Nitehawk, Z-Offset issues

[kharrisma]

After (I hope) squaring away the thermistor issues, Rebooted the system and got this: "Option 'z_offset' in section 'probe' must be specified."

Okay... enter "z_offset: " and provide no value, save/restart, and I get this: "Unable to parse option 'z_offset' in section 'probe.'

 

 

Not entirely surprising, so now I add a value for the z-offset, using 0.10 as a starting point, save/restart again, and now this: " Internal error during connect: math domain error." 

*Any* value, positive or negative, decimal places or no decimal places, yields this same error message.  Dead in the water... nothing about it in the Config Reference, other than explaining z_offset as "The distance (in mm) between the bed and the nozzle when the probetriggers. This parameter must be provided."  I'm *guessing* that some other setting somewhere else is creating some kind of conflict, but I haven't the first idea of where to look or what to look for.

 

 

 

 

 

[Methos]

Can you post a complete copy of your config?

[kharrisma]

Very much still 'works-in-progress,' so apologies for the mess!

printer.cfg nitehawk-sb.cfg

[Methos]

What sort of machine is this? 
Your config file has multiple types of systems that conflict.
Could you please provide the following:

• Printer Make/Model
• Mainboard
• Toolboard (I think it's aNitehawkk connected via USB)
• X end stop location
• Y end stop location
• Z end stop / Probe and its location in relation to the hotend nozzle
• Any other connected hardware you might be using IE addressable LEDs or extra cooling fans

I hope that by using this information, I can provide you with a good starting point configuration.

Edited March 31 by Methos

[kharrisma]

THAT would be greatly appreciated!  I neglected to mention that both configuration files were built from example config files for the SKR board, and the LDO file for the Nitehawk-sb (both taken from github), then altered as needed to reflect any differing hardware in my machine.  It's quite the Frankenstein at this point... a "VorEnder," maybe? 

• Printer started out as a basic Creality Ender 3
• Mainboard is a BTT SKR Mini-E3 -v- 3.0 (couldn't deal with the noisy steppers!)
• Toolboard IS an LDO Nitehawk-sb with a Galileo-2 extruder.
• X and Y endstops are in the original locations at the left-end of the X rail and the back-end of the Y-rail.
• No hardware Z endstop presently; WAS using a BLTouch probe as a virtual Z-stop, but the BL is a five-wire setup, and the Nitehawk has provision for only three wires - - easier to just switch to the basic Voron Stealthburner setup than to try to get the BLTouch to work.  It's an Omron TL-Q5MC2-Z NPN NC Inductive Probe.  Contamplating switching to a Klicky probe if the Omron proves troublesome.
• Probe is directly behind the nozzle, no X offset, Y offset is -24.  Haven't been able to obtain a Z-offset yet as I can't get past the Klipper error blockade.
• Replaced the stock Stealthburner LED setup with the "rainbow barf" LED kit, though all that is commented out until I can get the basic machine working.  They DO illuminate.  I can live with replacing it with the stock setup if need be.
• Substituted all stock fans with 12V Noctua silent fans, and added a secondary 12V power supply (negative commoned to 24V printer PS so I can use the SKR's PWM capability to vary fan speeds where needed; *was* working fine with the previous HeroME printhead.)  Only non-Noctua fan is a Honey Badger 5015 print-cooling fan in the Stealthburner print head.

Beyond that, nothing special going on.  Added some lighting, but that's just tapped off the printer PS and manually switched.  Some hardware upgrades (dual Z steppers, X & Y belt tensioners, drag chains instead of the braided-sheath umbilical, etc.(  Nothing that should create issues with configuration files.  Seems like I've been altering this thing from day one - - hope I haven't overlooked anything that might be relevant!

Edited March 31 by kharrisma
config file sources

[mvdveer]

I have had a look at the files and tidied them up a bit. May not be perfect as yet. See how you go.

@Methos, you wanna cast an eye over these - thanks

@kharrisma let me know if it throws any errors

nitehawk-sb.cfg printer.cfg

[Methos]

Hi @mvdveer, @kharrisma
Minor updates, a syntax error for a comment and the extruder must have the min/max and sensor_type and sensor_pin as per the documentation.

I'll have a better look once I'm at the office today.

 

printer.cfg nitehawk-sb.cfg

Edited April 1 by Methos

[mvdveer]

3 minutes ago, Methos said:

Minor updates, a syntax error for a comment and the extruder must have the min/max and sensor_type and sensor_pin as per the documentation.

Thought this was defined under the temperature section

[temperature_sensor hot_end]
sensor_type: PT1000
sensor_pin: nhk:gpio29
pullup_resistor: 2200
min_temp: 0
max_temp: 275

Learning every day thanks for the input,

[Methos]

Why is the "stealthchop_threshold" in the TMC2209 sections set to 999999? This will mean it stays in "stealthchop", it's quieter but loses strength.

But I think this is good; we will not know until he runs it. 

[mvdveer]

37 minutes ago, Methos said:

Why is the "stealthchop_threshold" in the TMC2209 sections set to 999999? This will mean it stays in "stealthchop", it's quieter but loses strength.

But I think this is good; we will not know until he runs it. 

That is what he/she originally had it set to. I run mine at 0, no stealth chop - much quieter on fast moves. For the purposes of getting the machine up and running - wouldn't really make a difference

[kharrisma]

@Methos - can't say why the "stealthchop_threshold" was set to 999999; it's what was in the config file as provided.  I have a rough idea of what most of the parameters relevant to my machine are for, but not at anything like a comprehensive level, nor always how they affect the machine's performance.  Downloaded it from BigTreeTech's github site:  

(  https://github.com/bigtreetech/BIGTREETECH-SKR-mini-E3/blob/master/firmware/V3.0/Klipper/SKR-mini-E3-V3.0-klipper.cfg  )

I'm hoping the wife will leave me some time to plug in the sanitized config files you both kindly provided; I'll update you on how it goes!  I usually do most of my messing around with it while she's busy with other stuff, but she's at home all day today with nothing going on.  Send help!!   

There has to be a better way than download, research, copy/paste & hope,  to learn how to intelligently work with Klipper.  Is just digging around more or less at random (as issues occur) through the Configuration Reference really the best (or only) way to learn what the settings are for and how they affect different aspects of the machine's performance?  Maybe even more importantly, how those settings are interrelated, how components are defined (and where), and how then used post-definition, etc.  I never learned how to code (or work with firmware until I got this printer 2-3 years ago, and then mainly Marlin until recently), so if there's some sort of code-flow that has to be adhered to, it's no wonder I'm flailing around and accomplishing little!  Not even sure what language is in use... Python?

Don't mind me... I'm too used to knowing exactly what does what and what will happen if I do this or that BEFORE I do any of it.  Forgot what it's like to be a rank beginner at something! 

[kharrisma]

Result #1: "Error: file /karl/printer_data/config/nighthawk-sb.cfg does not exist."  Took a couple of minutes and bouncing back and forth with Filezilla and Putty to catch the error: Nighthawk-sb.cfg instead of "Nitehawk-sb.cfg"  Easy enough to do (I've done it too... not a big fan of cutesy spelling), no biggie.  Corrected that and restarted.

Result #2: "Error: Internal error during connect: math domain error."  Same as before.  Wish I could find more data about it; I semi-understand what's wrong, what I *don't* understand is why a value entered in "z_offset" is creating it.  I verified that it's still the cause of this specific error by removing the value of "0.00" in "z_offset" and restarting, which gives me the same error as in the starting post:  "Unable to parse option 'z_offset' in section 'probe.'

Odd... wonder if the best course is to take this up with Klipper up on the 'hub?

[Methos]

It's not a problem; we all start somewhere. The thing I like about Klipper is that config iteration is much faster.

Firstly do you have mainsail or fluidnc, the Klipper web interfaces working? If you do then editing the config, uploading and renaming is easy.

What OS did you start from with your installation? I'm wondering if there is something left over in the config.

Can you provide your mainsail.cfg file?

It may be easier if you were able to join the Voron Discord (https://discord.gg/voron) and then join the Voice Channels. I do not know what timezone you are in, but there are generally very good people there who will help if you ask. I'm Methos; there is Karl, Micky, and some others who using screen sharing can help.

Unfortunately, I think I'm in the wrong time zone.

Edited April 1 by Methos

[Methos]

Also, the files we provided were all lowercase, not mix-case file names; this is important as Unix is case-sensitive for filenames. Did you delete your old files and upload ours?

[kharrisma]

Yes, I renamed my config files by adding an "_old" in the filename, then uploaded the files you provided, as written.  Is it better to delete the old config files than rename them with "_old" ??

Using the Mainsail front end.  It's loading okay (the Pi camera is working even though nothing else is!!), and I'm using the built-in editor to change, save & restart.  It *IS* a whole lot easier than Marlin was!    That's one of the big reasons I switched, as I like to tinker with the hardware frequently, so config changes happen pretty often.  Trying to make life easier on myself.

What OS starting from with installation?  I used Win11 and the Raspberry Pi Imager app to create the Klipper firmware for the SBC (Raspberry Pi 4B), created the printer 'firmware.bin' from Linux in the Raspberry Pi following the plentiful instructions found all over the place.  Things were running well, until I replaced the HeroMe printhead with the Stealthburner & nitehawk-sb USB-based toolboard (hated all the wiring running from the control card to the print head.)  Nothing but config errors since then.

I'm Eastern time (New Hampshire), and it's bedtime here at the moment;  I'll fire things up and provide the mainsail.cfg file tomorrow morning.

I find discord confusing (ditto github), but I'm learning.  I'll try joining the Voron Discord tomorrow morning as well.  Funny, I'm a Karl too! 

Your help is very much appreciated!

[Methos]

Generally, I would just download them to my PC via using the mainsail web interface and then replacement.
So you used Mainsail OS in the pi imager? 
OR some other image?

[kharrisma]

Yes... followed the prompts, picked Klipper/Mainsail in the Imager app.  For printer config stuff, I use the Mainsail editor.  For file transfer or searches, I've been using either Putty or Filezilla - - not that comfortable with file management (other than config files and log files) in Mainsail yet.

[Methos]

Have you updated Klipper via the Mailsail->MACHINE "Update Manager" yet?

Mike

[kharrisma]

That was the first thing I did (maybe last week) when things didn't go as expected.  Checked the update manager, and there was *one* component that didn't need updating, so I shotgunned the whole thing.  I've been made aware that if there are any significant changes to Klipper, an existing setup might break because of it, and adjustments will need to be made.  Since I don't really know what I'm doing yet, I treated it the same as one of those "EULA" manuscripts and just told it to go ahead.  Perhaps that was a mistake....

[Methos]

If you are available, in around an hour, I could help you via Discord or, in the worst case anydesk (I do not like doing that as it makes me feel like a scammer)

[mvdveer]

On 4/2/2025 at 2:35 AM, kharrisma said:

I verified that it's still the cause of this specific error by removing the value of "0.00" in "z_offset" and restarting, which gives me the same error as in the starting post:  "Unable to parse option 'z_offset' in section 'probe.'

Have you tried just entering 0 for the Z-offset, -  no decimals?

z_offset: 0

 

[kharrisma]

Yes; entering no 'z_offset', Klipper wants one.  Add 'z_offset' with NO value specified, Klipper "can't parse" the entry.  After that, adding *any* integer to 'z_offset' causes the math domain error.  Tried -2, 0, 0.0, 0.00, 0.1, 0.15, 1,  - - any value entered yields the math domain error.

[Methos]

There is a group of use on the Voron Discord Voice Channel right now. 

 

[kharrisma]

Sorry... I was at a Zoom meeting for the last hour.  I'll see if I can whip up a semi-intelligent post describing the issue and post it tomorrow.

[Methos]

Still online