Addons in the next firmware

Because of that you offer the closed software, it would be desirable to see the change following further:

1. Remember on the memory LED setting. Now if you set LED OFF and restart printer - LED ON again.

2. Heating of an extruder along with a platform. It is possible?

3. RETRACT! at the movement of an extruder from one detail to another there is a release of plastic from an extruder (about 0,5 mm, if a distance of 5-10 cm)! ITS NO NORMAL!

4. before the printing, when heating an extruder, it leaves a filament about 3 cm. And this filament remains on the center of a platform. Always it is necessary to clean hands.

PS. excuse for my bad English :) if in your team is Russian-speaking, I would be glad to communicate!

Have the option of automatically turning the printer off after a print

On the fly filament change; while printing we should be able to change filaments - to make more colorful or just to finish the filament and proceed with the new one to print.

We might be able to change filament types too in the software but i think there will be problems like ABS - ultrat - hips physically not connecting/bending/rafting etc.

On the fly filament change; while printing we should be able to change filaments - to make more colorful or just to finish the filament and proceed with the new one to print.

We might be able to change filament types too in the software but i think there will be problems like ABS - ultrat - hips physically not connecting/bending/rafting etc.

This feature already exists. You have to hold the button for 10 seconds (too long, in my opinion) and then you will get a menu allowing you to change filament.

And then I assume the machine will resume where it left off correct?

And then I assume the machine will resume where it left off correct?

Yes, of course :)

This feature already exists. You have to hold the button for 10 seconds (too long, in my opinion) and then you will get a menu allowing you to change filament.

Oh I didn't notice it, thanks a lot.

And yes, 10 seconds would feel like 10 light years while printing. They must change it to 3 seconds IMHO.

But since, multimaterial printing for Z-suite and Zfirmware would be a nice touch too: I'll print outer parts with ABS and inners with ULTRAT etc.

But since, multimaterial printing for Z-suite and Zfirmware would be a nice touch too: I'll print outer parts with ABS and inners with ULTRAT etc.

For switching filament intentionally (color or type, not because spool is running out etc.), you better use the pause function in Z-Suite.

And yes, 10 seconds would feel like 10 light years while printing. They must change it to 3 seconds IMHO.

It’s not a fixed 10 seconds delay, it’s more like a ‚it won’t take longer than 10 seconds to stop‘.

 
Hardware buttons can be processed in two ways:
 
1. sing an interrupt handler that processes hardware interrupts. This allows instant reaction and requires special programming techniques and hardware support.
 
2. The more easier way is to poll them (their press / not pressed status) in an idle loop. Control of hardware (the printer) is often managed by such loops. The printer is just spinning inside that loop asking every possible process if there is something to do (click-wheel, temp sensors, heaters).
If a print is going on there is much todo, controlling the steppers is quite heavy work. That way it could take a while until a certain sequence is thru and the button press can be acknowledged.
Of course this has not to take 10 seconds, but there are two other things that take into account. To recognize a (steady) button press, more than one polls would be required and to finally stop the printing process, something I would call a ‚safe harbor‘ condition has to be reached. If not, it could ruin the print easily.
 
I personally prefer to get a stop in a safe harbor condition and if it is up to change filament then I have the time to wait until it happens. Of course if something went wrong and I just want to stop the print I have no time at all and no patience. Then I switch off the printer and lower the bed manually wich is much faster.
 
The short sentence: I bet it could be done with less waiting time with some redesign, but don’t expect it to be 3 seconds finally.

Actually, I think in the case of the current firmware, a minimum of continuous pressing for 10 seconds is required - it's not a case of 10s maximum latency.

If it's able to track button hold time, it should be able to immediately put up a menu on-screen asking the user what they want to do. Why make us sit there pressing and pressing forever? If it was an "accidental" button press, then just ignore (timeout) or cancel. I've written 4-bit microcontroller programs that were able to do more things simultaneously than the Z firmware 

Actually, I think in the case of the current firmware, a minimum of continuous pressing for 10 seconds is required - it's not a case of 10s maximum latency.

You are wrong with that. Today I stopped a running print after 2-3 seconds.

If it's able to track button hold time, it should be able to immediately put up a menu on-screen asking the user what they want to do. Why make us sit there pressing and pressing forever? If it was an "accidental" button press, then just ignore (timeout) or cancel. I've written 4-bit microcontroller programs that were able to do more things simultaneously than the Z firmware 

You are right with that. But that's another thing. You are calling for a better structured coding firmware and concurrent processing, that would be able to do so. I'm a bit afraid of asking for this because I have an idea about how this firmware was built.

Bottom line again: I have almost never an urgent need for stopping a print instantly. Thats why I don't ask for a redesign of firmware that could do more harm than heal. I would like to see some easy to implement add on's like recall of last printjob, concurrent heating of bed and extruder and bug fixing.

Anyway, don't expect a print job to be stopped in 3 seconds at all.

You are wrong with that. Today I stopped a running print after 2-3 seconds.

You are right with that. But that's another thing. You are calling for a better structured coding firmware and concurrent processing, that would be able to do so. I'm a bit afraid of asking for this because I have an idea about how this firmware was built.

Bottom line again: I have almost never an urgent need for stopping a print instantly. Thats why I don't ask for a redesign of firmware that could do more harm than heal. I would like to see some easy to implement add on's like recall of last printjob, concurrent heating of bed and extruder and bug fixing.

Anyway, don't expect a print job to be stopped in 3 seconds at all.

Interesting, maybe they changed it in 0.0.6? I always have to hold for 10s minimum, or at least I did with 0.0.5.

When something goes wrong in a print (or if I change my mind about something) I want to be able to stop it immediately, like I can with pretty much any other printer on the market. Yes, there's always the power switch, but then you have reboot time and the Z axis all the way up, and must lower it with many presses of the "Lower Z by 5mm" menu selection. Not really user-friendly imo.

I think concurrent heating of bed and extruder might be a power supply limitation, otherwise it seems crazy to not heat the extruder at all while the bed is heating or vice-versa.

I have ver 0.0.6 firmware installed an still need to press the button down for 10 sec or more (some times i have to do it a few times to get a responce) when the extruder jams

Interesting, maybe they changed it in 0.0.6? I always have to hold for 10s minimum, or at least I did with 0.0.5.

Maybe 0.0.6 changed something I don't know. I am talking about 0.0.5 and most of the time when I want to stop a print it takes a long time to react (without using a stopwatch I would say 7-10 secs) and sometimes it takes below 5 seconds.

I think concurrent heating of bed and extruder might be a power supply limitation, otherwise it seems crazy to not heat the extruder at all while the bed is heating or vice-versa.

I cannot tell if the specs of 24V 10A are too weak for heating both simultaniosly (or maybe that specs are even not correct).

Such 'crazyness' could happen if the heating sequences are just ordered sequentially and programmers just don't merge them because they heard 'never change a running system'.  ;)

It’s not a fixed 10 seconds delay, it’s more like a ‚it won’t take longer than 10 seconds to stop‘.

I was wrong with that also (before I told Julia about her statement the same).

Today it took more than 15 seconds to stop the print (counted seconds).

It was while laying the raft. So actually it could take less than 10 seconds and more than 10 seconds to stop a print, it happens when the M200 has time (mood) to do it.

All other statements (except it's max. 1ß seconds, or it's min 10 secs) apply I think.  :ph34r:

I wanted to know what happens when you remove the sd card from the mighty z.

the print stops within seconds (< 10 seconds) and resumes after you plug the card back in.

maybe you could use this behaviour to switch the filament when its suits you better.

I was wrong with that also (before I told Julia about her statement the same).

Today it took more than 15 seconds to stop the print (counted seconds).

It was while laying the raft. So actually it could take less than 10 seconds and more than 10 seconds to stop a print, it happens when the M200 has time (mood) to do it.

All other statements (except it's max. 1ß seconds, or it's min 10 secs) apply I think.  :ph34r:

Regarding next firmware & calibration:

It would be nice to know how much you have to turn a knob counterclock- or clockwise to pass the calibration at a specifc point.

i am talking about displaying the offset, not only at the end on the calibration, but while calibrating a specific point.

Example:

Turn the phrase "...back left to low, turn knob clockwise..." into something like "...back left to low (-0,7mm), turn knob clockwise..."

That way you learn by the numeric value how many times you need to turn the knob to be in the acceptable range...

When something goes wrong in a print (or if I change my mind about something) I want to be able to stop it immediately, like I can with pretty much any other printer on the market. Yes, there's always the power switch, but then you have reboot time and the Z axis all the way up, and must lower it with many presses of the "Lower Z by 5mm" menu selection. Not really user-friendly imo.

If I use the power switch the bed stays up instead of stopping a print the regular way when it is lowered and has to go up again on start of the next print.

But finally I found out the better way is not to use the power switch. I posted a firmware bug about a situation where the printer waits for cool down before heating up again.

This happens when using the power off/on method to stop a print and it takes longer to restart a print than to wait for the firmware to recognize/process the button press and cancel the print and restart.