Tuning the Z-homing: Automated Procedure

We offer an automated procedure for tuning the Z-homing in addition to a manual process. The automated procedure is preferred (continue reading just below), although if your printer encounters any issues during this process, the manual procedure steps at Tuning the Z-homing: Manual Procedure may help you troubleshoot the particular error.

The relative distance between the bed and the nozzle depends on your Promega configuration (K'tana vs. Compound, glass vs. no glass, etc.) Ideally whenever you home the printer and send the command G1 X0 Y0 Z0 (telling the printer to go to (0,0,0)) the print bed will touch the nozzle. However, as outlined above, the relative distance between the bed and the nozzle varies depending on your setup. Follow the steps below to update the Z configuration of your printer.

This procedure consists of four broad steps:

• Step 1: Prerequisites are covered

• Step 2: We calibrate the Z probe's location relative to the nozzle.

• Step 3: We calibrate the full Z travel of the printer (which depends on bed glass, nozzle installation, etc.)

• Step 4: We perform a mesh bed leveling.

Step 1: Prerequisites

Verify your printer configuration is up to date before completing this procedure.

In particular, make sure the configuration files:

machine_axisdimension.g
machine_zendstop.g
machine_zprobe.g 

are present on the SD card.

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Along with the macros:

_1_Calibrate_Z_Probe.g
_2_Set_Z_Endstop_Height.g
_3_Mesh_Bed.g. 

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Let's verify. Go the web interface,

1. Choose Settings. Then System Editor.

2. Scroll down.

3. Ensure the three configuration files are present.

Next,

1. Choose Macros,

2. Look for a folder named Printer Setup

3. Ensure the three macros files are contained within.

If any of these files are missing, review the instructions at Updating SD Card Structure to update your printer, then return to this page to tune the Z-homing procedure.

Step 2: Z Probe Location Calibration

First, we will teach our printer the vertical distance between the nozzle and the deployed Z probe.

Begin by running the _1_Calibrate_Z_Probe.g macro:

1. Choose the Macros tab in Duet Web Control

2. Enter the Printer Setup folder

3. Click the _1_Calibrate_Z_Probe.g file entry.

4. Confirm you want to run the macro. Follow the onscreen prompts. ​

After homing, heating, and bringing the bed within ~20 mm of the nozzle, the macro will ask for your input to move the bed so that it just makes contact with the nozzle.

Make sure your Z probe is stowed, then use the (-) buttons to move the bed closer to the nozzle. ​

A post-it note or similar sheet of paper can be a useful tool to check the distance between the bed and nozzle, but always be careful to avoid touching the hot nozzle or heater block.

The post-it will slide relatively easily until there is a 0.1 mm gap between the bed and nozzle.

• If you step the bed closer to the nozzle in 0.1 mm increments, you can use the post-it note as a feeler gauge.

• When you feel resistance to the motion of the post-it, remove it from the gap between the nozzle and bed. If the post-it slides out from between the two without much resistance, we recommend moving 0.1 mm closer (again, use (-) buttons).

Once the bed and nozzle are touching, choose OK.

Deploy the Z probe when asked.

Then, continue stepping through the automated process, following the on-screen prompts. ​

The printer will raise the bed until it just makes contact with the deployed probe, at which point the Z value in the Machine Status display is a measure of the distance between the nozzle and the height at which the probe triggers. The next step will have you place this value in your machine configuration files so that the printer powers on with the proper Z calibration routines in the future.

Follow the on-screen prompts, making note of the Z value in the Machine Status area of the Duet Web Control page. ​

In the example shown, the bed triggered the Z probe at a height of 5.74 mm.

We will now transfer this value to the configuration file machine_zprobe.g.

After viewing the remaining prompts

1. Choose the Settings tab. Then System Editor.

2. Scroll down to the machine_zprobe.g file.

3. Click on the filename to open the file for editing.

Near the very bottom of the file, you will see a line that begins "G31" that we will update with our new Z offset value. In the image above, you can see our printer had an old Z value of 7.51 mm.

Update the Z value by changing just the numeric part to the value from the Machine Status area of Duet Web Control. In our example, "Z7.51" changes to "Z5.74".

Choose Save Changes after you have updated the value.

Step 3: Full Z Travel Calibration

Next, we will teach our printer the precise distance the bed travels from the bottom of the printer, when it has just made contact with the Z maximum endstop, to the top of the printer (Z=0) where prints begin. The Z probe should be stowed. If the probe is deployed, please retract it now.

Run _2_Set_Z_Endstop_Height.g:

1. Choose the Macros tab in Duet Web Control. Enter the Printer Setup folder.

2. Click the _2_Set_Z_Endstop_Height.g file.

When asked to confirm running the macro, choose Yes.

At times, the visual prompts may disappear while the printer continues to operate. This is normal, and you should wait for the next dialog requiring user input.

After homing, heating and bringing the bed within ~20 mm of the nozzle, the macro will ask for your input to move the bed so that it just makes contact with the nozzle.

Make sure your Z probe is stowed, then use the (-) buttons to move the bed closer to the nozzle.

We have measured the adjustment necessary to the current configuration value for Z maximum extent. The next step will have you place this value in your machine configuration files so that the printer powers on with the proper Z calibration routines in the future.

Follow the on-screen prompts, making note of the Z value in the Machine Status area of the Duet Web Control page.

In the example shown, the bed made contact with the nozzle at a height the printer believes to be 4.5 mm. We need this contact to occur at a height the printer believes is actually 0 mm, meaning the Z extent programmed in the printer is currently 4.5 mm too large.

We will use the value from the previous step to update the configuration files machine_zendstop.g and machine_axisdimension.g.

After viewing the remaining prompts:

1. Choose the Settings tab. Then System Editor.

2. Scroll down to the machine_zendstop.g file.

3. Click on the filename to open the file for editing.

Near the very bottom of the file, you will see a line that begins "G92" that we will update with our new achievable Z value. In the image above, you can see our printer had an old Z value of 378.4 mm. We need to update this with a value calculated as: ​

For example:

If the machine_zendstop.g file currently contains the command G92 Z378.4 and I obtained a value of 4.5 mm, my new value would be 373.9 mm.

I would replace the current Z value in the G92 command so that the line reads G92 Z373.9

Choose Save Changes after you have updated the value.

The values in machine_axisdimension.g implement safety and convenience features to avoid damage to the machine when everything is in working order and properly homed, and also need to be updated based on the result of step 8. These values prevent your bed, for example, from attempting to travel a large distance beyond the physical extent of your printer (sometimes known as "crashing").

1. Choose the Settings tab. Then System Editor.

2. Scroll down to the machine_axisdimension.g file.

3. Click on the filename to open the file for editing.

Near the very bottom of the file, you will see a line that begins "M208 S0" that we will update with our new practical Z range. In the image above, you can see our printer had an old Z value of 379 mm.

We will update the Z extent value contained in machine_axisdimension.g to reflect the achievable Z travel from step 8.

In practice, we do the following:

• Take the value just set in config_zendstop.g, round to the next largest whole number, and set this value in machine_axisdimension.g.

For example:

We just set our Z value for the G92 command in machine_zendstop.g to 373.9. We will therefore set the Z value in machine_axisdimension.g to 374.

Choose Save Changes after you have updated the value.

For best results, we recommend repeating step 8. In a properly calibrated printer, the resulting value of that process should be a Z of 0 mm. If the value is not 0 mm, repeat step 9 using the attained value.

Step 4: Mesh Bed Leveling

Finally, we perform a multi-point bed probe to allow the printer to correct for small variances in the level and flatness of the bed. Run _3_Mesh_Bed.g: choose the Macros tab in Duet Web Control, enter the Printer Setup folder, and click _3_Mesh_Bed.g. When asked to confirm running the macro, choose Yes.

This macro takes several minutes to run. Once completed, you will see a graphical view of the probing results.

These results are automatically saved and ready for use during this printing session and each time you power on the printer, so you have completed tuning your Z homing and no further action is necessary at this time. If you'd like to learn more about mesh bed compensation, however, you can read more at Bed Leveling & Probing.

Tuning the Z-homing: Manual Procedure

If you have already successfully run the procedure at Tuning the Z-homing: Automated Procedure, you can ignore this section. The automated process is the preferred procedure. This manual procedure is meant to accomplish the same end result, but allows for additional diagnostics during the process, should they be required.

Currently, this procedure is equivalent to steps 6 through 10 of the automated procedure above. The calibration of Z probe relative to nozzle and running of the mesh bed level are not covered here.

The relative distance between the bed and the nozzle depends on your Promega configuration (K'tana vs. Compound, glass vs. no glass, etc.) The macro machine_zendstop.g allows for Z0 to line up properly. We recommend tuning this macro once after receiving your printer, as well as following any configuration changes to the printer (such as extruder style or print surface change).

Ideally whenever you home the printer and send the command G1 X0 Y0 Z0 (telling the printer to go to (0,0,0)) the print bed will touch the nozzle. However, as outlined above, the relative distance between the bed and the nozzle varies depending on your setup. Follow the steps below to update your machine_zendstop.g file.

1. Verify your printer configuration is up to date before completing this procedure. In particular, make sure the file machine_zendstop.g is present on the SD card. To verify: in the web interface, choose Settings and then System Editor. Scroll down and ensure machine_zendstop.g is present. If it is not, first review the instructions at Updating SD Card Structure to update your printer, then return to this page to tune the Z-homing procedure.

2. Home the printer if you have not already done so (see Homing the Printer).

3. Send the command G29 S2 to disable bed leveling. Bed leveling can conflict with your homing value.

4. Move the printer to a height of Z = +10 mm with the command G1 Z10

5. Move the print head toward the center with G1 X200 Y200

6. Jog the bed up the nozzle with the buttons in machine control until the bed is touching the nozzle. Use the Z1mm and Z0.1mm buttons. Remember that you are about 10mm away from the nozzle.

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7. Once the bed is properly touching the nozzle record the Z-value in Machine Status on the Duet Web Console. This value will be used in the next step.

8. Open the machine_zendstop.g file in the Settings tab of Duet Web Control. This file is called during the homing process of the Z-axis. Find the G92 command at the end of the file. This command sets the z-axis height when the bed is moved completely away from the nozzle (that is, it is at the bottom of the printer and has triggered the Z maximum endstop).

9. Update this value with the following formula: ​new value = old value - step6valuenewvalue=oldvalue−step6value For example: if the machine_zendstop.g file currently contains the command G92 Z376.4 and I obtained a value of -0.6, my new value would be 377mm. I would remove the current G92 command from the machine_zendstop.g file and replace it withG92 Z377

10. Save the file and home the printer again. Although you should now be able to enter the command G1 Z0 , I don't recommend it. Manually jog your bed to the nozzle again to ensure that Z0 is when the bed is touching the nozzle.

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