Multi color printing with Prusa's MMU V2 & Duet?
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If case the filament does not engage correctly in the carriage, because of melted end (blob).
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I guess that's why 'ramming' needs to be tuned properly.
Anyway, with those available gcodes should it not be possible to write some custom macro's?
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Yes, sure! This is simple motors, so a couple of G1 commands should do the job. And the carriage needs to be homed.
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I don't see any homing switches so I guess it relies on sensorless homing
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Right. It uses TMC drivers...
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If it uses sensorless homing normally, wouldn't installing a normal endstop switch correct for that issue?
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Yes, sure. And it should be easy to do.
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I was hoping to pick up the MMU2 to put on a custom printer with a Duet 2 board.
Is this something anyone has already accomplished or would it be supported by Duet at any point in time?Or is this only a home grown venture?
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@oliman I was going to. Awaiting a bit more reviews on the MMU2 and maybe the first design iterations.
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Thanks @bartolomeus, I'll keep an eye out on reviews but I think I'm convinced the MMU 2 will be better than the Palette+. At least the design principles of the MMU 2 seem more dependable (also I'm not a fan of the custom Palette+ splicer).
Anyways, maybe someone will come out with a more mod friendly or printer independent MMU 2 clone. I would rather support Prusa, but not at the expense of taking a gamble of the MMU 2 not working with a non-Prusa printer.
I'm sure someone smarter than me will figure it out soon.
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For sure, MMU2 seems more reliable, and easier/cheaper to fix if it brakes. And interfacing it with the Duet/Duex is easy if you remove the electronic, and wire motors to the Duet. Then it is just a matter of a few G-Codes as macros to use it. Maybe ask Prusa if they can sell it without the electronic?
BTW, I'm working on my own filament multiplexer, but a mix between v1 and v2: a passive mux above the extruder, like in the v1, but a simple loader, not Bowden, like in v2. I'm waiting for mini-clutch to test my design.
Frédéric
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Someone is already designing an alternative. The design is on thingiverse. He also has a thread on this forum somewhere,
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In fact, there are 2 designs on Thingiverse (both guys are on this forum). I started mine because it is different in many ways...
Frédéric
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@fma Do you really think it would be easier without MMU v2 electronics? I think it should be possible to send the code to change the filament. But it is true you would need to change Duet FW to support this.
I really hope it will go this way. -
Well, wiring the motors on the Duet is a solution you can use right now, without any modification, so anyone can do it, and it does not need too much efforts nor skills...
I'm not sure it will be possible to communicate with the electronic, as it uses a SPI bus (MOSI/MISO/CLK are available - maybe not on a header, though - but it needs an additional CS - chip select - signal).
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If the Prusa MMU needs 3 stepper motors, I wonder whether there is any cost saving compared to a 5-input Diamond, or a QuadFusion if 4 colours is enough for you; plus the 1 or 2 additional stepper motors and drivers. Also the Diamond and the Quad can do colour mixing, although the mixing isn't perfect.
If the MMU communicates with the main electronics via SPI, then you could connect it to the daughter board connector on the Duet. Of course, RRF would need to be modified to support the MMU.
Duet WiFi hardware designer and firmware engineer
Please do not ask me for Duet support via PM or email, use the forum
http://www.escher3d.com, https://miscsolutions.wordpress.com -
@fma said in Multi color printing with Prusa's MMU V2 & Duet?:
In fact, there are 2 designs on Thingiverse (both guys are on this forum). I started mine because it is different in many ways...
Do you have any links to these?
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Have a look at this thread: https://forum.duet3d.com/topic/6346/multi-material-filament-feeder-repurpose-e1-stepper-driver
There are links to both.
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@dc42 for me the benefit of the mmu2 is that it remains direct drive, and doesn't add mass to the X carriage.
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Just to add something to the mix, there is a company called RD4 which makes a multi filament feeder. It's called the RDB. They did approach me and asked if I would be willing to test one of their units, which I agreed to do. I signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement with them but alas they never did send me a unit or provide me with any information (if they had, I could not of course divulge anything). I note however that they have a stand at the TCT show so I'll stop by and see what's what.
Yet another alternative is the Pallete2 system by Mosaic.
Finally, the cheapest option is to pause the print, retract the filament, load new filament, purge and resume. Essentially, that is all that any of these systems do albeit in a semi automatic way. Unlike the Diamond and the Quad (and to some extent the pallette2) which have all the filaments loaded so switching between them is simple a matter of changing tools (which can be done "on the fly" without pausing the print).
