UMO (1.5.7 PCB) & Marlin Endstop Interrupts?

[calinb 11]

I'm running Marlin 1.1.8 on my UMO with its original 1.5.7 electronics and an Ulticontroller. I've been building a new version of Marlin 1.1.8 for my Bltouch sensor, which I'm about to hook-up and start testing. The Marlin source code says:

// Enable this feature if all enabled endstop pins are interrupt-capable.
// This will remove the need to poll the interrupt pins, saving many CPU cycles.
//#define ENDSTOP_INTERRUPTS_FEATURE

and the Antclabs Bltouch instructions say this feature is optional.

Does the 1.5.7 board have at least three interrupt-capable inputs? I only need three inputs because the Bltouch will use one input and provide a Z homing signal so that means I need only two more endstop interrupts for X and Y. Software limits works fine so I don't need MAX_PIN inputs as defined in the pins.ULTIMAKER.h file defaults here:

// Limit Switches
//
#define X_MIN_PIN          22
#define X_MAX_PIN          24
#define Y_MIN_PIN          26
#define Y_MAX_PIN          28
#define Z_MIN_PIN          30
#define Z_MAX_PIN          32

Even though it would be inconvenient to adapt the endstop switch connectors, they could perhaps be connected to pins 11, 12, 13 or maybe even pins 34 and 36, which are labeled "SERVOS" on the PCB silkscreen. I plan to connect my Bltouch control (servo) pin to pin 13 and it seems that pins 11, 12, and 13 are usually used for such things. Also from pins.ULTIMAKER.h:

//
// Servos
//
#define SERVO0_PIN         13 // untested

 

Does anyone here have experience with this? Did using interrupts work well (better than the default CPU polling)?

 

Once I get it up and running and tested, I'll fork the Marlin 1.1.8 source (or maybe I'll spin-up 1.1.9, which is the last 1.x.x Marlin, except for bug fixes) to my github account so others can give it a whirl.

 

BTW, this Bltouch V.2 mount looks pretty good to me. There's not all that much info on the Internet about this UMO mod or endstop interrupts.

Bltouch Mount

Same as above but with Google Translate to English

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2019 by calinb

[tommyph1208 55]

What about using the x and y max pins? I never use mine and they seem completely redundant on the machine.

 

[calinb 11]

I'd prefer to continue to use all the endstop switches, because they seem redundant until software doesn't behave as you might expect and then your stepper motors and drive mechanism crashes against the frame!🤮 It's the same with CNC machine tools. Endstop switches are safety switches.

 

I've already had a crash happen after configuring some Marlin features used with touch sensors. It is tricky and Marlin now has many features that are easy to mis-program and not catch the error until there's a crash. A full set of operating endstop switches protects the hardware.

Edited June 6, 2019 by calinb

[Curven 28]

Hi calinb, did you have any success with marlin on the UMO? I am thinking about doing my one marlin build for my 2 higly moddes UMO's (1.5.7 PCB).

 

Mods are, 24V, E3d V6 hotend, GT2 belts a pulley's. More mod's are planed... TMC stepper drivers, heated bed on at least one of the printer and maybe autoleveling... 

For the hotend I use Rai's design with a fan to cool de E3D V6 and two parts cooling fan. For the parts cooling I will use the "unused" led strip outpout of the mainboard. 

 

I'm pretty new at electronics and SW so it won't be done so fast but I really hope to get everything fine sooner or later

[calinb 11]

On 10/3/2019 at 5:11 AM, Curven said:

Hi calinb, did you have any success with marlin on the UMO? I am thinking about doing my one marlin build for my 2 higly moddes UMO's (1.5.7 PCB).

 

<snip>

Yes, Curven. I'm on Marlin 1.1.9 now and it's my favorite version ever! I'm very pleased with the single click per Ulticontroller menu item settings that I've found along with excellent knob spin "acceleration" and fast Z-homing speeds. I also like many of the newer Marlin features. Finally, it's the first Marlin where I've never had occasional problems with z-stage stuttering, which previously required me to power down the machine after every print. Stuttering seems to be a rare problem but others have also experienced the same stuttering behavior that's plagued my machine since new.

 

I don't know if the interrupts will work with my BLTouch because I still need to find time to print the parts for a new dual extrusion head that I'm planning to install using a modified original E3D Chimera head. The new head will support the BLTouch too. I'm hacking my original Chimera to accept 3mm E3D V6 heat breaks and a water block. I really need to get my mini milling machine out of storage to do it though.

 

Another mod has a higher priority though. I've spun some cad for a dual drive filament extruder. It should permit reliable use of flexible filaments and I'll eventually build two of them, if the design proves itself, for my dual extrusion Chimera head.

 

The standard polled BLTouch interface is well covered in the Marlin config files though and I've been going through them and editing them. I'll uncomment the BLTouch stuff when I'm ready.

 

My UMO is just about stock, ATM (I've run other hot ends in the past). I have direct drive x/y steppers and an externally controlled and powered heated bed but I swapped the wires for the "wrong-handed" external motor mount orientation so my 1.1.9 Marlin code would probably run on other stock machines too. All of that kind of stuff is now well documented in Marlin anyway. Let me know if you'd like to have a copy of my current version of Marlin and I'll put it on a share somewhere or maybe I'll post it to github. At a minimum, you'd need to change your x/y/z mm/step settings, but the way Marlin manages such settings from the Ulticontroller menu is improved over the earlier versions too!

Edited October 4, 2019 by calinb

[calinb 11]

On 6/4/2019 at 2:18 AM, tommyph1208 said:

What about using the x and y max pins? I never use mine and they seem completely redundant on the machine.

 

 

After studying Marlin support for the BLTouch, I'll probably start with a polled interface and use the UMO upper switch (homing zero stop) for both an endstop and the BLTouch. Maybe I'll see if interrupts can be used later. I still have to find time to print a bunch of parts before I do this mod too. I just can't seem to find the spare time. 😞

Edited October 4, 2019 by calinb

[calinb 11]

4 minutes ago, calinb said:

Multiple posts--sorry!

 

Edited October 4, 2019 by calinb
Multiple posts--sorry!

[Curven 28]

Thanks a lot for your feedback.

For the moemnt I am using E3D V6 hotend with rai's mount and cooling system. The part cooling fan's are plugged on the spare LED slot of the mainboard for the moment and are always on. But this didn't give me any adhesion problem on my ols acrylic with bluetape print bed. 

So I have time to learn to configure marlin, make tests and still have the official firmware as backup solution.

Unfortunately I don't expect to have a huge amount of time to work on it this week... But I definitively plan to get the marlin firmware good for my printers one day!

[calinb 11]

20 hours ago, Curven said:

Thanks a lot for your feedback.

You're welcome! Thanks for the info about your UM setup too.

Quote

Unfortunately I don't expect to have a huge amount of time to work on it this week... But I definitively plan to get the marlin firmware good for my printers one day!

I hear ya'! I have all sorts of upgrade parts ready to install on my UMO, which is still a really sweet machine, but find little time to work on the projects I've planned.

 

The Marlin website has really become a great resource. The config files are also well-documented. Let us know if you need help when you get around to building a new Marlin. BTW, the Arduino toolkit version makes a big difference. I have several versions installing on my MX-Linux system. Sometimes you just have to try a different Arduino dev kit version to get code to build!

 

Good luck and please post again, if you need help or my build files. I'm nowhere near as active here as I was in the early UM days, but I'll stay subscribed to this thread and see your post.

 

-Cal

Edited October 8, 2019 by calinb

[LordHokage 7]

I guess I'm resurrecting a "dead" thread. 

I was going around and was wondering how I was going to make auto levelling on the UMO+ work. There wasn't any definitive guide on doing so. Does anyone have and resources or steps as to make the BLTouch work with the UMO?