Marlin firmware fork for MakerFarm i3v w/ auto bed level & Roxy's enhancements

[Roxy]

hey much better, it is now lowering the extruder ty!!!

Do you understand what was happening? If you really need the EEPROM settings enabled, you can turn them on. But you have to save correct values to the EEPROM using M502 and M500. The reason is the settings in your Configuration.h file will not be used. Instead, the Marlin firmware will see values stored in the EEPROM, and use those instead.

[bgct9a]

Do you understand what was happening? If you really need the EEPROM settings enabled, you can turn them on. But you have to save correct values to the EEPROM using M502 and M500. The reason is the settings in your Configuration.h file will not be used. Instead, the Marlin firmware will see values stored in the EEPROM, and use those instead.

this is where i am a little lost. I figured that what u upload to the mega is the new base settings and the whole eeprom usage is for when you use the lcd screen to make changes and then want to save them permanently.

[sniffle]

basically, if you want to use the eeprom to adjust settings on the fly. as a rule of thumb you need to make notes of what you change, so that when you flash new firmware you update those changes in the actual firmware before flashing and after flashing the firmware automatically run an M502 to update the eeprom settings that were just flashed.

[AbuMaia]

I think the whole EEPROM thing is too much of a trouble-maker to be useful, IMO.

I've encountered a pitfall regarding running ABL before every print, however. I just replaced both my Z nuts, because the one on the RAMPS side either wore out, or the threaded rod did. It's only in one small area, however, which I believe is due to the constant up-down of the probing wearing that one section more than any other. The Z nut on the RAMPS side kept slipping down the threaded rod during ABL, throwing the whole alignment out of whack by nearly 2mm. No matter how much I hand-turned the Z rods to level them, the topographic map was always the same, or very close. The new Z nut is just a stopgap measure for now, until I can get new threaded rods.

If your rods, like mine, get black from oil and whatever other junk, look for one area that's shinier than the rest, around the point where your ABL probing happens. This is a sign that that spot is getting worn out quicker.

It seems that though I despise using the EEPROM, I may have to in order to avoid this excessive wear issue.

edit: Replacing the Z nuts did the trick:

Before (with hand-turning the Z rods in between each time):

Recv: Bed Height Topography:
Recv: Origin: Front Left
Recv: --0.99552 --0.58427 --0.10027 +0.40423 +0.91598
Recv: --0.96627 --0.53202 --0.05352 +0.45073 +0.95223
Recv: --0.94152 --0.50377 --0.01652 +0.51248 +1.00023
Recv: --0.92702 --0.47602 --0.01177 +0.54798 +1.04023
Recv: --0.91602 --0.45577 +0.01198 +0.56598 +1.07823

Recv: Bed Height Topography:
Recv: Origin: Front Left
Recv: --0.98843 --0.57268 --0.10043 +0.40732 +0.96382
Recv: --0.96243 --0.53468 --0.05293 +0.43907 +0.95182
Recv: --0.92243 --0.50643 --0.02218 +0.48957 +0.98982
Recv: --0.91618 --0.47068 --0.00618 +0.55457 +1.03332
Recv: --0.93643 --0.47818 +0.00357 +0.55457 +1.08282

Recv: Bed Height Topography:
Recv: Origin: Front Left
Recv: --0.98989 --0.57314 --0.11264 +0.40236 +0.94361
Recv: --0.96639 --0.53439 --0.06864 +0.43836 +1.01611
Recv: --0.94014 --0.50789 --0.02189 +0.47636 +1.04811
Recv: --0.92014 --0.48814 --0.00989 +0.50836 +1.09411
Recv: --0.94389 --0.48214 +0.00211 +0.52486 +1.10486

Recv: Bed Height Topography:
Recv: Origin: Front Left
Recv: --0.98813 --0.57938 --0.10138 +0.41412 +0.93487
Recv: --0.95538 --0.53113 --0.05763 +0.46062 +0.99837
Recv: --0.92613 --0.51163 --0.01738 +0.49237 +1.06087
Recv: --0.91513 --0.48213 --0.01138 +0.52462 +1.06912
Recv: --0.95738 --0.50538 --0.01913 +0.51512 +1.08862

After:

Recv: Bed Height Topography:
Recv: Origin: Front Left
Recv: --0.22164 --0.12064 --0.03789 +0.01611 +0.06361
Recv: --0.19539 --0.08789 +0.00186 +0.05711 +0.11011
Recv: --0.17564 --0.06214 +0.04186 +0.09611 +0.12236
Recv: --0.14789 --0.03514 +0.07536 +0.13861 +0.18036
Recv: --0.17814 --0.03839 +0.07011 +0.14111 +0.18611

[Roxy]

I think the whole EEPROM thing is too much of a trouble-maker to be useful, IMO.

Agreed. I'm using it now just because I did that 'Save G29 Correction Matrix to EEPROM'. And maybe I would see it differently if I had an LCD Panel. But I'm having a hard time getting any value from the EEPROM. Conversely, I see it mess up lots of people that are trying to get Auto Bed Leveling running.

[sniffle]

Maybe someone needs to write some eeprom read/write code for abl if eeprom is enabled.

Even if it is just a command that will spit out the eeprom values when abl is enabled would probably be a big help so that you can compare firmware and eeprom values so that it would make diagnosing the issue immediate.

Or if the abl code itself could override the eeprom saved values if there was a discrepancy between the two.

Dunno just talking ideas that could theoretically work.

[Roxy]

Maybe someone needs to write some eeprom read/write code for abl if eeprom is enabled.

Even if it is just a command that will spit out the eeprom values when abl is enabled would probably be a big help so that you can compare firmware and eeprom values so that it would make diagnosing the issue immediate.

Or if the abl code itself could override the eeprom saved values if there was a discrepancy between the two.

Dunno just talking ideas that could theoretically work.

One simple idea would be to change the EEPROM Data Version number based on the Auto Bed Leveling state. If Auto Bed Leveling gets turned on, the version number gets bumped and then the EEPROM values do not get used.

[sniffle]

That "should" be easy to setup. But i havent looked at the code.

It would be an if statement in the initialization code

If(abl on variable == true)
Version# = version#+1

Its just a matter of knowing actual variables where to insert code and proper syntax. All of which i havent looked at. But the fix itself is easy enough.

[printbus]

With the new 12-inch printer from MakerFarm using RAMBO, there's more considerations in having one fork supporting all the MakerFarm printers. IMO, one fork is still the way to go, but I might suggest it's time to rethink how some of the constants in configuration.h are defined. Why not have #DEFINES for i3v_8, i3v_10, and i3v_12. The user uncomments the one that applies to them. An ifdef/elseif chain is then used to set things like motherboard type, bed size, smart panel type, and enable code support for digital stepper driver adjustment. First, it makes it easier for the user to specify the build for their printer - which printer do they have, and are they using ABL or not. Second, and possibly most importantly, it provides the foundation for details in things like ABL to be tweaked for RAMBO by doing an ifdef i3v_12.

[clough42]

With the new 12-inch printer from MakerFarm using RAMBO, there's more considerations in having one fork supporting all the MakerFarm printers. IMO, one fork is still the way to go, but I might suggest it's time to rethink how some of the constants in configuration.h are defined. Why not have #DEFINES for i3v_8, i3v_10, and i3v_12. The user uncomments the one that applies to them. An ifdef/elseif chain is then used to set things like motherboard type, bed size, smart panel type, and enable code support for digital stepper driver adjustment. First, it makes it easier for the user to specify the build for their printer - which printer do they have, and are they using ABL or not. Second, and possibly most importantly, it provides the foundation for details in things like ABL to be tweaked for RAMBO by doing an ifdef i3v_12.

It all depends on where this goes from here. Of you want to merge back to Marlin and stop maintaining the fork, you don't want more customization. If you want to support MakerFarm and keep doing it forever, then customizations are the way to go.

It's tough being downstream from an active project. Even though you've added your value and are done, you still have to work on it forever to keep it up to date.