Eddie Current Probe Comparison - a PERSONAL viewpoint

[Sparkss]

On 4/21/2024 at 6:39 PM, mvdveer said:

Just to clarify - I don't think it is the amount of hours per se, but the amount of time the probe actually moves over the brush before it gets damaged. In small prints, where the toolhead does not move close to Y0, this would not occur. Moral the story as you said - don't use a nozzle brush with Eddie current probes

You mentioned shorting a couple of coils. Have you tried to get replacement coil boards to see if you can revive the probe? I shorted yet another. I was troubleshooting an SB2209 (RP2040) and mis-aligned the SB0000 pins and sent 24v down the 5v rail. Fried the SB naturally, but also shorted the coil on the Cart3D. That'll teach me to play around with the front on a Stealthburner when the printer is powered up *sigh*. 

[mvdveer]

24 minutes ago, Sparkss said:

Have you tried to get replacement coil boards

I have received a replacement coil board. Soldering I have now mastered to a degree where I am happy - getting good joints without BIG BLOPS of solder.

Desoldering - that is another matter. Attempted to desolder the coil. Used a "de-soldering pump", as well as well as some desolder braid without much luck. Concerned if I continue,, I may damage the unit. Will have to practice on some damaged electronic boards before attempting to repair the cartographer probe. In due time......

[chrisalbertson]

I don't know how the device is constructed but sometimes you have to unsolder many pins at the same time.  Like if you want to remove an IC from a PCB, all 16 pins have to be hot at the same time.   You can't do that with a handheld solder iron.  The solution is "hot air".   Hot air solder stations used to be very expensive but now they are affordable and also the only way to deal with surface mount components.

 

The old method we were taught in lab class in the 80s was when we needed to remove a 16-pin through hole IC was to cut the leads and toss the chip then unsolder each of the the 16-pins one at a time.  The idea is that if the part is broken and you intend to toss it in the trash, there is no harm in cutting it into pieces and then removing each piece.

 

But today when "everyone" uses hot air solder stations, removing the chip is quicker than cutting it apart.

[PFarm]

As chrisalbertson mentioned a soldering station with hot air gun are cheap on Aliexpress. Bought mine years ago and still working! Hot air gun with low temperature solder works well when trying to remove parts from a board.

[mvdveer]

4 hours ago, chrisalbertson said:

But today when "everyone" uses hot air solder stations

I got one for a birthday 3 years ago - never thought of using it. Thanks. The heat won't damage the electronics, seeing it will be directed at quite a large area?. However, I'll do some YouTubing and learn yet another skill. Thanks for the tip!

[PFarm]

1 hour ago, mvdveer said:

The heat won't damage the electronics, seeing it will be directed at quite a large area?

Use the right tip on the heat gun and Kapton tape on areas of the PCB you want to protect from heat.

[mvdveer]

Thanks - will give it a go

[Sparkss]

13 hours ago, mvdveer said:

I have received a replacement coil board. Soldering I have now mastered to a degree where I am happy - getting good joints without BIG BLOPS of solder.

Desoldering - that is another matter. Attempted to desolder the coil. Used a "de-soldering pump", as well as well as some desolder braid without much luck. Concerned if I continue,, I may damage the unit. Will have to practice on some damaged electronic boards before attempting to repair the cartographer probe. In due time......

I have a replacement coil on the way as well. Please share your experiences with the swapout when you do it. i will be following along :). Sounds like perhaps I also need to start looking for a hot air station. I had been thinking about one for a while now, this might be just the justification (excuse) that I need

[Dirk]

16 hours ago, Sparkss said:

mis-aligned

I use this. I printed it AFTER I burnt an MCU and an optotap by the same error.

I also use this, which gives more space and a bit of vision with the sb2209.

 

Carto is protected against reversed polarity. But 24v will surely burn the several chips on it.

[Dirk]

16 hours ago, mvdveer said:

I have received a replacement coil board.

So.. was this for the IDM probe or did you also damage one of your other cartographer probes?

I have done a few such similar repairs. I do remember not all of them went without problems.

And I remember kapton tape was a very important part of it all  

[Sparkss]

2 hours ago, Dirk said:

I use this. I printed it AFTER I burnt an MCU and an optotap by the same error.

I also use this, which gives more space and a bit of vision with the sb2209.

Carto is protected against reversed polarity. But 24v will surely burn the several chips on it.

Thanks, grabbed the first one and will print it shortly, it looks like it will help. I had moved the pins "down" a row, the "protector" would at least stop that for the most part . Can't use the different body though, I use the version that includes the 2 filament sensors + the mods for the filament cutter.

[mvdveer]

7 hours ago, Dirk said:

So.. was this for the IDM probe or did you also damage one of your other cartographer probes?

The IDM was given temperature errors and disabled temperature compensation. The replacement was for the damaged cartographer coil - the supplier sent one out after I enquired about faulty coils - no charge. Another reason to go cartographer rather than IDM