2E-Production-SnNRd-V101 - Dual.zip
(1.06 MiB) Downloaded 491 times
Flash that with Arduino 1.5.5. (And if you've never flashed firmware before....holler. You sound like you know 3D printing.)
1. Is there some manner of determining what the saved starting height actually is? Perhaps with a GCode command?
Don't know about the G-Code command - Josh is working on putting it into the Z-Adjust App.
2. Is there a way of setting the starting height without having to go through the entire bed leveling flow in the "Getting Started" application? My bed is quite level at this point and the "Getting Started" application doesn't suggest making adjustments after measuring the corners, so the bed leveling does nothing but waste time.
Yes....Josh has a preliminary Z-Adjust App that does work to let you just set the Starting Height without the leveling:
Windows - v0.5.0.zip
(9.65 MiB) Downloaded 514 times
3. Does anyone know to make this information reliably save to the printer every time?
The Z-Adjust App does this, but part of your problem is likely the firmware, so I'd fix that first. Afterwards your QuickStart App should work fine, or you can use the beta on the Z-Adjust app.

We're about to lose power so I'm hitting send..........

tofu702
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Re: Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Sta

Post by tofu702 » Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:34 am

Thanks Jules, that was super helpful!

I actually am new to 3D printing, though I've read a lot online and have some experience dealing with complex software and mechanical systems. I'll write support about the firmware. I do find it a little bit odd that it seems like it accepted the correct starting height once and the behavior going forward has been non-deterministic.

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zemlin
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Re: Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Sta

Post by zemlin » Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:11 pm

I was running through Quick Start on a new M2 Tuesday. First print I started the nozzle was a mm or two above the bed. Ran through the routine one more time and it came out perfect. Been printing without issue since.

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Jules
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Re: Rev. E - starting height still too high after Quick Sta

Post by Jules » Fri Apr 22, 2016 5:29 pm

zemlin wrote:I was running through Quick Start on a new M2 Tuesday. First print I started the nozzle was a mm or two above the bed. Ran through the routine one more time and it came out perfect. Been printing without issue since.
You guys need to drop a quick line to contact support at MakerGear when you run across things like this.....there might be a bug that got overlooked somewhere, in the firmware or the Apps and you might be the first to see it. (They're still pretty new.) Just be as specific as you can on the details so they can troubleshoot it.

It helps everyone.

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