2014-Q3 Firmware

General Software
1

Is it safe to put the 2014 Q3 Firmware on my TAZ 4 that I purchased back in June (which I think has Q1 firmware?).

In looking at the code, I noticed a lot of changes revolving around a 2nd extruder fan. Does this mean we can connect a separate fan to cool the Budaschnozzle ? Any hint as to what connector the fan plugs in to?

After checking, my TAZ 4 has 2014 Q2, so there is not much of a difference between it and 2014-Q3. I was comparing Q3 with the Dual Extruder firmware, of which there are a lot of changes.

So, the question is, will there be, or is there already, a place to plug a 2nd fan (or in the case of a Dual Extruder that is setup for PLA, 2 extra fans) to cool the Budas in such a way that the fans are on whenever the Budas are at or above a certain temperature?

I tried the dual fan duct, but that doesn’t work very well since the Buda needs to always be cooled.

I’ve printed a separate fan duct for a 2nd fan on the left side of the extruder, and am now trying to determine the best way to hook it up, without it having to be hooked to 24 volts and always on whenever the printer is on.

There are some real issues with PLA and larger (longer - wider) prints and the fan(s). More on my experiences with this, later.

Thanks much,

Kenny

2

OK,

It looks like the firmware is configured for Option 3: 2 separately controlled Nozzle Fans.

In order to have 1 Nozzle Fan and 1 Heat-Sink fan, Option 4 should be used. Then, the Heat-Sink fan will also come on when either extruder reaches 50 deg C.

Now the question is, why is the Dual Extruder firmware so different (at least with regards to these settings). For the Dual and PLA, it looks like we will need 1 more fan output.

Kenny

3

For the Mini, the hot end heatsink has a blower fan that is on whenever there is power. The second fan that blows on the extruded plastic is controllable 0-255 via gcode. You may want to look at Mini Marlin too, except I think bam is working on just this thing right now (since it was working in begonia, but not in camellia). The TAZ Q3 firmware also tweaks Z power.

4

I’m going to flash Q3 and see how that goes. Will first modify it so that the the 2nd Extruder fan will come on when any Extruder is heating. It would be great if we could control the Fan Options via the LCD.

Thanks,

Kenny