Assistance with i3 MK3 clone

Hi all, recently decided to finish setting up my printer (3 years in the making) but now having problems with calibration.

I mainly wanted to double-check everything is compatible as I decided halfway through to ditch the RAMPS and go for an Einsy.

Haven't played around too much with Marlin but I have been able to load the official Prusa firmware onto it. Everything functions fine independently BUT I cannot get Z to calibrate.

I'm worried now it could be due to the bed since the calibration points may be different to Prusa's.

So, it's an Einsy Rambo 1.1a
Orballo Mk42 heated bed
Everything is 12v due to the bed

I've run through XYZ calibration so many times but it always fails on Z. Sometimes it'll complete a mesh bed leveling test but that's rare. PINDA has been adjusted a number of times (I've also tested this works from the support menu).

Not sure whether I should try the MK2S firmware as that uses a Mini-RAMBo

TIA
-JB

Prusa firmware requires exact hardware, including stepper motors. The firmware sets the driving current expecting prusa stepper motors.

My guess if the pitch on your Z stepper lead screws is not the same

Hmmm, okay. So it won't calculate it automatically? It raises to around +225 and then drops to around +5 when it goes to auto home though.

Okay, I am really struggling with this.

I've realised I need to start from scratch with Marlin but cannot find an example for my configuration.

Started with the Marlin fork listed on the Wiki but LCD wasn't working even when enabling it plus I wasn't sure whether the plugs had to be inverted.

Tried the official Prusa github and I get an error verifying, lose LCD AND cannot connect...

Went to start with another base and it won't even compile. I get an error about SPI.h but I thought that library was included with Arduino.

All I want is a working base...

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2020 01:11AM by Akshunhiro.

Prusa hardware is unique, yea I said this before,,,,

Pinda2 probes are supported in Marlin.
Auto skew correction using the special MK3 bed is not supported in Marlin.
Back light control on the latest mk3's lcds is not supported in Marlin (I am fooling around with this and have it half working... but its not done. yet)

Most people who have a mk3 don't want to run marlin.... so configuration files for this if they exist are not common.

The only thing I'm running similar to the MK3 is a Einsy Rambo though

I don't understand why I can try load all these firmware variants but the only thing that comes close is the official Prusa hex

Everything was initially pieced together to clone a MK2 but the RAMPS was ditched in favour of the Einsy because the drivers were built-in and end-stops weren't required

I'm also just running a standard PNP inductive sensor, the only difference I can see with that and the official Prusa PINDA is a built-in thermistor

This is the LCD I'm running which worked out of the box

I understand I can't get the hardware working with the Prusa firmware so I just want a Marlin base for the Einsy to build-up from there

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2020 02:18AM by Akshunhiro.

Looks like going to 24v will fix my issue

The Einsy will run at 12v but the TMC2130 operate better at 24v

That LCD shouldn't have back light control... its 'older' than that so backlight is always on.

You should be able to compile a basic Marlin for Einsy and the LCD no issues,

Just set #define MOTHERBOARD BOARD_EINSY_RAMBO
and enable #define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_SMART_CONTROLLER

You also need to set driver types to TMC2130. ie.
#define X_DRIVER_TYPE TMC2130
#define Y_DRIVER_TYPE TMC2130
#define Z_DRIVER_TYPE TMC2130
#define E0_DRIVER_TYPE TMC2130

What error messages are you getting?

Thanks for persevering, Dust

I've started with a fresh 1.1.9.1

I have A LOT of SPI errors

I have no idea what you have done there....

Its breaking on basic things like 'FORCE_INLINE' does not name a type

I suspect you have an unmatched " or ' some ware in your configuration.h and it has confused the compiler no end.
Also using a comma instead of full stop in floating point numbers can also really break things.

I strongly advise you start again with a fresh marlin. and only change the config line above.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2020 03:52AM by Dust.

Haha, I know!

That was fresh haha

I've cleared out my libraries folder only leaving TMC2130Stepper & U8glib

This is the result;

Arduino: 1.8.12 (Windows 10), Board: "PrusaResearch EINSY RAMBo"

In file included from sketch\stepper_indirection.h:57:0,

                 from sketch\stepper.h:194,

                 from sketch\Marlin_main.cpp:262:

C:\Users\JB\Documents\Arduino\libraries\TMC2130Stepper\src/TMC2130Stepper.h:6:17: fatal error: SPI.h: No such file or directory

 #include 

                 ^

compilation terminated.

exit status 1
Error compiling for board PrusaResearch EINSY RAMBo.

This report would have more information with
"Show verbose output during compilation"
option enabled in File -> Preferences.

Ok... I suspect the prusa boards add on is not compatible with current arduino.

Install the rambo addons [reprap.org]
And set motherboard to RAMBo and give that a try.


(i'm not having issue as im using vscode with platformio, much nicer than arduino ide)

Oooh, okay. Now we're getting somewhere.

Thanks Dust!

Hmmm, now having a problem with Z axis

It wants to move but appears to be struggling. I've tried increasing the current to 1000 and fiddling with DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT (currently 100, 100, 4000, 137) but it struggles to move, just buzzes.

Z max feed rate is probably to high...
#define DEFAULT_MAX_FEEDRATE { 300, 300, 5, 25 }

5 is often to high

and 4000 steps/mm for Z is insanely high. lower you micro stepping to lower this value.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2020 05:59AM by Dust.

EDIT: Found the settings for the Einsy: In Configuration_adv.h: Set sense resistor. Note: Do not set the motor current higher than the max setting 960 mAh.

#define R_SENSE           0.22

Z is working okay now.

I've got sensor-less homing work but now stuck with ABL.

This version of firmware 1.1.9.1 has the variables set for;

#define LEFT_PROBE_BED_POSITION MIN_PROBE_EDGE
#define RIGHT_PROBE_BED_POSITION (X_BED_SIZE - MIN_PROBE_EDGE)
#define FRONT_PROBE_BED_POSITION MIN_PROBE_EDGE
#define BACK_PROBE_BED_POSITION (Y_BED_SIZE - MIN_PROBE_EDGE)

and errors if I enter any values. I have enabled #define MIN_PROBE_EDGE but still get an error "LEFT_PROBE_BED_POSITION is outside the probe region."

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2020 07:09AM by Akshunhiro.