Cooling Fan questrion

[wirlybird]

On a FFCP or QIDI dual, is S3D able to control the cooling fan more than either on or off? I am trying out ASA and they recommend the cooling fan at 10% after the first few layers but it seems that the fan is either simply on or off.

[chrisesharp]

I'd like to know the answer to this, too, as I have a Qidi Tech 1 as well.

[CompoundCarl]

S3D is definitely capable of doing this, but from what I've read, the x3g files don't support it. If you read the protocol for those files, it only supports setting the fan on or off.

So basically, if you can find a firmware that supports it, you can easily setup Simplify3D to do it, but right now I don't think x3g machines have that ability.

[wirlybird]

Thanks, that is kind of what I was thinking. I've heard that it will cycle it on and off to give the effect of partial power but I do not think that is the case.

[blackt1ger]

S3D is definitely capable of doing this, but from what I've read, the x3g files don't support it. If you read the protocol for those files, it only supports setting the fan on or off.

So basically, if you can find a firmware that supports it, you can easily setup Simplify3D to do it, but right now I don't think x3g machines have that ability.

It is more than possible. First, I'm using sailfish firmware. The sailfish firmware reads the cooling fan PWM values from an EEPROM location. The X3G protocol specifies a "read eeprom" and a "write eeprom" command. What would be needed is the gcode to x3g translator to "know" the eeprom offset for the cooling fan PWM. More specifically from:

https://github.com/jetty840/Sailfish-Mi ... erboard.cc

see lines: 1020 - 1024:

1020 // See what the PWM setting is -- may have been changed
1021 ATOMIC_BLOCK(ATOMIC_RESTORESTATE) {
1022 fan_pwm = (uint16_t)eeprom::getEeprom8(eeprom_offsets::COOLING_FAN_DUTY_CYCLE,
1023 COOLING_FAN_DUTY_CYCLE_DEFAULT);

[emkay]

Latest Sailfish does at least have the ability to set fan speed from the printer interface before starting a print. Hugely helpful. Would be nice if x3g could support this though. Especially for instances where I'd like to have full fan speed for bridges, but a lesser value for the rest of the print. Well...that is...until Simplify3D finish implementing the bridging controls (since right now we still don't have full control over bridge perimeters and will always have them fail).