Filament Feeder and Sailfish P-Stop trigger- NO MORE AIR PRINTS!!!

thingiverse

This filament feeder assists by powering the filament off the spool, reducing drag on the extruder motor system. Sailfish firmware with P-Stop enabled can pause printing if filament feeding is impossible due to a spool tangle. Most parts for the stepper pulse generator are available at Radioshack, and improvements have been made on the design. Thanks to Dan and Jetty of the Sailfish team for implementing the function in the firmware and James Armstrong for the CAD work. The V2 version can use either a compression or tension spring; printing is best with orientation away from build surfaces. Overhangs on the flags make it easy to print. A tension spring removes the need for one inside the filament path, making loading easier. All screws are now M3 x 25mm long. The Easy Driver at Sparkfun was chosen due to its built-in 5V regulator. Pololu and other chips can also be used. Optical interrupter-style limit switches and a 555 timer require 5V power, sourced from the motor. Black plastic should be used for printing as white and translucent plastics transmit IR, preventing opto switches from functioning. This filament feeder works with any printer running Sailfish, including T-O-Ms, Cupcakes, U-T-O-M, and new Replicator series. A standalone spool system for 5 and 10 LB spools is in development, connecting to the bot via the endstop cable. Additionally, wiring this parallel with P-Stop can trigger out-of-filament detection for added protection during long prints.