Author Archives: davidcrocker

Adding filament monitors to the Hemera tools

Posted on November 2, 2020 by davidcrocker

The imminent 3.2beta release of RepRapFirmware includes support for filament monitors connected to Duet 3 expansion and tool boards. This post describes how I added filament monitors to the two Hemera tools on my E3D Tool Changer.

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Improvements to the Hemera Tools

Posted on June 6, 2020 by davidcrocker

Since building my first Hemera tool controlled by a Duet3D Tool Board, I have built a second one and made some improvements.

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Large Kossel update

Posted on May 7, 2020 by davidcrocker

My large Kossel variant has been running for several years now. It is reliable and produces good prints. I have however replaced the extruder drive and the power supply by different models, and added a filament monitor. I will now … Continue reading →

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Converting the E3D Tool Changer to Duet 3 with Hemera Tools (Part 2)

Posted on March 4, 2020 by davidcrocker

Configuring the Duet 3 The Duet 3 configuration and other system files I use are based on the ones that I published for Duet WiFi/Ethernet running RepRapFirmware 3. They are configured so that X0 Y0 is the centre of the … Continue reading →

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Converting the E3D Tool Changer to Duet 3 with Hemera Tools (Part 1)

Posted on March 2, 2020 by davidcrocker

The E3D Tool Changer is a versatile platform for multi-material 3d printing, laser cutting/engraving, and associated techniques requiring a stable XYZ motion system. Although it is also available with fewer tools or no tools, the common configuration is four 3D … Continue reading →

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Using exceptions in C++ embedded software

Posted on December 27, 2019 by davidcrocker

For several years I have been the lead developer of RepRapFirmware, which is firmware for 3D printers running ARM Cortex processors. Until recently I saw no compelling reason to use exceptions, so I compiled the firmware with gcc options -fno-exceptions … Continue reading →

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Dangerous failures

Posted on December 21, 2019 by davidcrocker

Sometimes, equipment that is supposed to be designed with safety in mind turns out to be unsafe. Here’s an example I came across a few years ago: a mains-powered smoke alarm installed in a top-floor flat:

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Switching from Sage 50 to Xero Accounting Software

Posted on February 17, 2019 by davidcrocker

For once, here is a non-technical post from me. I’ll describe my experiences of changing from Sage 50 to Xero accounting software. In particular I’ll highlight a number of pitfalls that you might wish to be aware of prior to … Continue reading →

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Improving the Robotdigg SCARA printer

Posted on September 24, 2017 by davidcrocker

In the first post in this series I described how I strengthened the bad T-frame of the printer and added adjustable levelling feet. These improvements made it possible to produce prints. The conversion to Duet electronics described in my second … Continue reading →

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Converting the Robotdigg SCARA printer to Duet electronics

Posted on August 27, 2017 by davidcrocker

In my previous post I described the Robotdigg SCARA Arm 3D printer in its original form. This post covers the conversion to Duet Ethernet electronics. It may seem odd to use top-of-the range electronics with budget mechanics, and I am … Continue reading →

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