Voxelab Aquila BLTouch and Firmware Install
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 พ.ค. 2024
- Install a BLTouch and upgrade the firmware on your Voxelab Aquila and Aquila X2! This video is focused on the installation and setup of a bltouch auto bed level (ABL) sensor but also walks through the proper way to upgrade firmware whether an ABL is installed or not. The firmware of choice is community based, meaning it is not official Voxelab firmware. Below are all necessary links for models and firmware. Enjoy!
BL Touch: amzn.to/3uroE2w
3D Touch(knockoff): amzn.to/3un5hHT
BL Touch (resale kit): amzn.to/3GqZyDi
Firmware github repository - github.com/alexqzd/Marlin/rel...
Firmware for H32 Voxelab Aquila
github.com/alexqzd/Marlin-H32...
Voxelab Aquila Official Firmware - www.voxelab3dp.com/download
Teaching tech bl touch video - • BLtouch for any 3D pri...
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++ Check my website for the Custom Start Gcode I use on this Voxelab Aquila ++
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Voxelab Aquila subreddit - / sticky_post_with_links...
Addendum:
Wiring checks. I talk about wiring color in this video but your wires may be a different color, for instance if you bought a 3DTouch or even a rebranded BLTouch (through a Creality kit for example). In that case you must check the data sheet that came with that device and find out what each wire corresponds to. The three wired plug is what we're concerned with. It's imperative that those wires are lined up from left to right (as you would plug it into the BLTouch port) Ground / 5vPWR / Input. Some kits I have found come with the Ground and Power wires flipped in order. That presents a significant problem, those wires will need to be removed from the plug and swapped in orientation before you can plug it into your main board. The last two wiring colors seem to be universal, BLACK is for the second GROUND, and WHITE is for OUT, which is the last plug to the far right of the BLTouch port.
Aquila/Ender Start Code:
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G28 ; Home all axes
G29; Auto Bed Level // can be M420 S1 if don't want to probe before each print
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
G1 X0.1 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to start position
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
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Note:
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*3D Printer*
Voxelab Aquila : amzn.to/34iVoQP
*Music*
Intro/Outro : Bomber (sting) - Riot
*Models*
Satsana fan shroud - www.thingiverse.com/thing:436...
Satsana fan shroud remix(2mm higher cooling ducts) - www.thingiverse.com/thing:481...
Satsana fan shroud remix(ShorterBLTouch mount) -
www.thingiverse.com/thing:493...
Vertical LCD mount 25° inclined(printed in video) - www.thingiverse.com/thing:475...
Vertical LCD mount 70° inclined - www.thingiverse.com/thing:476...
Benchy calibration model - www.thingiverse.com/thing:763622
Frame rail inserts(mine were printed with PLA2 maroon by FilaCube) - www.thingiverse.com/thing:484...
Leveling Squares (modify Z for layer height) - www.thingiverse.com/thing:489...
*More Content*
Website: Printsleo3d
Instagram: @PrintsLeo3D
Twitter: @PrintsLeo3D
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/PrintsLeo3D
Thingiverse : www.thingiverse.com/printsleo...
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
02:06 - What is Auto Bed Leveling
02:44 - What is a BLTouch
03:54 - Physical BLTouch Installation
07:09 - Checking the BLTouch probe distance
11:37 - Remove control panel
12:35 - Locate mainboard chip
17:30 - Physical BLTouch Installation Complete!
18:09 - Intro to Firmware
18:40 - Alex’s Firmware
20:20 - Begin Printer Firmware Update
23:03 - Firmware differences
29:20 - Making our Firmware choice
33:00 - Install Printer Firmware
33:50 - Begin LCD Firmware update
36:35 - Install LCD Firmware
39:15 - Firmware update Complete!
39:40 - First Auto Home
41:30 - Calibrate Z offset
43:25 - Update Slicer Settings(BLTouch)
49:53 - Live Z and First Print
52:23 - OUTRO WE DID IT!!
** All video editing done with OpenShot Video Editor. An open source and free video software
www.openshot.org/ ** - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I have said once, I'll say it again. This guy is under rated. 700 subs? That is ridiculous. I am going to be posting this video up on the official site because people ask this question a lot. *Fantastic* and very helpful video.
Thank you so much, I can't say enough how comments like these make my week!! Really appreciate it, I promise to keep the content coming!
You got a sub pal your a hero thanks so much man for the information and for not rushing through things that are important I hate when I have to stop a video and watch a part of a video 5 times to catch someone trying to give half ass explanations in tutorial videos.
This was done as professional as it could be done much respect to you sir.
Thank you so much! I appreciate all the comments that's what makes the channel work, feedback and conversation.
For *Voxelab Aquila C2 with H32 mobo;*
First off, thank PrintsLeo3D for all of the amazing information in all of your aquila videos. I have watched all of them multiple times and just bit the bullet yesterday to try and do Klipper...and that was going fine until my old computer I had running Debian with Kiuah literally gave up the magic smoke and sent me here as a backup. I found that my Voxelab Aquila is a C2 model with H32 mobo and could not get Alex to run nor could I get any of the voxelab firmwares to run, with the added bonus of not having a port for a BL touch even though I bought one. I eventually found *Smokey's Aquila Modified Firmware* and am currently back up and about to try out its newest features. Its an older Marlin (pre 2.1.2) and has manual bed mesh along with a couple other goodies.
Wow that's awesome! I don't like to hear that you have to bob and weave through all these different firmwares but I'm happy you got one working! Thanks for the kind words and I hope you can find another way to get back into Klipper!!
I just got into printing and bought a used Aquila and upgraded the tubing, as well as getting a metal dual gear extruder and along with a BL touch, your videos were the most useful from any others!! Everything is running great and I'm loving the new firmware!! Worlds better than the stock!! Its like a different machine now!
Wow that's great, congratulations! I'm happy I was able to help and I'm impressed you got so much working on a printer while still being new to the hobby! Very very awesome! Thanks for watching and I appreciate the comment. Happy printing!
Thank you for all your work on this. It would have taken me a month to find all the stuff needed to do this. you put it all in one spot. well done!
Thanks Chris! It's such a balancing act of adding necessary info, making sure the steps are thorough, but also not being too long of a video. I never can get the too long of a video problem solved 😆 but I'm getting better. I'll never skimp on information or the necessary steps, so I appreciate it when someone takes the time to watch a video like this back to front. Thank you!
getting a bl touch in a couple of days, definitely saving this vid to reference during the whole process as you were super thorough even on the calibration portion which is always the trickiest part, thank you very much for making this guide
Hey thanks! I try and cover these topics from all angles, so after you watch it, feels like you have already gone through the process yourself once. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment !!
@@PrintsLeo3D I do actually have a question for you, I am looking at your model for the fan shroud and was wondering what material you would recommend for it? I was thinking at least petg given what it surrounds but honestly don't know if that is enough. alsio you have 2 versions of the print, which would you recommend doing, the 1.25mm shorter one or the 2mm?
Thanks to your helpful videos, I replaced my Aquila S2 H32 board with an N32 board and installed the BL Touch. I also printed the S2 TPU enhancement piece and the BL Touch bracket. I would not have had the necessary confidence or understanding to do all of this without your help! Thank you! As a side note, the N32 board works much better than the H32 board did. I had issues with the H32 not reading the memory card consistently, and noticed big fluctuations in Octoprints temp graph...both of those issues are now resolved!
Dave, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to write this. These videos are only ever mean to help people, and hearing that they are working makes my entire weekend! Thank you thank you! I'm glad you were also able to get your printer to a point where you can enjoy it, as that is what this is all about!! I Appreciate the comment and I promise to keep making helpful videos! (or at least try lol)
Just completed installation and test, thanks so much for the detailed tutorial, don't know how I would have done without it!
I'm excited for you! really brings this printer to a while other level. You're welcome!
Thanks for providing this video! I was able to set up my Voxelab Aquila X2 (H32 chip) to use Creality's BL Touch with Alex's v1.3.6 for H32 Beta 2 (BLTouch-5x5-H32.bin) successfully by following your video. I watched other videos on how to get it wired up, but couldn't find anything on first steps once I had the BL Touch hooked up and the firmware installed. Thanks for providing an in depth walkthrough on those critical first steps. :)
You are welcome! I never intended to make a video that is nearly an hour long, but I just try and squeeze in as much information as I can, even some niche scenarios that maybe only a few people will encounter, in the end it's all about helping people. Thanks for watching and contributing!
I have the H32 but Alex's v1.3.6 source.zip doesn't have a DWINN folder. How did you deal with that? Thx
Excellent video, exactly what I was looking for, thanks... Keep the Aquila videos coming.
Thank you so much ! There's more to come
Great video. Everything worked flawless. Thanks for taking the time to go through this whole process
I'm glad everything worked out for you. I am happy to help !
Honestly one of the best tutorials I've seen!
Thank you so much, that means a lot. I try and make my videos easy to understand, which sometimes means they can be very long lol in the end I just hope they help. Thanks for leaving a comment to let me know!
Just received my Aquila X2 and the BL Touch and although it is printing great out of the box, I'll be adding the BL Touch soon'ish. Great video and keep them coming!
Thank you so much! It's always a tough proposition to modify a printer that's producing quality prints , but at least you have a great base line to use as a litmus test for all your prints after you make any changes. Again, thank you for the comment !
Thank you this is an absolutely brilliant guide into the BL touch (or in my case a CR touch) installation and setup easy and understandable if you follow the step by step guidance 👍👍
Thank you so much for saying that and for commenting!! I try and break down some of these harder to reach topics, and make them a little more accessible. It's good to know it's helping. Thank you!
I don't think I'm ready to tackle this yet. But I'm saving this for later. Thanks Leo, you're my very favorite3D teacher
Yea it's a lot to take to tackle, I'm sure when you're ready thought it will be a breeze.
@@PrintsLeo3D I'm actually pretty impressed with myself at how much I've learned in the last 2-3 weeks thanks to people like yourself. I can't even imagine doing this before the internet
Thanks! This video has become so useful for me, i'm using it to install the bltouch on my second machine, EVERYONE should at least give you a couple of bucks EVERY time they use this excellent video (actually all your videos), It saves me so much work, thanks. Don't believe you don't have millions of viewers yet. Best of luck
Thank you ssoooo much! Not only for the generous contribution but the extremely kind words!! Reading this comment was the best way to start my week! Thank you and I hope this video and all the rest help you in some way. Much appreciated!
Awesome Video! Followed everything to a T and I was able to ditch using a glue stick for bed adhesion. I've watched many of your videos and they are all great.
That's great to hear!! Glad I'm able to help, makes it all worth it ! Thanks for watching.
Very nice video! thank you. my daughter and I did this for hers. She loves the new UI and all the new features
What an awesome project to do together! Thanks for supporting the video by dropping a comment I appreciate it! This new UI really feels like a night and day transformation that takes the printer to the next level.
Great video. It’s great to see someone that does a step by step video for people like me that knows very little about computers. My question is do you really need to upgrade the firmware on 3D printers for better print quality or is it just for cosmetic reasons on the display.
Thanks for commenting, I try to keep my videos aimed towards someone who just got into the 3d printing world. Upgrading firmware is mostly for cosmetic/quality of life upgrades. However one major reason to upgrade is for safety. As far as I recall the original printers shipped with firmware that did not have 'thermal runaway' protection enabled. Alexs firmware has it enabled, as well as the firmware upgrades from Voxelab (as far as I've been told). This protection prevents the printer from heating up indefinitely if one of the temperature gauges isn't working properly, which could lead to a fire. So it's important with any printer to make sure that this protection is enabled.
I ordered my bl touch tonight after watching the entire video I think it’s something I can handle now haha thanks again so much
You're welcome! It can be a lot to tackle but it really isn't all that tough once you get the concept of what you're doing. If you have any problems or questions just drop me a line ! Good luck!
Sweet. I bought the BL touch months ago but never installed it. Appreciate the video.
You're welcome! It can definitely be worth it , as long as you have the time , patience, and a decent video to watch lol
Hey thanks man , i just bought my aquila S2 off of amazon last night im sure this amazing video you made here will help me get the bl touch working in short order 😉👍
That's great and good luck! If this video alone doesn't help you just drop a comment or join the Discord and we'll get you up and running!! Thanks for watching!
@@PrintsLeo3D right on man , thank you i will
@@PrintsLeo3D Hey man i just got it done , finally , and i gotta say , it was quite the job , took me a couple days , (not full days ofc but still ) , had to reprint the support for my s2 , and then i had to use a cut piece to straighten out the probe , and i ended up choosing the 5x5 probe mesh , i got the HIGH SPEED😎 one for the TRIANGLE LAB 3d Touch 👀 and its working fantastic 💯 , cant wait to make full use of my printer now and keep upgrading it to the max , now im off to KLIPPERIZE IT , but i want to take a break for now , im spent 😴 , took me a couple tries like i said but i enjoyed it , learned a lot thanks to you , i dont know how much harder this would have been without a guide like yours so Thank You man you are the man 😎 😸💯
Hey man just wanted to come back and say thanks again brother installed this and the firmware and it’s a completely different printer it has worked first time everytime for last 5 days it’s been amazing how great the firmware makes the printer it made the chipset feel like it’s from this decade it’s so much faster and more responsive .
But the autobed level with the 5x5 probe is amazing how well it makes the printer work and also I did your E step adjustment video to because I put the red metal dual gear extruder on it ended up being 137 esteps to be accurate so that was nice ,at same time put the blue Capricorn tube and yellow bed springs haha they all 3 came together on Amazon for $15 then the Bl touch on Amazon was $43 but man was it all worth it $60 ish on Amazon for upgrades makes this printer a plug n play printer it hasn’t failed a print yet it’s been amazing I think I might look into doing the fan upgrade on the power supply and horned they or the only thing I think making noise at all and they aren’t horrible but I think a good quality silent fan upgrade would make this thing run like you didn’t know it was in the house that or maybe put the entire printer in a enclosure and maybe vent it to a window so it’s always exhausting the plastic fumes out the house even though the odor is very very mild so far all I have printed is with esun pla + and polymaker Pla + but they both have been great and make very strong parts .
Again though ,thank you Sir for your Videos , Happy New Years(lil late) and God bless!
Wow! Your comment has me grinning from ear to ear, stuff like this makes me so happy, thank you so much for sharing it with me. It's awesome how a few little touches here and there can make this printer feel like a powerhouse. At this point we are basically running the same setup (springs, capricorn, BLTouch, etc) and it's a great setup because those upgrades aren't all that difficult but they really make a huge difference in print performance and ease of printing. I would say though watch out for that extruder, months after I installed mine I found out it began to grind itself into dust because there was no washer on the second gear that is in the extruder arm. It worked for a while but then I started seeing this black dust everywhere and eventually had to replace it, so no I only recommend the BMG clone style extruder. You are right fans are the only thing on this machine you can hear at all, I'm sure upgrading them would make this whisper quiet. I just swapped a fan out on my Ender 5, a no name brand from Amazon, and this thing is loud! lol I didn't think fans could cause so much noise, but it certainly pays off to do some research on them before you replace it (which I am sure you would do).
Really thank you so much for coming back and not only thanking me but updating me with your progress, it means the world to me!! Happy new Year and Keep on Printing!
Thanks for the video. It worked excellently with my trianglelab 3d touch. Your modded fan shroud actually fit the specs for the triangle labs version down to the 10th milimeter lol. I've never gotten better prints and it only cost 14 bucks. Thanks again, perfectvideo
So glad it helped! It's amazing the quality and piece of mind this upgrade brings. Thanks for the comment and the kind words !
Just done my aquila and 1st print was perfect after watching your video so just a thank you so much for the help :)
Awesome I am so happy to be able to help! You got yourself a good printer, but even then there will always be some headaches along the way. If you have any problems in the future come on back and drop a comment and I'll try and help as best I can!
Leo you are awesome you referred me to this video on reddit. I really appreciate your detailed video!!! Its awesome!!!
I'm glad you followed my link on reddit!
My aim is always to help, I hope I was able to do so for you!!! Thanks!
Thank you so much! There's alot of time and effort in this video. I have to print the fan shroud again due to the lack of height between nozzle and the probe. Thanks for that fixed shroud stl. I'll get back to it after that 10h print :-)
Thank you for taking the time to comment and for the kind words. I'm glad this video helps and if you need anything else drop another comment. Also don't forget that fan shroud prints support free! So you don't have to contend with removing a lot of supports after it's done
Ace vid! Looks like Im going to be asking Santa for a BL Touch for xmas. Your video is just spot on for what I needed, so many thanks from a newbie!
Glad to hear it! Hope your on the Nice list lol this process is not hard it's just can seem daunting so if this helps reduce some stress I'm glad! If you need any help once you get it going let me know.
Great video and instructions. I bet a lot of the failures ppl in the amzn reviews have is due to that little detail regarding the distance between hot end and bltouch sensor tip. I will give it a rewatch before i install mine.
Yes you're absolutely right ! They're so many minor details that go into this setup there's no shortage of issues you can run into lol hopefully this video can get you up and running without too many complications. Thanks for the comment and good luck !
Leo
Kudos on you fine tutorial. Your teaching style is excellent and your coverage of the subject was comprehensive. I had no trouble installing my 3D touch using your method. Well ... there was one problem but only because I used the 3D Touch 3.0 instead of the BL Touch. The color codes used by 3D Touch are like no one elses. The electronics community has always used red for positive, 3d Touch uses black. The other colors are equally as screwy. The do supply a cable which is supposed to convert their color scheme to the one BL Touch uses but the supplied cable is way too short. Unusable on the Aquila. They do however supply a second cable which is long enough, but it uses their weird color scheme. But it does work and it's a direct plugin on both ends. The smaller end can be snaked through the wiring harness as you suggest. Even though its a direct plug in I would suggest anyone installing the 3D Touch trace each color in the cable from the printed legend on the 3D Touch PC board to the legend on the Aquila mainboard, just to be sure. Again, fine tutorial!
Thank you ! I'm glad you were able to figure that out, some of the off brand ABL devices have all different wiring colors. For the most part they are lined up properly regardless of color, but it always helps to trace the wires and make sure. Thanks for finding my video, happy printing!
this guy is the best person i have ever watched for 3d printing to me 3 days till i found this dude and he did it in an hour
Thank you so much for the compliment!!! I try and explain everything as best I can and also be as active as I can with my comments. So if you ever need anything drop me a message !
thanks from El Salvaodor, i was stuck but this amazing video help me to much!!
Thank you for the great tutorial. finally got my 3D touch up and running.
So glad to hear it! These probes can add a lot of utility to our printers, and make printing on those warped beds a lot easier! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment to tell me the video helped, it means a lot to the channel!
Thought I'd post some of what helped me. I have an Aquila X2, originally came with the H32 board, I purchased an N32 board and replaced it. I was having fits with updating the screen firmware and after about 5 hours of frustration I came across this on reddit: " if the blue residence time is very short, the screen program update fails. When the screen program is updated with the accompanying TF card, you need to format the TF card, select FAT32 format, and select 4096 bytes for the size of the allocation unit.". Once I formatted one of my micro sd cards to 4096 bytes it worked like a charm. If you're getting the quick blue to red/orange, try formatting your micro sd card with the 4096 bytes. Hope this helps someone else!
Edit: Thank you Leo for all your help in this video and the Sprite direct drive video, saved me a bunch of time and headache! Really appreciate what you do!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us! I know a lot of people who ran into troubles with one side of this install, so sourcing information from everyone who has ran into trouble, and then solved that trouble is extremely worthwhile. Thanks for taking the time to help! Also thanks for the shout, I'm happy to help and happy to make videos that aim to do that as well. Glad to be of service! Thanks again!
Brother! Love your channel! Ive seen quite a few videos and i cant understand why you have so little subs, i would recommend a few more lights for your filming (specially white lights), those will come a long way when filming everything, but that aside, if you keep the good content up your channel will grow a lot! Greetings from Argentina!
Thank you so much for the comment and the advice. You're absolutely right about the lighting, I was using these super cheap white lights from Amazon and told myself I would upgrade at some point, but it sort of got shuffled down the list of things to do. This is a great reminder that I need to constantly reevaluate my setup. Thank you so much again for the kind words, really means a lot, I know sometimes we make comments on videos or posts and don't think how they might affect the people receiving them, but I have to say your compliment and positive outlook definitely made my day, like the others who've posted on my channel! I'll be looking into upgraded lighting this upcoming week!
@@PrintsLeo3D man! Obviously i tried to say it as polite as possible so it can be taken as a constructive message, not a destructive one! (Like most of youtube comments) Much love and keep it up!
Thanks very much, this was really really useful. First time ever installing a 3D Touch and it's working perfectly :)
I'm so glad to hear that!! This installation can. Seem daunting, but it's not. Just have to take each step one at a time. Happy printing!!
Your videos are great!
Better than MANY TH-camrs who have so many more followers.....crazy!
Thank you so much! Comments like this mean a lot , the fact that you took time to write it especially! I try and make easy to understand content that's informative, whether 1 person is watching or 1 thousand. Thank you!
Great video thank you. Helped out a great deal. My x axis was off by .35.
Glad it helped!!
i succesfully install bltouch on my voxelab aquila (N32) , thanks to you :D
Nice Work, I'm glad I was able help out! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you very much for the video, very complete explanation!
You're welcome! My videos are longer but I want to try and get people as familiar with the process as possible before they attempt it. I'm glad this was helpful!
Thanks! For the aquila videos they’re great.
Thank you, you're the best!! Really appreciate the generosity. I love making these videos and I plan on making a lot more. Thanks for the support, it's truly appreciated!
@@PrintsLeo3D Well, no need to reply, everyone should send you a patreon because you teach very well. I never would have been able to put in my bltouch as fast as I did if it wasn't for your excellent step by step instructions. That's why they're so good, you don't leave anything out, and that's rare, thanks.
A reply is the least I can do! I can't say it enough and I'm honest every time, I really appreciate all the feedback and the support, it really helps this channel and my mental health lol thank you!
Thanks ! You save my printer! My Bl touch did not retract on finger in my first z home.
Always good to be extra safe! Glad it was helpful.
I just did this for my Aquila x2 N32. I changed out the H32 board for the N32 board and after that the only difference was I had to click Live Z offset before I could adjust the Z at all. Other than that, this was bang on!
When I was doing this there was some weird functionality with the 'live adjust'. I'm glad you found a way to make this work ! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment .
Thanks! I'm late to the auto bed leveling party with my Aquila but I might give it a try. lol
Definitely worth it! It's not a super hard upgrade and it adds a nice level of repeatability to your prints. If you need any help during the process just reach out ! I always appreciate you taking the time to comment .
Awesome video! May I have a question? What do we have with the leveling knobs? Do we need to fix it somehow without the springs?
So having out beds level is still an important part of having a bl touch. So we still need the leveling knobs and we want to make sure our beds are as level as we can make them. After that though we can basically "set it and forget it" meaning you shouldn't have to level anymore, just leave the knobs where they are and the auto bed leveling should compensate if they go out of level at all. I know some people have actually screwed a nut up under the knobs to keep they affixed in place once it's level, and I think that's a good idea.
Very well explained .excellent!!
Thank you so much!!!
Thanks for the video. I managed to get a 3D Touch installed on my Aquila X2.
I couldn't see it mentioned in the video, but should the build plate and extruder be preheated prior to running the auto-bed level with G29 in the start gcode? If so, what is the command to add prior to G29?
Hey Josh, I'm glad this video was helpful. As far probing with a preheated or cold bed, I've gone back and forth on that. I used to always pre-heat my bed before probing but then after some some discussions with others I started to probe while the bed was cold and I have not noticed a discernable difference. If you DO want to get everything up to temp it will depend on the slicer you're using. The gcode to call for heating (of the bed) is either M109 Sxx or M140 Sxx. The M109 line sets the temperature and waits while the M140 sets the temperature then let's the printer go about other operations while it heats. For me I believe Cura inputs the M109 line prior to my start gcode (which is to wait for heating), so the printer-hot end and bed- would be at temperature when probing occurs. Nowadays though I choose to use M420 S1 over the G29 probing routine, this allows me to create a mesh outside of printing, save it, and then call it before each print so I don't have to spend time probing each print. Anyway, let me know what slicer you have and what desired effect you want and I should be able to help with some start gcode.
@@PrintsLeo3D Terrific, thanks for the detailed explanation. I am also using Cura, and you had me convinced in the video to run a mesh prior to each print. But if that's overkill, I could just use a saved mesh.
If you don't preheat the bed/extruder prior to running a mesh, do you set the z-offset with hot or cold bed/extruder?
I've noticed on my X2 the gap between extruder nozzle and bed grows significantly when hot, so struggling to understand how to account for this difference in the probing and/or z-offset steps.
Very well done, thank you sir!
Happy to be of service! Thanks for leaving a comment and watching!
Thankyou so much for showing the install. Only problem is I dont know how to use the software. I did everything you said in the video as far as install but, I dont know how to use the bl touch after install. the bed is always to high or to low on one side. Am I mistaken in thinking I do not have to use the leveling wheels anymore? the grid always shows green and red. what do i need to do from here?
Thanks for watching, and I'm glad you got it installed properly. Installing this ABL(auto bed leveling) system doesn't mean we don't need to 'level' the bed anymore(leveling wheels), it means we don't need to do it nearly as often. After installing you should still level your bed, so that the ABL can get an accurate mesh, from there you should not have to level your bed that much at all, but it does have to start off being level. Also when looking at a probed mesh (the red and green sections) your bed will most likely not appear to be level. That probing mesh is showing you what the bed looks like as it stands, the ABL then makes adjustments while it's printing the first layers to compensate for those rises and dips in the bed. Make sure you measure and input the X and Y offsets for your probe (that's the distance the probe is from the nozzle) you'll need to manually measure these yourself. Then calibrate your Z-offset (which is the distance of the nozzle tip from the bed), there is a menu you can navigate to in the printer that will help with this calibration. After those offsets are taken care of make sure to add either G29(probe before each print) or M420 S1(Use a saved mesh) in your starting Gcode (of your slice) and make sure those are added after any G28 codes. As this is your first time using an ABL I would recommend adding G29, as it will probe before each print.
I've mounted a CR Touch to my Voxellab Aquila and installed Alex's firmware. I disconnected the Z cable and removed the Z Stop off the side. I manually had to set my Z offset because the print head kept crashing into the glass and popping. After manually setting the Z offset it seems OK but when I run the option to build a mesh, it's still shoving the nozzle into the glass and lifting the print head.
Do I need to put some spacers on the mount for the CR Touch to extend the reach of the probe? Is that my issue?
Thank you!
Is the Z axis able to home itself without crashing into the glass ? If you put your hand in front of the probe as the Z axis is trying to home will the probe contact your hand and stop ? Also I'm not familiar with the CR touch wiring, were you able to plug all the wires into the dedicated BLTouch port or did you have to re use the port for the original Z end stop ?
Hey there! I'm a 3-year-old kid and I installed my BL touch with one hand thanks to this MORE THAN EASY tutorial. Thanks for the work
You're welcome!!!
Hello, New to 3d printing. I just got the Aquila version N32 for christmas. I picked up the BLtouch today. I think i have everything down im just wondering if the shroud that you made to hold the fans and the BLtouch work with the stock fans. or if you happen to have just a simple attachment that i can make to attach the bl touch to the stock model?
Welcome to the 3D printing community! So glad you found my video. The mount in this video holds the stock fans just fine without any added screws or other attachments. There's a few other mounts I found online that should work with the stock fan shroud so you don't need to replace that if you don't want to. Here's a couple I found:
Ender 3 V2 3DTouch/BLTouch Mount by jkostenov
www.thingiverse.com/thing:4462870
Creality Ender 3 V2 BLTouch Mount by ct16k
www.thingiverse.com/thing:4670240
Our Aquilas are a clone of the Creality Ender 3 V2, so any modifications you can find to fit the Ender 3 V2 should work also for the Aquila! Good luck and happy printing!
I do not have a Z offset on my cura under build plate adhesion. Also what speed are you printing on for the z offset calibration?
The z offset setting is an additional plug in you need to add to Cura from the marketplace (which is located in the top right corner). After downloading close and re open Cura and you it should be under build plate adhesion. I need to double check the print speeds on this, I know overall my speed was 40mm/s but I believe the first layer speed would be half that at 20mm/s. Let me double check and get back to you
Great tutorial, thanks for posting this! I'm having an issue tho:
My BLtouch seems to be zeroing out the read temperature of the bed and nozzle when it is activated. I can see the live temps briefly drop to 0C from ambient when I do a bed mesh or even if I just push the probe in manually. So I can run a mesh with a cold bed but if I turn on pre-heat or if I go to print something and the heating turns on, the print fails as soon as it tries to probe the bed to home Z and instead beeps and gives "Err: MINTEMP" error.
I have tried running it with the Z limit switch still plugged in and not, same symptoms either way. There seems to be some electrical shenanigans caused by the BL touch making the thermistors give a false temperature reading when it is depressed.
Any ideas?
LEO!!! We need your help. Can we install an skr e3 v2 to the Aquila with the stock display or do we need the tft35 screen
Hey! I am pretty sure the E3V2 is not compatible out of the box with the Aquila LCD screen. I think there's workarounds for it but I am not sure how much actual work is involved. Let me look into this a little and get back to you!
Just a thought, do you think you would be able to flash the firmware with the Jyers firmware for the Ender 3v2? Seeing that it is essentially a clone
I don't think I could say yes with absolute certainty, but I would very very much believe so. As far as I know Alex's firmware is a fork of Jyers. I didn't really dig into the source code and compare it to Jyers but I have imagine they are nearly interchangeable except for the Environment and Motherboards. I just got around to compiling BL Touch firmware for the Jayo S8 Plus, I feel a little more confident crushing around withing Marlin, so at some point I think I'll look under the hood and see what this version looks like compared to the Ender version. Alex had just gone such a good job there's really no reason to start poking around and changing things lol
Great video!! Thanks bro!
Glad you like it, and thanks for commenting!
Hey Leo, I’m installing my BLTouch but the cable that came in my kit that connects to the BLTouch doesn’t match like yours. 11:16 the 2 connectors are what mine is missing. Did you have to add your own ends or does that cable have a PN# or something. I can’t seem to find that exact cable that goes from BLTouch plugs to motherboard plug.
Hey Ruben, your bl touch should come with a total of 5 cables. However sometimes, if it's an older Creality kit usually, the 3 pins cable and the extra 2 pin cable will have different connectors. In that case you'd have to plug the seperated 2 pin connector into the old z endstop port and your firmware would be different. If it's possible can you send me a photo through email? printsleo3d@gmail.com
@@PrintsLeo3D yes thanks. I’ll email you rite now.
Super great video. Thanks a lot.
You're very welcome, glad it helped as thanks for dropping a comment!
Thanks for the very detailed guide. It was easy to follow, step by step. I am using the G29 in Cura to probe before each print. My back center test square appears to have too much gap and is stringing compared to all the other test squares. It feels like although the bed is probing, it is not actually using it. Any recommendations?
When using G29 you want to make sure there is no G28(auto home) anywhere after it, as that will ease any probing data the G29 has sampled. Of course also you want to make sure you manually level/tram your bed before using the probe. The bl touch can only account for so much , so you have to make sure the bed is nice and level before you begin. Also, and I've had this problem in the past, make sure the probe itself isn't coming into contact with any bed clips as it probes the back and front sections. As always I would say double check your X and Y offsets also, so the probe knows where the nozzle is and can make the prior adjustment! Thanks for the kind words and let me know if any of this was a help.
I used you're firmware flash for the ender extender kit an it worked then did the screen flash but now I can't use the knob to select any of the icons is there a certain file I have to use for the screen with you're firmware???
Hi Chris! Sorry I didn't answer this early, I never saw the message. I answered your email though and I hope you got it and I hope it helped! If you need me to resend the email or the information let me know !
Will the bltouch work on the aquila x2 h32? I thought it wouldn't but I do see a firmware for it listed on voxelab's site. Would love to do this upgrade if possible.
Yes it is! This is a bit of a murky situation though. Until just weeks ago printers with the H32 chip could ONLY install Voxelab official firmware (which is the one you saw on their website). This firmware was reported to be not great, and a lot of users did enjoy it. However as of a few weeks ago the same community firmware I talk about in this video (Alex's firmware) is now available for the h32 chip! It is technically still in the Beta stage, as there are some bugs crawling out of the wood work here and there, but overall users are praising this updated firmware for the H32! and yes it comes with a BL Touch option. So while this firmware is still getting some of the kinks ironed out I would highly recommend it over the Voxelab official firmware.
github.com/alexqzd/Marlin-H32/releases
Is it normal for the nozzle to leak a little filament while it’s doing the leveling part? I keep thinking its not starting right because there’s always a little tail on the nozzle when it starts the skirt.
Yes! Completely normal and that's actually a great point and something I was thinking about covering. Before our printers go through the bed leveling procedure the nozzle needs to heat up to operating temperature, then it stays at that temperature while it's auto bed leveling. This process takes a few minutes so while the nozzle is heated this entire time some filament will leak from it. That little tail end of filament leaking from the nozzle can absolutely cause some issues if the purge line doesn't take it off. It makes me consider not leveling before each print and instead drawing from a saved mesh (which would be an M420 S1 in the start Gcode), which wouldn't have our nozzle leak any filament at all.
Awesome video, eveythiung is well expect one part, when I use the G29 and is doing the initial probing after the bed and extruder get to the ideal temperature, when it reaches the around the 3rd or 4th probe test, it throws an error saying that: Printer Kill Reason: THERMAL RUNAWAY Restart required, any ideas?
Yes I have an idea! When you up date to new firmware your PID values get changed. PID values are temperature values that regulate the temperature in the hot end. These values need to be tuned to your specific equipment and your specific printing environment. The new firmware has a PID autotune built into the menus. You can navigate to it from I believe the 'Control' sub menu. When you find it you'll want to run it at a temperature that is at or near your normal printing temperatures. After that make sure to Dave the settings after the test is complete. I would try this first and see if it works!
great explanation on firmware.
Thank you so much I really appreciate that!
i am kinda new to this i am currently running octo print do i still need to reflash my whole printer or does octoprint import it for me?
I am not too sure what you are referring to. If you are running OctoPrint before this installation you wouldn't need to make any modifications to Octo afterwards. It should all work as intended, so long as you have added the correct pieces to your slicer (which is the G29 or M420 S1 which calls the bed probe to be used).
Great video, thanks!
Thank you! I hope this helped !
Hey I followed the tutorial and everything worked great! I have one question.
Is there a way to setup the machine settings start G-code so that the bed and hotend heat up WHILE the leveling is happening? It would save a lot of time in the long run i think
Yes absolutely! I am using Cura so the start code I am showing is for that software, its possible PrusaSlicer/SuperSlicer might be slightly different. You can find my start code here:
www.printsleo3d.com/bltouchstartcode
Just copy and paste the Probe before each print start code into your start code. Also if you want to save a lot of time you could probe outside of a print, and then just recall that data before the start of the print. That way is under Use a Saved Mesh on that link I sent. I'm glad you got it working and good luck!
I see the bl touch being on the Aquila but not on the Aquila X2. Is this just as good on the X2 model?
The Aquila and the Aquila X2 are for all intents and purposes the same machine, so if you own an X2 you could equip it with a BL Touch. The X2 doesn't really 'improve' upon anything the base Aquila did (at least that's my understanding , I do not own an X2). The X2 only offers a filament runout sensor (which will stop the machine and alert the user that the filament being used has been exhausted mid print), and a handle (handles are used to grab things... not sure why this was added or how this is an upgrade lol). If I was buying a new printer and had the choice between the Aquila and the Aquila X2, I would save a few bucks and grab the base Aquila. If you wanted to add the filament sensor in the future it's a pretty simple upgrade and the sensors are priced very affordably. Of course if you are currently in the market for an Aquila the biggest landmine you face is the mainboard chip differences. Right now you will receive a printer with one of three different chips (G32, N32, H32). The G32 and N32 are able to be upgrade to community released firmware, which has more functionality and is iterated upon more rapidly. The H32 chip can only be upgraded with stock firmware, which for BL Touch related modifications has not been received well.
I've done this exact process a few days ago and I formatted on a Mac using the Disk Utility and didn't have any issue.
Thanks for the info! I guess you my mostly only hear of the cases when it all goes wrong , but recently I had seen a number of people running into an issue with formatting so I just wanted to put that out there. Thanks for watching and thanks for sharing your results!
@@PrintsLeo3D I was just talking to someone who couldn't get the firmware to update, but he was on a PC and all seemed OK until someone else mentioned the size of the SD card. The guy with the problem was using a 32Gb card and that was what caused his issue as an SD card that size can not be (reliably) formatted as FAT32. Maybe that is the real source of the cases you heard about. Thanks for your videos. Even though this one came just a few days too late for me, I did learn a thing or two here and there. And some of the others definitely helped me understand my printer and the process better.
Q: Alex firmware, CR touch, lights change color as expected when I push the probe in, but it just keeps going even if I push it all the way in and even push the original Z sensor at the same time...
Any idea what's going on?
Is the wiring of the CR Touch going to the 5-pin dedicated BL touch port in the mainboard? Of course you have to make sure when uploading the firmware you have the correct chipset downloaded(G32, N32, H32, etc). What chip does your Aquila have? I heard the H32 chipset had some bl touch issues early on, not sure if they have been ironed out yet. Of course make sure all the wiring connections going into the CR Touch are secure.
Will this work for any Voxelab Aquila? I have an older Aquila C2
Hello great video I'm just having trouble with VZ offset it will not move up or down when I'm trying to calibrate it to the bed
After you've Auto home'd your printer , and then access the z offset menu, click the 'Live adjustment' box. It should move as you adjust after that box is ticked. However I know there are times when people have had issues with that. When you auto home the machine what does the Z height say in the bottom right of the screen(not the Z offset number but the actual Z position)? Then after entering the z offset menu and clicking live adjust does the printer bring your nozzle to what it thinks Z=0 is? Does the Z number in the bottom right change from the number it was after an auto home?
i currently have the manuel mesh firmware installed on my aquila. however I just bought a cr touch and want to install that firmware. do I need to delete the mesh firmware somehow or can I just install like normal and it will overide the mesh leveling firmware???
You don't need to do any deleting. You'll install the BL Touch firmware just as you did the manual mesh firmware, and the newest firmware overrides the last. Also there's no need to re flash the firmware for the screen. Good luck on the install, if you have any problems let me know! Happy printing!
Is this firmware for BL touch only or does it work with both BL and CR touch? I think that will be my deciding factor on going with the BL. I like the black look of the CR. I guess I could paint the BL lol.
Yes, this will work for both the BL and CR touches. For the most part I believe they are (mostly) universally cross compatible, except for some of the BTT boards needing certain features to be changed firmware side for it.
@@PrintsLeo3D as always, you are the man! Thank you.
So got an issue with 3dtouch. I am all good up to your video time stamp: 42:02 the unit touches the bed twice then just raised up about 7cm and stops??? Any ideas?
I'll do my best to help! So the problem you're having is when your attempting to adjust the Z offset, correct? When you auto home the machine outside of the z offset menu does everything work as it should ? Print head probes the bed and then lifts itself up a few mms to idle? Also what does the screen display after the unit touches the bed twice and then raises up ?
@@PrintsLeo3D Actually I got it working. Was acting strange for about 30 mins. The unit started flashing and the probe did not go back in. So I manually pushed it in and power cycled. Did that about 5 times, testing in between. Now for some reason, it is working flawless. But again. Thank you for the very quick reply and offer to assist. This has been a hair raising experience for me. Still having issues with the print not sticking to the bed. Did a bed level strip and it started moving around. I guess I will have to manually re-level and then get the auto level to fix the last bit, one more time. Such a learning curve. Also, never used this firmware before. The one from Alex. It is much better but a ton more features, that I have to do a steep learning curve on. Lol Love 3DPrinting... Take care...
OMG! So been leveling and leveling the bed over and over manually. lol. Just realized I had to adjust the Z offset again. All seems to be perfect now. I do notice on canceled prints the touch goes a little wonky and does not work, you have to push the pin in manually and restart. Is that normal. Kinda feels a little bit buggy.
Great video. Im almost finish and ready for the first print. Thanks to you :) Im missing the Cura profile, i cannot find the setting in the Brim and the Gcode isnt the same.. what am i missing ? Thanks for the help :)
Thanks for watching ! I am a little confused what you are having trouble with. What in Cura are you missing? I am going to do an intro to Cura video, but when you add the Voxelab Aquila as a printer you'll find there's no option for it, so we select Creality Ender 3. That should come equipped with all the correct start gcode. I think that's what you're looking for but if not please reply.
Sound like it's better to print a shorter shroud. If the tip turns out to be too far, we can insert some spacers anyway. On the other hand, if it's too close, you probably have to re-print the whole thing. Sanding some plastic down and keeping it level don't sound that simple.
Thanks for the detailed explanation. I will receive my 3D touch tomorrow. Let's see what will happen.
I would agree it's easier to use the shorter shroud and make any adjustments (shims) then trying to make a larger shroud work by removing layers. Good luck with the install I'm sure it'll go smooth! If you run into any issues leave a comment abd we'll get your sorted! Thanks for the comment !
@@PrintsLeo3D I do have one small question. How bad are the stock springs and knobs (for the bed)? People keep saying they need to be changed. If so, I guess I should replace the springs first, then install the BLTouch. Thanks again!
My suggestions for intial replacements would include the bed springs (the knobs are fine for me), and changing the PTFE tubing from stock to Capricorn tubing. Those are pretty simple upgrades (inexpensive also) that are major improvements. After those two things I would recommend replacing the stock plastic extruder with either a single geared metal one , or preferably, a BMG style dual geared extruder. That upgrade requires a little more elbow grease but also is well worth the time and effort.
@@PrintsLeo3D Cool! Let me get some springs first, so that I can install my BLTouch earlier.
That's a great upgrade! Good luck
I have a H32 chip. I downloaded the BLTouch firmware from Voxelab website. The G29 code runs however the print freezes after auto-levelling. it seems that I have to stick to manually selecting bed auto-levelling from the display.
Additionally, I tried to play around with the adjustment knobs in order to make bed unlevelled. I then manually ran auto-levelling before the print. adhesion was not good. So I am not sure auto-levelling compensates for significant (3mm) changes in bed level.
How can I test whether bed levelling is functioning properly.
Any thoughts ?
For the most part the official Voxelab firmware is sub par, and in general the H32 firmware is the hardest of the chips to compile. The first thing to make sure is that the bed is level, or as level as it can be. I have a video that goes over bed leveling in detail of you're interested (th-cam.com/video/BGdFcPKHbbg/w-d-xo.html)what I would suggest is trying to find community compiled H32 firmware. It comes with more features and should be a little more stable. That being said it does require the extra step of flashing firmware to the screen as well.
A 3mm gap is way too much for the bl touch to compensate for, you want to try and get that difference to under 1mm. You could also try running bed leveling outside of the printer and then using M420 S1 to use that mesh while printing (so you don't need to probe before printing).
One last thing to make sure of is that there are no more calls to G28 after the bed leveling commands (i.e. G29).
It's hard to tell if the bl touch is operating, I usually tell people to gently grasp the Z coupler in their hand while printing and see if you can feel any movement in it. Another really important aspect is the X and Y offsets for the bl touch. Those measurements are what the bl touch uses to accurately apply the mesh correctly. Have to make sure those are correct.(I have a short on my channel to calculate those).
@@PrintsLeo3D thank you very much ! I finally installed alex's beta version for the H32 chip and followed your tutorial. Thank you very much !
Awesome! Glad you got everything working, it can be a tricky task. Good luck and if you need anymore help this is the place!
I just installed my CR Touch onto my Aquila X2 and this guide worked perfect! I'm also pretty new to 3D Printing, is there anything in the G-Code that can make it, so I don't ooze onto my build plate after the heat up before the pre-wipe while it's doing its leveling?
Thanks for watching and I am so happy to help! There are some commands you can insert directly after the call to probe the bed. The idea would be to make a call to a lower temp (160c for example) , then probe the bed, and then make a call after that to your printing temperature. Before that though what does your current start gcode look like ?
@@PrintsLeo3D so atm I have g92>g28>g29> and then a few g1''s which I believe are the lines and extrusion for the pre wipe, then a g92 two more tiny g1's then it prints. As I understand the format but not the language, I hope this helps.
Update: So Found with the M190, M104, M109, and M140I can control temps. So I'll heat my bed and warm up my nozzle, level, then heat the nozzle and bed to their full temps. Again, thank you for the video and helping me have one less headache.
Yes, you got it! Sorry I didn't respond earlier , sometimes I won't get notified when someone responds to a comment I've already responded too. I was coming back through to check and I'm happy to see you figured it all out 👍
Does anyone know if there is a custom (Alex') firmware available for the Voxelab Aquila D1? Haven't been able to find anything regarding the D1 yet. Thanks!
I.knkw Alexs firmware has not been updated in some time. When dealing with the Aquila I would look for Professional firmware (MRISOC firmware). That being said I am not sure if the D1 carries non proprietary firmware like the X2 and the S2 so you may not be able to move off of Voxelab firmwares.
You did not level the bed prior, or heat the bed when doing Z offset?
Bed levelling is done prior to z offset. Anytime we re-level the bed you also want to make sure to adjust the z offset.
I prefer to do all leveling while the bed is cold (or at room temperature). Some people prefer to do it while heated, because the bed will expand. To me both options make sense, but I would stress whichever you choose stay consistent. If you level the bed while heated, then also adjust z offset while heated. The same goes for if you level the bed cold.
I am new to the video and it has saved me a lot of failing and retrying, especially the Z offset. I will say a text file with the custom start gcode or an easy link would help
That's a great idea! I appreciate you taking the time to help the channel out. What I think I'll do is leave a text file in the actual description and also link a page to my website where I go over the start code itself and what everything is doing. Thanks!
Mr.Leo, nice to meet you. I'm seeing you from Japan.
With my first 3D printer, I bought Voxelab Aquila, researched BL Touch and found your video.
Less user of Aquila in Japan, your video is now very helpful.
In reference to your videos, we will try to attach a BL Touch.
Are you sure you want question?
Your Aquila used a G32 board, but my Aquila used an N32.
Is the procedure the same except for the firmware to be installed?
I'm sorry I'm not good at English.
Also looking forward to the next video.
Nice to meet you too! You are correct, the procedure is all the same , expect you will select firmware that is marked N32. All other steps are exactly the same. You're English is great, I'm glad you took time to comment on this video. I look forward to releasing more videos and I appreciate your support! Thank you very much!
The video is very useful, thank you very much!
I still have questions. I'm not putting the BLTouch in yet. In this case, do I have to download the ManualMesh version? If so, what instructions do I write in the Printer Settings in Cura? How do I set the bed level in this case?
If you're not going to use the bl touch probe yet you have two options. You can select default no probe, which would have you level the bed as normal and then when you print it simply prints as is without modification. If you select manual mesh, you would level the bed as normal and then you run through a manual probing grid. So this option would give you the benefit of a probe without actually having one. Of course the manual mesh process takes a little bit of time as you are manually moving through each probe point and making z offset adjustments. After you finish the probing grid you need to save that mesh, and then you can call on that mesh in your start code so the printer can apply it. In Cura you'll want to amend the start code by adding M420 S1 after (or below it as the code is vertical) the call for G28. M420 S1 loads a saved mesh (which would be the one you saved after creating it manually) for the printer to use while printing. The more I write this the more I think I should make this topic its own video. Thanks for the question, if you have anymore or this isn't clear let me know!
@@PrintsLeo3D Thank you for the detailed answer! You are doing a great job of helping newcomers to 3D printing.
Did I understand correctly that by installing UBL-NoProbe-3x3-G32.bin, I just get a new screen and new settings for Aquila? I will add that I want such a vertical screen and advanced settings.
I subscribed and will look forward to your new tutorials.
P.S. In the case of ManualMesh, will I have to adjust the level before each print?
@@PrintsLeo3D Hi! I finally put 3dtouch and Alex's firmware on my printer. Connected everything correctly, as in the diagram. The contacts are there, I tested the wires on a multimeter. I have not removed the Z axis end switch yet.
But when I turned on the 3dtouch, the light never came on. After the Home Z command, the Z-axis somehow crashes into the glass. Both the end switch and the 3dtouch do not work now.
What else could be the cause other than incorrect connection and defective 3dtouch? And why has the Z-axis end switch stopped working?
I would be very grateful if you could tell me how to solve this problem.
Would you be more comfortable if the discussion was moved to the reddit group?
Hey this is one of your comments that TH-cam flagged. It appears your passed this point though so I will answer a newer comment. Thanks again!
Hey I am really very sorry, as I said in a few of your previous comments TH-cam flagged so many of your responses and I never saw them. If you are still having this or any issues please either respond to this comment, make a comment in a newer video, or email me directly at printsleo3d@gmail.com So sorry about this I want to help and always answer every comment!
What type of PLA did you use for the fan shroud assembly?
The Green shroud (first attempt) was inland PLA+ filament Neon Green. The final shroud was printed with FilaCube PLA2 Maroon filament.
I'll soon be installing an Ender Extender kit on my Aquilla. Will any of these firmware upgrades be compatible with this upgrade?
I'm not too familiar with the Ender extender kit. If it only extends the vertical axis of the printer, then this firmware wouldn't work because it's set for a printer size of 235x235x250. If you don't have experience compiling firmware I could compile a version for you that could utilize the fully extended Z axis. That's if the only thing the extender adds is to the vertical axis. I can do some more research and get back to you if you need me to. Good luck!
Edit: I see that it doesn't necessarily increase the Z axis but both the X and Y axes. I should be able to compile firmware for that system if needed!
Thxs will be doing this to my one when it arrives! A little confused initially with the portrait display but that's part of this upgrade have i got that correct? If Aquila intended use of the the BL Touch and it would appear they did with provison of the psu connector, why are you not able to just to bolt this onto the existing extruder mount? It also looks like the display fonts have been improved too as the original display was not great! Thxs in advance :o)
The portrait display is sort of a consequence of the firmware, but it's a good consequence as most people prefer it. The new firmware is based off the framework of firmware that was developed for the Ender 3 V2, which has the portrait display by default. So anything built on top of that, as Alex has done with his firmware, will likely adopt a lot of the settings and preferences. I don't have my machine in front of me right now, but I think the Aquila has threaded mounts for the addition of an Auto bed leveling device (BL touch) built into the X axis carriage plate (right next to where the hot end is located). I chose to change the entire fan shroud (to the Satsana) because I liked the design and that had a version that includes a bl Touch mount. Also with the updated firmware we have the option of changing the icons to a few different UI packages . There's a base blue version , Voxelab red and a few others with minors changes. It's all just aesthetics but I think it's a nice change. Thanks for watching the video and asking questions!
@@PrintsLeo3D My Printer arrived yesterday & busy doing modifications (not powered up yet)! Just watched someone on TH-cam who had an Aquila with a cheap (his words) inductive bed level sensor that worked a treat, as Prusia use them - not fully understood why manufactures don't just bundle these in as very low cost and what about you doing a video on a small Prusa style version for the Aquila? :o)
Yea there's a hope that they can start bundling ABL sensors with your printers, they don't cost much and they add a lot of usability. I just bought an Eryone ER20 that does come equipped with it , and I've been very happy. I would love to look into the Prusa line of printers but the cost of them is just out of my budget unfortunately lol
@@PrintsLeo3D Agreed Prusia out of my budget too, but could the induction sensor they use be adopted on the Aquila as its small compared to others?
I'll look into the indictive sensor to be sure but presumably yes it can be added to the Aquila. I know that TH3D makes an inductive probe (EZAbl) that fits the Ender 3 so if imagine that would work
I printed your bltouch fan shroud for the Aquila s2. My caliper isnt digital, do you happen to know your x and y offsets based on that model?
Chuck I don't know the offsets off the top of my head (and my aquila isn't currently using that mount), but there's a really easy way to measure the offsets that only uses a post it note. Go to the Shorts section of my channel, I have a video there that goes over the process. Let me know if that helps !
@PrintsLeo3D thanks that worked perfectly. Btw the shroud works fits perfectly on the S2. I don't think people realize how well this printer holds up to the creality printers. Thanks for being a champion for the Aquila.
Yea these printers really have been such workhorses for me, I do my best to champion them as much as I can! Glad I was able to help!
where are you going to change the z offset?? I absolutely love your videos for Voxel !! One other problem. I replaced the bed springs with silicone spacers. When I Home all, my nozzle is 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the bed. How do I lower the Z closer to the bed so I can do the Z offset??
To set the z offset for the touch, there is a dedicated menu under the leveling option. There should be a menu called z offset. Within that menu select 'live z', that should home the printer and then you can start lowering the nozzle towards the bed. As you do that the number for the z offset should be changing. Once the nozzle is close enough to the bed (you can use a post it note to feel for tension of the nozzle on the bed), select apply (or done?), and that should save your z offset. You can then do a more precise tuning of the z offset during a calibration print. The live z offset can be adjusted directly from the menu while a print is happening.
As for the nozzle being so far from the bed after auto home, can you check what the z coordinates are. I believe the auto home finds each endstop (X, Y, and Z) and then brings the print head to a z height of 10mm, so that's what I'm thinking is throwing you off.
Try adjusting that offset and tell me how it goes. Also make sure you don't have any z offset value saved in your slicer
hey im posting this almost a year later but its worth a shot. I installed the bltouch axactly as you did and everything is working fine but when i go to do a print and it does its 16 points it wants to print incorrectly. even with manually leveling the bed it wants to print closer to the bed on one side and further on the other and i cant understand why. if i could get help with this it would be very appriciated.
It's never too late to post! I would love to be able to diagnose your problem within these TH-cam comments so others having the same issues might be helped as well, but I find it's usually better if you email me directly so we can trade some pictures and video. I will say this. Is the distance between the probe tip and the nozzle tip within specifications (2.3-4.3mm)? Is the mount that's holding the bl touch on tight and in good condition? Is it possible the bl touch is hitting something while it probes (bed clips)? Under the mesh preview what does it look like, what does the deviation read? You can answer me back here but at some point I'd love to hear from you via email so I can see exactly how this is printing. printsleo3d@gmail.com
Hi.
I have done all the steps, but for some reason, it never does the 3x3 levelling, it only performs one z-axis check and then starts printing.
The same if i try the "level" -> "Create new mesh" from the control panel on the printer. It only goes down and measures once.
This is an Voxelav Aquila S2, N32 and i loaded your copy of the 3x3 bltouch firmware file.
I have also added the G29 after the G28 in the start code in Cura.
Any tips, should i try to download the 4x4 and try that one instead?
Hey Rickard! That's a really weird occurrence but you're idea of trying different firmware (4x4) would be my first thought too. I've heard of people who've had similar issues where the probe wouldn't go through the correct process, so they tried a different version and it worked. I'd try that and see if there's a different result, and if not we'll work from there. Other than that are you using a bl touch or a CR touch ?
@@PrintsLeo3D thanks for the reply. It is a BL touch recently purchased, that I installed today following your video.
I'll give the 4x4 version a go as well.
@@hanssonrickard Found the isse, stupid me had entered the x and y offsets with positive values instead of negative values.
After entering them with negative values all is now good and it calibrates as it should.
Awesome! Glad you solved it. It was probably sensing the probe was out of bounds and killing the operation. Happy printing and thanks for watching!!
As a note, the first time I started the printer the x axis wouldn't lower with the bltouch installed (probe would go up and down). I found a separate video, but basically, I had to set my printer to the bed, and turned on the Aquila for it to realize that the printer was at the bed. Now when I autohome it does so correctly.
That's a pretty interesting condition. Generally when an issue like that happens it has to do with the connection of the bl touch, either at the touch itself, or more commonly, at the board. Either way I'm glad you were able to get it sorted out and I appreciate you taking the time to tell me about your experience and how you solved it. I'm sure this will help someone in the future! Thank you!
Was going to ask about my issue in a private message but I cant message you I guess.
My prints start out with doing the BLtouch but then it fails mid way through or near.
Without the Gcode in my print and using basic preset Cura gcode, it still prints.
Is this a firmware issue?
The BL does the auto meshing when I press it on the controller.
I would think it likely is, although having it probe outside of a print and not beforehand is somewhat puzzling. Why don't you send me an email and I can help diagnose this a little better and maybe get some pics/videos to help.
printsleo3d@gmail.com
My guess is this will likely be firmare related but there's some other things we can check beforehand.
I will send an email once I get the printer working again.
Tried reloading the firmware with 4x4 instead and it was stuck on just the loading bar all the way to the right for a couple hours. Eventually turning black but it is still on.
Restarted it without the card, just says Voxelab. Doesnt do anything now.
Now it isnt seeing firmware on the card haha. Oh my luck with this thing has been hectic.
I have a G32 version.
@@PrintsLeo3D
I'm in the midst of upgrading my Aquila with a MS direct drive and hot end. I figured I'd add a 3d touch. Now on my Satsuna shroud the 3d touch probe reached beyond my nozzle. I hadn't watched this video yet, had no clue what to do and given that I have spare needles I clipped the probe. I admit it's a little crude but if that provides the correct distance, is there anything wrong with this? Or perhaps until I get the printer running and I can alter and print a new shroud. In the end the touch requires a correct installation distance to work off of. Being mounted higher or having a shorter probe should give the same result IMHO.
Diedrick, as far as I could think that is a crude but useable modification ! Lol the nozzle itself is only used to trigger the internal sensor, and as long as that tip is within the 2.3 - 4.3 range I can't see an issue. Of course you want to make sure the end is clipped nice and flat, so that it triggers at the same spot each time. If you're lucky the touch may have even came with a a new probe tip so you can swap it out when the direct extruder kit comes!
@@PrintsLeo3D Thanks for your reply. You make a very good point. I'll head down this way for now at least to get the printer up and running again. One last question for now: I noticed Alex's firmware 1.3.5 is no longer being maintained and since I'm rookie I'm not yet up to speed with all types of firmware. Would you still recommend me installing this firmware or are there better alternatives 2 years down the line? Mind you I'm not yet in the market for a Raspberry Pi etc. I just want to get everything setup nicely and start printing some cool stuff. Thanks again!
Yea Alex hasn't been able to update that repository for some time now, but I would still recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade from the stock firmware. It still adds options that the stock does not have any is stable. There's another firmware out there right now called 'Professional firmware' it's looking to supplant exa for the Aquilas. I have no experience with it though so I can't vouch for it.
Ultimately the firmware I recommend long term is Klipper, which is a different firmware entirely (while Alex's and professional are different branches of the overall firmware Marlin). It's not for everyone, and it does require an additional device (you mentioned a pi, but a thing that runs Linux can operate it - $35 Inovato Quadra, t95 TV box, old laptops, etc), but overall it offers so many features, better print quality, added speed, the ability to make changes to your printer on the fly. There's so much it offers. A lot of my newer videos have been Klipper related because I believe in it so strongly. So while it might not be for everyone, or at least not for everyone right now, it ultimately is an amazing option.
Thank you so much for this tutorial, first and foremost. I am running into some trouble now with my X2. I suspect it's because the new fan shroud (Santana one you linked) is much more efficient at cooling the hotend. When my printer is trying to print the Z offset test (your prime blocks with a skirt) it's getting a thermal runaway error. Any suggestions on what to do?
If this is happening right after you installed the bl touch and firmware, then it's likely you'll need to run a PID tune. PID tune calibrates the temperature settings of the hot end, when you download new firmware there's a number of original settings that get changed, and the PID temperature settings are one of them so this sort of issue happens a lot. Alex's firmware makes this process extremely easy though, go into control > temperature > PID > Hotend. From there set the Temperature to your normal printing temperatures (for me with PLA it's usually 205) and the run the auto tune. It will take some time, the printer will heat up and cool a bunch, but after it's done your temperature should be good to go. Just remember to save those settings so they persist after you power the machine down. I believe there's an option to save in the PID tune menu, but if not in the control menu you can find the Store Settings command. Let me know how this goes!
@@PrintsLeo3D still getting a lot of variance with this. PID tuning did enable me to get a print or 2 off, but I'm still getting temp issues (sometimes Thermal Runaway, sometimes mintemp).
And now another challenger has entered the fray, my "3DTouch" no longer extends when homing, so the nozzle attempts to crash. It lights up and everything, and it extends and retracts when powering on the printer, just doesn't when homing. Any ideas?
Is the probe tip also loose ? There's an Allen key opening at the top of the touch, that lets you tighten up the probe, possible that could be the issue with it not deploying? Could also be a wiring problem, maybe the cable got snagged on the bed and unplugged from the board. I've had that issue before as well. Because the cable is a little shorter than you'd like it can be pulled out from the back of the bed while moving.
Are you saving the settings after the PID tune so they stay when you turn the printer off?
@@PrintsLeo3D I'll have to check up on the wiring to see if anything has come loose, yeah the wiring is not a great length so maybe that's what's going on there.
I do Store Settings after each PID as well.
It's happened to me in the past so it's worth checking up on.
Was all good until reaching re-install e step numbers, what are these e step numbers and what do I do now without them? Is there some were on line I can get them from and then what do I do with them. my bltouch is missing the bed going past it on the right
PLEASE HELP?
Hey Kristen so for this late reply. This sounds like an issue with the X and Y offsets of the BL Touch as those are the coordinates that will tell the printer where the probe is. Let me know if you handled this issue or of you need some help!
@@PrintsLeo3D Need some help still please. Also my nozzle use to home to left edge of my bed it does not do that any more is this something I can change? I have owned the voxelab Aquila for a few years most of the time it just sits there because I can't get much to stick to the bed, I have used glue even duck tape to keep a print down part way through.😭😡 When it does print on the odd occation the filament does not always stay stuck together no matter tempature I try on. SO FRUSTRATED I think my machine is cursed. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT.🤕😓
Chris, I'm here to help. The reason the nozzle doesn't home to the side anymore is for safety. Because we are using a probe now , which is generally located near the nozzle, the printer is now told to home at the center of the build plate to ensure the probe hits the bed and triggers. If we didn't home at center it's possible some probe locations could miss the bed and never trigger which would drive the nozzle into the bed until you shit the printer down.
@@PrintsLeo3D Ok I understand that, I tried a up grade on it to help these issues, new bed springs wheels, new aluminum extruder, new nozzel, along with the bltouch. I have had this thing apart 8 times or more. Your video was great by the way with the bltouch. have it printing now got something stuck to bed, but the filament keeps missing part as it goes across to next square it prints a line which is missing parts or does not print. I have altered the heat of nozzel for filament and even flow rate help little but still filament not coming out continually as it moves across the bed.😥
Done the bltouch install on the Aquilla downloaded the Alex 4x4 firmware,the probe probes the bed but when it prints no auto adjustment are made to the z height any idea why?? I have a G29 which it does fine followed by G28 to autohome x&y to the bottom left corner
The problem is going to be that last call to G28. Whenever you running an ABL gcode (whether it's G29 or M420 S1), you need to make sure there is no call to G28 after those, as that will erase any mesh data and your printer will not apply any auto bed leveling. So just erase the G28 that is following your G29 and you should be good to go! I have a start gcode that adds a purge line starting at the origin corner if you want your nozzle to start from that location:
; Aquila Custom Start G-code
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G28 ; Home all axes
G29; Auto Bed Level (Bl Touch)
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
G1 X0.1 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to start position
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
@@PrintsLeo3D Thanks for your help,the command to move the print head to start position is that the bottom left corner as usual instead of the G28
Yes it is!
@@PrintsLeo3D Thank you so much for all your help with this I will give it a try when I get chance,love the channel it really helps a lot of people
Thank you so much, that's what I'm hoping for!!
The distance of my bltouch tip and nozzle tip is 2mm. It sucks having to reprint a new shroud. Would bringing down the nozzle tip and heat break do the same thing?
It would but when you create gaps withing the hot end , nozzle you'll likely have clogging issues where filament will be trapped. 0.3mm is not a big distance, maybe you can sand down the lower portion of the arm to give yourself more room without having to print a brand new mount ?
@@PrintsLeo3D well tried sanding but it came out at an angle. I went ahead and created a new shroud for the 5015 fan. I'll let you know how it turns out.
That's probably the best answer to the problem. It stinks to have to do that, but it's better to do it now then a week from now after you went nuts trying to figure out why the BL Touch isn't working .
@@PrintsLeo3D got the shroud printed and installed the BL touch. Only issue I have is when I try to home z axis my nozzle doesn't move to the where the BL touch probed.
The only time the BL Touch will home the Z axis and then move the nozzle into position is when you are under the "z offset" setting and Home it through there or select Live adjustment. If you just home the Z axis thought be Move menu, then it will just home and the nozzle will stay as is.
Alright, I think I got the firmware on (bltouch 3x3 n32) but the screen is still wacky after following these steps and using the voxlab red as well. Any suggestions?
Aquila S2
In my experience whenever I upgrade the firmware on the screen and it doesn't quite take it is because I labeled the folder wrong. I would take a fresh SD card and reformat it (Fat32 4096 bytes) then when you bring the dwin_set folder onto the SD card make sure there is no empty spaces after the name. There are times where I haven't fully deleted the (VoxelabRed) post script for instance, there was a blank space after the word set that I couldn't see and it caused some issues. So I would try reinstalling the lcd firmware, maybe use a different set too, and double check there are no hidden soaces at the end of the folder name. If that doesn't help we can get more into it.
Just watched again, the 4096 was my issue.
Used the SD that came with the printer and we are good to go! Thank you
Awesome, I love it when a plan comes together ! Good luck with the S2 and if you run into any problems or just want to show off a print drop on by!