Issues with Pause at height - anycubic mega s

[AndreaG85 0]

Hello!

I have a anycubic mega s and i'm using cura 4.10.

I tried many times with pause at height, both with mm height and layer height , marlin or BQ and it doesn't restart.
After it stop, I don't get any resume button on the screen. 

 

Do you have any ideas about how to make it works?

[GregValiant 1,357]

There should be a specific command that tells the printer to stop "right now" and for your printer I believe it should be M0.  If the command is ignored then there is a problem in the firmware, I suppose if it does pause but then the command won't continue it would also be a firmware problem.  I think you would need to get support from AnyCubic for this issue as I am sure Cura is adding the line to the gcode.  It's just that the printer isn't enabled for it.

 

You don't need to print a whole file to check on what might work.  You could make up a short gcode file just to see if you can pause and resume.  If you start a text editor (like Windows Notepad) and enter this:

 

G28

G0 F3000 X100 Y100 Z10

M0

G0 X10 Y10

G0 X100 Y100

M25

G0 X10 Y10

G0 X100 Y100

 

Then save it as "save as type" = "All Files" and then name the new file as a gcode file - you can print it.  

 

M0 works on my Ender but M25 only works when I start a print using M24.  Using that example snippet above, my printer will pause at the M0 but blow right through the M25.

 

If you have "Z-Hops" enabled then you can't use "by height" as the search criteria can be confused by Z-hops in the gcode.  Using "by layer" works well for me.

In the Pause at Height dialog, the bottom setting box is for "gcode after pause".  If you put in "G4 S300" then the machine will dwell (a timed pause) for 5 minutes (300 seconds) and then restart by itself.  Just make the number of seconds something you are comfortable being able to swap colors in.  Practicing is good.  A drawback is that you have to be standing there staring at it because it will just go back to work at the end of the time period.  There is also no command to make the dwell shorter.  If you make the dwell 25 minutes (G4 S1500) and it only takes you 1 minute to change filament, you are going to wait the other 24 minutes for the printer to restart.  The maximum "disarm timeout" is 1800 seconds.  If your G4 command is more than that then the steppers will lose their position before the print resumes.  If you set the "gcode before pause" to M300 there will be a beep from the printer.

Edited July 14, 2021 by GregValiant

[gr5 2,235]

More info about M0 and  M25 here: https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M0:_Stop_or_Unconditional_stop

 

[jpawlin 0]

i had the same issue with my Anycubic i3 mega s and i found if you cycle the power switch off and on, then resume the print the same way that you would in the event of a power failure/outage then it will home the x, y, and z and continue with the print.. i know this answer is probably too late to save this this project but hope it helps in later projects. happy printing..

[GregValiant 1,357]

I don't know the AnyCubic machines, but on a Creality printer the stop switches are not very repeatable.  If you successfully pause a print and then have to Auto-Home then the "new" 0,0,0 may not be exactly the same as the "old" 0,0,0.  That is, when the print head hits the switches and stops, it doesn't stop in exactly the same position as the previous time.  In the X and/or Y that will cause a layer shift.  In the Z you might re-start and hit the print with the nozzle, or air print above the previous layer.

 

The Pause At Height settings include boxes for "Gcode before pause" and "Gcode after pause".  I put M300 in the gcode before pause so the machine beeps and draws my attention.

 

In the Gcode After pause box, if you enter the "dwell" command G4 S300 (where S is in seconds) then you will have 300 seconds (5 minutes) to change filament, insert a nut, whatever.  At the end of the "dwell" the machine will restart on its own.  Once the line is read by the printer there is no way to shorten the time and there is no way to make it longer.  You will have X number of seconds to finish what you want to do, and then wait for the print to continue.  That is not the same as a Pause command that you can restart at your leisure.