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Fan Problem

Posted by Robots-Dreams 
Fan Problem
March 01, 2013 11:38PM
The fans on my Tantillus suddenly started working strangely. I first noticed the problem a few days ago during a long print (about three hours).

The fans start, get up to speed, then slow down and stop every time they get a Fan On (M106 S120) command. I thought it might be related to the firmware modification for Kisslicer, but that change should only affect the minimum fan speed.

Testing the fans using Pronterface, i.e. by manually setting the Fan On command results in the same behavior. If I increase the speed up to S 200, the fans run faster and for a little bit longer, but still stop within a couple seconds after reaching top speed.

The printer still prints successfully, but I don't want to run it without the fans, of course. So, it doesn't seem to be a problem with the available power, or overheating/thermal protect.

Any ideas or suggestions would be very much appreciated.


----------------
Lem Fugitt
3D Printing Dreams
Robots Dreams
"The map is not the territory."
Re: Fan Problem
March 02, 2013 07:31PM
Ok first we should note that the fans will turn themselves off if the hotend goes below a certain temperature as set in the firmware config.

Now if it was not the above I think we need to figure out if it is the RAMPS/Arduino board, Firmware or the fans.

If you turn the fans back on again as soon as they stop do they turn back on? If yes it may be a firmware issue.

If you disconnect the fans from the RAMPS board and connect a multimeter in their place and do the same tests does the voltage drop off when the fans would have turned off? If yes it could be the Firmware or RAMPS/Arduino. If no it may be the fans or the RAMPS board or power supply.

Hopefully the answers to these questions will give us a clue to the source of the issue and where to check next.


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Re: Fan Problem
March 03, 2013 03:59AM
Sublime - Thanks for the quick response. I really appreciate it.

> Ok first we should note that the fans will turn
> themselves off if the hotend goes below a certain
> temperature as set in the firmware config.

Understood. It's one of the first things I considered. The hotend temperature (and therefore the thermistor) seems to be OK judging by the temperature readings on the display and the fact that it prints OK. That doesn't rule out a firmware config issue though.

> Now if it was not the above I think we need to
> figure out if it is the RAMPS/Arduino board,
> Firmware or the fans.
>
> If you turn the fans back on again as soon as they
> stop do they turn back on?

When they stop I can use the front panel control to crank the fan speed up to 120 (or higher) and they immediately start turning again for a few seconds, then slow down and stop.

> If yes it may be a
> firmware issue.
>
> If you disconnect the fans from the RAMPS board
> and connect a multimeter in their place and do the
> same tests does the voltage drop off when the fans
> would have turned off?

That test will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm away from home at the moment and won't get back until late.

> If yes it could be the
> Firmware or RAMPS/Arduino. If no it may be the
> fans or the RAMPS board or power supply.

I'm tempted to reload the Firmware with the latest official version just to make sure that I haven't accidentally introduced some problems when editing the code for Kisslicer, etc.

If I remember correctly there are some parameters that would have to be changed for my extruder gearing, but everything else in the latest firmware version should be OK - right?

At least that would eliminate the Firmware and remove any doubts/concerns about that as a possible issue.

>
> Hopefully the answers to these questions will give
> us a clue to the source of the issue and where to
> check next.

Understood.

Thanks again. Tantillus is such an awesome machine that I get withdrawal when I can't use it for a while. thumbs up


----------------
Lem Fugitt
3D Printing Dreams
Robots Dreams
"The map is not the territory."
Re: Fan Problem
March 03, 2013 01:58PM
Robots-Dreams Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When they stop I can use the front panel control
> to crank the fan speed up to 120 (or higher) and
> they immediately start turning again for a few
> seconds, then slow down and stop.

Does the number go back down? If it does then it is most likely the fan settings in the firmware.

#define AUTO_FAN_MIN 8 // this is the min fan speed for the fans that I supplied with the kits but not the fans on your machine. Yours are older and only match the fans on my wood machine and no other. It may be that this is too low for those fans.
#define MIN_FAN_TEMP 80 // this is the temperature at which it will turn the fan on/off.
#define MIN_FAN_TIME 45 // this is the time the fan will stay on after it goes below the above temp. Is this how long the fans stay on for?

> I'm tempted to reload the Firmware with the latest
> official version just to make sure that I haven't
> accidentally introduced some problems when editing
> the code for Kisslicer, etc.
>
> If I remember correctly there are some parameters
> that would have to be changed for my extruder
> gearing, but everything else in the latest
> firmware version should be OK - right?
>
> At least that would eliminate the Firmware and
> remove any doubts/concerns about that as a
> possible issue.

It would be good to update anyway as the latest frmware has a few improvements like longer file names on the LCD, access to the tune menu while not printing, software endstops etc.

Also the only thing you would carry over is the E-steps but I would suggest you follow the new tuning instructions on the tutorial page of Tantillus.org and confirm they are at least close to the proper setting (old Slic3r had to have the number fudged but Kisslicer does not).


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Tantillus.org Mini Printable Lathe How NOT to install a Pololu driver
Re: Fan Problem
March 03, 2013 09:34PM
Sublime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does the number go back down? If it does then it
> is most likely the fan settings in the firmware.

Yes. Exactly.

> #define AUTO_FAN_MIN 8 // this is the min fan
> speed for the fans that I supplied with the kits
> but not the fans on your machine. Yours are older
> and only match the fans on my wood machine and no
> other. It may be that this is too low for those
> fans.

That was the problem. I had edited the value to 8 based on your previous Kisslicer writeup without realizing that my fans are different.

Taking the value from my previous Firmware version, I've swapped the setting back to 150, and it works fine now.

Would you recommend that I try decreasing the setting until it stops working, or just leave it at 150?

> #define MIN_FAN_TEMP 80 // this is the temperature
> at which it will turn the fan on/off.
> #define MIN_FAN_TIME 45 // this is the time the
> fan will stay on after it goes below the above
> temp. Is this how long the fans stay on for?

When the problem happened, they only stayed on for just a couple seconds, so I think these two settings are OK now that other setting works fine at 150.

>
> > I'm tempted to reload the Firmware with the
> latest
> > official version just to make sure that I
> haven't
> > accidentally introduced some problems when
> editing
> > the code for Kisslicer, etc.
> >
> > If I remember correctly there are some
> parameters
> > that would have to be changed for my extruder
> > gearing, but everything else in the latest
> > firmware version should be OK - right?
> >
> > At least that would eliminate the Firmware and
> > remove any doubts/concerns about that as a
> > possible issue.
>
> It would be good to update anyway as the latest
> frmware has a few improvements like longer file
> names on the LCD, access to the tune menu while
> not printing, software endstops etc.

Lots of Tantillus goodness... smileys with beer

I'm definitely a believer in "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", but those features seem compelling enough to upgrade. As soon as I finish printing the parts for a couple of current projects, I'll try out the latest Firmware.

>
> Also the only thing you would carry over is the
> E-steps but I would suggest you follow the new
> tuning instructions on the tutorial page of
> Tantillus.org and confirm they are at least close
> to the proper setting (old Slic3r had to have the
> number fudged but Kisslicer does not).

Understood.

On a related note, I've been blown away by the dimensional accuracy of Kisslicer compared to Slic3r. For example, the press fit parts for my camera dolly printed perfectly the first time even though they are fairly close tolerance:





Thanks again!


----------------
Lem Fugitt
3D Printing Dreams
Robots Dreams
"The map is not the territory."
Re: Fan Problem
March 03, 2013 10:38PM
Robots-Dreams Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sublime Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does the number go back down? If it does then
> it
> > is most likely the fan settings in the
> firmware.
>
> Yes. Exactly.
>
> > #define AUTO_FAN_MIN 8 // this is the min fan
> > speed for the fans that I supplied with the
> kits
> > but not the fans on your machine. Yours are
> older
> > and only match the fans on my wood machine and
> no
> > other. It may be that this is too low for those
> > fans.
>
> That was the problem. I had edited the value to 8
> based on your previous Kisslicer writeup without
> realizing that my fans are different.
>
> Taking the value from my previous Firmware
> version, I've swapped the setting back to 150, and
> it works fine now.
>
> Would you recommend that I try decreasing the
> setting until it stops working, or just leave it
> at 150?

Yeah the fans on yours and mine work great but can not go as slow. I would suggest trying lower as we do not wan the fans to stop as they take away heat from the thermal barrier on the hotend but we also want them to go fairly low since there are times we do not want much cooling of the printed part.

>
> > #define MIN_FAN_TEMP 80 // this is the
> temperature
> > at which it will turn the fan on/off.
> > #define MIN_FAN_TIME 45 // this is the time the
> > fan will stay on after it goes below the above
> > temp. Is this how long the fans stay on for?
>
> When the problem happened, they only stayed on for
> just a couple seconds, so I think these two
> settings are OK now that other setting works fine
> at 150.
>
> >
> > > I'm tempted to reload the Firmware with the
> > latest
> > > official version just to make sure that I
> > haven't
> > > accidentally introduced some problems when
> > editing
> > > the code for Kisslicer, etc.
> > >
> > > If I remember correctly there are some
> > parameters
> > > that would have to be changed for my extruder
> > > gearing, but everything else in the latest
> > > firmware version should be OK - right?
> > >
> > > At least that would eliminate the Firmware
> and
> > > remove any doubts/concerns about that as a
> > > possible issue.
> >
> > It would be good to update anyway as the latest
> > frmware has a few improvements like longer file
> > names on the LCD, access to the tune menu while
> > not printing, software endstops etc.
>
> Lots of Tantillus goodness... smileys with beer
>
> I'm definitely a believer in "If it ain't broke,
> don't fix it", but those features seem compelling
> enough to upgrade. As soon as I finish printing
> the parts for a couple of current projects, I'll
> try out the latest Firmware.

Exactly and that is why I have not posted a you should upgrade now type of post. But I will be posting one of those in a while once I have a few more things worked out.

>
> >
> > Also the only thing you would carry over is the
> > E-steps but I would suggest you follow the new
> > tuning instructions on the tutorial page of
> > Tantillus.org and confirm they are at least
> close
> > to the proper setting (old Slic3r had to have
> the
> > number fudged but Kisslicer does not).
>
> Understood.
>
> On a related note, I've been blown away by the
> dimensional accuracy of Kisslicer compared to
> Slic3r. For example, the press fit parts for my
> camera dolly printed perfectly the first time even
> though they are fairly close tolerance:
>
> [farm9.staticflickr.com]
> 93fc2e.jpg
>
> [farm9.staticflickr.com]
> 8d8581.jpg
>
> Thanks again!

Agreed I had always modelled a little clearance (0.1 0.2) but since slicing with Kisslicer I've had to reduce it to 0 extra or 0.05 extra on small holes to have them come out perfect.


FFF Settings Calculator Gcode post processors Geometric Object Deposition Tool Blog
Tantillus.org Mini Printable Lathe How NOT to install a Pololu driver
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