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BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) Guide Revision : Version 1.0 - 28th April 2020 Author : /u/3dp-mark LIMITATIONS All content provided in this document is for informational purposes only. The owner of this guide makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained within, or found by following any link within the guide. The owner of this guide will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of this information. SCOPE The scope of this guide is to describe the installation process for adding a genuine BL Touch V.3.1. to an existing Ender 3 with the Bullseye Duct Cooler, with the BigTreeTech SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 replacement motherboard. Whilst many guides, videos and tutorials exist – I found these to be outdated, or missing key steps. It will cover :- Section 1) Hardware Installation Section 2) Finding the offsets for X, Y Section 2a) Finding the offset for Z & Firmware configuration, and setting the offsets Section 2b-a) Setting the Z Probe offsets Section 3) Slicer setup, testing & observations EQUIPMENT USED / REQUIRED HARDWARE & WIRING : Creality Ender 3 - BigTreeTech SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 running Marlin 2.0.5 / Cheetah 5.0 Version v1.3.5 (Marlin 2.0.5) - Genuine ANTCLABS BL Touch V.3.1. - Genuine ANTCLABS 150mm Extension Harness for the BL Touch (SM-XD-1500) PRINT BED : - Creality Borosilicate Glass Heat Bed (optional) COOLING DUCT Bullseye Fan Cooling Duct KNOWLEDGE Requirements :- Assumes you have a working knowledge of your printer, and how to compile and upload firmware to your printer. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 1 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) SOFTWARE : TEMPORARY FIRMWARE WITH BL TOUCH SUPPORT FOR SKR MINI E3 v.1.2. (Z HOMING) – DOWNLOAD this for your for initial testing. Marlin 2.0.5.3. based branch. - https://github.com/bigtreetech/BIGTREETECH-SKR-mini-E3/blob/master/firmware/V1.2/ firmware-bltouch-for-z-homing.bin NOTE : The BTT Firmware appears to use a default of #define NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET {-25,-20, - 1.85 } for X, Y and Z (See release notes : https://github.com/bigtreetech/BIGTREETECH-SKR- mini-E3/tree/master/firmware/V1.2) Within the TEMPORARY FIRMWARE from BTT – the default OFFSET for NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET (X, Y, Z) is INCORRECT for the Bullseye Left Side BL Touch. - It is set for a BL Touch mounted on the standard Ender 3 Fan Shroud and as such, is incorrect for the Bullseye ABL mount. - There are instructions (post-install) which explain how to set this correctly, and you will need to re-compile firmware with the correct settings to get the best results. FINAL FIRMWARE : Marlin 2.0.5 / Cheetah 5.0 Version v1.3.5 (Marlin 2.0.5) - Firmware should be configured for Auto Bed Levelling (LINEAR Levelling) * See observational notes on ABL types within Marlin. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 2 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) ITEMS TO 3D PRINT (BEFORE YOU BEGIN) A) Bullseye Fan Duct - Left Handed Mount for the BLTouch (Filename : ALL_BLT_LEFT_X- 48_Y-10_3.29). i. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2759439 B) BL-Touch Nozzle Calibration Aid by benebrady i. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3330245 TOOLS REQUIRED - All of your Ender 3 tools that were included in your kit - A pointed metal tool for swapping the end stop connector (2 wire) from the original Ender Z Limit Switch TRANSFERRING it to the 3 pin (2 wire) Z min cable end of the SM-XD-1500 BL Touch harness. - A roll of masking tape and a PENCIL / FINE TIP PEN - 1 x M3*16 screw to replace the slightly shorter M3*12 removed from the Bullseye install (12mm may be OK, but I replaced for a 16mm giving a more secure fit of the mount) - A small piece of paper / business card for setting the Z Offset Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 3 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) Section 1) BL TOUCH HARDWARE INSTALLATION The first task is to mount the BL Touch to the newly printed LEFT HAND mount for the Bullseye Duct Cooling Kit. Firstly, remove the SHORT wiring harness from the BL Touch (not needed for this install). Using the screws provided with the BL Touch kit, place a washer over each screw, and pass the screws up, through the BL Touch from underneath – passing through the mount, and securing with a bolt on top. From TOP to BOTTOM, the order is :- BOLT (on top) MOUNT BL TOUCH FIXING PLATE WASHER SCREW Ensure that the BL Touch logo is facing inwards / towards the nozzle – as per the image below. If you’ve purchased the longer wiring harness, now is the time to run the cables from the mainboard end through the EXPANDABLE BRAID CABLE SLEEVE to the hotend. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 4 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) There are some great tips in the FIRST 5 MINUTES OF THIS VIDEO as to how to run the wiring harness - https://youtu.be/l0kCD02BzzY This is the cable end you need to feed through back towards the hotend – (the one with all 6 wires terminating in the connector) Once the new longer harness connection has arrived at the hotend, you can temporarily install the BL Touch to the Bullseye Fan Casing. Remove the screw on the far left side of the Bullseye as you face the front. Loosely, affix the mount by nipping up the screw to hold it in place (NOT TOO TIGHT, as we need some ‘play’ to move it up/down with the calibration tool). Connect the 6 wire connector to the rear of your BL Touch sensor. ALIGN THE PROBE & NOZZLE USING THE CALIBRATION TOOL Next, grab the Calibration Aid / Tool that you printed earlier - Hold it as shown (in the picture) Slide the mount UP or DOWN until the tool aligns the BL Touch Probe with the NOZZLE – once it is aligned, TIGHTEN the screw on the far left side of the Bullseye as you face the front - secure the mount by gently tightening the screw (NOT TOO TIGHT) to hold it in place (whilst ALIGNED). The BL Touch Nozzle Calibration Aid assists you in adjusting the BL Touch automatic bed leveling Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 5 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) probe to the correct height above the tip of the nozzle - 8 mm from the bottom of the body of the BL Touch probe (not the probe tip) to the tip of the hotend nozzle. You should be able to use this guide with any printer the BL-Touch is installed upon. Using this tool is very easy. The BLTouch probe is inserted into the tool with the probe STOWED (retracted) - ~12mm depth from bottom of probe MINUS the stowed probe tip, to where the nozzle touches the top of the alignment tool (4mm). This gives you approximately ~8mm difference from the bottom of the probe to the nozzle tip. The recommended TRIGGER distance as per the ANTCLABS guide is 2.3~4.3 (MAX 6.6mm). Just put the tool around the bottom of the BL Touch (probe stowed) and the TOP surface of the tool should be touching the nozzle. Adjust the BL Touch mount up/down accordingly to make the nozzle tip touch the tool, and tighten up the screw. Your BL Touch mount should now be aligned correctly. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 6 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) Connect the BL Touch to the harness 6 wire connector Now your mount is aligned with the nozzle, route the 6-wire cable through, and CONNECT IT to the rear connector on the BL Touch. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 7 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) Making the connection to the Mainboard According to the documentation for the SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 – there are TWO ways to install the BL Touch. I connected mine as per the diagram below – replacing the Z Min Limit Switch with the 2- wire (BLACK/WHITE) cable at the MAINBOARD end. The BL Touch becomes the Z Min Limit Switch. https://github.com/bigtreetech/BIGTREETECH-SKR-mini-E3/blob/master/hardware/BTT%20SKR %20MINI%20E3%20V1.2/BLTOUCH%20connection-2.png The 3-wire connector (Brown / Red / Yellow) connects to the SERVOS port on the SKR board. Brown wire facing towards the REAR of the printer. Connect the 3 x DuPont connectors as per the diagram. The 2-wire connector (BLACK ? WHITE) on the BL Touch harness comes supplied with a 3 port white plastic connector on it (SEE IMAGE BELOW) which UNFORTUNATELY will not fit into the the 2 port header on the SKR Board. We’ll need to BORROW a suitable JST connector from the original Z Limit Switch (which we’ll do in the next section!) Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 8 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) REMOVING THE Z LIMIT SWITCH As we are using the BL Touch as the Z Limit Switch, we no longer require the Microswitch Z Limit physical switch from our original Ender 3 installation. UNPLUG the cable from the Z-STOP port on the SKR mini E3 board. LOOSEN the two fixings on the original Z Limit Switch and remove it from the Ender 3. Keep it handy, as we’ll need it for the next step. REMOVE THE 2 PORT JST CONNECTOR FROM THE ORIGINAL Z LIMIT SWITCH With the original Z Limit Switch in-hand, we need to BORROW the 2 port connector to use with the BL Touch wiring harness for the Z STOP. Locate the original end stop connector, and arrange it with the metal tabs so they are visible facing up. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 9 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) Using your SHARP POINTY Tool, press downward gently on each of the metal tabs closest towards the wires. You need to press firmly, but also be gentle so as not to break the tabs or the cables. If done correctly, you should be able to pull the connectors FREE of the white connector plastic part. You can put the original Ender 3 - Z Limit Switch aside for now (Keep it in your spare parts box!). Keep the 2 port white plastic connector handy, as we’ll need it in a moment. (REPEAT THIS PROCESS FOR THE BL TOUCH 2-WIRE / 3 PORT CONNECTOR) So, you should now have the BLACK / WHITE wires FREE on the BL Touch wiring harness. You can put the 3 port white plastic connector into your SPARES bag ! We won’t need that again. At this point, we are ready to insert the BLACK / WHITE wires back into the BORROWED 2 port white connector plastic block. BEFORE continuing, you need to make a small adjustment to the wire connectors. Using the Sharp Pointed Tool, LIFT up the small metal TANG / TAB (We squished it when we removed the wire from the connector block). Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 10 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) If done correctly – you should see a small sticking up TANG / TAB ; See image below. Tangs / Tabs LIFTED UP – as indicated by the RED Circles Now the TANGS / TABS are lifted, we can re-insert them back into the 2 port white connector block. NOTE : Ensure you put the TANG / TAB to the top – and ensure the wires are oriented as per the following two images. Push the wires FIRMLY into the 2 port white connector block until you hear an audible CLICK. Check the wires are securely latched into the connector. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 11 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) FINALLY, plug the new BL Touch Black/White (Z Min Stop cable) back in to the Z STOP port on the SKR Mini E3 V.1.2. Motherboard. PORT labelled Z STOP. The BL Touch is now the Z Stop COMPLETING THE INSTALLATION You can now tidy up your wires, put your mainboard cover back on, re-attach the mainboard FAN etc. LOAD TEST FIRMWARE A quick way to check if your BL touch is working would be to install the BTT Firmware with BL Touch enabled as Z Min Stop. A link has been provided in the software section of this guide. POWER UP YOUR PRINTER BEFORE powering up your printer – please ensure that you have a version of firmware with BL Touch enabled, and using BL Touch for Z Homing. It won’t be perfect, as we still have some fine tuning to perform – but it will be OK for some basic tests. You can now power up your printer, and do some basic BL Touch commands to check if the probe is working as expected. EXPECTED POWER ON BEHAVIOUR The BL Touch probe will be RED and will proceed to deploy / stow the probe TWICE as a mini-self test upon power up. Click the Knob, and choose Motion – Auto Home - The trolley should move to the approximate centre of the bed, raise the Z axis – deploy the probe, and then proceed to Auto Home. As we are using the BL Touch as a Z Stop, nothing sinister should happen as the probe will deploy twice and then await at the Home Position. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 12 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) - Don’t worry if the probe is not “dead centre” of the bed as this is defined in the OFFSETS (which we will change later). Click back into the menu :- Configuration Menu → BL Touch - You can try a few of the commands in here :- - cmd : Deploy (BLUE LED shows probe is deployed) - cmd : Stow (RED LED shows probe is stowed) - cmd : Self Test (This will repeatedly deploy / stow the probe until you select cmd : Reset) If the probe behaves as expected, CONGRATULATIONS you’ve successfully installed your BL Touch ! Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 13 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) Section 2) Finding the offsets for X and Y Now we have a working BL Touch, we need to refine the installation. One of the most important things to do is work out the Nozzle to Probe Offsets. If you’re uncomfortable with using TEMPORARY FIRMWARE – with unknown settings, you can perform some rough measurements beforehand, for X and Y – set it in the firmware, compile, and upload to start from a known position. We’ll deal with Z later. To measure X and Y for NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET :- • Using a ruler or digital calipers - take rough measurements from the probe pin to the nozzle in X and Y directions. Perfect accuracy is not important at this stage. Rough measurement of X = 46mm Rough measurement of Y = 10mm • Don’t worry about Z at the moment ! We’ve already aligned the probe using the Calibration Aid / Tool as per the earlier installation steps in this guide. • In the Configuration.h file of Marlin - change the NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET values according to your measurements. With the Nozzle is in the centre, and our probe is physically located to the LEFT of the Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 14 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) nozzle (X), and IN FRONT of nozzle (Y). This gives us NEGATIVE ‘X’ and ‘Y’ values as per #3 above, and required by Marlin. * * +-- BACK ---+ * | | * L | (+) | R * E | | I * F | (-) N (+) | G <-- nozzle (10,10) * T | | H * | (-) | T * | P | <-- probe LEFT, IN-FRONT (-46,-10) * O-- FRONT --+ * (0,0) * • Replace (X, Y and leave Z =0). So, based on our ROUGH measurements, initially we set the offsets to (X= -46, Y = -10, Z = 0) :- ◦ #define NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET { -46, -10, 0 } ◦ HANDY TIP : ALWAYS Setting Z = 0 allows us to deal with different thicknesses of build plates (i.e. Glass, or Magnetic) – as we learn to adjust Z later for this purpose, and different filaments which require MORE or LESS squish to adhere to the build surface. • Compile the Firmware with the new code, flash – and BOOT the printer back up … ◦ If necessary, Initialise the EEPROM to clear out old settings. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 15 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) • Auto Home the printer ◦ Write down the current X and Y coordinates from the Info Screen (See Image) Photo of INFO screen showing Original X and Y co-ordinates – Mine is X=165, Y=122 • Directly BENEATH where the Nozzle would land on the bed, apply a piece of masking tape CENTRALLY (nozzle lands in middle of the tape) – I use the 75mm WIDE stuff, which is great for this purpose ! Photo of Masking Tape on BED • Using the printers’ Move axis menu. - move the Z axis UP / DOWN using an appropriate range (Either 1mm or 0.1mm) until the nozzle touches or almost touches the print bed. The purpose of doing this is to leave a little indentation / mark on the tape where the nozzle touches the bed. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 16 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) Photo of Masking tape with Nozzle MARK • Raise the Z AXIS out of the way using the Move Axis menu, and using a PENCIL or PEN - mark that point CLEARLY where the nozzle touches the bed (make sure that your mark won't move on the bed, this is why the MASKING TAPE is good !) Photo of masking tape with pencil mark Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 17 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) • With the Z Axis quite high up, go into the BL Touch menu – select - cmd : Deploy probe - this makes the next alignment step a little easier. ◦ Using the Move Axis menus - move the X and Y axis in the printer menu until the probe pin is spot on to your mark Probe TIP is DIRECTLY over the Nozzle Mark ◦ Take a note of the *NEW* X and Y coordinates Photo of new co-ordinates where the PROBE is over the Nozzle Mark. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 18 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) • Now we just need to subtract the X/Y coordinates from the original X/Y coordinates to get the NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET for X and Y ◦ New X (211) SUBTRACT Original X (165) = NEW X Offset of 211-165 = 46 ◦ New Y (130) SUBTRACT Original Y (122) = NEW Y Offset of 130-122 = 8 • Remember that the BL Touch probe is to the LEFT, and IN FRONT of the Nozzle – so both of these Offset values MUST BE entertered as NEGATIVE values. ◦ New X -46 ◦ New Y -8 ◦ Z always 0 • Modify your firmware to include the new X and Y Offsets for the following entry. #define NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET { -46, -8, 0 } • Compile the Firmware with the new OFFSET codes, flash – and BOOT the printer back up … ◦ If necessary, Initialise the EEPROM to clear out old settings. FINALLY – Auto Home your printer – which should now probe the centre of the bed. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 19 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) Section 2a) Finding the offset for Z & Firmware This guide is written for Ender 3 running Marlin 2.0.5 / Cheetah 5.0 Version v1.3.5 (Marlin 2.0.5) with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 with Genuine BL Touch V.3.1. - Firmware configured for Auto Bed Levelling (LINEAR Levelling) *See observation notes within this section on ABL type/s. - Bullseye Fan Duct, with Left Handed Mount for the BLTouch installed and aligned - Creality Borosilicate Glass Heat Bed Using the information provided in Section 2) of this guide, we have reached the point where the BL Touch hardware is installed, and the firmware X and Y offsets have been measured and entered as values within the compiled firmware. FIRMWARE SETTINGS (Based on my example) • Using Nozzle to Probe Offsets of X= -46, Y = -8, Z = 0 ◦ Compiled into firmware using #define NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET { -46, -8, 0 } • IMPORTANT : NOTE Z = 0 ◦ This is OK, and gives you more freedom when using different bed surfaces, if you like to swap between glass and magnetic for example. These bed surfaces have different thicknesses, so having a Z of 0 in the firmware allows you to set it MANUALLY using the procedure below either:- ▪ whenever you switch bed surfaces ▪ or switch to a different filament material (PLA, PETG, ABS etc.) which have different SQUISH characteristics. • Auto Bed Levelling (ABL) Settings ◦ I use a 3x3 Grid which is 9 x Probe Points for the Mesh Creation ◦ #define GRID_MAX_POINTS_X 3 ◦ My ABL preferred mode is LINEAR ▪ There are many reported issues with other BILINEAR • Here are the options - ◦ AUTO_BED_LEVELING_LINEAR ▪ Probe several points in a grid. ▪ You specify the rectangle and the density of sample points. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 20 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) ▪ The result is a single tilted plane. ▪ This is the BEST choice for a flat bed. i.e. glass ◦ AUTO_BED_LEVELING_BILINEAR ▪ Probe several points in a grid. ▪ You specify the rectangle and the density of sample points. ▪ The result is a mesh, which is BEST for large or uneven beds. ◦ AUTO_BED_LEVELING_UBL (Unified Bed Leveling) ▪ A comprehensive bed leveling system combining the features and benefits of other systems. UBL also includes integrated Mesh Generation, Mesh Validation and Mesh Editing systems. Once you are familiar with either of the other ABL choices, this is the next logical choice for optimising your bed levelling. OBSERVATIONS In other tutorials, I've seen that using the Click Menu, Configuration, Probe Z Offset adjusts the Z Axis as you rotate the knob. However - in my setup, this did not always move the Z Axis up or down. If you follow the steps below, this doesn't matter as it will still work correctly. ##VERY IMPORTANT ## - BEFORE YOU START If you've already been playing with features, you may find that you have already PREVIOUSLY SET Z Probe Offset value in your menu. IF you have done this - you'll need to RESET it back to 0.00 • Click Menu, Configuration, Probe Z Offset - Rotate the dial / knob until your Probe Z Offset reaches 0.00 ◦ Click back out and Store Settings Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 21 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) SECTION 2b-a) Correct procedure for setting Z Probe Offset (Using the LCD Screen) 1) Heat your Bed & Nozzle to operating temperature of material (e.g. 200 / 60) ➢ Click Menu, Temperature, Preheat PLA ➢ WAIT until temperatures are reached 2) Click Menu, Motion, Auto Home 3) Once homed - make a note of Z position on the LCD ➢ In my example - the Z position shown was = 15 4) Motion, Move Axis, Move Z, Move 1mm ➢ Turn the wheel to reduce Z to an actual value of 0.0 ➢ As my starting position for Z was +15 - I rotate the knob anti-clockwise until Z=0 ➢ Click to confirm the move to Z=0 ➢ (NOTE : The Nozzle at this point SHOULD STILL BE ABOVE the bed, this is expected / normal !) 5) Place a slip of paper under the Nozzle 6) Motion, Move Axis, Move Z, Move 0.1mm ➢ Turn the wheel to reduce Z until it grabs the paper lightly ➢ In my example - the value of Z (where the paper was grabbed) was -0.1 ➢ Change your “Move Z”, to a smaller movement e.g. “0.025mm” ➢ I felt that around NEGATIVE -0.148 was just right ! The paper was being gripped by the nozzle. Although it is closer to -0.15 if rounded up. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 22 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) 7) Click Menu, Configuration, Probe Z Offset ➢ Rotate Anti-Clockwise and set your Probe Z Offset to the value calculated in step 6 above. ➢ In my example, -000.14 would be a good starting point as it is between -000.14 and -000.15 PLUS the thickness of the paper is around 0.05 to 0.10 millimeters (0.1mm) so we need to take the paper thickness into account (e.g. -0.05mm LOWER) ➢ THIS GIVES US A STARTING Z OFFSET OF EITHER -000.14 OR -000.15 (In other words, a Negative value lowers the Nozzle towards the bed) ➢ Click back into the menu Configuration LEVEL - scroll down and click Store Settings to retain the settings. ➢ For my example - we used a Probe Z Offset of -000.14 8) Leaving the piece of paper where it was (under the nozzle)… ➢ Click Menu, Motion, Auto Home ➢ NOW REPEAT STEP 4) to move your Z Axis down to position 0.00 ➢ (NOTICE on this occasion, the Nozzle WILL be grabbing the paper) ➢ This shows you have set and stored your Z offset correctly. CONGRATULATIONS !!!! 9) Go into the Menu, Motion, Auto Home (For the FINAL TIME) ➢ Looking at the Info Screen - if you note the Z Position - it will be the original PLUS the Z Offset ➢ For example, When we started (Step 3) – Z=15 ➢ Now we see that the NEW Z is 15+0.14 = 15.14 ➢ Remember that once the print starts it will use of Z Offset as a difference ➢ So, the actual Z Position is 15 (add) -0.14 giving us an ACTUAL NOZZLE Z Position of 14.86, and not 15 as per our note in Step 3) 10) Go into the Menu – Select - Temperature, COOLDOWN ➢ Wait until your Nozzle and Bed have cooled down BEFORE proceeding. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 23 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) SECTION 4) Modifying your slicer setup, testing & obs. My preferred slicer software is CURA 4.5. Check your slicer Settings If you've recently added your BL Touch - you may need to edit your slicer gCode to add a G29 line after G28 to Machine Settings, Startup gCode - so it does the Auto Bed Levelling EVERY TIME before printing. For PLA I like to start with temperatures of Nozzle 200, and 55 for the Bed temperatures (set these within your slicer software - e.g. Cura 4.5). Part cooling FAN = OFF for first four layers, and as bed levelling prints tend to be one-three layers - you should get good bed adhesion. NOTE - Some materials require a slightly higher initial Nozzle and Bed Temperatures - maybe 205 / 60 to help get that first layer down. TEST & REFINE BED LEVELLING Slice your favourite bed level checking code and set it to print. I like to add a SKIRT, and use either a centred square or a typical 5 x small square bed levelling test print. Whichever one you prefer, use that. PRE-PRINT STAGE - The Bed and Nozzle will heat up. ABL STAGE - The BL Touch will Auto Home in the centre of the bed - The BL Touch will then perform the ABL Mesh Creation procedure (I use a 3x3 Grid Linear) - so 9 x Probe Points are measured. The grid size is defined in the Firmware. REFINE - Once printing starts – • You can click the LCD dial / knob, two to three times to access the Probe Z Offset settings directly, and rotate anti-clockwise for MORE Squish or clockwise to raise the nozzle slightly up for LESS squish. REVIEW YOUR TEST PRINT ! If necessary, repeat your print test with your new revised Probe Z Offset, and remember to STORE SETTINGS after changing them to the new value. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 24 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) STILL HAVING TROUBLES WITH YOUR FIRST LAYERS? Here are a couple of good reference guides to troubleshooting first layers :- https://www.prusa3d.com/first-layer-issues/ https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printing-first-layer-problems-how-to-make-it-perfect/ WHAT WERE MY FINAL SETTINGS FOR Z PROBE OFFSET? After a few test runs, with slightly different Z offsets, I settled on -000.15 = GOOD, BETTER / MINIMAL SEPERATION AT REGULAR PLA NOZZLE (200) & BED (55)TEMPS Using -000.16 = WORSE, NOZZLE WAS TOO CLOSE AND SEPERATION For me, my FINAL STORED Z OFFSET SETTING WAS -000.15 I INCREASED NOZZLE TEMP TO 205 I INCREASED BED TEMP TO 60 RESULT : EXCELLENT FIRST LAYER RESULT Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 25 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) SPECIFIC PROBLEM - BLOBBING WHILE PROBING (ISSUE) While I was playing around with material temperatures, I noticed that the nozzle was leaving little ‘blobs’ whilst probing the 9 x grid points. The reason for this problem, is that the standard startup gCode used by my slicer (Cura 4.5) – heats everything up first, then probes, then starts the print. This problem is described well in the following Reddit post. https://www.reddit.com/r/ender3/comments/aiebc7/better_cura_start_gcode_for_bltouch/ To solve the problem – I used a script from a Reddit User /u/lushprojects/ - (link above) to fix the problem of nozzle leaking / blobbing while probing. I added new Cura start gCode to prevent blobbing while probing, and increased the Nozzle to 205, and Bed 60 - to get better material flow, adhesion and less seperation during the first layer. The code below works very well ! If you’d like to add it to your slicer – here is the startup code. Just overwrite whatever you have in the gCode for startup with the lines below. I modified it slightly to prevent purge line blob squish prior to printing. This leaves a lovely clean bed without any blobs during probing, and higher material temperatures. ; Ender 3 Custom Start G-code - added 28th April 2020 M140 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ; Set Heat Bed temperature M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ; Wait for Heat Bed temperature M104 S160; start warming extruder to 160 G28 ; Home all axes G29 ; Auto bed-level (BL-Touch) G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder M104 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ; Set Extruder temperature G1 X0.1 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to start position M109 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ; Wait for Extruder temperature G1 X0.1 Y200.0 Z0.3 F1500.0 E15 ; Draw the first line G1 X0.4 Y200.0 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to side a little G1 X0.4 Y20 Z0.3 F1500.0 E30 ; Draw the second line G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed G1 X5 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move over to prevent blob squish ; End of custom start GCode Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 26 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) NOTE about Material temperatures / 1st Layer not fusing ( FINAL NOTE : To get the best results, I had to increase my material temp to 205) as layers were being layed down perfectly, they weren't fusing together - so I increased the PLA temp to 205 Nozzle / and increased the Bed temp to 60. PRUSA recommend PLA temps of upto Nozzle 215 / Bed 60 - Some PLA Filaments require an extra +/- 5 degrees or so. If you are still getting issues with material not fusing within the first layer - try increasing the temperatures by 5 degrees...and re-run your levelling tests. Also, check you don’t have other issues such as blocked nozzles, or gaps in the Bowden to Hotend assembly which can affect material flow. Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 27 of 28 BL Touch V.3.1 installation & configuration guide for Creality Ender 3, with BTT SKR Mini E3 V.1.2 Mainboard, and Bullseye Duct Cooler (Stock Hot End / Stock Fans) OTHER OUTSTANDING ISSUES... UNEXPLAINED ISSUES (NEEDS MORE RESEARCH) I’ve learnt a lot from putting this guide together, however – sometimes you come across an odd problem which has no explanation or solution to be found? I’ll update the guide as and when I find answers. For reference, I am using Kay3D Cheetah 5.0 V.1.3.5. INCREASING MATERIAL TEMPS in Cura appear to cause INTERMITTENT BL Touch Probing failures (intermittently around Point 5/9 – 6/9) within the 9 point grid? - Once probing fails, if left unattended – the Trolley can cause the BL Touch to “strike” the side of the heat bed (with the probe partly deployed, nor completely stowed) after the Nozzle Wipe ..and prior to printing the skirt. - My current THINKING - has adding a BL Touch v.3.1 (extra 5V supplied) from the SKR Mini E3 V.1.2. board – using #define BLTOUCH_FORCE_5V_MODE, is it drawing too much power away from the mainboard, so either the extra nozzle temp affects the BL Touch, or the BL Touch affects the Nozzle temp? My Ender has not been PID Tuned, so I'll need to investigate further. Z-Axis drops unexpectedly? I've also observed the Z Axis drooping intermittently as well, when not printing. Power drain? Check #define FAN_SOFT_PWM is enabled Mentions of PWM issues in Marlin code - https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/13345 If you know what may be the cause of these issues, feel free to message me on Reddit. Thanks. HAPPY 3D PRINTING ! Written by : /u/3dp-mark 28th April 2020 – Version 1.0 Page 28 of 28