Z axis and retracting

jmoody0612

I'm hoping this is the right place to put this.

I just built a Folgertech Prusa I3 and I'm using Repetier host and Slic3r. All latest versions. Everytime I manually retract, the Z axis moves up but does not reposition itself. causing the Z to not be properly aligned. It does the same thing during printing, causing the prints to continually just go up and up and up on each layer.

I have no options on that I know of for this.

Repetier

It might come from this:

/** Allow retraction with G10/G11 removing requirement for retraction setting in slicer. Also allows filament change if lcd is configured. */

#define FEATURE_RETRACTION 1

/** autoretract converts pure extrusion moves into retractions. Beware that

 simple extrusion e.g. over Repetier-Host will then not work! */

#define AUTORETRACT_ENABLED 0

#define RETRACTION_LENGTH 3

#define RETRACTION_LONG_LENGTH 13

#define RETRACTION_SPEED 40

#define RETRACTION_Z_LIFT 0

#define RETRACTION_UNDO_EXTRA_LENGTH 0

#define RETRACTION_UNDO_EXTRA_LONG_LENGTH 0

#define RETRACTION_UNDO_SPEED 20

also check eeprom which may contain different values for the same stuff. Especially make sure autoretract is disabled. As you see this could lift z but also affects how extrusion works and often leads to confusion, so keeping it disabled is normally the best. The only reason for it is to convert slicer retraction into preset retraction if wanted because slicer does not add G10/G11 commands to use internal retraction settings (available with ultimaker gcode style).

jmoody0612

Thanks for the info. Could you point me to where these are? I checked but couldn't find them.

Thanks

jmoody0612

So my configuration.h file doesn't include any of this. It is the marlin files that folgertech has supplied with the printer kit. 

Interesting.

jmoody0612

I updated as best as I could, but Z still lifts ANY time I retract after extruding.

Is there a section for this in the firmware other than what is mentioned above?

Repetier

Thought you are using repetier-firmware. For Marlin I can not say how it works. Here I can only say check the commands log what it sends and if it is not in commands it is a firmware/firmware-configuration problem.

jmoody0612

I tried using repetier firmware and the Z axis barely moves at all. All the settings seem to be the same as I manually went through and checked them. But Z still doesn't move, ever.

jmoody0612

With the Repetier Firmware, Z barely moves in any direction. The voltage is on point. I have entered all the same settings as I was using with Marlin (which moved the motors just fine, but the Repetier firmware hadly moves Z at all.

Any idea?

My configuration.h file is too large to upload.

I used the setup tool in the repetier website and downloaded the whole package.

Repetier

If you use a M8 or something like that for z make sure z acceleration is low (50-100) and max. speed is also low 2-3 mm normally work, some can go higher. And also set low z jerk (0.3 or so). With high values your motor normally looses steps.