Can board Question

General Discussion
1

Basic Information:

Printer Model: any being modified
MCU / Printerboard: btt octopus or similar
klippy.log dont have one that applies
Due to the relatively huge number of wires in a cable chain to get to the printhead, and the addition of a QIDI XMax-3 printer I’ve become aware of the advantages of the can buss.

So what I need is an honest opinion if which is best when:

  1. extruder is direct on the head, probably an orbiterv2, meaning the equ of a TMC2209 to drive it is onboard.

  2. two thermistors as I intend to mount the second one near the top of the heat break to be used to control the hot end fan. This means 2 addressable pwn fan controllers. or more to control a fan on 2209

  3. an input shaper like the adxl345 built in

Is there such a critter available, if so, who makes it?

Thanks for any guidance offered. Take care, stay well everybody.

2

Here is a pretty good introduction and overview

3

thank you very much bookmarked FFR. This explains the bus, but not how to use it if constructing new to replace a 15x25 drag chain with 30+ wires in it. That is the sort of info I need. Also missing is any similar info on usage of this in the “what controls are available” category on amazon. You would think they would like to enhance the sales volume of such stuff by describing what “it” can do! Crickets.

The toolhead board used in the QIDI XMA3 really uses it fully, controlling 4 little bitty 30mm fans in the toolhead, a 5th 60mm part fan, the nozzle thermister, nozzle heater power, and the ejector motor, all with a 4 wire cable in the smallest drag chain I’ve ever seen. All sockets are used with only one TH socket, and I’d really like two TH sockets, which with the limited info I’ve been able to find, does not appear to be a feature of any of the available stuff. OTOH, my google foo sucks at about 10-33 torr.

4

I am using CAN toolheads in all my printers right now. I’m mostly using the EBB42:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004242828520.html

I have also used the Mellow FLY SHT:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004687165673.html

As well as the SB2040 for the Voron:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004675264551.html

I’ve run them on Octopus V1.1, Octopus Pro and Manta M8P. Right now, I’m trying to move to all Mantas (and eliminate the 5V supply for the rPi).

In answer to your questions:

  1. You’re asking about a “Direct Drive” when you’re asking about the extruder on the toollhead. Personally, that is the configuration I prefer but other people have opinions on it.
  2. Having two thermistors, one on the heater block and one north of the heat break is overkill. It adds unnecessary complexity.

For my printers I turn on the extruder’s heat sink fan when the temperature of the heater block is greater than 30C. If you look in my printer.cfg files, you’ll see:

[heater_fan EBB_fan]
pin: toolhead:TOOLHEAD_HEATSINKFAN
max_power: 1.0
fan_speed: 1.0
kick_start_time: 0
heater: extruder
heater_temp: 30

Which carries out this function.

I would recommend using the built in CAN port on the Octopus and install Katapult in both the main controller and the toolhead controller.

It will be a bit of work and learning for you but there are excellent resources online with a bit of searching.

5

And katapult does what Mike?

6

I just did a google search, only models to print fell out. My google foo is busted. Thanks Mike, take care & stay well.

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Thank you. look both capable and complex bookmarked FFR Thanks again. Once I get it working, then I’ll contemplate setting up the buss and moving a lot of stuff to it, leaving the xy drivers, power supplys for them and the quicker bed line power, and getting rid of a lot of the signal level wire, its a colored wire decorated midden heap now. But one step at a time.

Does part of that hcet14 stand for a card in your card case?, if it does I’m glad to meet you, I have one also. Rare indeed.

Thanks. Take care and stay well hcet14

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