BIGTREETECH BLTouch V3.1 Auto Bed Leveling Sensor+1.5m Extension Cable for Ender 3/Ender 5/CR10 Series 3D Printer with SKR Mini E3 V3.0, Octopus Series Board

BLtouch is a great product but instructions for 32 bit board need to be updated. I emailed the seller my discoveries who in turn will notify the ANTCSLABS.I have spend many hours trying to figure out this setup, I ended up figuring out that instructions are quite misleading and they would drive you off the wall.first of all, Creality BLtouch kit works fine, as far as hardware installation, but configuration of BLtouch on 4.2.7 motherboard is grossly inaccurate.Here is what I discovered by trial and error and watching bunch of youtube videos, many of them did not quite cover the topic correctly.First of all, you will need an micro SD card to save the settings on 4.2.7 motherboard, there is not much room left on EEPROM once all of the features are enabled and you will need to save them to micro SD card or when you power off your printer all will be lost. You will need to re-calibrate the Z settings again. If you forget to punch in Z offsets if the printer was powered off you will be printing a few millimeters up in air. Don't ask me how I know./// How to configure BLtouch after the device is physically installed and wired up///==================================================================Unplug the USB cable if connected to the computer, this prevents the 3D printers receiving the power to its motherboard.Verify BLTOUCH operation and correct installation==================================================================Verify that BLtouch is working correctly by moving the nozzle assembly at least 150 mm above the bed. We will issue auto home command and we need some vertical space so that can turn off the printer power if BLtouch is not stopping downward movement when its probe is touched.Via the printer menu select Prepare -> auto home – printer will start the auto home process and the nozzle will start moving down and BLtouch will extend (lower) its probe.As the nozzle assembly is moving down gently touch the BLtouch probe, the nozzle should stop, then resume downward movement. Touch the probe again for the second time and the nozzle will stop moving permanently. That means that BLtouch is wired correctly and it will stop when the probe touches the bed.Please note: Be ready to turn off the printer power if when touching the BLtouch probe the nozzle is still moving down! In that case you need to check the Bltouch for correct wiring to the motherboard.How to calibrate the Z offset==================================================================Via the printer control knob do the following steps:Select ControlThen restore failsafeAnd store settings.This erases any settings that were previously configured so we start with a blank slate. This is a very important step! If some old Z offsets are still in EEPROM and you start to configure printer you could potentially have the nozzle hit the bed because of old Z offsets were not erased. So, restore the settings to failsafe!note: make sure you have the micro SD card inserted.Auto home the printer==================================================================select prepareSelect Auto home and wait for process to completePrinter will auto home where it thinks the Z axis is. Please note; now there is a few millimeters difference because BLtouch is a few millimeters above the nozzle. This is by design to prevent BLtouch needle to hit the printed object.That is why we have to measure that difference and write it down to be used later.To determine Z offset==================================================================select Prepare,Then move axisThen move ZSelect 1mm and start moving the nozzle down towards the bedWhen you get close to the bed change to 0.1 mm incrementsInset a sheet of A4 paper on print bed (paper is 0.2 mm thick)keep lowering the nozzle via “move Z” slowly with one hand and keep moving the sheet of paper back and forth until there is slight resistance with other hand.You should be able to move the paper back and forth but with slight resistance. Now, stop and write down the value. The value in this image is my value, your value will be different!This will be a negative value somewhere between 2.5 and 4 mm as BLtouch probe is typically that much higher in relationship to the nozzle, and this value varies from one printer to another.This is the value that we will need to input into Z offset in later steps.To prevent accidentally scratching of the bed with the nozzle select prepareThen auto homeConfigure probe Z offset ==================================================================select controlThen bed levelingThen probe Z offsetAnd put the value that you have written down for Z offset that you measured in previous steps.The value will be in negative (minus) so for example, -003.2 mm)The value should be typically between 2.5 and 4 mm with original creality Bltouch bracket. Finally, select store settings to save your Z offset!Exit the menu to the top and then verify that settings are correct for Z offset!Your value should be there!Bed leveling================================================================== Select controlThen Bed leveling Then select level bed The process will probe 9 pointsOnce that is done auto leveling is completed.Modify Cura settings for BLtouchIn Cura –select settings -> printer -> manage printers Click on machine settings And add under Start G code: G29 ; (Auto Level / BLtouch mesh) M500 ; save the mesh EEPROM Click close and close again.Do a test print from cura!adjust the Z offset if neededgood luck!

I like this better than the non-contact probes for the repeatability and higher accuracy. It doesn't matter what type of print bed you use, it maintains its accuracy. As this is one of the more popular probes, it's widely supported.The probe contact pin is plastic, so it won't damage the print bed if it crashes. The pin is easily replaceable if it gets damaged.Some printers support this as they are, but most people will probably have to buy or print a mount for it. You will need to know how far the probe is displaced from the printer nozzle to use it properly. This probe can be used in place of the z limit switch and the wires for that are noise sensitive so be careful how you route them.The official BL-Touch is sure to work -- I've seen clones with questionable behavior -- and is one of the best upgrades you can do.

I had a cr touch that worked ok. For some reason that probe broke at one of it's mounting points. It caused me to chase my tale and ruin several bed plates. That unbreakable pin just moved the breaking point. Get this probe and never look back. Works perfectly and no more ruined bed plates or failed prints due to poor adhesion.

Bigtree tech board refused to work with the bltouch I had, instructions indicated it might not be genuine, so I bought this from the board manufacturer. Appears to be a little more precise than my other ones but that's my subjective opinion. Works perfectly where another one did not. I just move that one to another printer.

So, I have an Elegoo Neptune 2S FDM printer. The BLTouch ABL probe is a great addon for what is a fantastic entry-level printer. There are some YouTube reviews of the Neptune that claim using the BLTouch is a waste of time and doesn't necessarily help with leveling the bed. I can attest this is not the case. How you configure the BLTouch in the printer's firmware is very important but, even more important is understanding what you get with this particular kit.I ordered the probe with 1.5 meter extension as the included cable is far too short. The extension is wired incorrectly and will cause the probe to short out if you attempt to use it as is. In order to properly configure the wiring, you'll need to extract the pins from the plug that goes to the BLTOUCH port on the printer's motherboard and switch the 5v and Signal pins. Also, the extension is colored differently than the pigtail that comes with the BLTouch; PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT LEADS GO TO THE PINS!Other than that small issue, the unit works well. I recommend increasing the number of points in the mesh to create a higher resolution bed mesh. The default is 3 for a total of 9 probe points. I bumped it up to 6, creating a 36 point mesh. The max is 15, but that seemed like overkill. At 36 points the bed leveling procedure takes about 5 minutes, which doesn't bother me when most of my prints take several hours, or days to complete. Also be aware of the z-offset. In all of the tutorials I used except one, there's no mention of what measurement the probe should be from the bed. It's 3mm, and if you can't shim the probe to get that, you'll need to figure out what the difference is and set that as your z-offset after every auto bed leveling operation. The easiest way to do this is after the auto bed level script runs, the printer will center the hot end to the bed and the screen will allow you to enter the z-offset. Grab your feeler gauge or sheet of paper and add or decrease the offset until you get the proper gap. I've noticed that if you use a feeler gauge, there should be next to no resistance when you slide it under the hot end. With paper, you should feel it drag with a little resistance, similar to how you manage it with the manual bed leveling.Happy printing!