Has anyone got their Printrbot Metal Plus dual extruder working in Repetier-Host? I’ve just upgraded from my original LC V1 and am having no end of trouble re-configuring for the new machine. There isn’t any real information available from Printrbot yet.
I like the company and the Metal Plus looks like an excellent machine, but I cannot recommend being an early adopter of their printers. My first was from the Kickstarter and it also arrived long before there was adequate documentation available. I’m sure there will eventually be a configuration guide for the Metal Plus, but for now, I’m dead in the water with a $1300 machine that I cannot make work.
I’ve been using Repetier Host. I like it a lot. It looks like Printrbot is recommending Cura for this machine. I tried that and it’s way too simpleminded for me.
@Kevin_Criqui , the printrbot uses the exact same gcode regardless of what front end you’re using to send the gcode. I know you don’t like Cura, but have you tried getting it configured that way, and then just firing up RepetierHost afterwards?
Printrbot is amazing at providing complete documentation from my experiences.
What exactly are your problems anyways? If you carefully explain them, many of us here would be happy to help you work through them. A Printrbot is basically just a RepRap anyhow. (That’s how it’s legacy started, anyways) Many of us use just their controller board to power our own printers.
I’m sure the documentation will eventually be great, but right now it is non-existent. I figured out the Y axiz (stop switch at the opposite end as my LC V1). I think I have the startup G-code configured (home, G29 for bed level and then home again) Now I’m trying to get the Z axiz working. They’re using a new type of non-contact bed sensor and I’m trying to use the metal simple instructions to get the Z offset dialed in.
One weird thing is G28 X0 Y0 Z0 works as expected, but G28 homes X and Y but then moves to the middle of the bed before homing Z. Repetier thinks the head is at the left rear and so it crashes into the physical limits when moving afterward.
Disclaimers: My printrbot (GO v.1) is perhaps one of the most heavily modded ever, I’m using a completely novel auto bed compensation system and I’ve never tried dual extrusion.
That said…
You don’t need to home again after G29. Just G28 X0 Y0, then G29.
When you hit G28, it will perform a Z safe homing routine. It homes to the center of the bed to make sure that the sensor will not be somewhere off the metal portion of the build plate when it tries to home, which might otherwise cause a crash.
After many hours of trial and error and many many google searches, I have the machine partly working. I have several questions still:
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How to configure Repetier / Slicr / Cura to know about the dual extruders X offset.
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Why does G28 (same as pressing the home-all-axis button in Repetier) move to the middle of the bed before homing the Z axis? This leaves the head position out of sync with Repetier (which thinks the head is at 0,0) causing head crashes, grinding belts, etc.
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How am I supposed to print ABS if the heated print bed can’t get to 110C? I read somewhere (G+ probably) that we would get a 24V power supply with the dual head, heated bed version of the Metal plus. The 12V ATX power supply provided is not up to the task.
Sorry - i posted before seeing your reply
If I don’t do a G28 after the G29 the head sits at the front right corner of the bed after the G29, but Repetier thinks it’s at the left rear corner and ends up crashing the head, stripping belts, etc… But really, that’s the least of my problems.
I will do a complete walk through of the dual to try and clarify on some of your questions. The main point I think you may need help with is the correct starting gcode, as mentioned above. G28 X0 Y0 then G29. This must be before every print. It is identical to all the other printers we make. The only difference with a dual extruder, when printing one color is the reduced x axis available. You should have around 7.75 inches. If you tell the slicer you have 10", it won’t like it and you could hear skipped steps if it exceeds that travel distance.
When printing in two colors, the slicer settings get complicated… There are videos up about the Go large printer that detail all of that. As I mentioned, I will do a thorough into video to explain it all in the context of the plus. Nothing is different but it’s nice to have the right printer running for the video.
Not sure why you are not getting up to proper temp on the bed. We don’t ever go to 110 with abs… We typically use 85-90C. The ATX is plenty powerful, but I’m wondering if the linear bars would benefit from being thermally isolated. I’ll test one tomorrow.
Know that website fully committed to getting you rolling. I’ll do whatever it takes to be sure your hardware is all functioning properly. The learning curve on all of this - especially dual extruders- can be daunting. We try to be up front about hard it is to master… It’s not easy.
Hang in there. We are getting credible prints on our plus here at the shop, but we benefit from lots of print time. You will get there.
Brook
If the machine is confused about where the nozzle is after G29 then you may have the wrong firmware installed.
In my experience finding the correct firmware for any given non-Simple Printrbot is NOT easy and (although things may have changed?) there is not a single, definitive guide and source for all the various iterations out there.
When I was trying to find the right version to add auto bed compensation to my GO! I struggled to find a version that would let me set my Y axis so the YO was front left rather than back left for quite awhile and I still can’t say I understand why the expected combinations of inverting the axis and defining the location of the endstop didn’t seem to work properly. It sounds like you could have an issue like that going on.
Which firmware are you using (link) and have you confirmed with any GO v.2 or Plus (with probe) owners that that version works for them? Printrbottalk id probably going to be a good place for that I imagine.
You’ll also need to make sure you have the bed dimensions clearly spelled out in the firmware MINUS the space lost to the 2nd extruder if you have that installed already. The probe positions are offsets of these min and max positions so if the max is unrealistic this could cause a crash when probing.
@Brook_Drumm , Thanks. I know I’ll eventually get the machine working and I have great expectations for it. I have not tried using the second extruder yet and won’t do that until I have it working perfectly with as a single extruder machine. I haven’t tried printing anything bigger than a few inches either. Once I think I have things configured correctly, I’ll do some simple, large prints to make sure everything is in the right place
If I don’t do a G28 X0 Y0 after the G29 in the startup code, the print ends up in a different place on the bed and the head crashes after the print finishes and goes to the park position.
What I really need to know is what to configure (printer firmware? Repetier? Slicr?) to compensate for the fact that the first extruder is about 15mm to the left of the bed when the print head is homed (and also, how to tell the stack that the 2nd extruder is ~47mm to the right of the first)
I ran the bed heated for a long time last night and it seemed to top out at just under 78C. I can send a picture of the temperature curve if you like. Before I added the heat sink compound, the heater and thermistor would heat up quickly, but the aluminum bed stayed much cooler. When you test, be sure to measure the temperature of the print bed itself. What’s up with the original plan to run the heater at 24V? What will it take to add that?
It does seem that the print bed should be thermally isolated from the rails. Unless you used high temp rails, they are probably not going to be happy running that hot for long.
@Luis_E_Rodriguez , Cura is configured for the single extruder version of the Metal Plus and is also a toy compared to Repetier. I’ve invested many hours (and dollars) in Repetier and plan to keep using it.
@John_Davis , I’m using whatever version of firmware came in the printer. I have to assume it is the correct one.
@Kevin_Criqui Oh, I see. I thought when you said you were upgrading that you had purchased a conversion kit, but you actually purchased a whole new machine.
If you’re issuing G28 X0 Y0 after G29 to get the board to recognize the extruder position then you’re employing a workaround and will probably benefit from rooting out the real cause of the problem.
The problems you’re encountering are with the configuration of the firmware itself but some of that configuration goes hand in hand with settings that stored in EEPROM (bed size for example). You can get a report on all the values stored in EEPROM by issuing a M503 command. EEPROM settings can be set by Repetier-Host and stored back to EEPROM, but if they’re messed up, you’re probably better off just resetting all of them to the factory values (as hard coded into the firmware) by issuing an M502 command (one hopes that the initial factory values are correct for everything except for probe offset in the Z direction).
Yes, upgrading the easy way by buying an assembled machine 
So, simple question. If the primary extruder is 15mm to the left of the print bed when the print head is homed, how to I tell Firmware (EEPROM)/ Repetier / Slicr (or Curaengine) to compensate for that? Just put 15 (or -15?) in the EEPROM and everything else will know what to do?
The g29 command has an offset that is programmed with an mcode to make sure the sensor takes a reading over the aluminum build plate and not off the edge or on the wings on front or back. Homing on x and y is a physical limit. It does not line up perfectly with the physical limits of the board in all cases.
Have you already dialed on your z offset? This will assure your first layer is perfect and prevent crashing, since when set properly, it won’t travel down any further than that first layer… Which is above the board.
A full list of your settings (m501 and m502) will give us enough to help diagnose any problems.
Brook
I did get the Z offset dialed in based on the Metal Simple video. I can print small things near the middle of the bed with no problems. Here’s the Repetier log from a M501. The only thing I’ve changed is the Z Bed probe offset
BTW, what is the difference between M206 “Home offset” and M212 “Bed probe offset”?
14:52:40.862 : N257 M501 *7
14:52:40.881 : echo:Stored settings retrieved
14:52:40.881 : echo:Steps per unit:
14:52:40.882 : echo: M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z2020.00 E96.00
14:52:40.882 : echo:Maximum feedrates (mm/s):
14:52:40.882 : echo: M203 X100.00 Y100.00 Z5.00 E14.00
14:52:40.882 : echo:Maximum Acceleration (mm/s2):
14:52:40.882 : echo: M201 X2000 Y2000 Z30 E10000
14:52:40.882 : echo:Acceleration: S=acceleration, T=retract acceleration
14:52:40.882 : echo: M204 S3000.00 T3000.00
14:52:40.883 : echo:Advanced variables: S=Min feedrate (mm/s), T=Min travel feedrate (mm/s), B=minimum segment time (ms), X=maximum XY jerk (mm/s), Z=maximum Z jerk (mm/s), E=maximum E jerk (mm/s)
14:52:40.883 : echo: M205 S0.00 T0.00 B20000 X20.00 Z0.40 E5.00
14:52:40.883 : echo:Home offset (mm):
14:52:40.883 : echo: M206 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00
14:52:40.883 : echo:PID settings:
14:52:40.883 : echo: M301 P22.20 I1.08 D114.00
14:52:40.883 : echo:Min position (mm):
14:52:40.883 : echo: M210 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00
14:52:40.883 : echo:Max position (mm):
14:52:40.883 : echo: M211 X254.00 Y254.00 Z254.00
14:52:40.883 : echo:Bed probe offset (mm):
14:52:40.883 : echo: M212 X25.00 Y0.00 Z-1.70
The only thing that’s clearly wrong here (to me) is the max position in X, which can’t be 254 mm with two extruders.
I think that’s actually correct since the print head can move from 0 to 254. The extruders are offset from 0 and can only cover part of the bed in the X axis.
It seems like the coordinate system changes after issuing a G29 and Repetier is no longer aware of the actual position of the print head.
Correction - the X axis limit should be about 230. I have this set in Repetier and will change the EEPROM to match