3D Touch Sensor:Auto-levelling for Geeetech 3D printer

[daveapplemotors]

You must enter command M280 P0 S10 to move the tip down. Below is some G code start my printer.
This script works for me.

M280 P0 S160 ;3d touch alarm off
M190 S111.000000 ;bed temp
M109 S231.000000 ;nozzle temp
G21 ;metric values
G90 ;absolute positioning
G28 X0 Y0 ;home
G28 Z0
G1 Z6.0 ; get the probe clear it is extended
M82 ;set extruder to absolute mode
M107 ;start with the fan off
M280 P0 S10 ;extend tip
M117 4 point AB Leveling ;Put leveling message on LCD screen
G28 ;basic home command--note--this must prceed immediately the G29 or it won't work
G29 P2 ; ABL routine [P] squared, 4 or 9 points
G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length
G1 F200 E2 ;extrude 2mm of feed stock
G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length again
G1 F3000
M117 [your message here] ;Put printing [] up to 21 characters on LCD screen

[daveapplemotors]

I forgot to add that if I don't extend the pin and turn the LED off it goes up instead of down on G28 command.

Can we edit our posts on this forum?

[UndCon]

I have been getting very inconsistent measurings lately from 3dTouch - it cannot even take 9 measures from the printbed without messing up

I just had enough of this sensor - I'll order the original instead.

[Porkisek]

Hi all,
thank you for your replay Dave. I double checked everything.... Clean pin. Switched on debug for the sensor. And finally I found sliding connector from the sensor to wires under the plastic spiral. On the long distance from 0 on axis x was not connected.... That is a little pitty, but I am glad that everything is OK. NiklasO - thank you for the great firmware.

[UndCon]

Well - I gave my sensor a final try and it seems I got it up and running again

Dismantled it as far as I could and put it back together.

After a firmware update/reset (again) to troubleshoot I now get crashes in the firmware. Repetier host crashes and tells me to run M999 to reset, but I have to cycle power on the printer.

OK, if it crashes when controlled from repetier but not OK if it crashes during print....time will tell..

My test subject was a fish fozzil from thingiverse

1hr 22minues later it was done.

Hopefully my printer is now working properly again...

[daveapplemotors]

It bothers me that sometimes the 3D touch alarm starts flashing during a print. Consequently, I insert the command "M280 P0 S160" in a few places of the G-code to turn off the alarm. I put the command right after ;Layer:10, ;Layer;50, ;Layer:100,;Layer:150,;Layer:200, etc if I use Cura.

If I use Slic3r then I put "M280 P0 S160" after G1 Z1, G1 Z5 & G1 Z10, etc.

I would like to issue the command at each layer but I have not found out how to edit G-code to do that well.

[UndCon]

This sensor is random ok, random crop.

The fish I printed was OK. Now 2days later the sensor is bad again... I have no trust in this thing.

[UndCon]

Now It is official - I have permanently removed the sensor from my 3d printer

Reason

I power on the printer - all is OK and sensor do "self test" up /down movements
I do "auto home" (X, Y homes and Z touches 1 time) - OH NO - the sensor fails to register the board and both Z stepper motors drives to the extreme bottom and jams up - I kill main power

I am forced to wind jammed motors backwards to unlock the nuts on the threaded rods that are tight up on the couplings. - I turn back motors as even as I can to not mess up the level of the X axis too much

Next up is to measure printboard to X-axis and see if they still are aligned (of course they aren't any more)

Then I power printer up again and sensor does self test ok

Then we try again "Auto Home" and this time sensor decides to actually register the printbed. - i'm glad something worked

Then we need to level the bed (u know when sensor measures 9 points on the printbed)

point 1-8 OK
point 9 SLAM into the printbed and we have again 2 jammed motors!

Thank you mr Sensor - I think I know what you want by now...

Rince and repeat (undoing motors measuring X and so on....


Then we power on again...all OK

Auto Home - OK

Level bed? _ this time OK what the heck?

Next up is to start a print and all of the sudden the so called measured table is all wonky
The printer fails to put down the 1st layer and I see on the Zmotors that they are working hard when printer moves - Is it really registered THAT wonky??? I mean it feels Like it thinks the board is off by 10mm in 1 end.

So - off goes the sensor forever! I'll make a video when I crack it to pieces with an axe in my garage and I will post it on youtube for the fun of it.

A simple microswitch endstop never fails to register - this does every so often and worst of all - it is not even consistent - various measures all the time.

1 time I leveled the bed 3 times in a row with various results - this is not good enough.

[cosmith]

Sounds like a bad connection to the sensor.

[UndCon]

If so it is a broken cable - the solders and connectors are good.