Measuring X-Axis Backlash
Units shipped after September 2016 have already been calibrated and will have no backlash.
If you received your unit before September 2016, then your unit may experience X-Axis backlash. Common symptoms include:
- Diagonal traces specifically have poor in-fill
- Changing direction in X-Axis causes features to be misaligned
- Pad location will not align with pad centers after repeated attempts
To apply backlash compensation on your unit, you will have to perform a quick calibration procedure, and provide the V-One with the correct compensation constant - just follow the instructions below.
The pattern we've supplied to diagnose backlash uses a Vernier scale to visually determine the amount of backlash in your unit.
x-axis-backlash-calibration
Download the pattern and print the .GTL file with your V-One.
Print the design without any modifications! It must be printed by the V-One exactly as intended.
Before measuring the backlash, use the M520 command, and record the value reported beside "Backlash Compensation". We will use this value later.
The Vernier scale has two rows of vertical lines. To diagnose the backlash, do the following:
- Starting from the right, find the first pair of lines (top and bottom row) which are perfectly vertically aligned. Use the pair on the far left side as a reference - these will always be aligned.
- Multiply the number that labels that pair by 0.025. This is the amount of backlash present, in millimeters. For example, the pair labeled 4 would give 4 x 0.025 = 0.1 mm of backlash.
- Add this value to the backlash compensation number you had recorded earlier. This is the total backlash compensation.
- Open the gcode console (Alt+C), and enter M507 X### where ### is the number you calculated in step 3, in mm. For example: M507 X0.1
You have now calibrated your V-One for backlash! We recommend taking a picture of the calibration pattern for reference, in case you need to check in future.