Filament Sensor Spool Holder

thingiverse

Sorry for my poor writing, engineer, but I'll try to get it right. I am creating this guide for anyone who wants to install a filament runout sensor on their 3D printer. I've done some research and testing on my own Tevo Tarantula printer, so please be aware that modding your firmware can cause problems, and you do this at your own risk. The first step is to connect the sensor to your board. You'll need to find the pins S and - on your board (see picture above). It doesn't matter which cable connects where. Once you've connected the sensor, you'll need to modify your firmware. I'm running a copy of jimbrown's easy firmware 2.x, so I won't be posting my firmware, but I am using a modified version. To modify the firmware, you'll need to search for "Filament_Runout_Sensor" in the Configuration.h file and make sure it is defined. Then, search for "FIL_RUNOUT_PIN" in the pins_RAMPS.h file and set the pin to 12 if it isn't already 12. Finally, compile and upload the firmware. Next, you'll need to assemble the sensor housing. You'll need the following hardware: 1. Qty:1 - SHCS M6x15mm 2. Qty:1 - FHSCS M6x25mm 3. Qty:1 - FHSCS M8x50mm 4. Qty:5 - SHCS M3x5mm or 6mm (whatever is easier to get) 5. Qty:1 - M6 Nylock 6. Qty:1 - M8 Nylock 7. Qty:1 - 10g counter weight 8. Qty:2 - Switches You'll also need some optional hardware for the swivel head arm: 1. Qty:1 - M3x14mm or 16mm 2. Qty:1 - M3 Washer For the screw down base, you'll need: 1. Qty:4 FHSCS M5x10mm 2. Qty:4 FHSCS M5x (As long as you need to mount to your base, would say 10mm min) Finally, for the 20mm extrusion, you'll need: 1. Qty:2 - SHCS M4x10mm 2. Qty:2 - T-Nuts M4 If I missed anything, please let me know and I'll try to update this guide. UPDATE 2020-04-29: I replaced the STLs for the swivel arm connection due to incorrect sizing. UPDATE 2020-04-30: I changed the angle of the arm from 15 to 30 degrees to help keep the weight over the switch and replaced all the files for the pieces above the base. This should reduce false positives from the filament getting yanked. UPDATE 2020-05-02: I updated some pictures with new versions that I am currently running, added firmware updates, made the hammer area bigger on the filament arm so it doesn't get caught on the front switch when in a forward position, and added a base for wood screws. I also removed the work-in-progress label. UPDATE 2020-08-17: I changed the arm angle back another 10 degrees and redesigned the filament arm to work with the new angle to reduce false positives on low spools.