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You might want to look into using one of the unused thermistor inputs and skip the extra hardware entirely.

g.

RollieRowland wrote:Well then.. Those would be incredible! I'm going to order a couple, then rig up a board which will convert the resistance into a switch, like geneb was saying!

They're sold as kits, including the board http://www.ultibots.com/fsr-kit/.

geneb wrote:You might want to look into using one of the unused thermistor inputs and skip the extra hardware entirely.

g.

Now that you say that, I just noticed the two extra thermistor plugs on the rambo... That would make this easier!

Or even the kit that ZakRabbit just posted. I will probably do the cheaper of the two

Any way to get this to work with smoothie?

plasma wrote:Any way to get this to work with smoothie?

I'm assuming you mean for autocalibration? If so, not at the moment. I do plan on eventually adding support for other firmware.

plasma wrote:Any way to get this to work with smoothie?

626Pilot's code is very thorough in "leveling" the bed. Check out the epic thread in the Smoothieware forum.

I'm currently working on improving the accuracy, well more or less a speed improvement, of the program. This version should reduce the amount of iterations necessary, while also having a smaller tolerance requirement (+/-0.02, before it was +/-0.05). Previously the program had anywhere from 60% to 140% correction (either under compensated or over compensated), now it is around 80% to 120%. My goal is to get the program around 95% to 105% or closer, that way it only requires 1 or 2 iterations, as opposed to 4 or 5.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B06WCA ... sp=sharing

This is still version 2.0.0, but I plan on adding several improvements to the next update.

Edit: Did some more testing. I tried calibrating with the z-probe off to the side of the effector plate, and tried a print. Then moved the z-probe directly under the nozzle, and tried a print. Found out that the bed is better leveled when the z-probe is directly under the nozzle.

KAS wrote:

RollieRowland wrote:

KAS wrote:I gave this a whirl on the smoothieboard. but some of the values don't appear to translate correctly to smoothieboard in regards to the EEPROM/repetier values.


Specifically these listed below; compared to the Alpha Rotation ABC changes recommended, ( I was using the java script from the first page link, not the .exe listed above.)

delta_tower1_offset 0.0
delta_tower2_offset 0.0
delta_tower3_offset 0.0
delta_tower1_angle 0.0
delta_tower2_angle 0.0
delta_tower3_angle 0.0

I do not want to assume, but I am thinking that the delta tower angle 1-3 would be the equivalent of alpha rotation with the base values being stored in the firmware. So you would have to put(also assuming it is set that 1=x, 2=y, 3=z for towers) zeroes in for the alpha rotation abc, as opposed to 210, 330, and 90. I am not sure though, all you can do is try!
.

The Alpha Rotation - ABC changes after running the calibration are:
A 210.003
B 330.005
C 89.998

That's probably not enough to make a difference, but I'll try to figure out the conversion to smoothie.

@KAS, what machine are those numbers from? they are virtually perfect !

Epic progress here Rollie !

Yes, the FSR and mini input board (which I think is perfect and required) works great with Smoothie. That's where I started. I then added one to my Rostock Max running an Azteeg X3 Pro and then my Taz5 running a Rambo. I have another hooked up to a Duet but I haven't completed that build.

The little board is available from Ultibots, eBay and several other vendors. They are all made by the same guy and are inexpensive. They make interfacing and calibrating the sensitivity dead simple and the best part is they have LEDs to show which one of the 3 FSRs triggered. Worth every penny in my opinion.

bvandiepenbos wrote:
@KAS, what machine are those numbers from? they are virtually perfect !

Rostock Max v2 with a few upgrades from you I'm working on getting that infamous 11" circle.

KAS wrote:

bvandiepenbos wrote:
@KAS, what machine are those numbers from? they are virtually perfect !

Rostock Max v2 with a few upgrades from you I'm working on getting that infamous 11" circle.

20150730_195001.jpg

I like what you did with mounting height and location of light ring, I did not think about light ring mounted there.
I like it.!

I thought I would try out the latest but it keeps crashing. Known problem?

RollieRowland wrote:Well then.. Those would be incredible! I'm going to order a couple, then rig up a board which will convert the resistance into a switch, like geneb was saying!

I meant to add, the little board that is available already does that, it interfaces to the FSRs and to an endstop on the control board. For all intents and purposes, it makes the FSRs look like any end-stop based probe but has "0" Z offset.

mhackney wrote:I thought I would try out the latest but it keeps crashing. Known problem?

Screen Shot 2015-07-31 at 7.19.49 PM.png

Yeah, you will get this occasionally I haven't found the exact problem, but make sure that the com port is open. So, disconnect from any host, and if else try restarting your printer. What version of repetier are you on? Might even be Windows 7, I haven't had a chance to test with that version of Windows, just 8.1 and 10.

Also, I ordered the kit on Ultibots that KAS linked yesterday, from what I read it should act just like what you are saying! I can't wait to get them installed!

I have one of the kits from ultibots on order too I can't wait to have fiddle with the leveller, it looks interesting. Should make thing much nicer to play with...

I'm running Windows 7, I avoided the Windows 8 "disaster". I have rebooted both printer and Windows. Repetier .92-3 but still have the problem. I can run Mac OS X too if there is an option for that. Otherwise, I guess I'm dead in the water.

Yes, the FSRs are great. I started using them when Johann first presented them and they interfaced into the thermistor port. Frankly, that was a PIA and required using a modified Marlin. This little board lets you tune the sensitivity and has LEDs for visual confirmation of a trigger. From my experiments with 626Pilot's Smoothie calibration, it is very repeatable. You'll like them. The printable holders I designed and posted are perfect. You can find them starting at post 700in my thread.


You want the one with the term "short" in its filename as that matches the Ultibot FSRs.

mhackney wrote:I'm running Windows 7, I avoided the Windows 8 "disaster". I have rebooted both printer and Windows. Repetier .92-3 but still have the problem. I can run Mac OS X too if there is an option for that. Otherwise, I guess I'm dead in the water.

Yes, the FSRs are great. I started using them when Johann first presented them and they interfaced into the thermistor port. Frankly, that was a PIA and required using a modified Marlin. This little board lets you tune the sensitivity and has LEDs for visual confirmation of a trigger. From my experiments with 626Pilot's Smoothie calibration, it is very repeatable. You'll like them. The printable holders I designed and posted are perfect. You can find them starting at post 700in my thread.


You want the one with the term "short" in its filename as that matches the Ultibot FSRs.

Alright, what I will do is have the program write the unhandled exception to a log in a separate file, that way we can figure out the issue. I am going to downgrade an extra computer to Windows 7 and see if I can find anything out if that doesn't help.

I'm glad you can tune the sensitivity, I was concerned about that. And I'll see if I can get those mounts printed too, thank you for that link by the way!

I want to know where do you connect that fsr kit?

Will I be able to use the clibration app without the fsr? Just use the dwitch?

RollieRowland wrote:

mhackney wrote:I'm running Windows 7, I avoided the Windows 8 "disaster". I have rebooted both printer and Windows. Repetier .92-3 but still have the problem. I can run Mac OS X too if there is an option for that. Otherwise, I guess I'm dead in the water.

Yes, the FSRs are great. I started using them when Johann first presented them and they interfaced into the thermistor port. Frankly, that was a PIA and required using a modified Marlin. This little board lets you tune the sensitivity and has LEDs for visual confirmation of a trigger. From my experiments with 626Pilot's Smoothie calibration, it is very repeatable. You'll like them. The printable holders I designed and posted are perfect. You can find them starting at post 700in my thread.


You want the one with the term "short" in its filename as that matches the Ultibot FSRs.

Alright, what I will do is have the program write the unhandled exception to a log in a separate file, that way we can figure out the issue. I am going to downgrade an extra computer to Windows 7 and see if I can find anything out if that doesn't help.

I'm glad you can tune the sensitivity, I was concerned about that. And I'll see if I can get those mounts printed too, thank you for that link by the way!

I'm not 100% sure that it's "tunable." As I understand it, with the board in place, they are "zeroed" on power up and as soon as any additional weight is sensed the board sends the signal you've programmed in. Mhackney, 626Pilot, is this correct? I'm not trying to argue, I'm looking for clarification.

duvdev wrote:I want to know where do you connect that fsr kit?

Will I be able to use the clibration app without the fsr? Just use the dwitch?

The kit on Ultibots you can plug in as a minimum endstop, same way as a switch because of the controller that it comes with.

Yes, I am also going to figure a way that it will set your z-height properly after calibration as well - for probes and FSRs. For now both would work the same way, but the z height needs set right after the calibration.

Here is the designer's page on the board. And the instructions are here.

As you can see, you set the sensitivity with jumpers. In my case with the Rostock with the big glass plate with PEI attached, an aluminum heat dissipator and the snowflake and Onyx. I am to using any of these jumpers and it triggers perfectly. As I've said, these things work extremely well, constantly and reliably. With the mount that I designed and posted brave there are no issues with the heated bed since the snowfall plate insulates. There is a lot of crap on the delta google group about "these won't work with heated beds" etc from people who theorize and haven't actually used them. A little simple
"engineering" and they work perfectly well with a heated bed.

Once installed, the FSRs with this board interface to the controller (RAMBo, etc) through one of the available endstop terminals - typically the Z min but it can be any available. And as I said above, it looks exactly like any of the switch based probes except that there is "0" Z height since it is triggered exactly at Z=0.

Thank you for that!

N/P, it's a nice little board that really takes the guesswork out of using FSRs.

mhackney wrote:N/P, it's a nice little board that really takes the guesswork out of using FSRs.

I've got the fsr kit, just waiting on the box from Brian at Trick Laser for the rest of it. Still debating on how to actually mount them. I work in a CNC shop, but no other printers to make the mounting bits.