Filmanet buffering question but don't want to hijack anyone's thread

[TonyN]

From reading on here it seems the LLL Mellow buffer would be perfect for my dilemma but I am not smart enough to figure them out. I bought one in parts, bought 2 from Amazon. The parts are still parts and pretty sure the others just smoked when I screwed something up, probably the janky way I tried getting power to the inputs. I read it takes 24v power, but I never saw an amp demand. And alot of mentions about flashing them, and I have no idea how I would go about doing that. My 3d printer is a Snapmaker Artisan so I didn't have to learn the programing that comes with what I have seen others do on here. If there is a better place to pose this question please let me know because I haven't really used forums other than reading them. Thanks for any and all help!

Tony

[Repman]

You bought one in parts means you bought a kit, right? And do you talk about the LLL Mellow Plus, or the older one without plus?

I think the controller of the kits (LLL Plus Mellow Filament Buffer) is already flashed with firmware (in my case it was). Perhaps not the latest one but funktional.

2 hours ago, TonyN said:

The parts are still parts and pretty sure the others just smoked when I screwed something up, probably the janky way I tried getting power to the inputs.

If you have bought a kit, there is no getting around assembling the parts. And if you want to use the device, you also have to apply voltage to it.:-)

You have the print the case and mechanical parts and screw everything together. The manual is not that complicated. If everything is done you only have to supply the board with 12-24V and GND to get the basic working:

Fly_buffer-plus_installation_drawing.pdf

[Repman]

Regarding the power demand: Not measured yet but you only have to supply a stepper and some electronics for controlling it. With one Amp you should be on the save side. Most people supply it from the printers PS (12 or 24 V rail).

[TonyN]

Thankyou for the quick replies! I did buy the parts and the case and forgot to purchase the skill. So I then bought 2 assembled, and when I attached a 12v power supply the unit immediately smoked. So then I rummaged around and found am 18v supply, attached that to the other buffer, saw a red light atleast but it wouldn't operate an any fashion. Bought a bench tester and then smoked that one too. I read somewhere that potentially I bought the 2 built ones from a fake source but I can't verify that. So I am going to buy 2 more, from the mellow site listed here and try again. I'll definitely buy the assembled version.

Now, just a follow up to this, to properly wire these things, I would need the plastic connectors and the metal inserts to be crimped, plus the crimpers. What are the sizes of what I am looking for? I bought a kit with assorted stuff but the crimper is too big. I know I am showing my lack of intelligence and vocabulary here for sure. Is there a place to buy premade crimped ends with clips that would fit the mellow sockets? I can splice wire and heatshrink like a champ but techs and specs are a climb for me. 

[mvdveer]

17 hours ago, TonyN said:

I would need the plastic connectors and the metal inserts to be crimped

The Mellow LLL Plus Filament Buffer uses standard JST connectors for its wiring. And yes it will have to be crimped.

 

17 hours ago, TonyN said:

Is there a place to buy premade crimped ends with clips that would fit the mellow sockets?

Doing a quick search, I could not find any specific to the mellow fly filament buffer. Depending on where you live, there may be someone that can crimp these for you. Help to help out if you are situated in Australia.

 

[Penatr8tor]

10 hours ago, TonyN said:

Is there a place to buy premade crimped ends with clips

Uh oh... now ya did it.

Your going to need to learn how to crimp.

[TonyN]

LOL! Yep I have fallen deep into the world of selling blood for just a few more rolls of PLA. I have crimped on a much larger scale but this electronic world is a new language. I bought a set of crimps with the little metal pins but the crimpers are too big for pins it came with. I keep seeing myself acquiring a ton of tools and bits that don't solve the problem. Was crossing my fingers to find a shortcut. 

[mvdveer]

Watch out - you'll get corrupted by this forum. Like now - Here is a thread to all the tools you may need 

Useful tools

In all seriousness, I found these crimpers the best for 3d printing crimping tasks:

   

 

[Repman]

1 hour ago, TonyN said:

I bought a set of crimps with the little metal pins but the crimpers are too big for pins it came with. I keep seeing myself acquiring a ton of tools and bits that don't solve the problem.

Before you do that, you could measure the distance between the pins of the connectors. Indeed there are tons of different types of connectors. There are ones with 1.5 mm, ones with 2.0 mm and ones with 2.5 mm mostly (amoung other super fine and super high power ones you dont need here). Depending on the pin distance value you search for JST Connectors and look for the pitch you need.
See this page as a help for self-help: https://www.mattmillman.com/info/crimpconnectors/common-jst-connector-types/.

In our printers here the most commons are PH and XH-Types.
And yes: If you want to build-up some kind of hardware for 3D-Printers with electrical connection you should learn to crimp:-)

[Repman]

As @mvdveer already mentioned it is important to have the right crimping tool. I tested some but the best and versatile from my point of view for JST-Connectors is the Japan Engineer Connector Crimping Pliers PA-21.  
https://www.segor.de/bilder/0000eabb.jpg

[mvdveer]

11 minutes ago, Repman said:

Japan Engineer Connector Crimping Pliers PA-21.  

Have a pair of those as well. But because I have clumsy arthric hands, the IWS has a "lock" function that keeps the connector in place and makes my life sooooo much easier. But in this world of 3d printing it all comes down to personal choices. You cannot go wrong with 'the PA-21 either. Believe me , the forum members have tried and tested all sorts. The advice you receive will be solid. Happy CRIMPING!!!

[Repman]

2 hours ago, mvdveer said:

But because I have clumsy arthric hands

, I can not believe that, if I look to your Trident dual extruder build-up

[Penatr8tor]

7 hours ago, Repman said:

As @mvdveer already mentioned it is important to have the right crimping tool. I tested some but the best and versatile from my point of view for JST-Connectors is the Japan Engineer Connector Crimping Pliers PA-21.  
https://www.segor.de/bilder/0000eabb.jpg

I use the same crimper as @mvdveer.

The jaws that move linear are better than the hinged pliers type.

If you don't have one already, get a wire stripper that you can set the length of the strip. 

I like this type. Cheap and works and you can set the depth.

Lastly a magnifier helps too.

[mvdveer]

3 hours ago, Penatr8tor said:

Lastly a magnifier helps too.

Oh yeah - forgot about the deterioration of sight with age - that's me to a tee 

[TonyN]

Ok I will spring for this. And I will smash the first 30 connectors incorrectly just out of tradition. Thanks guys!

[Penatr8tor]

43 minutes ago, TonyN said:

Ok I will spring for this. And I will smash the first 30 connectors incorrectly just out of tradition. Thanks guys!

Connector kits are cheap and plentiful on Amazon. JST XH is the most common and most connections on a printer are XH.

Toolhead boards and some other components use the next smaller size JST PH and if you really want to torture yourself,  there's JST SH.

Get an XH kit minimum, and a PH just in case although upgrades generally come with connectors.

A couple crimping tips...

The 3 crimping dies in the crimping tool jaws are sized by wire gage not contact size. By that I mean, XH or PH would be crimped in the same dies if they were the same gage wire. Or not, there's a range for each one.

Contact gets loaded into the die first. Squeeze the jaw until you hit the first click.

Insert stripped wire and squeeze.

Success relies on accurate contact loading in the crimper. The correct dies for the wire size and a properly stripped wire.

Attention to detail wins here.

Get that you'll be just as dangerous as the rest of us.

 

 

[TonyN]

Yeah I got a kit off Amazon when I got the buffers. It was this kit Noxtren Crimping Tool Connector Kit, Compatible with JST-XH 2.5mm/2.54mm, 22-Size Connector Set, 28–17 AWG Ratcheting Crimper, Fits KF2510, Molex, TE, for DIY, RC & Prototyping Projects. But the crimpers are just a fraction wider than the gap between the wings that go around the outer wire and the part that goes onto the pin on the connectors that came in the kit. Basically it can't just crimp the part that holds the bare wire without smashing the part that holds the casing or the part that fits into the plastic housing. That frustrated me to point I threw away all my possessions, moved Alaska till I was starving and freezing enough to come back home and try again. I have been a professional electrician during a period in my life, but I danced in the 120v and 220v world and the automotive world. Everything was a little bigger and much easier to manipulate. And I knew the lingo. This motherboard and electronic world is like learning a new language. 

Edited May 13 by TonyN

[Penatr8tor]

Here... I'll crimp one for ya,

Set stripper depth and strip.

 

 

About this much

 

Load contact into crimper. Legs point up. I've only squeezed enough to bend the prongs up parallel.

 

This is one click in and I can now let go and insert my wire. 

 

Wire's inserted, ready to squeeze.

 

...and VIOLA! Perfect crimp!

 

I used to suck at crimping but now... I've done more crimps than I want to admit and I can truly say I'm only a crappy crimper now. One day I'll be as good a @mvdveer but I have to build another 6 printers. 

I refurbished my RatRig V-Minion printer and added a breakout box. I made two custom harnesses and crimped well over 60 crimps.

You get good after a dozen or so and I actually went from hating it to enjoying the process.

 

 

[mvdveer]

I'm still a crappy crimper but the IWS crimper as @Penatr8tor demonstrated, made me less crappy

[TonyN]

Holy cow your going way beyond just advice. I truly appreciate all this.  

[Penatr8tor]

34 minutes ago, TonyN said:

Holy cow your going way beyond just advice. I truly appreciate all this.  

No worries  

Won't be long and you'll be buying a label printer that prints on shrink tubing 

[TonyN]

Lol  I literally just watched a video about some old cable sticker dispenser and said "well that would be excessive."