Description
These 3D Printer Z-Probes use modulated infra-red LEDs to accurately detect proximity to the print surface, allowing for automatic bed-levelling while printing.
Compared to mechanical probe solutions - such as a servo and microswitch - these boards have the advantage of requiring no moving components, weighing less, and having a higher degree of repeatability and reliability. Compared to inductive or capacitive probes, these boards are less dependent on the material of the print surface, and will even work on glass. Combined with a high degree of immunity from background IR sources, these boards are ideal for nearly any printer build.
We've designed these boards to couple to a standard 30mm fan - this means they're immediately compatible with all E3D-V6 and Lite6 HotEnds, mounting directly to the fan with no modification or adaptor necessary. Additionally, these boards use a lightweight cable with a compact connector, in order to make wiring as easy as possible.
To mount to a printer without a suitable 30mm fan, all that is required are two screw holes. These should be spaced 24mm apart horizontally, and at a distance of 22mm above the tip of the nozzle. See the attached mechanical drawings for further information.
These probes will trigger at a distance of 3mm from the print surface. Recommended mounting height is that the bottom edge of the PCB be 1-2mm above the tip of the nozzle, and the probe's Z-offset can be tweaked in firmware to achieve the desired bed-levelling results.
These boards can connect directly to a RAMPS control board, taking the place of the Z endstop. A 100cm long cable is included with each board.
For more information, including setup details for Marlin firmware, check here.
These probes are based on David Crocker's differential IR height sensor here.
Note: We are currently shipping v1.41 of these probes. Some images demonstrating mounting show the V1.3 probe.
Changelog:
v1.41:
- capacitor C1 changed from SMD to through-hole part, increasing sturdiness
- PCB routing updated to improve manufacturing yield
v1.4:
- Compact Form Factor
- capacitor C1 decreased in height to reduce profile of board, easier to fit probe in tight spaces
- smaller JST-SH connector used, connector no longer protrudes from body of probe
- Selectable Digital or Analog Output
- separate output pins for both modes
- mode no longer dependent on automatic detection of control board
- strong pull-ups on certain control boards no longer prevent probe from working
- faster boot time (<1s instead of 6s)
Specifications:
- Supply Voltage: 3.3-5V
- Dimensions: 30.00x23.75mm
- Weight: 2.5g (excluding cable)
- Trigger distance: ~3mm from edge of PCB
- Trigger Repeatability: 0.005mm (5µm) Standard Deviation
- Included Cable Length: 100cm