Ormerod differential IR hot end board December sale

I have reduced the price of my single-nozzle Ormerod hot end board for the month of December. The primary function of the board is an improved Z height sensor. It uses two modulated LED beams to measure the height of the hot end above the surface of the bed, without needing you to use white tapes or other highly-reflective surfaces as targets. So it can be used anywhere on the bed. It can be used to do the 5-point bed compensation supported in my and zpl's firmware releases (thanks to RRP for implementing this), the 9-point compensation that I intend to implement soon, and standard 3- and 4-point bed compensation.

Other features of the board include three Cree LEDs for bed illumination, thermostatic control of the fan to turn it off when the hot end is below about 40C, an LED to indicate when the hot end heater is powered, and another LED to indicate when the z-probe is triggered.

The December prices in GBP are:

                    UK      EU      Europe no VAT  Rest of world
Board only          32.30   40.34   33.62          34.62
Board + connectors  36.02   44.10   36.75          37.76

The assembly instructions are at [miscsolutions.wordpress.com]. Please note the following:

1. Board only is for those upgrading from my earlier IT+ultrasonic board, or if you want to source the Molex connectors yourself.

2. To fit the board, you will need to make some crimp connections.

3. The board fits on to the side of a modified heatsink duct, therefore it will not fit on the recent version of the Ormerod 2 with laser cut spacer and no ducts, unless you print a suitable part.

4. I am no longer including the 4th (white) wire in the connector kit. This wire is only needed if you want to be able to switch the board into backup mode (simple modulated IR sensor) and then only on the Ormerod 1 which does not have the 4th wire in the sensor loom. I will supply this wire for an extra GBP1 if requested.

5. The "Europe no VAT" column covers delivery to European countries outside the EU (e.g. Norway and Switzerland) and delivery to VAT-registered EU businesses who supply me with their VAT number. In the case of customers in Italy, you need to be VIES-registered as well as VAT-registered to qualify for these prices.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/2014 01:45PM by dc42.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

This sensor kit is an excellent upgrade, I can recommend it to everyone - works well on any surface and it delivers consistent measurements. No idea how accurately the Ormerod 2 IR probe works, but meanwhile I consider this part as a must-have upgrade for the Ormerod 1.

Quote
dc42
3. The board fits on to the side of a modified heatsink duct, therefore it will not fit on the recent version of the Ormerod 2 with laser cut spacer and no ducts, unless you print a suitable part.

In case anyone is interested, here's a modified Ormerod 2 heatsink duct for exactly this board: [github.com]

I agree with zombiepantslol, a must have. Just fit and forget. A good zero anywhere on the bed and no white patches required. Plus you get bed lighting and a fan that shuts off after the hot end has cooled to a safe temperature.

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Ray

Quote
RayC40
I agree with zombiepantslol, a must have. Just fit and forget. A good zero anywhere on the bed and no white patches required. Plus you get bed lighting and a fan that shuts off after the hot end has cooled to a safe temperature.

Yep, this really is a must have upgrade, very well produced and works perfectly.

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Another RS Ormerod Mk1 meets the world

Retired now but I used to make....
CNC Machined Mk1 aluminium bed support plates for the Ormerod
CNC machined X-plates and ribs for Mk1 & Mk2 Ormerods
CNC machined bed support arms for the Mk2 Ormerod.
Dual Hot-End heatsink blocks.

Thanks for all your kind comments! I have already received and shipped several orders since starting this topic.

If anyone wants a dual-nozzle board, I don't have any in stock at the moment, however I have some bare PCBs left so I'll make some more when I have orders for 3 of them. I don't plan to reduce the price of the dual nozzle board because I have to make them by hand, which takes a few hours.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2014 07:17AM by dc42.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Hi Dc42. Could i get one of the single units with connectors for my V2 please?

Many Thanks.
Mick.

Hi Mick, please send me a PM with your email address for the PayPal request, and the country you want it shipped to.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Hi Dave,

I have one of your kits, which I still haven't go around to fitting yet and I have a couple of questions.

Is there a wiring diagram for the connectors? I have a custom loom on mine and would have to make a new loom for your board?

I also have a custom fan duct and need to modify it so that I can fit your board. What height in relation to the nozzle should the bottom of the board be and is it critical?

TIA

Les

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Pointy's Things
Pointy's Blog

Hi Les, I don't have a wiring diagram, however you can work it out by looking at the wiring colours at the board (as shown in the board instructions) and at the Duet (as shown in the Ormerod wiring instructions). Also, all the pins on the connectors are labelled with the signal name on the back of the board. I suggest you read the wiring instructions for my board and then email me if you have any questions. I can sketch a diagram if you need one.

The bottom edge of the board should be between 1mm and 2mm above the tip of the nozzle. If less then 1mm then you risk the board colliding with the print. If more than 2mm then the board may not trigger even when the nozzle is touching the bed.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Thanks again Dave,

I think I can figure out the wiring.

I have added the mounting points to my fan duct and will try and print it tomorrow. As the filament has been laying about in the garage for months, I decided to pop it in the airing cupboard for 24hrs before trying to print with it.

Regards,

Les

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Pointy's Things
Pointy's Blog

Hi Dave,

Just a quick question...

Is the polarity of the heater wires coming from the Duet critical? I suspect not, but thought I'd check anyway.Mine are the opposite to the latest wiring diagram, both on the original loom and my newer one. (yellow & orange wires reversed)

I have printed the new fan duct and isolator, just making up the new loom, so I am hoping to have it up and running soon.

Edit:

Just found out that one of the white LEDs (D3) is preventing me from fixing the board to my fan duct. Can I just remove it?

Regards,

Les

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2014 07:59AM by Pointy.

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Pointy's Things
Pointy's Blog

Hi Les, no the polarity of the heater wires is not critical. The heater LED circuit on the board includes a bridge rectifier to make it independent of polarity, and the test rig verifies correct functioning for both polarities. But do make sure you get the fan polarity right! If you get it wrong, the flyback diode and mosfet will burn out.

For the benefit of anyone else reading this: what does matter is that you pair the two +ve wires and the two -ve wires correctly. If you mix up the pairing, you will end up shorting the heater circuit out.

Les, you can remove one of the white LEDs, but you will need to put a wire link in its place so that the other 2 light up. The constant current regulator on the board will do the rest.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2014 08:52AM by dc42.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Thanks Dave,

I got around the LED problem by printing a couple of 2mm spaces and a new insulator with lower supports. Just finishing off the commissioning, but so far so good!

Regards,

Les

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Pointy's Things
Pointy's Blog

I got everything up and running without any issues and I must say I am very impressed! I was getting reasonable results using my version of Kim's Z axis micro switch, but this first print I have just done using your board is the best yet. Getting the Z axis right is such a critical part of making good consistent prints, and is one area I have always struggled with, hopefully no more. To everyone else, if you haven't got one of Dave's boards, order one NOW!

Regards,

Les

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Pointy's Things
Pointy's Blog

Quote
dc42
If anyone wants a dual-nozzle board, I don't have any in stock at the moment, however I have some bare PCBs left so I'll make some more when I have orders for 3 of them. I don't plan to reduce the price of the dual nozzle board because I have to make them by hand, which takes a few hours.

I am interested in a dual board, I assume it can be used for a single extruder? (until the dual setup is done)

How much are you asking for a dual board?

Is this good enough as an order until you have three of them?

/Tomas

Dual board prices are as at [forums.reprap.org]. Sorry I can't reduce the price of those as well, but they are labour-intensive as the quantities are small so I have to assemble them by hand.

I have one other order already plus a possible, so nearly up to the 3.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

One thing I have noticed is that the hot end heater light flashes/pulses every now and then, without me having done anything. Is this normal?

Regards,

Les

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Pointy's Things
Pointy's Blog

If the thermistor picks up noise and that results in an under-temperature reading, this will cause the hot end to be activated briefly. The effect is more pronounced when using a thermistor connected to the DueX4 expansion board. If you watch the hot end LED on the Duet board, you will see that one flashing too.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

I'm pleased to report that my December sale has been a success. I now have just 8 boards left (plus 3 that I will be keeping as spares for a while). It's unlikely that I will have another batch made, because the demand for them has dropped since the release of the Ormerod 2. So when they're gone, they're gone!

I have 2 orders for dual-nozzle boards, and I am just waiting for a third before I make more of those.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Come on people a dual board is a more future proof choice. Order one, I did.

I may be a bit biased ...

Got mine all OK.

Will post up once i have installed it.

Thank you DC42 ☺

I now have 3 people waiting for dual nozzle boards, so I will be assembling them soon - hopefully this weekend. I will send PayPal requests to those who are waiting for them tomorrow.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Whats the name of the connectors and crimps you are using on the board? The new duet has the same connectors and a want to buy some spares...

They are Molex KK series connectors. In the UK, one of the cheapest suppliers of them is Rapid Electronics, see [www.rapidonline.com].

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Board arrived all OK thank you Dave.
Installed the board and although i cant get a reading below 430ish it works as intended when using a value of 500 to home the z axis and it is repeatable.
One thing i need to do is alter your x axis target as it sits too high on my ormerod 1 and the board wont travel above it. Thinking of redrawing it and lowering the target 2mm with respect to the mounting flange.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2015 04:33AM by DanV.

Quote
DanV
Board arrived all OK thank you Dave.
Installed the board and although i cant get a reading below 430ish it works as intended when using a value of 500 to home the z axis and it is repeatable.
One thing i need to do is alter your x axis target as it sits too high on my ormerod 1 and the board wont travel above it. Thinking of redrawing it and lowering the target 2mm with respect to the mounting flange.

1. Are you saying that with the sensor well above the bed clear of the sensor pad and anything else, you don't get a near-zero reading? That doesn't sound right.

2. Are you by any chance using a modified nozzle mount that drops the hot end by 1 or 2mm? That would explain why the board won't clear the sensor pad. The OpenScad model for the sensor pad is in the same folder as the STL file. You should be able to just decrease the padHeight variable by 2mm, press F6 to compile it, and then export the new STL. I can do that for you if you are not familiar with OpenScad.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2015 05:29AM by dc42.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Hi Dave.

1. Well that depends on what you mean by "well above". It was approximately 120mm above the bed.

2. No i am not using the modified nozzle mount. I am still using the reprap part that came with my ormerod 1 kit.

Cheers,
Dan

Dan, with the sensor more than about 5mm above the bed or sensor pad, the reading should be close to zero. Please can you check the following:

1. With the nozzle raised, is the board definitely responding correctly when you bring a surface (e.g. paper) up to within a few mm of the nozzle? That is, the red LED on the board comes on and the reading jumps to around 535 at the same time?

2. You said that the reading is around 430 with the nozzle well above the bed. As you bring the paper nearer to the sensor, does it jump higher e.g. to around 465, before it goes higher still and the red LED comes on?

3. Please check the quality of your crimp connection on the black wire going in to the 4-pin connector, and the other end of the black wire where it connects to the Duet.

4. Please check the alignment of the IR LEDs and phototransistor on your board, and compare it with the photos in the build instructions.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

I have some trouble homing the X axis with the new sensor board.

When in the web GUI clicking "Home X" button the printerhead runs in to the Z-rod and starts studdering against it.
At this time the red LED i on and the sensor reading 553.

What I have done:
The red LED lights up when "manually" moving the print head over the sensor pad.
I have commented all M558 P2 in homeall.g and homex.g
Changed the M558 P2 in config.g to M558 P1

I am running a dual head sensor board on a Ormerod 2 running firmware 0.78za-dc42

I have a feeling that it is a config error, not the hardware there fore I have attached my config.g and homex.g files.

Please help.

/Tomas

Hi Tomas, you need to set the P value in the G31 command in config.g to 500 as described in the fitting instructions.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].