Z probe not working

I'm currently putting together a large format cartesian printer 900x400x900 and I'm having trouble getting z probing working.
I have x & y min and z max optical endstops, the z probe is a spring bike spoke which also uses an optical endstop to sense.
I got quite confused while trying to troubleshoot this issue so my pins.h are all messed about, currently set up as follows:

x min,    14
y min,    15
z probe, 18
z max,   19

All borked I know but the cables are physically in the correponsing location on my ramps 1.4:

3   2   14   15  18   19
x   x     y    y     z      z
           -x   -y    zp  +z

So the issue is, the Z probe does not respond to actuation, I know every sensor is working as well as the board as changing the pins.h around always results in working endstops but a non responsive probe, e.g. set to:


x min,    14
y min,    15
z probe, 19
z max,   18

The probe opto when triggered will change the state of z_max in Repetier Host but the z max opto when triggered will not result in any change for z_probe.

Reading through posts I've seen some people sugest changing
#define EEPROM_MODE 1

to 2 but I have no idea what that does and changing it had no effect on the printer's behaviour.


Here is the Z-probe section from my configuration.h:


// #################### Z-Probing #####################

#define Z_PROBE_Z_OFFSET 0
#define Z_PROBE_Z_OFFSET_MODE 0
#define UI_BED_COATING 1
#define FEATURE_Z_PROBE 1
#define Z_PROBE_BED_DISTANCE 10
#define Z_PROBE_PIN ORIG_X_MIN_PIN    // #define Z_PROBE_PIN ORIG_X_MAX_PIN
#define Z_PROBE_PULLUP 0
#define Z_PROBE_ON_HIGH 1        //was 0
#define Z_PROBE_X_OFFSET 0
#define Z_PROBE_Y_OFFSET 0
#define Z_PROBE_WAIT_BEFORE_TEST 0
#define Z_PROBE_SPEED 2
#define Z_PROBE_XY_SPEED 150
#define Z_PROBE_SWITCHING_DISTANCE 1
#define Z_PROBE_REPETITIONS 1
#define Z_PROBE_HEIGHT 40
#define Z_PROBE_START_SCRIPT ""
#define Z_PROBE_FINISHED_SCRIPT ""
#define Z_PROBE_REQUIRES_HEATING 0
#define Z_PROBE_MIN_TEMPERATURE 150
#define FEATURE_AUTOLEVEL 1
#define Z_PROBE_X1 20
#define Z_PROBE_Y1 20
#define Z_PROBE_X2 160
#define Z_PROBE_Y2 20
#define Z_PROBE_X3 100
#define Z_PROBE_Y3 160
#define BED_LEVELING_METHOD 0
#define BED_CORRECTION_METHOD 0
#define BED_LEVELING_GRID_SIZE 5
#define BED_LEVELING_REPETITIONS 5
#define BED_MOTOR_1_X 0
#define BED_MOTOR_1_Y 0
#define BED_MOTOR_2_X 200
#define BED_MOTOR_2_Y 0
#define BED_MOTOR_3_X 100
#define BED_MOTOR_3_Y 200
#define BENDING_CORRECTION_A 0
#define BENDING_CORRECTION_B 0
#define BENDING_CORRECTION_C 0
#define FEATURE_AXISCOMP 0
#define AXISCOMP_TANXY 0
#define AXISCOMP_TANYZ 0
#define AXISCOMP_TANXZ 0

the comments are my own notes on changes I have made.

Comments

  • At first you should make the right pin trigger z max which is the z probe pin from your description. Then it sounds like the real z probe pin is notn the list or working. Maybe try with another pin on the board. Any digital pin should send signal, just the 5v is hard to get for the optiocal sensor of z probe. For testing set it on x min instead just to test the probe works and has no defect.
  • Is this line correct
    #define Z_PROBE_PIN ORIG_X_MIN_PIN    // #define Z_PROBE_PIN ORIG_X_MAX_PIN

    seems strange that you have Z probe connected to the X min pin when you allso have a X min endstop
  • Thanks MartinH, it should be #define Z_PROBE_PIN ORIG_z_MIN_PIN, it seems to be working now. Well spotted!
  • edited August 2017
    I had some more time to work on the printer this evening, and my initial problem is now fixed, there is still some odd behaviour.
    The travel in the Z axis is about 900mm, when G30 sent, the bed moves up towards the probe, at about 400mm, the motors stop for a moment, the steppers go silent for a second, then it continues it's ascent. After triggering the probe, the bed descends to about the same height it paused, and reports a z-length of 600ish.
    However the host reports a Z-position of 900 (home) once the process is finished.
    I've been using this guide:
    https://www.repetier.com/documentation/repetier-firmware/z-probing/
    but it seems there is a lot I am missing, I would like to use the BED_LEVELING_METHOD 1 as the bed is likely to warp and move a lot between prints due to its size. I also need to send the effector to a specific point on the bed to retract the probe. I can't see how any of this can be done with the printer thinking Z600 is actually Z900.
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