SBC Duet 3 setup for Ender 5 (dual z)

olorin42

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I just purchased a Duet 3 MB 6HC as part of a revamp of my Ender 5 Pro. It will be a working project, just starting with the existing steppers except I'm adding a dual Z setup and I was planning to utilize the sensor-less homing. It will be moving to a full linear rail core-xy setup but I was trying to minimize the changes since moving to the duet board alone is a big one.

I'm definitely more than a little bit lost on getting started. I've read through some of the guides out there, but I feel there are some big gaps in the information or at least my interpretation of them. This isn't so much with the physical and electrical setup but with the software / firmware.

I've been able to get the Pi setup and communicating to the Duet 3 and can access the web interface. I've also gone through the RepRap config process and put the files onto the Pi's SD card in the /sys path.

At this point I'm just hoping to connect one of the steppers and issue some G0/G1 commands to see them move but I've been stopped by the lack of a home.g (or homeall.g) file.

Any advice on how to proceed?

Thanks,
David

Phaedrux

@olorin42 said in SBC Duet 3 setup for Ender 5 (dual z):

Any advice on how to proceed?

What exactly are you stuck on?

@olorin42 said in SBC Duet 3 setup for Ender 5 (dual z):

At this point I'm just hoping to connect one of the steppers and issue some G0/G1 commands to see them move but I've been stopped by the lack of a home.g (or homeall.g) file.

Axis won't move unless they are homed first. Normally that would be achieved with endstops and probe and the homing macros. However you can fake it by sending G92 X100 Y100 Z100 that will tell the firmware that the current head position is X100 Y100 Z100 and allow you to move accordingly.

The ender 5 is cartesian, so you can generate a config file set using the online tool to get a working base and then customize it as you wish.

https://configtool.reprapfirmware.org/Start

There is some good info on setting up a cartesian here: https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/ConfiguringRepRapFirmwareCartesianPrinter

There's also a series of conversion guides for the ender 3 which is actually basically identical to the ender 5 in practice.

https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Search?query=ender

olorin42

@Phaedrux Thank you! The G92 command allowed me to get past the homing limitation and test one of the steppers. I had the wiring incorrect initially as well, but I've got that worked out now, at least in terms of the steppers moving an appropriate distance. I need to double check the direction it is rotating.

I think after this, the next point of confusion is with some of the RepRap config generated files. I put the Pi's SD card in my computer and copied these to /sys, then moved it back over to the Pi. This seems to have worked for the most part but some things aren't found from the web interface. For example, clicking the home x button responds with it not being able to find the homex.g file. I assume it is looking for it in a different location than /boot/sys. Where exactly is it looking for these?

Thanks,
David

Phaedrux

I suggest you run through this tool first to get a set of starting files.

https://configtool.reprapfirmware.org/Start

Choose as best you can. It doesn't have to be perfect off the top. Start with the ender 3 profile and it will be pretty close.

Then you'll have all the files to look at and customize.

You can upload the config files through the web interface. No need to manually copy to the SD card. If you're already connected to the web interface.

olorin42

Thanks again @Phaedrux. It's good to know that I can upload the config files directly through the web interface. That will definitely save me some steps.

I have been through the reprap configuration tool, which is where I got the config.g file I'm working with. The problem I'm facing is that the web interface buttons seem to be looking for files like homex.g in a different location from where they were placed when I originally copied them over. I'll see if uploading directly from the web interface fixes that.

Thanks,
David

Phaedrux

At the end of the config tool there is an option to download a complete zip file. Download that and then upload it to the system tab in the web interface. That should get all the files where they need to be.

I think when you put the SD card in your computer you are seeing the partition that is used when the SD card is placed in the Duet itself, not when it's used with the Pi. That has a separate partition and isn't normally accessible in windows since its a linux partition.

When using the Pi the config files are stored in a virtual sd card mount located in the pi file system located /opt/dsf/sd

https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Getting_Started_With_Duet_3#main

You also have the option of skipping the Pi for the time being and using the Duet in standalone mode. That can be a bit more straightforward when you're first getting started with RepRapFirmware and the Duet.

olorin42

Thanks again @Phaedrux for your knowledge. I used the web interface to upload the files and now the home buttons function. I'm wiring every interface one at a time and testing it. I've got everything functional now except for the bed heater wiring. I'll make a separate post for that though.

Thanks,
David