Bontech firmware

[emilio2 2]

Hi.

does anyone know what is exactly the Bondtech firmware patch? 

[gr5 2,172]

For which printer?  For um2 it is recommended to install tinkerMarlin which is made by tinkergnome on this forum.  For um3 you have to edit a json file.

 

Basically the only thing you are changing is the steps/mm.  You could instead fudge it by lying about your filament diameter or setting the flow % but it's much better to properly set the steps/mm.

[gr5 2,172]

On UM2 you can alternatively send 2 gcodes that set the steps/mm and save it into permanent memory.  So you don't actually have to change the firmware if you don't want to but tinkerMarlin is pretty great firmware.  I have it on all my printers.  It has lots of great features such as "resume failed print" and hundreds of other useful things.

[emilio2 2]

It is UM2+, using Bondtech DDG Kit.

[emilio2 2]

Thanks!. Which gcodes do i need to set ? And which is the procedure to send them to the printer ? Do i need to apply them again after a UM firmware upgrade?

 

[cjs 34]

14 minutes ago, emilio2 said:

Which gcodes do i need to set ?

You can run the attached g-code just like any other print job to set the steps per mm for your DDG.

14 minutes ago, emilio2 said:

Do i need to apply them again after a UM firmware upgrade?

Yes, I think so, but there probably won't be any new firmware for the UM2+ by Ultimaker. 

I do recommend the TinkerGnome firmware as it has some great features. 

 

steps-bondtech.gcode

[emilio2 2]

I did run the gcode patch. Now when I change material the filament does not reach the head. It stops about 2cms away the head. And the same happens when rewinding the filament, it does not exit the feeder fully, I need to pull it down by hand. 

 

So,i wonder,  is the gcode patch actualy working? Do i need to reset the machine perhaps ?   

[gr5 2,172]

Go to the "MOVE" menu and move the filament so it's near the center of the bowden.  Mark the bowden somehow (you could just put your finger on it).  Then move the filament 100mm with the MOVE command.  Then use a ruler to measure how far it moved.

[gr5 2,172]

The gcode file looks fine - it looks like this:

M92 E311
M500

The first command sets the steps/mm for the E axis (extruder) to 311 which is correct for the DDG (not the other bondtech product).

 

The second command, M500, saves to permanent memory.

 

there was a bug in the UM2 firmware where it wasn't reading all of the gcode file.  I would consider adding a bunch of empty lines or lines with comments - you could change the above file to this and print it again:

M92 E311
M500
;extra junk to make sure the arduino reads this whole file
;extra junk to make sure the arduino reads this whole file
;extra junk to make sure the arduino reads this whole file
;extra junk to make sure the arduino reads this whole file
;extra junk to make sure the arduino reads this whole file
;extra junk to make sure the arduino reads this whole file
;extra junk to make sure the arduino reads this whole file
;extra junk to make sure the arduino reads this whole file

 

However if the above test I suggested moves the filament 100mm then you are all set.

 

If you changed you firmware recently you might want to do a FACTORY RESET but if you do that you will have to print the gcode file again to set the steps/mm again.

[emilio2 2]

Well, I did move the filament to the middle using the printer menu. Now, how do I run the MOVE command? ?

[emilio2 2]

I have used this, is it correct?

 

M302 S0G92 E0G0 E100

[gr5 2,172]

I have tinker firmware but isn't MOVE on the right side part way down?  If not go to "advanced" and then "move material".

[gr5 2,172]

M302 S0 - allows cold extrudes.  It should be sent all by itself if you want to extrude with the nozzle cold.  Or you can just heat the nozzle to 180C and you can skip that step.

 

G0 E100 tells the extruder to move to position 100.  But if you don't know the current position you would have to do a command before that to reset to position 0:

G92 E0  -- this tells the extruder that it is now at position 0.

 

BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO DO ANY OF THIS.  Instead you can just use the menus on the front of the printer.

 

If you are going to do the above commands you can either put them into a gcode file (each needs to be on a separate line - not all combined together like you posted).

 

Or you could hook up a USB cable to the printer and run pronterface (it's free software) and type these commands manually and they will execute as you type them.  pronterface is great for debugging and calibrating and such but I don't think you really need it right now.

 

[cjs 34]

@emilio2 As my ultimaker does not show the behaviour you are describing could you please do a factory reset and run updated g-code file? 

Did you just change the feeder or did you also install a new bowden tube? 

[emilio2 2]

Yes, I  did change the feeder.I am using the DDG Kit on a UM2+.

I did not replaced firmware as Cura 3.3 fails to do so. I checked this point with Bondtech support and they confirmed this.

 

So I applied the gcode patch by hand and then measured filament steps using S3D software in command mode.

For measuring filament motion I removed the tube so I measured a straight piece of filament (not the filament inside the curved tube).

Actually I had to use 325 instead of Bondtech recommended 311 value for feeder estep.

Now the filament moves exactly 10cms when i pass E100 command. 

The feeder works well and everything I printed so far is okay.

I can print faster consistently with three filaments I have tried (one of them flexible).

In the negative side, the Y axis noise has increased notably, and cannot locate the source!!.