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

[clough42]

Thank you Roxy and clough42 for the quick response. I actually built an off board power supply to compensate for current draw. I am using a RUMBA board and it did not source enough power to run the servo. I really liked the servo headers and power jumper on a RAMPS board, so I built a daughter board for my RUMBA. I am picking up the PWM signal from pin 5. I pull 12v from main and regulate it to 5v on the sweet little daughter board where I have two servo headers plus three extra power pin sets. Pins 5 and 6 (PWM) get pulled into the daughter board and routed to the servo pin headers. I have been running a pi3 running octopi on one of the power sets so that I have WiFi control of the printer. I pulled the pi off the first time this happened because I figured (like clough42) that I was short juice. It didn't help. The servo isn't drawing current from the Board. The probe draws the same current whether it is on the swing arm or not. By the way clough42, it is your swing arm design. Thank you for that.

And as an aside, I print on borosilicate glass with PEI surface. I use the peel and stick PEI sheets.

You're welcome.

I run all of my printers with used HP DPS-600PB server power supplies. I power a Raspberry Pi, the RAMPS board (VCC) and the RAMPS servo bus (+5V) direct from the 5VSB on the power supply, with three separate wires back to the source. This way, the electronics are always on. I switch the power supply on and off using the PS_ON line from the RAMPS power header, so the 12V bus for the motors and heaters is only on when needed.

I'm running an industrial silicone heater pad under borosilicate glass on my 12", and it delivers a lot of power. I have to use borosilicate because ordinary glass explodes during the fast warmup cycle.

[tsteever]

Yes! I have been waiting for a Beckdac version of RC7 for quite some time. I can
Get around the code but just haven't had time. Hopefully we can get a Makerfarm version of the latest firmware soon.

As a side note to all the MakerFarm people running the BeckDac fork at: https://github.com/beckdac/Marlin

Here are my thoughts: This branch was very helpful and was extremely stable for the last 18 months. People with MakerFarm machines could just load it and use it. And for sure... It would just plain work. It was very stable! (Good job BeckDac!!!!)

Probably what makes sense now is if anybody with a MakerFarm machine has moved over to RC-7 of Marlin, we should set up a directory with your Configuration.h files and make it easy for people to get their machines running RC-7 too. If you have Configuration.h, Configuration_adv.h and a Pins.h file that are working with MakerFarm hardware, please let me know. I'll make a directory in the examples folder and people will be able to duplicate your setup very easily.

[AbuMaia]

I'm running RC7. So far I have only modified the Configuration.h and pins_RAMPS.h files. Where shall I put them? I had to modify the pins_RAMPS.h file in order to use E3D's new cartridge upgrade and PT100 sensor.

[clough42]

Probably what makes sense now is if anybody with a MakerFarm machine has moved over to RC-7 of Marlin, we should set up a directory with your Configuration.h files and make it easy for people to get their machines running RC-7 too. If you have Configuration.h, Configuration_adv.h and a Pins.h file that are working with MakerFarm hardware, please let me know. I'll make a directory in the examples folder and people will be able to duplicate your setup very easily.

I'm very interested in having something like this. I have a fork of the beckdac fork with customized branches for my double extruder on various MakerFarm printers. I'd really like to get out of that business, but I've been waiting for Marlin to be ready. I'm personally running RC4 and very happy with it.

If there are going to be MakerFarm samples, do you think it would be appropriate to have Itty Bitty Double Extruder variants, or is that something I need to keep separate?

[systemslave]

I'm game. Of course that is easy for me to say since the current version isn't currently doing what I want. This is a hobby for me, so I will work on it this weekend. RC-7 here I come.

[Roxy]

I'm running RC7. So far I have only modified the Configuration.h and pins_RAMPS.h files. Where shall I put them? I had to modify the pins_RAMPS.h file in order to use E3D's new cartridge upgrade and PT100 sensor.

I'm game. Of course that is easy for me to say since the current version isn't currently doing what I want. This is a hobby for me, so I will work on it this weekend. RC-7 here I come.

AbuMara: Can you post them here? How about we start a whole new thread for this purpose? Maybe call it something like Marlin RC-7 on MakerFarm ?

SystemSlave: Can you please try to start with AbuMara's files. That way we get some confirmation and Q/A time. And we will have a starting point with the files that handle's at least two people's needs.

[systemslave]

SystemSlave: Can you please try to start with AbuMara's files. That way we get some confirmation and Q/A time. And we will have a starting point with the files that handle's at least two people's needs.

Absolutely! I am just leaving for work. I am excited to help build something that I think will be really useful. AbuMaia sent me his working config.h file last night. I want to thank him for that!

[printbus]

...Can you post them here? How about we start a whole new thread for this purpose? Maybe call it something like Marlin RC-7 on MakerFarm ? ...

There was a short "how should we go about this" discussion some time ago that led to no clear scheme, and the problem is worse now than ever. All need to remember that the MakerFarm product line is far more complex than it used to be. Long gone are the days where a single set of files works for everyone with a MakerFarm printer, at least not without some adjustments.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all about sharing lessons learned and helping out the next user. As a minimum, things like thread posts, comments, descriptions, filenames, and foldernames should probably clarify what the content applies to. Even without factoring user modifications, the type of electronics (RAMPS, RUMBA, RAMBO), type of LCD (character vs graphic), type of extruder (Greg's Wade, bulldog, Pegasus, Titan single vs dual), and bed compensation scheme are examples of ways MakerFarm printers can differ as far as a firmware build and configuration parameters. Many users can readily deal with tailoring standard files for their unique configuration, but history has shown that some, especially new users still somewhat unfamiliar with the firmware and lacking confidence in what they are doing, will struggle in doing this. If that is considered somehow from the beginning, maybe it'll be easier for all in the long-run.

[tsteever]

I picture myself the person you are talking about here! I know there is a new firmware out but have not adopted due to the reasons you mention. First, I am not 100% sure what needs to be done to make the RC-7 work on my machine.

Perhaps a checklist of things that need to be changed in the RC-7 to fit your machine could be made? That would perhaps give the user the confidence to at least try it out.

With that in mind, what changes need to be made?
*change esteps to fit your chassis, X,Y,Z,E
*Activate ABL if using
-define pins in pins.h is using ABS
-Set probe extend retract degrees
-set probe points
-define offsets
*define motherboard
*Define temp probe
*adjust PIDs


What else would a user need to change in RC-7 to fit their machine? Also, where can one find the current stable RC-7 file for use? Link?

There was a short "how should we go about this" discussion some time ago that led to no clear scheme, and the problem is worse now than ever. All need to remember that the MakerFarm product line is far more complex than it used to be. Long gone are the days where a single set of files works for everyone with a MakerFarm printer, at least not without some adjustments.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all about sharing lessons learned and helping out the next user. As a minimum, things like thread posts, comments, descriptions, filenames, and foldernames should probably clarify what the content applies to. Even without factoring user modifications, the type of electronics (RAMPS, RUMBA, RAMBO), type of LCD (character vs graphic), type of extruder (Greg's Wade, bulldog, Pegasus, Titan single vs dual), and bed compensation scheme are examples of ways MakerFarm printers can differ as far as a firmware build and configuration parameters. Many users can readily deal with tailoring standard files for their unique configuration, but history has shown that some, especially new users still somewhat unfamiliar with the firmware and lacking confidence in what they are doing, will struggle in doing this. If that is considered somehow from the beginning, maybe it'll be easier for all in the long-run.

[Roxy]

There was a short "how should we go about this" discussion some time ago that led to no clear scheme, and the problem is worse now than ever. All need to remember that the MakerFarm product line is far more complex than it used to be. Long gone are the days where a single set of files works for everyone with a MakerFarm printer, at least not without some adjustments.

At worst case, we could have a MakerFarm folder with 3 or 4 different models in it. And a Configuration.h file for each flavor. That would be OK and still help people.