A10 with 3DTouch not responding to Z-offset

[mr_fosi]

I've got an A10 GT2650V3 with the official Geeetech Marlin 1.1.8 with 3D Touch enabled.

The probe works but it stops the Z-axis 2 mm above the bed, and I've got the probe set as high as the mounting bracket will allow.

Initially, I set the Z-offset and it worked. I ran the bed leveling and it worked until point 7 when the nozzle crashed into the bed. After that, the machine stopped responding to the probe and the nozzle kept crashing into the bed even when auto homing. I tried adjusting the offset and the machine acted like I changed nothing.

I rebooted the machine, reset it, etc and nothing fixed it. I decided to reflash the firmware and that got the probe working again but when I set a Z-offset, the machine still acts as if I did nothing.

I tried compiling the stock 1.1.8 firmware (no 3D Touch included) for myself, but when I flashed my version, the machine wouldn't home on Z-axis. Therefore, I don't think I can fix it in the firmware without creating other problems.

Can anyone out there give me some pointers?

[William]

Hi, you can try flashing the firmware to the version without 3d touch,
Check the situation.
Whether the z-axis can operate normally.

[mr_fosi]

Hi William, thanks for your reply.

I downloaded the A10 1.1.8 for my board from here: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=17046

It was source only, so I compiled it without modification using the Arduino IDE and flashed it to the machine. That is the firmware that would not home on the Z axis.

Because the 1.1.8 w/3D Touch is hex only, I can't compare the config files to see what the difference is.

At this point, I either want to fix the Z-offset with the 3D Touch or go back to a firmware version without it because I can't use my printer right now and I have projects lined up.

I thank you for any help you can offer!

[William]

Hi, you can download the firmware of A10 on the official website, https://www.geeetech.com/download.html?download_id=30
Upload using firmware kit,
Refer to this: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=69684
Determine whether the z-axis can operate normally.

[mr_fosi]

Hi again.

Thanks for the link. I will d/l the hex file and flash it over.

I'll post the results here once done

[mr_fosi]

The bad news is that I flashed the hex firmware and it didn't fix the problem.

The good news is that I fixed the problem.

I did a little more searching and reading, which led me to do the following in the stock 1.1.8 firmware:

- invert the Z-axis
- turn on the filament run out sensor
- disable the software minimum stops

I found that the axis didn't need to be inverted, so I changed that setting back. Once I did that, the printer is now auto-homing properly and I've been able to bang out a couple small projects.

Once I clear a couple more things, I may get back to the 1.1.8 3D Touch firmware but right now, I'm not convinced of the 3D Touch's reliability.

I spent a couple hours last night fiddling with the sensor attached to a DIY bracket with an extended Z-range, trying to match the nozzle without a Z-offset. It was impossible. Even fractional mm adjustments of the bracket would lead to 1-2 mm shifts in probe-determined nozzle height.

[frchico]

I have the same problem. I load a new fw, restart the EEPROM (M502, M500) and the printer behaves differently from the configuration that came from the factory.

Right now I'm very sorry, because I have the BL TOUCH that doesn't work and I still got three holes in the table, because the Z sensor did not respect the limits and the nozzle collided on the table, only returned to normal after unplugging, reconnecting and send the G28 command.

[Matsubaa]

I'm just commiserating... I've been trying to use UBL with the 3D Touch. It worked for a while, then I had a disaster and had to service the machine and after putting it all back together I had to remap the bed and it's never been the same.

I've resorted to painstakingly adjusting the Z-offset and then blanking out the mesh to print as though the bed were dead flat. It isn't and I have all the attendant issues that entails but it works better than the mesh that comes out of mapping it with this sensor. In an 11x11 mesh of my bed, it will decide that a single point is +/- 0.8mm from the neighboring points and either put a huge dip or hump in the middle of the mesh. Revisiting it with a G29 P4 only makes it worse because somehow it doesn't remember the Z-offset/homed position between probes so the re-probe will go randomly up or down by an arbitrary amount unless I re-home between every single point.

That one time the mesh was perfect and I was able to print on it for a month or more was just such a good experience, I keep hoping it'll be repeated but it's just gone.

[mr_fosi]

See? That sucks.

I wish there was some kind of fix for these issues but I suspect that it's par for the course on these dirt cheap printers. Higher price likely means better engineering and bug-chasing plus more competent and responsive support.

My sensor is sitting in a bag on a shelf because I can't make it work and Geeetech apparently can't either, so I'll just stick to my manual bed leveling and furtive real-time tweaks during the first layer.

I won't complain too much though. It's my first printer and I paid just under $200 shipped. I've been able to learn a lot and get some good prints. I may upgrade in the future but this was an inexpensive way to put my toe in the water, so to speak.

[RPPerry3]

I had the same exact issue,

I resolved it by unplugging the cable for the Z-Axis home sensor.
Works perfect now!


Hope this helps for someone else.