GCODE

G-code and M-code are systemic methods for computer numerical control (CNC) of axial motors.

Today I wrote my first G-code file from scratch. This is an automation-assisted z-axis leveling sequence for my 3D printer:

;Printer Bed Calibration, with user feedback. JOSBORNE 27Jul2015
G21 ; set units to millimeters
G28 ;home all axes
T0 ;select tool 0 (extruder 1)
G1 Z10 F1000 ;move to Z 10mm, set Feedrate 1000
G1 X100 Y100 F1000 ;move to X 100mm and Y 100mm, set Feedrate 1000
M104 S0 ;set extruder temp to 0C and return control to host immediately
G90 ;use absolute coordinates, realative to origin of machine
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;first iteration
;back right corner
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X104 Y110 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;back left corner
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X30 Y110 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;front left corner
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X30 Y0 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;front right corner
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X104 Y0 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;center
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X70 Y55 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;second iteration
;back right corner
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X104 Y110 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;back left corner
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X30 Y110 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;front left corner
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X30 Y0 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;front right corner
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X104 Y0 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
;center
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X70 Y55 F3000
G1 Z0.300 F1000
M71 (Select to continue...) ;display message and wait for button push
M70 P200 (Calibration Complete.) ;display message for 200 seconds (or ms?)
G1 Z10 F1000
G1 X140 Y110 Z50 F3000
M84 ;stop idle hold

Bedtime Stories

Tonight we read from Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle before bed and we found the following.

From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

"This is indeed a mystery," I remarked. "What do you imagine that it means?" 

"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorise [sic] before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Beware the narrative fallacy.

Level-Up

I gave my Materia some upgrades.

A guard for my power switch so I don't accidentally abort any print jobs.

Extra cooling fans to keep my motor drivers cool under the hood.

Spring guides to help with printing bed leveling.

A large heat sink for the extrusion motor. This has helped enormously to prevent overheating and filament clogging.