Quick guide to setting up the ZestyTech nimble on the Rostock MAX V2 or V3

[ramai]

Quick nimble setup guide for those with a Rostock Max V2 or V3 with the RAMBo board. I just went through this, and successfully got it up and running. A few folks helped me do it, so I want to pay it forward. Here is a quick guide.
Here is the official documentation
http://zestytechnology.readthedocs.io/e ... uning.html

1. First we have to flash the firmware with some updates. Go download the latest firmware from SeeMeCNC
https://github.com/seemecnc/Firmware

2. Open up the .ino file in arduino.

3. If you haven't flashed the firmware then you'll need to set up your board in the software. Here is the link to paste into the additional board manager in preferences.
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ultim ... index.json
Then you can go to tools, Boards, Boards Manager and download the RAMBo board.

4. Click on the Configuration.h tab and modify these 3 values:
#define PRINTER 2 (or 5 if you are V3. This value is at the top)
#define MICROSTEP_MODES {16,16,16,4,16} (setting the extruder1 stepper to 4 micro steps)
Scroll down to #elif PRINTER == 2 // Rostock MAX v2 or #elif PRINTER == 5 // Rostock MAX v3
set #define MOTOR_CURRENT {140,140,140,100,0} (we are interested in the 4th value)
I set mine to 100 which should be about 500 mA. This is the vref value mentioned which sets the current to extruder1.
Here is a helpful tidbit I found: Values 0-255 (RAMBO 135 = ~0.75A, 185 = ~1A)

5. Upload the firmware. I like to disconnect matter control and reset the printer (power off, on) before flashing. Then I reset the printer again after the flash. You can use GCODE M115 to check the firmware version.

6. Now we edit these 3 EEPROM values. (EEPROM is not wiped when doing a flash, so existing values should be there)
Set extruder1 steps per mm to 750 (this ended up being the perfect value for me)
Set Extr.1 accelleration to 120 mms/2
Set Extr.1 Max Start Feed Rate to .6 (some people call this extruder jerk)
Save to EEPROM

7. Lastly, set your retraction speed in settings to 30mms
That should be it. Let me know if I missed anything important. Be sure to calibrate using the calibration guide provided.
http://zestytechnology.readthedocs.io/e ... ation.html

[Zesty_Lykle]

Wow, Thank you Ramai for writing this.
Nice to see collaboration working out and getting results.
Thanks

Lykle

[ramai]

special shoutout to @vandarin and @Turpinator in the zesty discord channel for all the help.

[timskloss]

Hmm, not working for me. The steps per mm and max extrusion speed changes are being recognized, but when I edit the EEPROM settings for starting speed and acceleration the printer won't change its behavior. I am also running 16 micro steps and 2772 steps per mm. Could that be why?

I have also lowered the extruder motor current limit from 130 to 48, which should be correct for a maximum of 0.3 volts for Vref as recommended. But that didn't make a difference.

I still stall if I try any extrusion speed above 8.3 mm/sec.

Ideas?

[ramai]

Try bumping up your motor current to 100 to see if that takes care of the stalling. Are you running the RAMBo? or do you have a duet or other board? The zesty folks recommended dropping the micro steps to 4 on 8 bit boards so you can give that a try too.

[timskloss]

Thanks, I updated the micro stepping and motor currents to match your guide. My steps/mm came out to 730 using a digital scale to measure 500 mm of extrusion (1.51 grams).

But the start speed (jerk) and acceleration settings in EEPROM don't make any difference. I have run down to 0.02 mm/s and 5 mm/sec/sec with no difference in how the extruder starts and stop, nor its top speed. Right now it won't run any faster than 500 mm/min when entering the G-code commands manually.

I might try downloading the latest firmware. Mine is about 6 months old or more.

[timskloss]

Just tried the newest firmware from GitHub pointed to by SeeMe. Erased EEPROM too. all your changes are in. It won't extrude faster than F500 (8.3 mm/sec). Changes to jerk and acceleration don't seem to make any difference.

I'm stuck here. I can print but only retract at 6 mm/sec to avoid stalling. Any ideas why the acceleration and jerk won't take affect?

[ramai]

Make sure you are setting the eeprom jerk of the settings way at the bottom not at the top. Same for acceleration.
Does it make a high pitched noise when it stalls? Almost like a whistle.

[timskloss]

Many thanks for taking the time to help. Yes, I am making the changes near the bottom where all the extruder-1 changes are kept. The ones at the top are for the XYZ axis motors. Here is an example of the EEPROM when I tried even lower jerk and acceleration settings.

Code: Select all

Send: N173 M205*33
Recv: ok
Recv: EPR:2 75 250000 Baudrate
Recv: EPR:1 43 1 Advanced User
Recv: EPR:3 129 18125.058 Filament printed [m]
Recv: EPR:2 125 7970845 Printer active [s]
Recv: EPR:2 79 900000 Max. inactive time [ms,0=off]
Recv: EPR:2 83 600000 Stop stepper after inactivity [ms,0=off]
Recv: EPR:3 11 80.0000 Steps per mm
Recv: EPR:3 23 250.000 Max. feedrate [mm/s]
Recv: EPR:3 35 80.000 Homing feedrate [mm/s]
Recv: EPR:3 39 32.000 Max. jerk [mm/s]
Recv: EPR:3 133 0.000 X home pos [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 137 0.000 Y home pos [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 141 0.000 Z home pos [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 145 250.000 X max length [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 149 250.000 Y max length [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 153 397.200 Z max length [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 59 1850.000 Acceleration [mm/s^2]
Recv: EPR:3 71 3000.000 Travel acceleration [mm/s^2]
Recv: EPR:3 881 294.500 Diagonal rod length [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 885 145.430 Horizontal rod radius at 0,0 [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 925 145.000 Max printable radius [mm]
Recv: EPR:1 891 80 Segments/s for travel
Recv: EPR:1 889 200 Segments/s for printing
Recv: EPR:1 893 10 Tower X endstop offset [steps]
Recv: EPR:1 895 0 Tower Y endstop offset [steps]
Recv: EPR:1 897 8 Tower Z endstop offset [steps]
Recv: EPR:3 901 209.760 Alpha A(210):
Recv: EPR:3 905 329.020 Alpha B(330):
Recv: EPR:3 909 90.000 Alpha C(90):
Recv: EPR:3 913 0.000 Delta Radius A(0):
Recv: EPR:3 917 0.000 Delta Radius B(0):
Recv: EPR:3 921 0.000 Delta Radius C(0):
Recv: EPR:3 933 0.000 Corr. diagonal A [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 937 0.000 Corr. diagonal B [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 941 0.000 Corr. diagonal C [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 808 -0.100 Z-probe height [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 929 20.000 Max. z-probe - bed dist. [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 812 80.000 Z-probe speed [mm/s]
Recv: EPR:3 840 50.000 Z-probe x-y-speed [mm/s]
Recv: EPR:3 800 0.000 Z-probe offset x [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 804 0.000 Z-probe offset y [mm]
Recv: EPR:3 816 -123.565 Z-probe X1
Recv: EPR:3 820 -71.340 Z-probe Y1
Recv: EPR:3 824 123.565 Z-probe X2
Recv: EPR:3 828 -71.340 Z-probe Y2
Recv: EPR:3 832 0.000 Z-probe X3
Recv: EPR:3 836 142.680 Z-probe Y3
Recv: EPR:0 880 1 Autolevel active (1/0)
Recv: EPR:0 106 1 Bed Heat Manager [0-3]
Recv: EPR:0 107 255 Bed PID drive max
Recv: EPR:0 124 80 Bed PID drive min
Recv: EPR:3 108 127.850 Bed PID P-gain
Recv: EPR:3 112 13.400 Bed PID I-gain
Recv: EPR:3 116 296.130 Bed PID D-gain
Recv: EPR:0 120 255 Bed PID max value [0-255]
Recv: EPR:3 200 730.000 Extr.1 steps per mm
Recv: EPR:3 204 30.000 Extr.1 max. feedrate [mm/s]
Recv: EPR:3 208 0.300 Extr.1 start feedrate [mm/s]
Recv: EPR:3 212 12.000 Extr.1 acceleration [mm/s^2]
Recv: EPR:0 216 1 Extr.1 heat manager [0-3]
Recv: EPR:0 217 180 Extr.1 PID drive max
Recv: EPR:0 245 80 Extr.1 PID drive min
Recv: EPR:3 218 18.9600 Extr.1 PID P-gain/dead-time
Recv: EPR:3 222 2.5200 Extr.1 PID I-gain
Recv: EPR:3 226 35.6100 Extr.1 PID D-gain
Recv: EPR:0 230 255 Extr.1 PID max value [0-255]
Recv: EPR:2 231 0 Extr.1 X-offset [steps]
Recv: EPR:2 235 0 Extr.1 Y-offset [steps]
Recv: EPR:1 239 3 Extr.1 temp. stabilize time [s]
Recv: EPR:1 250 10 Extr.1 temp. for retraction when heating [C]
Recv: EPR:1 252 0 Extr.1 distance to retract when heating [mm]
Recv: EPR:0 254 200 Extr.1 extruder cooler speed [0-255]
Recv: EPR:3 246 0.000 Extr.1 advance L [0=off]

When it stalls it makes a high pitched sound. It stalls if I try F600 or faster.

[timskloss]

Update. Still no progress after talking with many folks. The acceleration control does work if I turn the steps per mm down from 730 to 100 or so, but doesn't work at the high step rate required to calibrate correctly with 4 micro steps.

Ramai: what Rambo board and firmware are you running? I have a Rambo 1.3L and firmware from SeeMe GitHub 0.92.2 20170822.

I am using Arduino 1.8.5 to load the firmware using the AVR ISP programmer. Not sure if that matters though.

[ramai]

Hey Tim,
I'm looking through all of my settings, and they are very similar to yours. I realize though that I have my retraction turned off. I've been printing at low temperatures. When I turn my retraction on, sure enough I get the stalling until about 5mm/sec. That is not ideal, but it works mostly ok with the temps I'm printing at. Good news is, looks like we are in the same boat. Bad news is, I don't have a fix for this. I asked Zesty about it and they said maybe the gear inside the nimble needs to be oiled. I feel like that's probably not it if we both have the issue. It seems people without RAMBo are not having the issue, so it might be something specific to that. Lets see if we can solve this one out.

[timskloss]

Ramai, I'm both happy and sad to hear we are seeing the same thing!!

See my other post I created in the troubleshooting section for more info, but I have resolved my problem for now. With the current turned up to 180 in firmware I can get reliably up to 15 mm/sec retraction speed which will be good enough for now.

http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php ... 35#p106735

Thanks for your help!