Hictop Hero D3 - IDEX, update Marlin

Hi all

I found one thread similar to this but it was last updated in April 2019, I want to update the Firmware on H3 Hero D3 because, whilst it works ok, the USB interface is flaky, it can't read sub folders on the card, it doesn't have auto bed levelling, etc, etc.

The Firmware for this recent purchase says Marlin 1.0.0 (in the source), HICTOP website also has a .hex and they sent a .hex to the person on the earlier thread who was kind enough to share it (his was for the Duale which is a slightly different SKU but still IDEX)

However the April 2019 .Hex is different from the one now on their website and if I compile their source I get a 3rd .hex which matches neither one.

So I started comparing the source to the earliest Marlin I could find on Github but whilst theirs indicate 1.0.0 there a large gaps which are either their editing or changes to the Github since 2017 and I can't tell which.

My questions are:
1. Does anyone have a copy of the early 1.0.0 source files I can have for comparison?
2. has anyone successfully updated the firmware on their Hero D3 and if so with which .Hex?
3. Does anyone have any information about the mainboard and/or capacitive touch screen on these printers?

Things I've discovered so far:
- The changes all seemed to be made by someone called 'ZYF' who apparently worked for Tenlog (HICTOP and TENLOG have some kind of deal worked out and HICTOP seem to be focusing on consumer).
I'm working through all the differences and can see that its based on a RAMPS board with additions for something they refer to as 'TENLOG Controller' which may be either the board or the screen or a combination of the two. The Planner has been drastically cut down and there are several G/M codes not implemented including 'Kill' there's also a Power Fail handling which never gets triggered (not that I've found so far). The screen may use a hitachi HD44780 or be 'ST970' since there are changes to both files.

Anyone else been doing any work on this?

Thanks

I am not sure how far you made it down this road but i am at the very beginning myself. I too, wish to update the firmware on this printer. To 2.0.x in my case, primarily to get the mesh bed leveling.

I have found as you have, that the Tenlog printer is the same and have found their Git [github.com] This includes source, config, HexFiles, and TFT files for the touch screen. I am not sure how the Touch Screen file is updated as it is a binary file.

I have had luck using Octoprint to update the firmware. I used the hex file linked off of the Hic3dprinter.com page. No way to determine version from that as it is only a binary and the source code linked from the same site does not seem to match based on dates. Based on the name, however (Touch_D3P.hex) it seems to be the ones from the Tenlog Git.

If you have made any headway on the existing firmware, I would love to hear about it. I am now about to start down the road of figuring out the pinout for "MOTHERBOARD 34" and trying to either use an existing board or defining a new one in Marlin 2.

Hello,
i don;t know if you 've had any progress with this, but i started my own branch .
I realized that the LCD is very incompatible with marlin and 'ZYF' has written a lot of code that in marlin 2 does not fit very well and new files need to be aded.
anyway i have made some progress but the LCD is not fully functional and for the rest is not tested at all, so you should use the code with caution.
you can checkout the code from here: [github.com]
on the 'TenlogBoard' branch.
i really don't have a lot of time to spend on this so any help would be appreciated.

Hello!

I haven't ever posted here before, but this thread is very relevant to me. My Hictop D3 has displayed some erratic, hard-to-replicate behavior, usually involving the X2 motor. I suspect that it's a firmware issue, since the same gcode can print normally and incorrectly. I'd also love to add in mesh leveling, subfolder options, etc. as the OP stated. My expertise is pretty limited, though. I've converted my Ender 3 to Marlin (2.0 first, then 1.0 because the 8-bit board didn't like 2.0). I've also reflashed the Hictop Firmware. I've looked at the Tenlog branch, Neuraldip, but I wasn't quite sure how to test it out. You probably intend for it to be uploaded to the machine with Visual Basic, right? Not XLoader, like the stock hardware uses? I'm happy to help you test things out, if you could use the help. Let me know!

HI Guys,
I anyone working on this? I own a Prusa Mk3s and I've bought a Tenlog TL-D3. I have to say that the firmware on it is so far behind what's currently on my Prusa. The Tenlog/Hictop firmware REALLY needs updating.

The other questioni have is this:-
Are there such thing as a community forum for either machine? (support for it seems very thin).

It tried using XLoader. I didn't like it (no feedback to tell you what it's doing). I've found that PrusaSlicer does a better job. Octoprint also flashes it without a problem.