dual extrusion Marlin build

[snowygrouch 1]

Hi,

I have almost finished installing the required mechanics and electronics to

enable dual extrusion on my Ultimaker, which leaves updating the Marlin firmware

as the last hurdle to cross.

Since the marlin-builder server is down, and my knowledge of firmware is fairly limited when it comes to messing with code, can anyone help me to sort out a build of Marlin which will enable the 2nd extruder, thermocouple and heater ?

Thanks in advance

C.

 

[ji11 3]

Hi snowygrouch,

really good question and since i am up to a dual extruder aswell, i am rerally intersted in everything concerning it.

thought that cura 13.03 has a updated firmware ready for dual extrusion. i just selected "dual extrusion" while running the first-start-wizard. i ended up with an option for a second nozzle in my ulticontroller.

regards ji

p.s. how did you level your hotends?!

 

[snowygrouch 1]

Hi,

Ok I will try the Cura 13.03 firmware as you suggest.

I didnt install the nozzle yet, when I do - I will add details to the post I already started in the "hacks and modifications" section of the forum. It would be a bit off-topic here.

Regards

C.

 

[ji11 3]

Cool looking forward!

Please let me know if cura did the job!

would be great if we could keep contact via pm on the dual-extrusion.As far as i can remember you have been using kisslicer ever since. I would really love to give it a try on a two color print and someone to discuss the results or upcoming problems migth be a good thing to have!

Regards

ji

 

[gr5 2,189]

Don't be afraid of building your own marlin. It's not that hard. You only have to edit Configuration.h which is 90% comments. Most of the settings are quite simple to understand and are either on/off or have values (e.g. steps_per_mm).

If you find the dual extruder marlin that comes with cura to need tweaking, just go for it. Then ask specific questions about settings in configuration.h if you get stuck.

[snowygrouch 1]

So unless I am missing something, the beta release of Cura 13.03 is only usable in Linux and not Windows so far ?

 

[Daid 306]

Which beta? 13.03 is available from http://software.ultimaker.com/

(The version that has a big ass BETA on top is something else)

 

[snowygrouch 1]

Oppps was being retarded and missed that....

ahaha thanks Daid.

C.

 

[snowygrouch 1]

So I updated the firmware for 2nd extruder using the Cura 13.03 wizard.

This now shows up the 2 hotend temps, which I can sucessfully control manually with the UController.

However not having any luck with either CURA or Kisslicer getting them to USE the 2nd extruder. Both

are printing support AND main model using only Nozzle #1.

No idea if this is firmware or software config issue.

 

[snowygrouch 1]

Just to add the following bugs for the bugslist.

1) Ulticontroller "cooldown" button only cools down the primary #1 hotend.

2) Ulticontroller display seems to be a bit wierd since updating the firmware for 2nd extruder...(EDIT ** was due to having USB connected to PC because I was just

done uploading firmware. Is fine without USB connection)

3) Fan stays on even after stopping the print.

4) Display says "printing" even after stopping the print

 

[snowygrouch 1]

UPDATE.

Tested 2nd extruder with Kisslicer by selecting extruder 2 to print everything. So the 2nd extruder and

2nd stepper driver is all "working".

Dont really know if this is firmware, hardware or software issue now...are there any jumpers to set on the

UMaker board to enable both extruders at once or something ?

 

[snowygrouch 1]

I am also getting strange behaviour from Netfabb and KS code since updating the dual extruder firmware from Cura 13.03

printhead speed is wayyyyyy to fast. I have no idea at all how that can happen. I have to now run KS code at 50% speed from the ulticontroller to make it manageable.

C.

 

[snowygrouch 1]

Ok, so possibly there are also Software issues, BUT I am leaning towards there also being some Firmware issues from that uploaded automatically by Cura 13.03

Netfabb when USB connected to the Ultimaker, cannot "see" the 2nd extruder. Even though the temperature shows

in the ulticontroller, and even though I have manually tested that the 2nd extruder "works".

 

So you can see here the 2 thermocouples are reading on the display

 

Even though both hotends are about 90 degrees, Netfabb when connected cannot read the temp of the 2nd hotend.

Anyway, Daid can you offer any help here because basically im now at the point where short of building my own Marlin

I have tried everything. 3 different slicers, and several evenings of messing with the settings of all 3.

Can you give a link to download windows versions of older Cura versions ? I couldnt see anything on your website or this one....

 

[Daid 306]

Older releases can be found at http://software.ultimaker.com/?show=all at the bottom.

I'm not sure about dual-extrusion support material. I recommend starting out with dual color just to test things. It's easier to test alignment and retraction settings with dual-color. That should work in 13.03 as I tested it last week. You will have to tweak the nozzle offsets, as I've had multiple dual-extrusion machines to test on, and all needed slightly different offsets.

As for NetFabb, I do not think they properly support dual-extruders yet. (But all my netfabb knowledge is hearsay)

As for KISSlicer, no idea here. Most likely works once you have the correct settings and switchover procedures.

 

[snowygrouch 1]

Ok,

Well I am going to have a go at building a firmware myself. Just a question about the config for multiple temps.

#define TEMP_SENSOR_0 -1

#define TEMP_SENSOR_1 -1

#define TEMP_SENSOR_2 0

#define TEMP_SENSOR_BED 0

So I am guessing that "TEMP_SENSOR_0" is what I would refer to as the "old" primary extruder....and that

the new 2nd extruder temp will be "TEMP_SENSOR-1"

? Just confused becuase there are 3, and because one starts at Zero which is pretty non-intuitive.

Anyway just wanting to check.

Thanks !

C.

 

[owen 19]

Hi Calum

 

So I am guessing that "TEMP_SENSOR_0" is what I would refer to as the "old" primary extruder....and that

the new 2nd extruder temp will be "TEMP_SENSOR-1"

 

Correct

 

one starts at Zero

 

Quite common in computer stuff

 

[Daid 306]

We silly programmers start at zero (for good reasons, but it looks silly to normal people)

You need to set the "EXTRUDERS" define to 2 in Configuration_adv.h, else it won't work.

 

[snowygrouch 1]

Ah HA !

Ok, that would certainly be one issue....haha

Will change the firmware tonight as you suggest and see if anything good happens.

Thanks !

C.

 

[snowygrouch 1]

All working now, built my own firmware and switched to CURA 12.12A

However next problem is how to set the "steps per e" for extruder 1 and 2 independantly...

 

 

[illuminarti 18]

Looking at Marlin... I don't think there's a way to define the steps-per-e separately for each extruder. I may be missing something... but it looks like the steps-per-e and the 'flow multiplier' settings in the firmware are just single values, not per extruder.

So If you really have different steps-per-e, I think you'd need to use some sort of 'per material' extrusion multiplier/packing density adjustment, so that the gcode is already asking for different amounts of material, rather than having the firmware compensate. I suspect Kisslicer can do this - but not sure about Cura.

Finally, it looks like in Marlin, the current E position isn't tracked separately for each nozzle. So when changing between nozzles the slicer will need to take care of resetting the E position to zero and/or dealing with any retraction and de-retraction issues (assuming that you're using absolute E coordinates). Otherwise, the slicer may end up specifying filament moves based on the position of the 'other' filament.

 

All working now, built my own firmware and switched to CURA 12.12A

However next problem is how to set the "steps per e" for extruder 1 and 2 independantly...

 

[calinb 11]

All working now, built my own firmware and switched to CURA 12.12A

 

Any luck with netfabb too? If no, I'd appreciate a ticket submission to nf. nf isn't the most responsive software house when it comes to squashing bug but, with your help, they might get it done before I'm ready to go dual!