Bed lowering when print finishes and/or firmware update.

[Lukephos 0]

Hello. For as long as I've had my printer it's had trouble updating firmware. Recently it seems to say it's updating fine, but I wouldn't know because there is no way to check the current version nor the installed version (I seriously don't understand why that's not available anywhere). Either way I'm pretty sure it's stuck on a very old version considering its history of failing to update. I think this has resulted in an issue, but I don't know. When a print finished by any means, the bed stays at the same level. This would be a small annoyance if it didn't mean when I stopped in on an early layer to improve the beginning of the print, when the nozzle homes it rams itself against the back left clip for the bed, which is nothing but destructive to do. Thankfully it's not damaged anything but there's a definite clunk sometimes when it does it. This could be some other issue, but I'm going to guess it's the firmware. Either way I want to be able to sort the firmware.

P.S. Any tips on avoiding the nozzle pushing tall thin prints about as it prints on them? Thanks.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

 

Though I have no idea if you really have a firmware update issue, you may want to try installing the @tinkergnome firmware. At least you wil be sure if the update was succesfull. Look at the version number here;

Advanced/preferences/version

 

I prefer this firmware over the standard version as it gives a lot more information during printing. you can just download it and install using cura.

 

https://github.com/TinkerGnome/Ultimaker2Marlin/releases

[Lukephos 0]

Thanks. Though I'd still like the regular firmware because it means that it will match with the intended stuff, I'll give it a try to see if I like it. Or at least I would if I could... as soon as I try update it with the custom firmware the printer disconnects and the update continues but doesn't move forever. Didn't even give the usual clunk sound and restart from the machine. Cura just stopped recognizing it. There's definitely some problem there then.

[tinkergnome 927]

@Lukephos - you used the tag "UM2+" - the version number and -date should be displayed on the printer via:

"Maintenance -> Advanced -> Version"

 

I assume you start all prints from the sd-card and have not plugged in an USB cable during normal operations?

 

Regarding the connection problems: i would try a different USB-cable first and - if you have a chance - a different computer.

 

Or: try the "old" Cura 15.04 for firmware updates - you can select a specific COM-port with this version. Once you have configured the printer, choose "Machine -> Install Custom firmware" and load the appropriate hex-file from the newer Cura installation.

 

Good luck!

[Lukephos 0]

@tinkergnome I found that, but the problem is I can't find what version the up to date firmware is to compare it to. The machine has _3.3.0, but I don't know what it should be. I also use USB to print, though I used to use SD cards because of a different room layout. I remember that trick of using the old cura, which I don't remember if it worked for me. I can try it again, but I still can't find the proper firmware to install for it. Either way I'd still really like to be able to fix this so I don't have to do that workaround. Thanks.
EDIT: I didn't notice the part where you said you could look at the date and didn't know you could click the option. Looking on it, it seems up to date. Thanks. This does still leave the problem of the bed not dropping though.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Lukephos

[tinkergnome 927]

19 hours ago, Lukephos said:

This does still leave the problem of the bed not dropping though.

 

This is indeed a task of the firmware, but only for prints from sd-card. For prints via USB the print server is in charge of it (or it has to be added to the gcode script). That's why i asked...

• Are the files sliced with Cura (which version, which "GCode-flavor")?
• Is there a difference in the behavior between prints from sd-card or USB?
• How does your start-/ end script look like?

[Lukephos 0]

@tinkergnome I use Cura and the GCode flavour is RepRap. Don't know if I changed that at some point but ye. When I used to use SD it automaticly lowered when it ended in any way. I don't remember if it was still on the same GCode but ye. The script looks like:
Start:

G21 ;metric values

G90 ;absolute positioning

M82 ;set extruder to absolute mode

M107 ;start with the fan off

G28 Z0 ;move Z to bottom endstops

G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to endstops

G1 X15 Y0 F4000 ;move X/Y to front of printer

G1 Z15.0 F9000 ;move the platform to 15mm

G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length

G1 F200 E10 ;extrude 10 mm of feed stock

G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length again

G1 F9000

;Put printing message on LCD screen

M117 Printing...

End:
 

M104 S0 ;extruder heater off

M140 S0 ;heated bed heater off (if you have it)

G91 ;relative positioning

G1 E-1 F300 ;retract the filament a bit before lifting the nozzle, to release some of the pressure

G1 Z+0.5 E-5 X-20 Y-20 F9000 ;move Z up a bit and retract filament even more

G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops, so the head is out of the way

M84 ;steppers off

G90 ;absolute positioning

;Version _2.6 of the firmware can abort the print too early if the file ends

;too soon. However if the file hasn't ended yet because there are comments at

;the end of the file, it won't abort yet. Therefore we have to put at least 512

;bytes at the end of the g-code so that the file is not yet finished by the

;time that the motion planner gets flushed. With firmware version _3.3 this

;should be fixed, so this comment wouldn't be necessary any more. Now we have

;to pad this text to make precisely 512 bytes.

Thanks again.

[tinkergnome 927]

Great, we are getting closer...

The firmware uses the normal G28 command (home all axis) at the end of a print - with one exception:

If the current printing height is near the maximum height, it homes X/Y first to move the head out of the way (because the buildplate is already near the bottom).

For all prints that are not that tall, you can use the simple "G28" instead. Changed end script:

 

End:

 

M104 S0 ;extruder heater off

M140 S0 ;heated bed heater off (if you have it)

G91 ;relative positioning

G1 E-1 F300 ;retract the filament a bit before lifting the nozzle, to release some of the pressure

G1 Z+0.5 E-5 X-20 Y-20 F9000 ;move Z up a bit and retract filament even more

;G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops, so the head is out of the way

G28; home all axis

M84 ;steppers off

G90 ;absolute positioning

;Version _2.6 of the firmware can abort the print too early if the file ends

;too soon. However if the file hasn't ended yet because there are comments at

;the end of the file, it won't abort yet. Therefore we have to put at least 512

;bytes at the end of the g-code so that the file is not yet finished by the

;time that the motion planner gets flushed. With firmware version _3.3 this

;should be fixed, so this comment wouldn't be necessary any more. Now we have

;to pad this text to make precisely 512 bytes.

[Lukephos 0]

@tinkergnome Sorry for the delay, but nope. Tried that and it started doing weird things. I got the abort prompt ready as it was preparing to print then when I accepted the 'are you sure' window it kept going, but it would go back and forth between where it prepares and trying to print, except it tried to print with the bed lowered a little. I did a hard shutdown when the bed leveled but the print head tried to home to the right and this clunked against itself because it can't do that. It also was moving back to where it prepares after that, bed included, before I could shut it down. I don't know if that all happened because of aborting it so soon or having the window up early or what, but either way that didn't end so well.
Attempt 2: It didn't home at all like before. Guess I just made it get confused with timing. Oh well
Other observations: First time I tried I tried to use the controls to move the stuff before but they didn't do anything. On the second try after relaunching everything they'd work, but up was down and visa versa for the Z axis, meaning I rammed the bed into the floor more... I think it used to act a little weird too but I don't remember how. Overall somethings not right but I have no idea.
Also, the firmware talks about when the current update I have comes out the comment thing being fixed, but it's not changed. I don't know if something going on with that or that's a nothing. Also, is reprap the normal gcode flavour? I don't know the differences between them or anything but I'm wondering why my ultimaker2+ isn't on the ultimaker2 flavour. Just an uniformed observation.

Edited July 17, 2018 by Lukephos
Spelling corrections

[tinkergnome 927]

in short:

 

UltiGCode

• the printer uses material and retract settings that are configured on the printer itself, Cura does not generate those
• works only for prints from sd-card

 

Marlin

• material and retract settings are generated into the gcode file by Cura, the firmware settings that are stored on the printer are not used
• can be used from sd-card (you get a warning that the settings on the printer are ignored), as well as via USB

 

RepRap

• i don't know the differences, but i think it is meant to be used by printers with RepRap firmware
• don't use it for your Ultimaker

[Lukephos 0]

@tinkergnome Ok, that helps a little. Still leaves the other problems though. Sadly I'm worried how this'll end up since the home gcode didn't home it.