Hacking the Xaar 128 printhead

[hunterhach]

Thank you very much Restani!

You're saying you have tried pulling the cleaning solution backward through the print head while it is in the ultrasonic bath?

I appreciate the information.

As for all the nozzles firing - did you modify the code at all? What are you using for the 35V supply?

Good luck!


Hunter

[Restani]

Hi Hunterhach,

Yes, some print head cleaning equipment does these two processes, forces the outlet initially and then "pulls" the cleaning solution (clean). There are some videos on Youtube showing this process!
I used the original code and then modified it to use a sensor trigger. I did not change anything in the data transfer part, only in the shot itself!
In the 35 V source I am using a board of industrial equipment that is used precisely to control this XAAR 128 using a Core Rabbit.
I am using the 35V through relays and I think of stripping them to see if it improves.

[hunterhach]

I have a quick question as Restani mentioned that I may have used a pressure too great for the print head to handle when pushing cleaning solution through it.

On page 42 of the XJ128 Guide to Operation it says when filling that you can pulse the ink at a pressure of 0.5 to 1.5 bar. That's 21 psi! I don't believe that I would have gotten to 21 psi with a handheld syringe?

Then on page 44 the graph for a pressure purge shows a maximum pressure going up to 1.5 kPa which is 0.21 psi. Two orders of magnitude difference and I image I very well could have exceeded 0.21 psi with my syringe.

Could I be missing something because this seems rather strange.

Also - as for your voltage concerns I put my relays before my two voltage regulators!

Hunter

[davidk]

For some stubborn clogged heads I pushed 2.5 bars and nothing bad happened., they are still working. You just can't unclog a 50u nozzle with 0.1bar! I'm not saying that you MUST put that much pressure, maybe I was lucky, but still, I think 1...1.5bar is a reasonable pressure for this head. On the other hand, on small syringes you can build even larger pressures. Do the math, for that small piston surface, 1kgf can be more than 1bar!

[Restani]

Hi Hunter,

On industrial equipment that is marketed a worldwide, these 35V lines are constant and simultaneous.
I have been following this equipment for a few years and have never had problems with Xaar, the only problems reported are from the pump and the firmware.

[George B.]

Hello everybody!

My name is George and I'm from Ukraine (country in Eastern Europe)
I'm a programmer, but a complete zero in electronics. My path to arduino and 3dp is just beginning, but now I need to make my own 3d printer based on the Plan B scheme using the xaar128 printhead.

I have all the components to create my own machine and an electric guy who will work on the electronic part of the project.
But I do not have an understanding of how to adapt the printhead code xaar128 to the "Plan b" code. So i came to this forum in search to my answer -"is it real they are compatible"?

If you have any ideas or code or scheme, i will be very happy if you share this with me

[dragonator]

Hello and welcome George,

Plan B and Xaar are not really compatible. I am not even really sure that the Megatronics controller has the SPI left to drive a Xaar head. The C6602 is pretty much hardcoded in the firmware and you would have to replace the entire C6602 driving block with Xaar code to make it work. Doable, sure, but if you are already doing that it is already a much bigger project.

Xaar exists on this forum as some people found the Xaar to have better specs than the HP45 I am working on myself, and shared their progress here. While I am really grateful they did and hope to try the Xaar myself at some point, it really does not have much overlap with the old Plan B project.

I hope other people with more experience with the Xaar here can help you answer your question, since I have no real experience with the Xaar.

-Yvo

[abbasrohanipoor]

hello every body
Fortunately I can run my inkjet 3d printer and to be honest xaar printer heads are very interesting ones.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN ... QEIJzAAUAE
and hope best wishes for other.

[George B.]

hello every body
Fortunately I can run my inkjet 3d printer and to be honest xaar printer heads are very interesting ones.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN ... QEIJzAAUAE
and hope best wishes for other.

Hi, abbasrohanipoor!
Unfortunately google photos link is 404 error.
Tell me pleas what kind of code of image the xaar128 is print? I have some code for arduino with static image code like 0b11111111 and 0b00000000. I'm understand that it's a nozzle command or somethink like that. But i don't understand what kind of information to printhead is comming with that code. Can you explain me?

[isaac]

Hi everybody

Q1; Those who have launched the Xaar128 please send image of connection the ink source to the header. with details
I'm not sure that I'm connected it right.
Q2; How can I send a picture to the head?

thank you for all