This article present you the procedure on how to set your ZOffset without any LCD screeen on your Scalar S 3D Printer.
This article presumes that you are using Marlin firmware (RC8 or newer) and a Scalar S 3D printer without LCD screen.
Requirements
- Consider having your extruder calibrated (Procedure here)
- Connect your 3D printer to your PC using the USB cable
- Install Arduino IDE for the drivers (Installation procedure here)
- Download and unzip Pronterface
- Download the test Gcode
Starting Pronterface
Once unzipped, browse inside the pronterface folder and launch « pronterface.exe » in « Administrator » mode via the right click context menu
Pronterface GUI is starting
ZOffset calibration
Select your printer COM port (mine is COM13)
Push the « Connect » button to start the connection.
If the connection is working properly a list of text and parameters should be displayed on the console output on the right side of the application.
The information we are interested in are:
- Marlin firmware version (RC8 or newer)
- ZOffset current value here at the bottom (here is -0.10mm)
In order to adjust Zoffset we are going to print a calibration part compatible with Scalar S and a 1.75mm filament.
Click on the « Load File » button
Then browse for the file « Scalar_S_Calibration_retraction.gcode » that you previously downloaded
Clock on the « Print » button
If you first layer is still too high you need to:
- stop printing by pressing the « Off » button
- Change the Zoffset using command M851 Zxxxx with xxxx being the new zoffset
- Save the new value using the M500 command
- Start a new print in order to check the effect of the new Zoffset
- If it’s still not good, perform again step 2
Here we show how to change the Zoffset by typing command M851 Z-0.3 into the console.We send the command to the printer using the « Send » button located at the right of the text input field.
Note that:
- In order to lower the nozzle on the first layer your ZOffset must be « Negative« .
- Decrement the offset using steps of 0.1 or 0.2 (ex: go from -0.10 to -0.30)
- If your nozzle seems to far away from the bed, consider decrementing of 0.5mm
Start again a new print using the « Restart » button
Save your new Zoffset using command M500