Automatic nozzle alignment of IDEX printer with probe

TechNi

Hello everybody

I am looking for an automated solution to align the nozzle of both print heads of an IDEX printer in X & Y direction where the print heads determine their offsets themselves with the help of a probe, as shown here:

I have already found a couple of automated solutions like:

nudge by zruncho3d shown in the picture above (https://github.com/zruncho3d/nudge)
NozzleAlign Ball Probe by viesturz (https://github.com/viesturz/NozzleAlign)

There are also some manual solutions like:

TAMV by Danal (https://github.com/HaythamB/TAMV?tab=readme-ov-file)
XY calibration tool by EmberPrototypes (https://www.emberprototypes.com/products/cxc)

I have tested the calibration tool by EmberPrototypes and it works fine (much better than the calibration prints) but it's far from automated.

I wish to use either the nudge or the ball probe but both probes provide the code only for Klipper.

I wonder if anyone has managed to get them to work under RRF or if there exists another similar solution for Duet users?

Cheers
TechNi

Edit: After further digging, maybe this can be coded relatively simply with M558 & M585?

dwuk3d

@TechNi i'm working on macros for automated alignment using a ball probe in xy&z which is probably more complicated than needed for a pure IDEX.

I'm using an ember prototypes cxc mainly to help check the results - plus also probably to give a manual verification option.

happy to share what I come up with in case it is of use to you.

Thoughts so far here https://forum.duet3d.com/post/351387

dwuk3d

@dwuk3d My current (not yet finished) macro if it is of any interest

;AlignXYZ.g
;
G90
G1 U150 V290 F20000
G1 Z50 F1000

M98 P"0:/macros/FindProbeXY.g"
M574 Z1 S2 K3; Set Z to Ball Probe
G1 H4 Z{global.zHit} F300

if sensors.probes[3].value[0] = 0
    echo "Probe not found"
    break
;G1 X235 Y179 F10000

G1 Z50 F1000



; Find basic Z position

var Zpos = {50,49,48,48,48}
var Zrate = {300,200,100,80}
var Xpos = {10,8,8,8,7}
var Ypos = {10,8,8,8,7}
var XYrate = {1000,800,300,100,100}

var prev = false
var pXM = 0
var pYM = 0


while iterations < 4
    M574 Z1 S2 K3; Set Z to Ball Probe

    G90
    G1 Z{var.Zpos[iterations]} F300
    G91 
    G1 H4 Z-10 F{var.Zrate[iterations]}
    ;echo "Z", {move.axes[2].userPosition}


    var ZP = move.axes[2].userPosition

    G1 Z5 F5000

    M574 Z1 S2 K0; configure Z axis endstop

    ; Now find X middle

    G91
    G1 X{0-var.Xpos[iterations]} F5000
    G90
    G1 Z{var.ZP-0.2} F300


    G91
    M574 X1 S2 K3
    G1 H4 X+10 F{var.XYrate[iterations]}

    ;echo "X1", {move.axes[0].userPosition}

    var X1 = move.axes[0].userPosition

    G1 Z5 F300
    G1 X{var.Xpos[iterations]}  F5000
    G1 Z-5 F300

    G1 H4 X-10 F{var.XYrate[iterations]}
    ;echo "X2", {move.axes[0].userPosition}

    var X2 = move.axes[0].userPosition

    G1 Z5

    G90
    var XM = (var.X1+var.X2)/2
    ;echo "XM", {var.XM}
    G1 X{var.XM}

    M574 X1 S3 ; configure X axis endstop

    ; Now Y
    G91

    G1 Y{0-var.Ypos[iterations]} F5000
    G1 Z-5 F300
    M574 Y1 S2 K3

    G1 H4 Y+10 F{var.XYrate[iterations]}
    ;echo "Y1", {move.axes[1].userPosition}

    var Y1 = move.axes[1].userPosition

    G1 Z5 F300
    G1 Y{var.Ypos[iterations]} F5000
    G1 Z-5 F300

    G1 H4 Y-10 F{var.XYrate[iterations]}
    ;echo "Y2", {move.axes[1].userPosition}

    var Y2 = move.axes[1].userPosition

    var YM = (var.Y1 + var.Y2) / 2


    echo "G92 X"^{var.XM}, "Y"^{var.YM}, "Z"^{var.ZP}," ;---X1,2",{var.X1},{var.X2},"--Y1,2",{var.Y1},{var.Y2}
    echo "G92 U"^{var.XM}, "V"^{var.YM}, "Z"^{var.ZP+5}
    if (var.prev == true)
        echo "variation X:",{var.pXM-var.XM}, "V:", {var.pYM-var.YM}
        
    set var.pXM = var.XM
    set var.pYM = var.YM
    set var.prev = true

    if exists(global.ballProbeX) == false
        global ballProbeX = var.XM
        global ballProbeY = var.YM
        global ballProbeZ = var.ZP
    else
        set global.ballProbeX = var.XM
        set global.ballProbeY = var.YM
        set global.ballProbeZ = var.ZP

    G1 Z5 F300

    G90 
    G1 X{var.XM} Y{var.YM} F2000


    M574 Y1 S3 ; configure Y axis endstop









G90

With find probe here

;FindProbeXY.g
;
G90
G1 U150 V320 F20000
G1 Z50 F1000
G1 X235 Y170 F10000

if exists(global.zHit) == false
  global zHit = 44.5

; See if already in correct position
M574 Z1 S2 K3; Set Z to Ball Probe
G1 H4 Z{global.zHit} F300

if sensors.probes[3].value[0] = 0
    G1 Z50 F1000
    G1 Y170 X230 F10000
    G1 H4 Z{global.zHit} F300
    if sensors.probes[3].value[0] = 1000
        break

    M574 Z1 S2 K0; configure Z axis endstop

    var y = 150
    M574 X1 S2 K3;   Set Z ball to X
    while var.y<200
        G1 H4 X270 F1000
        if sensors.probes[3].value[0] = 1000
            break
        G1 H4 Y{var.y+5} F1000
        if sensors.probes[3].value[0] = 1000
            break
        G1 H4 X230 F1000
        if sensors.probes[3].value[0] = 1000
            break
        set var.y = var.y + 10
        G1 H4 Y{var.y} F1000
        if sensors.probes[3].value[0] = 1000
            break

    M574 X1 S3 ; configure X axis endstop back

    G1 Z50 F1000