3D PRINTING

rfl.gif

AluCarriage

AluCarriage_Single.jpg AluCarriage_Dual.jpg

The AluCarriage Single and AluCarriage Dual remove the potential for the extruder carriage to warp and melt during extended 3D printing operations or when printing with high temperature filaments.
Fully compatible with all MakerBot Replicator-based 3D printers and designed to be easy to install.
The AluCarriage accurately matches the critical dimensions of the original component, and provides a high-quality replacement that will last the life of your 3D printer.

downloadDownload the AluCarriage installation guide.


Alu-X-Ends

Alu-X-ends.jpg

The Alu-X-ends remove the potential for the gantry's Y-axis to warp and melt during extended 3D printing operations or when printing with high temperature filaments.
Fully compatible with all MakerBot Replicator-based 3D printers and designed to be easy to install.
The Alu-X-ends accurately match the critical dimensions of the original components, and provide a high-quality replacement that will last the life of your 3D printer.

downloadDownload the Alu-X-ends installation guide.


Tecto Hotend

Tecto Components

The Tecto heater block was designed around the custom-designed and manufactured Tecto thermocouple.
The Tecto thermocouple is a safer, less prone to failure alternative to the traditional Type K thermocouple with M3/M4 threaded thermowell, and when used with the Tecto heater block, assembly and dismantling of the hotend components becomes extremely easy.

Tecto Hotend Assembly

  1. The Tecto hotend components (from left to right): M6 nut, Threaded Thermal Barrier, Tecto Heater Block, Nozzle.
Tecto Components
  1. Screw the nozzle into the Tecto Heater Block by hand. Once the nozzle is flush with the bottom surface of the Tecto, unscrew it by a maximum of half a turn.
Step 1
  1. Screw the Thermal Barrier into the other side of the Tecto by hand. The Thermal Barrier MUST make contact with the nozzle on the other end.
Tecto 3.jpg
  1. Using a spanner that matches the nut size of the nozzle being installed (a 6,5mm spanner in this example), hold the Tecto Heater Block and tighten the Nozzle until it is firmly locked against the thermal barrier. Be very careful to not over-tighten the nozzle. As a rule of thumb, continue tightening for a maximum of a quarter turn once the Nozzle has made firm contact with the Thermal Barrier.
Tecto 4.jpg
  1. It can be helpful to slide an allen key or screw driver though either the Thermocouple or Heater Cartridge holes in the Tecto Heater Block to assist you when tightening the nozzle.
Tecto 5.jpg
  1. Add the M6 nut to the thermal barrier. The Tecto hotend is now assembled and ready to be added to the M6 threaded cooling block used on your machine.
Tecto 6.jpg

Tecto Thermocouple


Tecto TypeK-Thermocouple.jpg

The Tecto thermocouple is a safer, less prone to failure alternative to the traditional Type K thermocouple with threaded thermowell.
Made using genuine 24AWG stranded Alumel and Chromel wire, the Alumel and Chromel wiring are then indivually insulated with a high-temperature fibreglass sheath.
For additional protection, the thermocouple wires are then further insulated in braided steel along the full length.
The temperature sensing end of the thermocouple is also fully insulated to ensure that it is completely unground inside the stainless steel casing.
Capable of accurately measuring from room temperature to in excess of a thousand degrees celcius, the Tecto thermocouple offers accuracy and longevity - without compromising on safety and quality.

Tecto Thermocouple Ground Test


The following test is to ensure that there are no shorts or grounding problems along the length of the Tecto thermocouple:


  1. Set the multimeter to test continuity.
Tecto TC 1.jpg
  1. Test the continuity between the Alumel (-Red) and Chromel (+Yellow) thermocouple wires.
Tecto TC 2.jpg
  1. The displayed result is usually be very close to the result shown below at room temperature.
Tecto TC 3.jpg
  1. Test the continuity between the Alumel (-Red) and the thermocouple's insulation.
Tecto TC 4.jpg
  1. Between the Alumel (-Red) and the thermocouple's sheath.
Tecto TC 5.jpg
  1. Between the Chromel (+Yellow) and the thermocouple's insulation.
Tecto TC 6.jpg
  1. Between the Chromel (+Yellow) and the thermocouple's sheath.
Tecto TC 7.jpg
  1. The result of each of the above tests should show NO continuity on the multimeter display.
    This indicates that the thermocouple is functioning correctly.
Tecto TC 8.jpg

Insulating the Tecto Heater Block


Insulation Material

The Tecto Heater Block can be optionally insulated using a 50mm x 70mm strip of high-temperature insulaton material.
WARNING! The insulation material gives off a fairly unpleasant odour during the first couple of hours of use.
Ensure that the machine is in a well ventilated area during this initial period. Once the burn-in process is complete, the odour will disappear.

A template is provided for download below to assist in cutting-out and fitting the insulation material.

downloadDownload the Tecto heater block installation template.

Tecto Replicator 2X Installation

Installing the Tecto on the Dual Extruder Replicator 2X is a little trickier than on the Single Extruder Replicator 2.
Following the steps below should make the installation process a lot smoother.

  1. Connect the Tecto and Alu-Dual Cooling Block:
    Screw the assembled Tecto hotends loosely into the threaded holes on the Alu-Dual Cooling Block. Leave a gap of roughly 7mm between the top of the Tecto Heater Block and the lower portion of the Alu-Dual Cooling Block on both of the Tectos.
Tecto AluDual 001.jpg
  1. Insert one of the Type K Thermocouples into the Left Tecto Heater Block. Allow roughly 4mm of the Type K Thermocouple to stick out of the front facing side of the Tecto Heater Block.
Tecto AluDual 002.jpg
  1. Lock the thermocouple into position using the set screw.
Tecto AluDual 003.jpg
  1. On the Right Tecto Heater Block, insert the heater cartridge and lock it into position. The Type K Thermocouple and Heater Cartridge should be roughly in line at the rear of the Tecto Heater Block.
Tecto AluDual 004.jpg
  1. With the set screws tightened on the inward faces of the Tecto Heater Block, tighten the M6 nut firmly against the Alu-Dual Cooling Block using a 10mm spanner. This will lock the hotend in position. The second M6 nut supplied with each of the Tecto's is not required for this installation.
Tecto AluDual 005.jpg Tecto AluDual 006.jpg
  1. Install the Type K Thermocouple and Heater Cartridge into their respective locations and tighten their set screws.
Tecto AluDual 007.jpg Tecto AluDual 008.jpg
  1. Fit the assembly to the AluCarriage:
    Start by grouping the Heater Cartridge and Type K Thermocouple wires so that they are directed towards the middle of the back of the Alu-Dual Cooling Block.
Tecto AluDual 009.jpg Tecto AluDual 010.jpg
  1. Angle the assembly so that the wires go in first, and then seat the Alu-Dual Cooling Block into position on the AluCarriage Dual - at this stage you can screw the Alu-Dual into position on the AluCarriage. A trick that helps with levelling the nozzles is to insert a piece of Gino Pad (silicone pad) between the Alu-Dual Cooling Block and AluCarriage - this will provide a compressible material on each side of the Alu-Dual Cooling Block which makes it easier to level the nozzles.
Tecto AluDual 011.jpg
  1. Channel the wires so that they fit neatly between the stepper motors once they are installed.
Tecto AluDual 012.jpg

T-Shaped Heater Block with Threaded Thermal Barrier

T-shaped-V2.jpg

The T-Shaped Heater Block was designed to use the minimum amount of material in order to allow faster heating and cooling cycles. In addition the T-Shaped Heater Block allowed the use of the traditional Type K thermocouple with M3 (version 2) / M4 (version 3) threaded thermowell - as well as the use of twisted and then insulated raw Type-K thermocouple wire.
There have been 3 versions of the T-Shaped Heater Block. The primary difference between the 3 versions is related to the mounting of the thermocouple:

  1. Version 1 had a 2mm hole that allowed a raw thermocouple to be clamped in position by two M3 set screws.
  2. Version 2 replaced the 2mm hole with an M3 thread. This allowed the use of insulated raw thermocouple wire / a thermocouple with an M3 threaded thermowell.
  3. Version 3 replaced the M3 thread with an M4 thread. This allowed the use of insulated raw thermocouple wire / a thermocouple with an M4 threaded thermowell.

T-Shaped Hotend Assembly


  1. The T-Shaped Heater Block components (from left to right): M6 nut, Threaded Thermal Barrier, T-Shaped Heater Block, Nozzle.
T-Shaped 1.jpg
  1. Screw the nozzle into the T-Shaped Heater Block by hand. Once the nozzle is flush with the bottom surface of the T-Shaped Heater Block, unscrew it by a maximum of half a turn.
T-Shaped 2.jpg
  1. Screw the Thermal Barrier into the other side of the T-Shaped Heater Block by hand. The Thermal Barrier MUST make contact with the Nozzle on the other end.
T-Shaped 3.jpg
  1. Using a spanner that matches the nut size of the nozzle being installed (a 7mm spanner in this example), hold the T-Shaped Heater Block with a 10mm spanner and tighten the nozzle until it is firmly locked against the Thermal Barrier.
    Be very careful to not over-tighten the Nozzle. As a rule of thumb, continue tightening for a maximum of a quarter turn once the Nozzle has made firm contact with the Thermal Barrier.
T-Shaped 4.jpg
  1. Add the M6 nut to the thermal barrier.
T-Shaped 5.jpg
  1. The T-Shaped Hotend is now assembled and ready to be added to the M6 threaded cooling block used on your machine.

Raw Thermocouple Wire Insulation


  1. If your thermocouple's thermowell is damaged or if you are using plain Type-K thermocouple wire:
    Expose about 10mm of the two thermocouple wires and twist them firmly together.
T-Shaped TC 1.jpg
  1. Insulate the ends of the twisted end of the thermocouple wire with kapton tape.
T-Shaped TC 2.jpg
  1. Wrap the kapton around the end of the thermocouple wire and cut off any excess kapton tape.
T-Shaped TC 3.jpg
  1. The insulated end of the thermocouple can now be inserted into the T-Shaped Heater Block and clamped into position using the M3 set screws.

T-Shaped Heater Block Insulation

The following instructions are based on using a high-temperature glass fibre reinforced foil insulation material.
WARNING! The insulation material gives off a fairly unpleasant odour during the first couple of hours of use.
Ensure that the machine is in a well ventilated area during this initial period. Once the burn-in process is complete, the odour will disappear.

Download and print the template file below. Print the PDF at 1:1 without any scaling applied. The overall dimension of the printed template should be 50mm x 70mm.

downloadDownload the T-Shaped Heater Block insulation template.

  1. Stick the template onto the protective wax paper on the back of the insulation.
T-Block Insulation 1.jpg
  1. Once the glue has set, carefully cut along the magenta lines with a sharp pair of scissors. The black lines indicate folds and the template is split into 2 parts. The first part wraps around the front the the T-Block and the second around the rest of the component. With the first part cut-out, use a sharp tool to create a mark indicating the centre of the circles that will later be inserted into the insulation. Remove the template and protective wax paper from the insulation material.
T-Block Insulation 2.jpg
  1. Face the sticky side of the insulation up, and carefully position the front face of the T-Block onto the insulation.
T-Block Insulation 3.jpg
  1. Carefully stick the insulation down.
T-Block Insulation 4.jpg
  1. Once the first segment is in place, use a sharp tool to puncture the holes required for the set screws / thermocouple using the centre marks made earlier as a guide for where to find the holes.
T-Block Insulation 5.jpg
  1. The second part of the template covers the bulk of the T-Block. There are 3 small holes and 4 larger holes, use the method described above to mark the centre of the 3 smaller holes.
T-Block Insulation 6.jpg
  1. Using a hole punch, remove the bottom paper collector and carefully line up the punch with each of the 4 larger circles. A helpful trick is to manually remove the punched material before completing the punch action.
T-Block Insulation 7.jpg
  1. You should now have something similar to the photo below:
T-Block Insulation 8.jpg
  1. Remove the protective wax paper from the insulation material and position the T-Block as shown below.
T-Block Insulation 9.jpg
  1. Fold up and stick down the short sides.
T-Block Insulation 10.jpg
  1. Fold up the top and bottom sides.
T-Block Insulation 11.jpg
  1. The final step is to install the relevant set screws and continue assembling the rest of the hotend components.

Alu-Dual Cooling Block


Alu-Dual Cooling Block

The Alu-Dual Cooling Block is designed to maximise the heat dissipation from the threaded thermal barrier and to limit the transfer of auxiliary heat from the stepper motor which could affect the cooling potential of the cooling bar.
Improved dissipation of heat build up from the hotend's thermal barrier helps to improve the chances of successfully completing prints using a wide range of materials from PLA through to high temperature filaments like Nylon and Polycarbonate.
The Alu-Dual Cooling Block will fit the stock dual carriage and the AluCarriage Dual carriage. The 35mm nozzle offset allows a direct swop with the stock cooling block on the MakerBot Replicator 2X without the need to adjust any firmware / software related settings.

Alu-Dual Spacer

The threaded thermal barrier is located in the centre of the cooling block and a spacer is required to offset the stepper motor from the cooling block. When using the stock Replicator 2X filament feeder a 3,5mm spacer is recommended.


i3 Cooling Block

The i3 threaded cooling block offers improved thermal barrier cooling performance and is designed specifically for use with a M6 threaded thermal barrier.
The cooling block measures 42 x 15 x 13mm, and the stepper mounting holes are compatible with any Nema 17 stepper motor and the extruder carriage mounting holes are primarily intended for use on a Wanhao i3.

i3 Cooling Block

To install the bottom cooling bar nut on the Wanhao i3, the carriage plate slot will need to be filed wider to allow the thermal barrier nut to fit.

i3 Cooling Block

CloneBoard Mini

Measuring only 210mm x 50mm, the CloneBoard Mini is an Atmel 2560 based – Sailfish Firmware compatible 3D Printer controller which uses the same form factor as that used by the Melzi.

CB Mini.jpg

The board offers the potential to control a single extruder and X,Y, Z axes using Allegro A4982 digipot controlled stepper drivers.
To complement the CloneBoard Mini, an interface panel has been designed to allow you to control your machine without the need for a separate computer.

CBM Interface.jpg

The CloneBoard Mini Interface is designed to be used with any HD44780 compatible 20×4 LCD. The interface panel includes manually adjustable contrast adjustment, a full size SD card reader, speaker, error indicating LEDs and 5-button navigation.
The interface panel connects to the CloneBoard Mini using a single 26-pin IDC cable.

CBM IDC.jpg

Although designed for 24V operation, it is possible to power the CloneBoard Mini using a 12V power supply.

CloneBoard Mini Wiring Diagram

Always ensure that the power is completely off before connecting / disconnecting any wires to the CloneBoard Mini!
Below is an illustration showing a reference wiring diagram for connecting auxiliary components to the CloneBoard Mini:

CBM Wiring.jpg

CloneBoard Mini Heated Build Plate Connection Options

The CloneBoard Mini's screw terminals and traces can safely handle up to 10A of current, and up to 12A as a maximum. The current requirements will vary depending on the wattage of the heated build plate, the power supply's available current and on whether the system is powered by 12V or 24V.
On a 12V powered machine, a heated build plate of up to 120W (1,2ohm resistance) can be safely connected directly to the CloneBoard Mini screw terminals - with a maximum of 144W (1ohm resistance) being possible.
On a 24V powered machine, a heated build plate of up to 240W (2,4ohm resistance) can be safely connected directly to the CloneBoard Mini screw terminals - with a maximum of 288W (2ohm resistance) being possible.
A Wanhao i3, powered with a 12V power supply has a 96W (8A) heated build plate. A Replicator style machine powered by a 24V power supply typically has heated build plate of roughly 144W (6A). Both of these examples should be able to be connected directly to CloneBoard Mini as shown in the wiring diagram illustration above.
If a more powerful heated build plate is required, or a reduction in the amount of current being drawn through the CloneBoard Mini by the heated build plate is preferred, it is possible to wire up the board independently whilst still controlling it with the CloneBoard Mini.

Below is a wiring diagram illustrating this method:
NOTE: A heated build plate is simply a big resistor. The two wires from the build plate are therefore not polarity dependent, and this means that if one wire is connected to positive and the other to negative, they can be swopped without causing any damage.

CBM HBP Alternative Wiring.jpg

To wire up a heated build plate using this alternative method:

  1. Connect one of the heated build plate wires to the positive terminal of your power supply
  2. Connect the remaining heated build plate wire to the negative screw terminal for the heated build plate on the CloneBoard Mini.

CloneBoard Mini Screw Terminals

Always ensure that the power is completely off before connecting / disconnecting any wires to the CloneBoard Mini !
The screw terminals are clearly labelled on the CloneBoard Mini to assist in connecting everything up.

CBM Screw Terminals.jpg

Description of the screw terminals (left to right):


-TC+ is used for the hotend's Type K thermocouple connection.

CBM TC.jpg

The CloneBoard Mini uses a MAX6675 thermocouple amplifier and it is requires an unground Type-K thermocouple. It is important to ensure that the end of the thermocouple connected to your heater block is properly electrically insulated (unground) with a material that does not affect the thermal readings.
Connect the negative (red) wire to the negative terminal (-), and the positive (yellow) wire to the positive terminal (+).

CBM TypeK.jpg
Note: Genuine Type-K thermocouples use Alumel (yellow+) and Chromel (red-) insulated wires.

If you are not using a genuine Type-K thermocouple, or if you are not sure which terminal is positive or negative:

  1. Connect the wires to either terminal.
  2. Power up your machine.
  3. Use the Interface Panel menu to navigate to Utilities >> Monitor Mode.
  4. The temperature shown initially should be roughly room temperature. Warming up the heater block / end of the thermocouple should increase the temperature shown on the LCD display. If the temperature decreases, turn off your machine, and swop the wires.

RGB+ is used to connect RGB LED lighting to the CloneBoard Mini.

CBM RGB.jpg

The Red, Green, Blue and V+ wires can be inserted in the same order as the letters indicated on the label.
Depending on whether you are using a 12V or 24V power supply, you will need either a 12V or 24V 'Common Anode' LED strip.

CBM RGB1.jpg

HBP-THERMISTOR is used for connecting the heated build plate's thermistor and is designed to allow both MakerBot and Non-MakerBot style heated build plates to be connected.

CBM thermistor.jpg

The simplest way to get accurate heated build plate temperature readings is to connect a 100K NTC thermistor with a beta(25/85) of 3974K. The two wires from the thermistor would then be connected to the GND and SIG screw terminals - leaving the *5V* screw terminal empty. The other end of the thermistor would then be placed on your heated build plate and held in position using kapton tape or an alternative method.

MakerBot style heated build plates ONLY!
If the CloneBoard Mini is used with a MakerBot based heated build plate, it is important to know that part of the thermistor circuitry is already present on these heated build plates.
In order to avoid receiving inaccurate temperature readings, capacitor C27 and resistor R40 need to be removed from the CloneBoard Mini BEFORE connecting the thermistor *5V*, GND and SIG wires to the CloneBoard Mini.
To make identification these components a little easier, the CloneBoard Mini has a box drawn around the two chips involved. The box is labelled *HBP*.CBM HBP.jpg


PSTOP allows you to connect a simple 2-wire button or endstop.

CBM Pstop.jpg

When the button or endstop attached is pushed/activated, the Sailfish pause function will be enabled.
Depending on how the switch is implemented on your machine, it can be used to detect when you have run out of filament, or simply as a pause button which can be activated during a print.

X-END, Y-END and Z-END are the endstops / limit switch terminals for the X, Y and Z axes.

CBM endstops.jpg

The endstop connections are specially designed to allow a simple 2-wire connection to a microswitch. The wires are intended to be connected to the COM and NO terminals of the microswitch - this will cause the endstop to activate once the microswitch button is pressed. No additional external circuitry is required.


MakerBot Replicator based machines ONLY!
To make the CloneBoard Mini compatible with RepRap-based machines, whilst still allowing the use of an unmodified version of the Sailfish firmware, the CloneBoard Mini was designed to incorporate the external circuitry found on the MakerBot endstop PCBs into the main controller board.
A significant benefit of incorporating the endstop circuitry into the CloneBoard Mini is that it eliminates the need for carrying additional wires with live current to an external endstop PCB, and instead, the activation of the endstop is simply the result of a closed circuit that occurs when the microswitch button is pressed. This also means that the endstop wiring is not polarity dependant - the only important thing is that the wires are connected to the COM and NO terminals of the microswitch. MakerBot endstop.jpg In order to use a stock MakerBot endstop PCB with the CloneBoard Mini, you will need to bypass all of the circuitry found on this PCB (since this already exists on the CloneBoard Mini). This can be done by running two wires directly from the relevant endstop screw terminals on the CloneBoard Mini to the COM and NO terminal of the relevant microswitch (as shown in the image above)


+AFAN-. +COOL-, +HEAT-, and +HBP- are MOSFET controlled terminals.

CBM FETs.jpg

+AFAN- allows the connection of an Active Cooling Fan. This fan's operation can be defined in the gcode / slicer variables and is intended to be used to cool the extruded filament as quickly as possible after being extruded.
+COOL- is for the Extruder Cooling Fan. This fan will automatically turn on once the extruder's hotend reaches 50 deg C. It will also be active in the event of a failed thermocouple / no thermocouple present error.
+HEAT- is for connecting the Extruder Heater Cartridge. The heater cartridge wires are typically not polarity dependant. The polarity is indicated in case the terminal is used for an alternative function.
+HBP- is for connecting the Heated Build Plate. The heater build plate wires are typically not polarity dependant. The polarity is indicated in case the terminal is used for an alternative function.

-PWR+ is used to connect the main power supply wires to the CloneBoard Mini.

CBM power.jpg

Connect the positive wire to the + terminal and the ground / negative wire to the - terminal.

Although a 24V power supply is highly recommended, the CloneBoard Mini can be powered by either a 12V or 24V power supply.

E, Z , Y and X terminals are used to connect the stepper motors for the Extruder and the Z, Y and X axes respectively.

CBM steppers.jpg

Detailed information on connecting the stepper motors to the CloneBoard Mini can be found in the Stepper Motor Setup section of this wiki.


CloneBoard Mini Stepper Motor Setup

Before connecting / disconnecting the stepper motor wiring, it is CRITICAL that the CloneBoard Mini is FULLY POWERED OFF. Failure to do this could result in damaging the A4982 stepper driver chips!
In order to properly step up your CloneBoard Mini with your stepper motors, it is important to have the specifications / datasheet for the specific stepper motors that you are using. Without this information, setting up your stepper motors correctly will involve a lot of trial and error in order to find the correct settings.

Connecting the stepper motors to the CloneBoard Mini

The screw terminal wiring order on the CloneBoard Mini is shown below: CBM Steppers 1.jpg

Identifying the stepper motor wiring

CBM Steppers 2.jpg

On a standard 4-wire bipolar stepper motor, there are two coils (1 and 2), each coil has two wires (A and B).
If you are not sure which wire to connect to the screw terminals, there are two methods that can be used to help solve this problem:

  1. Method 1 (using a multimeter):
    1. Each of the coils should have the same resistance when measured with a multimeter. When measuring the resistance across one wire from each of the two coils, the resistance should be infinite because the circuit is open. Locate the two pairs of wires that represent the two coils: both pairs of wires will have similar internal resistance.
    2. Connect one pair of wires to 1 (A and B) and the other pair to 2 (A and B). Ignore the polarity (+ / -) for now - You will have a 50% chance of guessing correctly on each coil ! ;-)
    3. Switch on the power to your machine.
    4. Using the CloneBoard Mini interface panel, navigate to Utilities >> Jog Mode to test if the relevant stepper moves in the desired direction.
    5. If the motor moves in the wrong direction, switch the power off, and then swop either coil 1 A and B or coil 2 A and B (this will reverse the stepper motor direction).
  1. Method 2 (without a multimeter):
    1. Connect the four coil wires to the screw terminals in any random order.
    2. Switch on the power to your machine.
    3. Using the CloneBoard Mini interface panel, navigate to Utilities >> Jog Mode to test the relevant stepper.
    4. If the motor moves erratically or not at all, switch a wire from coil 1 A with a wire from coil 2 B.
    5. Use the CloneBoard Mini interface panel, to navigate to Utilities >> Jog Mode to test the relevant stepper again.
    6. If the motor rotates in the wrong direction, switch the power off, and swop either coil 1 A and B or coil 2 A and B (this will reverse the stepper motor direction).

Once you have determined the correct wiring order for one stepper motor, the wiring order will be exactly the same on the rest of the screw terminals.

Reversing the Stepper Motor Direction using ReplicatorG

An alternative to manually reversing the stepper motor direction by swopping the wires around is to use ReplicatorG to invert the axis.
This can be done by connecting to your CloneBoard Mini using ReplicatorG... ReplicatorG 3.jpg ...selecting the Machine >> Onboard Preferences... menu... ReplicatorG 12.jpg ...A window will then open allowing you to select or unselect the tickbox next Invert X axis, Invert Y axis, Invert Z axis and Invert A axis (Mk8).
Selecting / Unselecting these tickboxes will reverse the stepper motor direction without needing you to power the machine off to swop the stepper motor wiring. ReplicatorG 13.jpg Once you are happy with your changes, press the Commit Changes button to write the changes to the CloneBoard Mini.

Setting Motor Currents

The CloneBoard Mini has firmware controlled digipots and uses onboard Allegro A4982 stepper drivers set to 1/16 steps. The sense resistor installed is 0.1ohm.
In order to set the correct stepper motor current, the rated current per coil / phase (Amps) for the stepper motor being used is required.
The formula to calculate the required VREF variable is:

VREF = current (A) * (8 * 0.1)

If we use the example of a stepper motor that requires 1,3A:

VREF = 1.3 * (8 * 0.1)

This results in a required VREF of 1.04V.

Similarly, on a stepper motor that requires 0.84A:

VREF = 0.84 * (8 * 0.1)

This will result in a required VREF of 0.672V.

Now that we know the VREF voltage required in order to provide the stepper motor with the correct amperage, the next step is to calculate the value that needs to be entered into ReplicatorG in order for the digipots to supply the required voltage to the A4982 stepper driver.
The formula required to calculate this value (N) on the CloneBoard Mini is:

N = 118 * VREF / 1.5

Using the first example of a stepper requiring 1.3A, with a VREF of 1.04V:

N = 118 * 1.04 / 1.5

This results in the value required being 81.81333333. Rounding this figure to 82 will provide 1.30296A to the stepper motor when entered into ReplicatorG.
Similarly, on the 0.84A stepper motor, requiring a VREF of 0.672V:

N = 118 * 0.672 / 1.5

Will result in a value of 52.864. Rounding this figure to 53 will provide the required 0.84A to the stepper motor when entered into ReplicatorG.

Write the calculated values to the CloneBoard Mini.

Once you have calculated the values required for your specific stepper motors, the final step is to enter the calculated values into ReplicatorG and write these variables to the CloneBoard Mini.

  1. Connect to your CloneBoard Mini through ReplicatorG.
ReplicatorG 3.jpg
  1. Selecting the Machine >> Onboard Preferences... menu.
ReplicatorG 12.jpg
  1. When the window opens, select Homing/VREFs and enter the calculated value (N) into the relevant axis VREF Pot. field.
ReplicatorG 14.jpg
  1. Once you are happy with your changes, press the Commit Changes button to write the changes to the CloneBoard Mini.
NOTE: The 'VREF Pot. B' value is not required for the CloneBoard Mini unless an additional stepper driver has been added using the breakouts that are available on the CloneBoard Mini

VREF test

If you would like to test the amperage being sent to your stepper motor, this can be done by measuring the VREF value for the specific stepper driver with a multimeter.

  1. Connect the negative probe of the multimeter to any negative screw terminal.
  2. Connect the positive probe to the VREF test points for the required stepper driver on the CloneBoard Mini.
CBM Steppers 3.jpg

Using the formula below, you will then be able to calculate the actual amperage sent to your stepper motor and make adjustments if required.

current (A) = (5 * VREF) / 4

CloneBoard Mini Breakout Pins

The CloneBoard Mini and CloneBoard Mini Interface Panel have a total of 42 breakout pins available.

Stepper motor pins

These breakout pins allow bypassing the installed A4982 stepper driver chips and using alternative external stepper drivers for the X, Y, Z and Extruder steppers instead.

CBM Steppers 5.jpg

Atmel 2560 UART TX and RX pins

CBM Breakouts 1.jpg

Second extruder pins

Pins 1 - 5 are breakout pins for adding a second extruder stepper motor. Included is the pin for controlling the VREF with an optional digital potentiometer.

CBM Breakouts 2.jpg
  1. Pin #1 = Second Extruder DIR
  2. Pin #2 = Second Extruder STEP
  3. Pin #3 = Second Extruder EN
  4. Pin #4 = Second Extruder POT
  5. Pin #5 = POT-SCL

Pins 6 - 11 are the breakout pins required for adding an additional thermocouple, heater cartridge, and fan.

CBM Breakouts 3.jpg
  1. Pin #6 = +5V
  2. Pin #7 = Thermocouple DO
  3. Pin #8 = Thermocouple CS2
  4. Pin #9 = Thermocouple SCK
  5. Pin #10 = Second Extruder Heater
  6. Pin #11 = Second Extruder Fan

Atmel 8U2 UART TX and UART RX pins

Pin #12 is for the 8U2's UART0 (TX) and Pin #13 is for the 8U2's UART0 (RX).

CBM Breakouts 4.jpg

Atmel 2560 ICSP programming pins

CBM Breakouts 5.jpg

Atmel 8U2 ICSP programming pins

CBM Breakouts 6.jpg

Interface Panel breakout pins

The CloneBoard Mini Interface Panel has +5V, +3.3V and GND breakout pins available.

CBM Breakouts 7.jpg

CloneBoard Mini Custom Machine Definitions

When you connect to your CloneBoard Mini by pressing the connect button in ReplicatorG, the machine definitions will be written to the CloneBoard Mini based on the machine type chosen in the Machine >> Machine Type (Driver) >> 'Your Machine Name' menu. It is therefore very important to select the correct machine before connecting! ;-)

ReplicatorG 3.jpg ReplicatorG 2.jpg

The machine definitions are found in a file named replicator-sailfish.xml. This file is located in the replicatorg-00XXrXX/machines/replicator-sailfish.xml' directory on Windows, and in ReplicatorG.app/Contents/Resources/machines/replicator-sailfish.xml' on a Mac. The programming language used is XML, and the file can be opened and edited using your system text editor.

Methods for creating a custom machine definition


  1. Method 1: Modify the existing settings found under <name>The Replicator Single (Sailfish)</name>

The specific lines of code involved look this this:

    <axis id="x" length="227" maxfeedrate="18000" homingfeedrate="2500" stepspermm="94.139704" endstops="max"/>  <!-- Pulley dia: 10.82mm / 1/8 step = 1/(10.82 * pi / 1600) -->
    <axis id="y" length="148" maxfeedrate="18000" homingfeedrate="2500" stepspermm="94.139704" endstops="max"/>  <!-- Pulley dia: 10.82mm / 1/8 step = 1/(10.82 * pi / 1600) -->
    <axis id="z" length="150" maxfeedrate="1170" homingfeedrate="1100" stepspermm="400" endstops="min"/> <!-- Actual length is 157mm, we reserve ~5mm for safety.TR-8x8 Z axis = 1/(8/1600) -->
    <axis id="a" length="100000" maxfeedrate="1600" stepspermm="96.275201870333662468889989185642" endstops="none"/> <!-- stepspermm is incoming filament length, see comment at bottom for explanation -->
    

The variables that need to be updated for each of the axes are the length="Your axis length" and stepspermm="Your Steps per mm". Various other settings can be tweaked to suit your machine, but in most cases, the defaults offer a good starting point.
The CloneBoard Mini stepper drivers are set at 1/16 by default, which when used with a bipolar stepping motor with a 1.8 degree step angle and 200 steps/revolution, will result in 3200 steps/revolution (16 * 200).
The length variable is based on the actual travel distance (in mm) that can physically be travelled along the specific axis (X, Y or Z). The extruder ("a") should typically not need to be modified, and can therefore be left at the default "100000".
The stepspermm' variable uses the following formula for the X and Y axes:

1/(Pulley diameter * pi / 3200)

For the Z axis (using a TR-8x8 leadscrew), the following formula is used:

1/(8/3200)

And for the extruder ("a"), the following formula is used:

3200/(pi * Drive Gear diameter)

The default variables found under <name>The Replicator Single (Sailfish)</name> in the replicator-sailfish.xml file are based on the settings required for a MakerBot Replicator 1.
Once the variables have been updated to match your machine:

  1. Save the modified replicator-sailfish.xml file.
  2. Open ReplicatorG.
  3. Select Machine>>Machine Type (Driver)>>The Replicator Single (Sailfish)
  4. Connect to your machine.

The updated variables will then be automatically written to you CloneBoard Mini during the ReplicatorG connection process.

  1. Method 2: Create your own custom machine definition.

This is done in exactly the same replicator-sailfish.xml file as used in the first method, but instead of modifying the existing code, you would insert your own machine definition after the last </machine> tag inside the replicator-sailfish.xml file.

    <machine experimental="0">
    <name>Your Machine Name</name>
    <geometry type="cartesian"> <!-- Your machine geometry -->
    <axis id="x" length="Your X-Axis Length in mm" maxfeedrate="Your Max Feedrate" homingfeedrate="Your Homing Feedrate" stepspermm="Your Steps per mm" endstops="Options: max / min / none"/>
    <axis id="y" length="Your Y-Axis Length in mm" maxfeedrate="Your Max Feedrate" homingfeedrate="Your Homing Feedrate" stepspermm="Your Steps per mm" endstops="Options: max / min / none"/>
    <axis id="z" length="Your Z-Axis Length in mm" maxfeedrate="Your Max Feedrate" homingfeedrate="Your Homing Feedrate" stepspermm="Your Steps per mm" endstops="Options: max / min / none"/>
    <axis id="a" length="Your Extruder Length in mm" maxfeedrate="Your Max Feedrate" stepspermm="Your Steps per mm" endstops="Options: max / min / none"/>
    </geometry>
    <tools>
    <tool name="Mk8" model="Mk8" diameter="Your Nozzle Diameter" stepper_axis="a" index="0" type="extruder" motor="Options: true / false" fan="Options: true / false"  heatedplatform="Options: true / false" motor_steps="Your Stepper Motor steps/revolution at 1/16" default_rpm="Your default RPM" heater="Options: true / false"/>
    </tools>
          
    <!-- No modification is typically required to the variables below this point! --> <wipes> 
    <!-- The variables below are applied when using MakerWare -->
    <wipe index="0" X1="-150.0" Y1="90.0" X2="-150.0" Y2="80.0" wait="1000.0" purge_duration="1000" reverse_duration="15" purge_rpm="5.0" reverse_rpm="35.0"/>
    </wipes>
    <clamps></clamps>
    <driver name="mightysailfish">
    <!-- optional: <portname>COM1</portname> -->
    <rate>115200</rate>
    </driver>
    <warmup>
    </warmup>
    <cooldown>
    M18 (Turn off steppers after a build.)
    </cooldown>
    <bookend start="machines/replicator/Single_Head_start.gcode" end="machines/replicator/Single_Head_end.gcode"/>
    </machine>
    

After saving the updated replicator-sailfish.xml file:

  1. Close your text editor.
  2. Open ReplicatorG.

Under the Machine>>Machine Type (Driver)' menu, you should now see 'Your Machine Name' as defined in the replicator-sailfish.xml file.

ReplicatorG 11.jpg

By selecting your machine's profile name and then reconnecting, the updated machine definition variables will be written to your CloneBoard Mini.


CloneBoard Mini Sailfish Installation

The initial production run version of the CloneBoard Mini has been shipped with the Sailfish 7.7 'Replicator 1 with ATmega 2560' version of the firmware installed. This version was the most recent official firmware release available at the date of shipping.
There are currently two versions of Sailfish that are compatible with the CloneBoard Mini, and the option selected depends on whether you are running a Cartesian or Core XY machine.

The most recent Sailfish documentation can be found by visiting the Sailfish Firmware Website, or by downloading the Sailfish Reference Manual.


Installation Procedure:


  1. Download and install replicatorg-0040r33(or newer) for Mac, Linux or Windows.
  1. Plug one end of the USB cable into the CloneBoard Mini's USB port and connect the other end to your computer's USB port.
  2. Open the ReplicatorG application.
ReplicatorG 1.jpg
  1. Navigate to Machine>>Machine Type (Driver).
    Select Replicator Single (Sailfish) / the custom profile created for your machine.
ReplicatorG 2.jpg
  1. Ensure that ReplicatorG is NOT connected to your machine!!!
ReplicatorG 3.jpg
Note: It is NOT possible to install the firmware whilst ReplicatorG is connected.
  1. Navigate to Machine>>Upload new firmware.
ReplicatorG 4.jpg
  1. Scroll down and select MakerBot Replicator 1 with ATmega 2560 for cartesian based machines or Clone R1 with ATmega 2560' for Core XY based machines.
    Once you have selected your preferred option, press the Next button.
ReplicatorG 5.jpg ReplicatorG 6.jpg
  1. Select Sailfish 7.7 (r1XXX) and press Next > again.
ReplicatorG 7.jpg
NOTE: The CloneBoard Mini has a Atmel 2560 processor and uses the MAX6675 thermocouple chip.
  1. Select the port used to connect to your CloneBoard Mini and press Next >.
ReplicatorG 8.jpg
  1. Click on Upload.
    Once clicked, do not touch anything on the CloneBoard Mini or interrupt the power supply to the machine!
    It will take about a minute for the upload process to complete.
ReplicatorG 9.jpg
Note: The reset button on the CloneBoard Mini MUST NOT be pressed - this function is completed automatically.
  1. Click OK once the Firmware update succeeded! message is displayed.
    The installation is complete and the new firmware is successfully installed on you CloneBoard Mini! :-)
ReplicatorG 10.jpg

MakerWare


MakerWare download links:

  1. MakerWare 2.4.1.24 - OS X 10.6
  2. MakerWare 2.4.1.35 - OS X 10.7+
  3. MakerWare 2.4.1.24 - Windows7/8 x64
  4. MakerWare 2.4.1.27 - Windows7/8 x86
  5. MakerWare 2.4.1.62 - Windows8.1 x64
  6. MakerWare 2.4.1.43 - Windows8.1 x86
  7. MakerWare 2.2.2.89 - Windows XP

GpxUi


GpxUi is a graphical user interface wrapped around GPX, a command line utility.
GPX is a post processing utility for converting gcode output from 3D slicing software like Cura, KISSlicer, S3DCreator and Slic3r to x3g files for standalone 3D printing on Makerbot Cupcake, ThingOMatic, and Replicator 1/2/2x printers - with support for both stock and SailFish firmwares.
Information on installing and using GpxUi can be found by visiting is maintained by visiting markwal's github page.

gpxui.jpg

CloneBoard Mini Interface Case

Designed to house the CloneBoard Mini's Interface Panel, this 3D printable case also protects the interface panel's electronics.

CBMI 1.jpg CBMI 2.jpg CBMI 3.jpg

Print Settings:

  1. Rafts: No
  2. Supports: No
  3. Resolution: 0,2
  4. Infill: 20%
CBMI 4.jpg CBMI 5.jpg

downloadDownload the stl format files.


CloneBoard Mini Installation Examples

The CloneBoard Mini is able to power virtually any 4-axis 3D printer. Below are installation examples for The Wanhao i3 and for the MakerBot Replicator 1.

CloneBoard Mini - Wanhao i3 Installation



Modifications to the stock machine

The following modifications were made to the stock Wanhao i3 machine:

  1. The power supply was replaced with a 24V psu.
  2. 24V fans, heater cartridge, and Common Anode RGB LED strip were used.
  3. The endstops are in their stock positions, but the wiring has not been replaced.
  4. The stock feeder gear was replaced with a Deezmaker Tatsu drive gear.
  5. The hotend has been modified to use the i3 cooling block, an all-steel threaded thermal barrier and Tecto heater block with Type K thermocouple.
CBM-i3 001.jpg
  1. The stock i3 heated build plate has been reconfigured to accept 24V and rotated 90 degrees to allow the heated build plate wiring and thermistor to exit on the side closest to the CloneBoard Mini.
  2. A 300mm x 200mm Phenolic G11 build plate has been added - although the 200mm x 200mm build plate area has not been modified.
CBM-i3 002.jpg
Note: Although it is possible to simply replace the stock Melzi controller board and re-use the existing wiring, the stock wiring is a notable hazard on the i3.In this installation, the wiring was fully disconnected, re-routed and cut to the correct lengths / changed where required.

  1. The CloneBoard Mini was mounted to the side of the i3's frame by drilling and threading four M3 holes.
    The CloneBoard Mini was used as the template for the hole positions, and four M3 brass standoffs were used between the CloneBoard Mini and the i3's frame.
CBM-i3 003.jpg
  1. The interface panel was mounted by drilling one additional hole into the facia plate used on the stock V1 PSU case. This was then connected to the frame using the existing screws positions.

Custom Machine Definition:

By following the steps posted in the Custom Machine Definitions section, the following code can be added to the replicator-sailfish.xml and written to the CloneBoard Mini:

      <machine experimental="0">		
                      <name>CBM-Wanhao i3</name>
          <geometry type="cartesian">
             <!-- different pulleys on X and Y axii -->
             <axis id="x" length="200" maxfeedrate="18000" homingfeedrate="2500" stepspermm="94.139704" endstops="max"/>  <!-- Pulley dia: 10.82mm / 1/8 step = 1/(10.82 * pi / 1600) -->
             <axis id="y" length="200" maxfeedrate="18000" homingfeedrate="2500" stepspermm="94.139704" endstops="max"/>  <!-- Pulley dia: 10.82mm / 1/8 step = 1/(10.82 * pi / 1600) -->
             <axis id="z" length="150" maxfeedrate="1170" homingfeedrate="1100" stepspermm="400" endstops="min"/> <!-- Actual length is 157mm, we reserve ~5mm for safety.TR-8x8 Z axis = 1/(8/1600) -->
             <axis id="a" length="100000" maxfeedrate="1600" stepspermm="92.6" endstops="none"/> <!-- 92.6 is based on using the Deezmaker Tatsu Feeder Gear... stepspermm is incoming filament length, see comment at bottom for explanation -->
           </geometry>
          <tools>
            <tool name="Mk8" stepper_axis="a" index="0" type="extruder" motor="true" fan="true" heatedplatform="true" motor_steps="3200" default_rpm="3" heater="true"/>
          </tools>
          <wipes>
             <wipe index="0" X1="-135.0" Y1="55.0" X2="-135.0" Y2="45.0" wait="1000.0" purge_duration="1000" reverse_duration="15" purge_rpm="5.0" reverse_rpm="35.0"/>
             <wipe index="1" X1="-135.0" Y1="55.0" X2="-135.0" Y2="45.0" wait="1000.0" purge_duration="1000" reverse_duration="15" purge_rpm="5.0" reverse_rpm="35.0"/>
           </wipes>
           <clamps></clamps>
           <driver name="mightysailfish">
             <!-- optional: <portname>COM1</portname> -->
             <rate>115200</rate>
           </driver>
           <warmup>
          </warmup>
          <cooldown>
      M18 (Turn off steppers after a build.)
           </cooldown>
           <bookend start="machines/replicator/Single_Head_start.gcode" end="machines/replicator/Single_Head_end.gcode"/>
        </machine>
      

If you are using a different feeder gear or have changed the stock 17T pulleys, you will need to modify the values in the text above and write these updated variables to the CloneBoard Mini.
It is important to select the correct machine type in ReplicatorG before connecting to your CloneBoard Mini, the information about the selected machine is automatically written to the CloneBoard Mini when you press connect.
In ReplicatorG's machine options, under 'Endstop/Axis Inversion' the following boxes were also ticked:

CBM-i3 004.jpg
Note: The above settings depend on the order you have chosen to connect the stepper motor wiring to the CloneBoard Mini. If an axis moves in the wrong direction with the above settings, simply untick/tick the relevant checkbox and commit the changes back the CloneBoard Mini to reverse the direction.

VREF and Home Offset settings


Without accurate datasheets for the stepper motors used on this i3 (42HB34F103AB, 42HS34(L)-0954JA05-D21 and 42HB48F102AB), the digipot settings were based on 1,3A and 84 was entered into the VREF Pot boxes under the Homing/VREFs tab:
-100(-99.99) was used for the X home offset (mm) value, and 100 (99.99) for the Y home offset (mm) value.
The above variables were then written to the CloneBoard Mini, and ReplicatorG closed.

CBM-i3 005.jpg

Simplify3D Configuration

  1. Under Tools >> Firmware Configuration, select the default Replicator 1 - single extruder machine profile, and update the step per mm for the X, Y and A (feeder gear) axes to match the machine's components.
  2. In the process dialogue, under the 'G-Code' tab, the following was entered:
CBM-i3 006.jpg
  1. Selecting the 'X' tickbox in the 'Flip build table axis' will set the front of the build plate to display correctly in S3D.
CBM-i3 007.jpg
  1. In the 'Scripts' tab, under the 'Starting Script' tab the following was entered:
        ; **** CloneBoard Mini - Wanhao i3 start.gcode ****
        M73 P0 ; Enable build progress
        M103 ; Disable RPM
        G21 ; Set units to mm
        G90 ; Set positioning to absolute
        **** begin homing ****
        G162 X Y F3000 ; Home extruder carriage
        G161 Z F3000 ; Home build platform
        G92 Z-5 ; Set build platform to -5
        G1 Z0 ; Move build platform to 0
        G161 Z F100 ; Home build platform
        M132 X Y Z A B ; Recall home offsets 
        **** end homing ****
        **** begin preheat ****
        G1 X100 Y100 Z30 F3000 ; Move to wait position
        M126 S[fan_speed_pwm]
        M140 S[bed0_temperature]
        M104 S[extruder0_temperature] T0
        M6 T0 ; Wait for toolhead parts nozzle HBP etc. to reach temperature
        M6 T0
        M108 T0
        **** end preheat ****
        **** begin nozzle purge ****
        G1 Z1 ; Position nozzle
        G92 A0 ; Zero extruder
        G1 E10 F300 ; Extrude 10mm of filament
        G1 X50 Y95 Z0.15 F1200 ; Slow wipe
        G1 X95 Y50 Z0.5 F1200 ; Lift
        G92 A0 ; Zero extruder
        **** end nozzle purge ****
        M73 P1 ;@body (notify GPX body has started)
        ; **** end of start.gcode ****
        
  1. And under the 'Ending Script' tab the following was entered:
        ; **** CloneBoard Mini - Wanhao i3 end.gcode ****
        M73 P100 ; End build progress
        G1 Z160 F1000 ; Send build platform to bottom of machine
        M109 S0 T0 
        M104 S0 T0 ; Cool down extruder
        M127 ; Stop blower fan
        G162 X Y F3000 ; Home extruder carriage
        M18 ; Disable steppers
        M70 P5 ; We <3 Making Things!
        M72 P1 ; Play print finished sound.
        ; **** end of end.gcode ****
        

CloneBoard Mini MakerBot Replicator Installation

Although it is possible to use a CloneBoard Mini to power a MakerBot Replicator based machine, the CloneBoard Mini was not designed as a drop-in replacement for MakerBot Mightyboard-based machines. It was instead designed to be a drop-in replacement for RepRap-based machines like the Wanhao i3.
RepRap-based machines typically do not have the external heated build plate thermistor circuitry built into their heated build plates, and they typically use two-wire microswitches without any additional external circuitry.
To make the CloneBoard Mini compatible with RepRap-based machines, whilst still allowing the use of an unmodified version of Sailfish firmware, the CloneBoard Mini was designed to incorporate the external circuitry found on the MakerBot endstop PCBs as well as the required thermistor circuitry found on a MakerBot heated build plate into the main controller board.
A significant benefit of incorporating the endstop circuitry into the CloneBoard Mini is that it eliminates the need for carrying additional wires with live current to an external endstop PCB, and instead, the activation of the endstop is simply the result of a closed circuit that occurs when the microswitch button is pressed. This also means that the endstop wiring is not polarity dependant - the only important thing is that the wires are connected to the 'COM' and 'NO' terminals of the microswitch.

MakerBot endstop.jpg

In order to use a stock MakerBot endstop PCB with the CloneBoard Mini, you will need to bypass all of the circuitry found on this PCB (since this already exists on the CloneBoard Mini). This can be done by running two endstop wires directly from the relevant endstop screw terminals on the CloneBoard Mini to the 'COM' and 'NO' terminal of the relevant microswitch (as shown in the image above).
To use a stock MakerBot heated build plate with the CloneBoard Mini, resistor 'R48' and capacitor 'C27' (in the box labelled '*HBP*') need to be removed from the CloneBoard Mini. If these two components are not removed, the heated build plate temperature readings will be incorrect.

CBM HBP.jpg

CloneBoard Mini - MakerBot Replicator 1 Dual Installation (Contributed by: Greg Thorstad)


CBM Rep1 1.jpg
  1. Wiring change to the endstops (we soldered the old endstop connectors off the blown Rev E board directly to the microswitch and then just connected the existing wiring).
Y-Axis Endstop:
CBM Rep1 2.jpg
Z-Axis Endstop:
CBM Rep1 3.jpg
X-Axis Endstop:
CBM Rep1 4.jpg
  1. We also removed the power connector from the blown board (RevE Mightyboard) and printed a power connector holder to bolt it to the back of the printer so we could reuse the existing power pack without cutting the end off it.

Download the power connector holder.

CBM Rep1 5.jpg CBM Rep1 6.jpg
  1. We left the second extruder so it is available as a spare and you just have to change the wiring down below to make it functional. The only catch is that when the left extruder is hooked up everything is offset 33 mm to the left and when you hook up the wires you have to flip one of the pairs of coil wires on the stepper so that the motor reverses (or reverse it in the Machine settings from ReplicatorG).
  2. We manually set the Vref as follows in the Machine settings in ReplicatorG:

X = 53 , Y = 53, Extruder = 53 and Z=26.


  1. If you are using MakerBot MakerWare or MakerBot Desktop to generate your files you need to modify the Start gcode so that it does not set the VRef back up to 127 before it starts to print. Makerbot puts this gcode in to lower the voltages during the warmup process on the Heated Bed and Extruder and then bring it back up before printing.

To do this, modify the Replicatordual.json file in: Makerbot MakerWare V 2.4 - c: Program Files\MakerBot\MakerWare\s3g\profiles


            "start_position" : {
              "replicator_start_position": [
                "G92 X152 Y75 Z0 A0 B0",
                "G1 X#START_X Y#START_Y Z#START_Z F3300.0 (move to waiting position)",
                "G130 X53 Y53 A53 B53 (Lower stepper Vrefs while heating)"
                ],
              "start_x" : -150,
              "start_y" : -90,
              "start_z" : 210
              },
        

Makerbot Desktop V 3.9 - c: Program Files\MakerBot\MakerWare\s3g\profiles\default_configs


        "end_start_sequence" : {
              "replicator_end_start_sequence" : [
                "G130 X53 Y53 A53 B53 (Set Stepper motor Vref to defaults)"
                ]
              }
        

  1. We modified the 2 lines with a G130 on them so they only adjusted the B extruder which is not hooked up. We chose this route because we have two Replicator Dual printers we are trying to use interchangeably. If you only have 1 printer then you could set the VRef# in the start gcode to be what you want the printer to use as well (as shown in the example above).
CBM Rep1 7.jpg CBM Rep1 8.jpg

Clone R1 Beta

The core-xy Clone R1-Beta 3D Printer was fully designed and assembled from the ground-up and offered as part of a limited production run in both single and dual extruder formats.


Specifications

  1. PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS
    • Width: 495mm
    • Depth: 455mm
    • Height: 515mm
    • Weight:
      SINGLE: 10.6kg (excluding removable build surface)
      DUAL: 11.1kg (excluding removable build surface)
  2. ELECTRICAL
    • AC input:115 VAC / 6.5A, 230 VAC / 4A, 50/60 Hz
    • Power supply: 24V DC, 350W, 14.6A
  3. MECHANICAL
    • Chassis: Anodised aluminium
    • Cladding: FR4 glass-reinforced epoxy laminate
    • XYZ motion tracks: Linear glide rails
    • Stepper motors: 1.8° step angle with 1/16 micro-stepping
    • Build platform: 2mm G11 glass-cloth reinforced epoxy, 3mm borosilicate glass
  4. PRINTING
    • Print technology: Fused filament fabrication
    • Build volume: SINGLE: 300mm (x) x 195mm (y) x 210mm (z), DUAL: 280mm (x) x 195mm (y) x 210mm (z)
    • Layer resolution: 100 microns
    • Filament diameter: 1.75mm
    • Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm
  5. FIRMWARE & DATA CONNECTION
    • Firmware: Sailfish 7.7 pre-installed
    • Print files types: .x3g, .s3g
    • Data connections: SD card, USB cable
    • Compatible software: Makerware 2.4, Simplify3D (recommended)
  6. TEMPERATURE
    • Ambient operating temperature: 15 - 32°C (60 - 90°F)
    • Storage temperature: 0°C - 32°C (32° - 90°F)
    • Nozzle operating temperature: up to 280°C
    • Heated build plate operating temperature: up to 100°C

Clone R1 Beta Sailfish Installation

The Clone R1 Beta run machines were shipped with Sailfish 7.7 firmware installed. This version was the most recent official firmware release available at the date of shipping.

Installation Procedure:

  1. Download and install replicatorg-0040r33 for Mac, Linux, Windows
  2. Plug one end of the USB cable into the Clone R1's USB port and connect the other end to your computer's USB port.
  3. Open the ReplicatorG application.
ReplicatorG 1.jpg
  1. Navigate to Machine>>Machine Type (Driver). Select either Clone R1 Dual (Sailfish) or Clone R1 Single (Sailfish).
ReplicatorG 2.jpg
  1. Ensure that ReplicatorG is NOT connected to your machine!!!
ReplicatorG 3.jpg
Note: It is NOT possible to install the firmware whilst ReplicatorG is connected.
  1. Navigate to Machine>>Upload new firmware.
ReplicatorG 4.jpg
  1. Scroll down and select Clone R1 with ATmega 2560 and then click on Next >.
ReplicatorG 5.jpg
  1. Select Sailfish 7.7 (r1XXX) and press Next > again.
ReplicatorG 7.jpg
NOTE: The CloneBoard 2560 used in the Clone R1 Beta has a Atmel 2560 processor and uses the MAX6675 thermocouple chip.
  1. Select the port used to connect to your CloneBoard Mini and press Next >.
ReplicatorG 8.jpg
  1. Click on Upload.
    Once clicked, do not touch anything on the CloneBoard Mini or interrupt the power supply to the machine!
    It will take about a minute for the upload process to complete.
ReplicatorG 9.jpg
Note: The reset button on the CloneBoard 2560 MUST NOT be pressed - this function is completed automatically.
  1. Click OK once the Firmware update succeeded! message is displayed.
    The installation is complete and the new firmware is successfully installed on you Clone R1 Beta! :-)
ReplicatorG 10.jpg
The most recent Sailfish documentation can be found by visiting the Sailfish Firmware Website, or by downloading the Sailfish Reference Manual.

Clone R1 Beta Machine Definitions

  1. Connect your Clone R1 Beta to your computer using the USB cable and open the ReplicatorG (40r33) apllication.
ReplicatorG 1.jpg
  1. Navigate to Machine>>Machine Type (Driver) and select Clone R1 Dual (Sailfish) for a Dual machine... or Clone R1 Single (Sailfish) for a Single machine.
ReplicatorG 1a.jpg
  1. Press the "Connect" button.
ReplicatorG 3.jpg
  1. Select the Machine>>Onboard Preferences... menu.
ReplicatorG 2a.jpg
  1. In the Endstops/Axis Inversion tab, select the Reported Tool Count drop down and select either 1 or 2 match the number of extruders you have.
    Match the rest of the tick boxes to the image below:
ReplicatorG 3a.jpg
  1. Select Homing/VREFs and enter 155.1 in X home offset (mm) and 99.1 in Y home offset (mm). Press the "Commit Changes" button.

NOTE: These offsets values will be exactly the same on both the Single and Dual machines!


NOTE: On the CloneBoard 2560 v0.5 controller, the VREF Pot.X, Y, A and B should be set to 54, and the VREF Pot.Z set to 27.

ReplicatorG 4a.jpg
  1. The Clone R1 will then reset and after it restarts, you can safely disconnect the USB cable and close ReplicatorG.

Clone R1 Beta Simplify3D Configuration


  1. Open the Simplify3D application and import the STL that you would like to print.
S3D 1.jpg
  1. Navigate to Tools>>Firmware Configuration. Using the drop-down menu, Select MakerBot/Sailfish Firmware as the selected profile.
  2. Click on the X3G tab and select Replicator 1 - dual extruder as the machine profile for both a Single or Dual extruder machine (It is also possible to use any of the other Replicator profiles).
  3. Adjust the Steps per mm to 88,888889 for both the X and Y axis.
    With the stock feeder gear ensure that the Steps per mm for both the A and B-Axis are set to 96,2752018703, and with the Deezmaker Tatsu Drive Gear, adjust this to 92,6.
    Press save.
S3D 2.jpg
  1. Add or edit one of the existing processes.
S3D 3.jpg
  1. Under the G-Code tab, enter the following:
For a Single machine:
S3D 4.jpg
For a Dual machine:
S3D 5.jpg
  1. Unselect the Update Firmware Configuration tickbox.
S3D 6.jpg
  1. Under the Scripts tab, select Starting Script.
S3D 7.jpg
For the Single extruder machine, copy and paste the contents of the following text file into the text field:

      ; **** Clone R1 - Single start.gcode ****
      M73 P0 ; Enable build progress
      M103 ; Disable RPM
      G21 ; Set units to mm
      G90 ; Set positioning to absolute
      **** begin homing ****
      G162 X Y F3000 ; Home extruder carriage
      G161 Z F3000 ; Home build platform
      G92 Z-5 ; Set build platform to -5
      G1 Z0 ; Move build platform to 0
      G161 Z F100 ; Home build platform
      M132 X Y Z A B ; Recall howm offsets 
      **** end homing ****
      **** begin preheat ****
      G1 X-159 Y-95 Z30 F3000 ; Move to wait position
      M126 S[fan_speed_pwm]
      M140 S[bed0_temperature]
      M104 S[extruder0_temperature] T0
      M6 T0 ; Wait for toolhead parts nozzle HBP etc. to reach temperature
      M6 T0
      M108 T0
      **** end preheat ****
      **** begin nozzle purge ****
      G1 Z1 ; Position nozzle
      G92 A0 ; Zero extruder
      G1 E10 F300 ; Extrude 10mm of filament
      G1 X-119 Y-95 Z0.15 F1200 ; Slow wipe
      G1 X-144 Y-75 Z0.5 F1200 ; Lift
      G92 A0 ; Zero extruder
      **** end nozzle purge ****
      M73 P1 ;@body (notify GPX body has started)
      ; **** end of start.gcode ****
      

For the Dual extruder machine, copy and paste the contents of the following text file into the text field:

      ; **** Clone R1 - Dual start.gcode ****
      M73 P0 ; Enable build progress
      M103 ; Disable RPM
      G21 ; Set units to mm
      G90 ; Set positioning to absolute
      **** begin homing ****
      G162 X Y F3000 ; Home extruder carriage
      G161 Z F3000 ; Home build platform
      G92 Z-5 ; Set build platform to -5
      G1 Z0 ; Move build platform to 0
      G161 Z F100 ; Home build platform
      M132 X Y Z A B ; Recall howm offsets 
      **** end homing ****
      **** begin preheat ****
      G1 X-120 Y-95 Z30 F3000 ; Move to wait position
      M126 S[fan_speed_pwm]
      M140 S[bed0_temperature]
      M104 S[extruder0_temperature] T0
      M6 T0 ; Wait for toolhead parts nozzle HBP etc.to reach temperature
      M6 T0
      M108 T0
      **** end preheat ****
      **** begin nozzle purge ****
      G1 Z10 ; Position nozzle
      G92 A0 ; Zero extruder
      G1 E10 F300 ; Extrude 10mm of filament
      G1 X-80 Y-95 Z0.15 F1200 ; Slow wipe
      G1 X-115 Y-75 Z0.5 F1200 ; Lift
      G92 A0 ; Zero extruder
      **** end nozzle purge ****
      M73 P1 ;@body (notify GPX body has started)
      ; **** end of start.gcode ****
      
  1. Under the Scripts tab, select Ending Script. Copy and paste the contents of the following text file into the text field for both Single and Dual machines:
      ; **** Clone R1 - end.gcode ****
      M73 P100 ; End build progress
      G1 Z210 F1000 ; Send build platform to bottom of machine
      M109 S0 T0 
      M104 S0 T0 ; Cool down extruder
      M127 ; Stop blower fan
      G162 X Y F3000 ; Home extruder carriage
      M18 ; Disable steppers
      M70 P5 ; Awesome! :-)
      M72 P1 ; Play print finished sound.
      ; **** end of end.gcode ****
      

Note: By having a basic understanding of the above gcode, you will be able to modify your start gcode and make your machine do whatever you would like it to do.
This pdf file illustrates the instructions of the start gcode posted above for both the Single and Dual extruder machines.
It will hopefully allow you to have a clearer understanding of the gcode instructions used.


Note: It is also important to familiarise yourself with the rest of the Simplify3D settings.This information is already very well documented and will therefore not be covered here again.


Clone R1 Beta Timing Belt Setup


The Clone R1 Beta offers a unique Parallel Timing Belt Core-XY gantry implementation.
The timing belt paths and procedure for installing the timings belts is detailed below:

Timingbelts 1.jpg
  1. Loosen the retaining screw for the top front slot on the left side of the extruder carriage.
Timingbelts 2.jpg
  1. Slide the top timing belt through the back of the slot with the 'tread' side of the timing belt facing the front of the machine.
Timingbelts 3.jpg
  1. Firmly tighten the screw at point #1 and ensure that the timing belt is firmly anchored in position.
Timingbelts 4.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the bearings at point #2.
Timingbelts 5.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the stepper motor pulley at point #3.
Timingbelts 6.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the outside of both bearings at point #4.
Timingbelts 7.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the outside of the first bearing at point #5.
Timingbelts 8.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the bearing at point #6.
Timingbelts 9.jpg

NOTE: It is important to ensure that the top timing belt runs along the top bearings and that the bottom timing belt runs along the bottom bearings.
Both timing belts should run parallel to the top plate.

Timingbelts 10.jpg
  1. Loosen the screw at point #7 and slide the timing belt through the top rear slot on extruder carriage. Pull the timing belt through the slot whilst keeping the belt tensioned.
Timingbelts 11.jpg
  1. Tighten the screw once you are happy that the belt is correctly tensioned.

NOTE:The belts should be tensioned to the point of being 'firm'. Avoid pulling the timing belts too tightly - the ideal is to hear a dull note when you 'strum' the belts with your fingers.

Timingbelts 12.jpg
  1. Loosen the retaining screw for the bottom front slot on the right side of the extruder carriage.
Timingbelts 13.jpg
  1. Slide the bottom timing belt through the back of the slot with the 'tread' side of the timing belt facing the front of the machine.
Timingbelts 14.jpg
  1. Firmly tighten the screw at point #1 and ensure that the timing belt is firmly anchored in position.
Timingbelts 15.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the bearings at point #2.
Timingbelts 16.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the stepper motor pulley at point #3.
Timingbelts 17.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the outside of both bearings at point #4.
Timingbelts 18.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the outside of the first bearing at point #5.
Timingbelts 19.jpg
  1. Run the timing belt around the bearing at point #6.
Timingbelts 20.jpg
  1. Loosen the screw at point #7 and slide the timing belt through the bottom rear slot on left of the extruder carriage. Pull the timing belt through the slot whilst keeping the belt tensioned.
Timingbelts 21.jpg
  1. Before finally tightening the bottom timing belt in place, manually move the X-axis gantry to the front of the machine. Typically, the left side will make contact with the top plate first:
Timingbelts 22.jpg
The right side will usually have a small gap:
Timingbelts 23.jpg
  1. Increase the bottom timing belt's tension until both the left and right ends of the X-axis make contact with the top plate.
Timingbelts 24.jpg Timingbelts 25.jpg
  1. Tighten the timing belt retaining screw once you are happy that both the left and right ends of the X-axis are evenly making contact with the top plate.
Timingbelts 26.jpg
  1. Wrap the excess of the top and bottom timing belts around the back of the extruder carriage and into their respective slots. Lock them in position by tightening their screws and cut off any excess timing belt.
Timingbelts 27.jpg Timingbelts 28.jpg
  1. Manually (slowly) move the extruder carriage left and right along the X-axis, and forward and back along the Y-axis. When the gantry reaches the back of the machine on the Y-axis, the Y-axis endstop should still activate.
Timingbelts 29.jpg
When the extruder carriage reaches the right of the machine, the X-axis endstop should be able to activate.
Timingbelts 30.jpg
  1. To test that everything is working correctly, manually move the extruder carriage to the front-left of the machine and move the Z-axis to the bottom of the machine.
    Power-up the machine, and using the interface panel, select the Home Axes menu function.
    The X, Y and Z axes should all move correctly to their home positions.

Clone R1 Beta Pulley Idlers

The Clone R1 Beta uses 18T pulley idlers on both the X and Y Axes stepper motors. The steps per mm when the stepper driver is set to 1/16 will be 88,888889 for both the X and Y axes.

When viewed from the front of the machine, the left pulley idler is orientated with the clamping screw at the bottom:

Pulley Idler 1.jpg

When viewed from the front of the machine, the right pulley idler is orientated with the clamping screw at the top:

Pulley Idler 2.jpg

To avoid damaging the timing belts, it is important that the belts runs parallel to the top plate and along the middle of the timing belt teeth.

Pulley Idler 4.jpg

If this is not the case, loosen the pulley screw and adjust the pulley idler up or down until the belt is seated correctly. When complete, ensure that the pulley idlers are firmly locked to the shaft of the stepper motors by tightening the pulley idler's clamping screw.

Pulley Idler 3.jpg
Incorrect pulley installation / alignment can result in timing belt damage!
Pro Tip: If you are worried about whether or not the pulleys are slipping, you can draw a witness line across the base of the pulley and over the shaft using a fine felt tip pen. Continue printing for a while and then check the line again. If the lines still lines up you do not have slippage, if they don't, you tighten the pulley again and repeat the test.

Clone R1 Beta User Contributions


Guide Holder: by Jason


The original filament guide was designed for the filament spool holder to be inside the machine. This allows using the holder on the outside of the machine.
Note: You will need a longer filament guide tube.

DOWNLOAD FILES
Filament-guide-holder 1.jpg Filament-guide-holder 2.jpg Filament-guide-holder 3.jpg

Cable Support: by Jason


A mod to the R1 to prevent wire flexing so that the solder connections don't suffer wire fatigue.

DOWNLOAD FILES
CR1B cable-support1 1.jpg CR1B cable-support1 2.jpg

Cable Support: by Bruce


To help reduce fatigue on the extruder wiring harness.

DOWNLOAD FILES
CR1B cable-support2 1.jpg CR1B cable-support2 2.jpg

Spool Holder: by Bruce


Alternative filament spool holder.

DOWNLOAD FILES
CR1B Spool-holder1 1.jpg

Fan Shroud: by Rikard


A fan shroud for the active cooling fan mounted below the extruder carriage.
Note: This fan shroud requires removing the extruder carriage LED lighting.

DOWNLOAD FILES
Fan Shroud1 1.jpg Fan Shroud1 2.jpg Fan Shroud1 3.jpg

Fan Shroud #2: by Rikard


A fan shroud for the active cooling fan mounted below the extruder carriage.

DOWNLOAD FILES
CR1B Fan-Shroud2 1.jpg CR1B Fan-Shroud2 2.jpg

Fan Shroud: by Steve


Fan shroud design for the active cooling fan mounted below the extruder carriage.

DOWNLOAD FILES
CR1B Fan-Shroud3 1.jpg CR1B Fan-Shroud3 2.jpg CR1B Fan-Shroud3 3.jpg

Blower Duct: by Ryan


A blower fan duct insert for the 40x40x20 blower included with the Clone R1 Beta. Blows directly at both nozzles.
Note: On a Clone R1 Dual, using the right carriage nozzle fan plug is recommended.

DOWNLOAD FILES
Blower-duct1 1.jpg Blower-duct1 2.jpg

Blower Duct: by Andy


A blower fan duct for the active cooling fan that uses the blower fan supplied with the Clone R1 Beta. The duct is press-fit into the mouth of the fan so that if it crashes into a object it will pop off.
Note: The fan is mounted on top of the extruder carriage.

DOWNLOAD FILES
Blower-duct2 1.jpg

Overhang Test Print: by Rikard


Overhang test 45-70 degrees.

DOWNLOAD FILES
Overhang 1.jpg Overhang 2.jpg

Coloring Book Effect: by Jason


The process starts by scanning in a coloring book page and using it to generate a 1 layer 3D printed picture.
Coloringbook 1.jpg
The example below shows an image with the outline printed in black and then 10 filament changes to 'color-in' the white spaces.
Coloringbook 2.jpg

Instructions:

  1. Scan image with flatbed scanner.
  2. Open the scanned image in Inkscape.
  3. Using Inkscape's 'fill function', color each piece with the color you want.
  4. Use Inkscape's 'select all by color' and then 'path union' to create a single path for each color.
  5. Export to Openscad using Dan Newman's Inkscape to OpenSCAD converter v6.
  6. Render each color in Openscad and export each to a individual stl format file.
  7. Open all stl files into S3D and use the 'align/group' feature so that they all line up.
  8. Create x3g files and print each color separately.
Coloringbook 3.jpg

Interface Buttons: by RAFFLE


The stl files for the original interface buttons used on the Clone R1 Beta machines.

DOWNLOAD FILES
CR1B Interface Buttons.jpg
Note: Each of the Clone R1 Beta machines printed their own interface buttons using Taulman Nylon 910 as part of the machine's post-assembly testing.

Clone Nameplate: by RAFFLE


The stl files for the original interface buttons used on the Clone R1 Beta machines.

DOWNLOAD FILES
CR1B Nameplate.jpg
Note: Each of the Clone R1 Beta machines printed their own 'Clone' nameplate using Taulman Nylon 910 as part of the machine's post-assembly testing.

Enclosure Examples


Some example enclosures implemented by Clone R1 Beta users.
Enclosure 1.jpg Enclosure 2.jpg Enclosure 3.jpg Enclosure 4.jpg

Clone R1 Beta Photos

Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta
Clone R1 Beta