D-Bot Core-XY 3D Printer

Build and Configuration Guide

March 2017
D. Spaulding
Disclaimer
This guide is meant to serve as an informational resource for building a D-Bot 3D printer. It is not
meant to be a 100% complete instructional manual. This is not a commercial 3d printer kit, it is an
experimental prototype design.

If you have no experience with power tools, mechanical assembly, electronics, or electrical wiring,
please do not attempt this project. Incorrectly wiring electrical components, especially those involving
AC line voltage can start fires or cause fatal injury.

1
 Table of Contents

1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………….….3
2. Ordering Parts ………………………………………………………………………….......……4
3. Cutting V-Slot Extrusions ………………………………………………………….......……5
4. Printing Parts ………………………………………………………………………….…..………9
5. Mechanical Pre-assembly ……………………………………………………….......……10
6. Frame Assembly……...…………………………………………………….……………..……13
7. Z Platform Assembly ……………………………………………………………..……….….23
8. Print Carriage Assembly ...……………………………………………………………..…..34
9. XY Gantry Assembly …..……………………………….……………………………..………41
10. Extruder Assembly ………………………………………………..…………………..………49
11. Wiring and Electrical Components.……………………………………….........……53
12. Software Configuration and Initial Setup ………………………………….….……54
13. Initial Testing ……………………………………………………………………….……………69
14. Appendix …………………………………….……………………….……………………………74

2
1. Introduction
- Format
This guide contains multiple hyperlinks for file downloads and reference videos. The
recommended viewing method is via PC rather than printout.

- Background
The D-Bot printer is based on cfeniak’s C-Bot printer, which was designed with the goal of
making a robust scalable Core-XY 3D Printer. The D-Bot is just one example of a printer which
uses that base design and builds upon it. The original C-bot design featured a cantilevered bed
and the D-bot design attempts to have a more stable build platform by moving the Z motors
forward so that the print bed is lifted from its center of gravity. The secondary goal of the D-Bot
design was to reduce the overall cost of the printer without sacrificing build quality. Other
differences include changing some rails to 20mm height instead of 40mm, relocation of the X
and Y endstops to simplify homing, and modifications to printable parts either for structural or
aesthetic reasons.

- Required Tools
1. Metric Tape Measure
2. Metric Allen Wrenches
3. Miter Saw or Hacksaw
4. M5 Thread Tap
5. Phillips Screwdriver
6. Adjustable Crescent Wrench
7. Needle Nose Pliers
8. Digital Caliper
9. Utility Knife
10. Wire Strippers
11. Wire Crimping Tool
12. Soldering Iron w/ Solder
13. Multimeter

- Recommended Assembly Related Items

1. Heat Shrink Tubing
2. Electrical Tape
3. Zip Ties
4. Super Glue
5. JB Weld Epoxy
6. Machine Oil

3
2. Ordering Parts
Read this build guide completely before ordering parts in case alternatives/ variants are wanted.
Review the bill of materials, make sure you can buy all of the parts or find good alternatives and decide
on optional components. Cheap ebay parts from china can take a month or more to arrive.

More information on parts selection:

- Hot End: This design uses an E3D V6 all metal hot end which can print PLA, ABS, and other
filaments such as nylon. A cheaper option is the E3d lite6 which can print PLA and ABS for
around half the cost.
- Control Board: This design uses a RAMPS/Arduino setup, which is one of the most common
among DIY 3D printers, it is very cheap and simple and it works. Other options include
Rumba/Rambo boards which are essentially RAMPS+Arduino on one board. Smoothieware
based boards such as Smoothieboard or Azteeg X5 offer a different firmware option. Choose a
control board which will give a good performance/cost ratio. This guide is written for a build
using a Ramps 1.4 board.
- Heated Bed – The heated bed chosen for this design works well enough for PLA and PETG but it
takes very long to reach ABS temps (100C) and it has trouble maintaining that temperature. For
ABS printing, research different 200x300mm heated beds which are well reviewed for use in
printing ABS.
- Other potential Extras:
o Auto bed leveling (aka crooked bed compensation) is not needed for this printer. This
design features an X Y gantry which is very stable in the Z direction. Manual bed leveling
only needs to be performed occasionally and it only takes a minute to achieve nearly
perfect leveling with a playing card and an Allen wrench.
o LCD Display/SD storage can be implemented depending on the control board chosen.
Many Ramps kits come with an LCD display. The default configuration for this printer is
operating via a PC connection to Repetier Host for slicing, Gcode transmission, and print
monitoring.

4
3. Cutting V-Slot Extrusions

- Layout, measure, and mark the six V-slot rails to the proper lengths as shown in Figure 1. Label
alphabetically as shown, these labels will be referenced during assembly.

- Cut V-slot railing pieces before printing plastic parts. If there are incorrect cuts made, plastic
parts adjacent to the affected rail(s) can be modified to compensate for slightly incorrect cuts
(this may or may not have happened to the author of this guide).

- Alternate frame railing lengths sized for a 300x300mm bed are shown in the appendix.

- Options for cutting:

1. Cut with a hacksaw – ok quality, if done carefully
2. Miter saw with a wood blade – somewhat ok, if done correctly
3. Miter saw with non-ferrous blade – best, this approach can give perfect clean cuts
4. If you do not have access to the proper tools, contact a local metal shop, mechanic, welder,
or other professional that can cut aluminum railing to length for a (hopefully small) fee.

- Do not use an abrasive blade chop saw meant for cutting steel. It will leave very jagged rough
cuts because it melts aluminum when cutting through.

- Measure twice, cut once!

- 20x40mm V-slot Railing pieces needed:

(4) at 520mm - A, B, C, D
(1) at 463mm - G
(1) at 488mm - R
(1) at 448mm - Q
(2) at 333mm - E, F
(2) at 313mm - O, P

- 20x20mm V-slot Railing pieces needed:

(3) at 463mm - L, M, N
(1) at 503mm - K
(2) at 313mm - H, J

5
A E

B Q

C G R

D O P F

L M K

N H J

Figure 1: V-slot railing cut diagram

6
 G
F

R
E
N

Q B P

O
D
A J
L

C M
H

Figure 2: V-slot frame reference diagram

7
- Figure 3 shows which locations on the V-slot rails need to be M5 thread tapped. V-slot
ends are predrilled correctly to the size needed for M5 threads. Use oil on the thread
tap, repeatedly reverse the tap to avoid jamming and breaking. Practice thread tapping
on some of the leftover scrap V-slot pieces. Here is an example thread tapping video.

B C

Figure 3: M5 Thread Tap Locations

8
4. Printing Parts
- All printable parts required are on the D-Bot Thing Files Page. The required quantity for
each part type is indicated by the number at the beginning of each file name.

- Parts with stacked countersink holes will print with a single solid layer in between the
openings. This is to allow smaller cylinders to print on top of larger cylinders without
print failure. Filler material layers can be removed with a knife or screwdriver.

- Optional components can be printed on the D-Bot itself and added later to avoid extra
initial printing. This is especially helpful when parts must be printed on a shared public
printer or bought from a third party.

- Any part which will be bolted to the aluminum frame has the potential to crack when
tightened. This can be avoided by printing structural parts at 100% infill or at least a high
infill percentage and several shells which will provide more structure behind mounting
holes. It will take more plastic but it is worth it to have all parts as rigid as possible for a
strong frame.

- If possible, print structural parts in PETG or ABS rather than PLA. After a few months of
use, printers with PLA components exhibit cracked edges due to vibration even when
printed at 100% infill.

Figure 4: Printing the Right Front Motor Mount

9
5. Mechanical pre-assembly

- Assemble Wheel Units (20 total)

Each wheel unit consists of an openbuilds mini V wheel with a MR105ZZ bearing
inserted on each side and a 1mm shim in between the two bearings. Do not forget the
1mm shims, without them the spacers will push in on the bearings and they will bind
when tightened, the shim gives something for the bearings to push against so they will
not bind. Assemble all 20 wheel units per Figure 5.

Parts Needed:
(20) OpenBuilds mini V wheels
(20) Printed Bearing Shims (Or Openbuilds mini Vwheel precision shims)
(40) MR105ZZ Bearings

Figure 5: Wheel unit Assembly

10
- Rear Idler bearings
Insert idler bearing assemblies into the rear left and right idlers (4 locations) as shown in
Figure 6. The idler bearing assembly is: (bolt > plastic > flange bearing > washer > flange
bearing > plastic > nut), mounted in each rear idler housing. One bolt is inserted from
above and one is inserted from below. The lower idler bolt is inaccessible after frame
assembly.

Parts Needed:
(8) F623ZZ Flanged Bearings
(4) M3 25mm bolts
(4) M3 Nuts (standard)
(4) M3 washers

Figure 6: Rear Idler Bearing Assembly

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- H-Bar End Idler bearings
Insert idler bearing assemblies into the left and right H Bar Ends (4 locations) as shown
in Figure 7. The H-Bar idler bearing assembly is: (bolt > washer > plastic > flange bearing
> washer > flange bearing > plastic > washer > nylock nut), mounted in each H Bar end.
One bolt is inserted from above and one is inserted from below.

Parts Needed:
(8) F623ZZ Flanged Bearings
(4) M3 25mm bolts
(4) M3 Nuts (nylock)
(12) M3 washers

Figure 7: H-Bar End Idler Bearing Assembly

12
6. Frame Assembly

- Put an M5 10mm bolt with an M5 washer through each plastic frame part where
needed and put a square nut on the end of the bolt. Leave off the 14 bolts which attach
to tapped holes for now. Some M5 bolt mounting locations are countersunk and do not
need M5 washers. Once nuts and bolts are placed on plastic pieces, slide each part onto
the V-slot rail from the open end as shown in Figure 8. The square nuts need to be lined
up with the V-slot ends.

Figure 8: V-Slot and square nut alignment

- For future add-ons or changes, square nuts can be inserted into the face of the V-slot
rails after the frame has been assembled. Insert the square nut into the slot at an angle
and tilt up, a small tap pushes it past the lip of the railing.

13
- Attach the Right Rear Idler, Z Endstop Bracket, Y Endstop Bracket, two Corner Brackets,
and one 3x3 Plate onto Rail B.
- Attach a 2x1Plate and a 3x3Plate onto Rail J.
- Attach Rails F and J to Rail B.
- Tighten Rear Idler bolts which are blocked by adjacent bolts with needle nose pliers.

Figure 9: Right Side Frame Assembly

14
- Attach the Right Motor Mount, two Corner Brackets, and one 3x3Plate to Rail D.
- Attach Rail D to complete the right side of the frame.

Figure 10: Right side Frame Assembly Continued

15
- Attach the Left Rear Idler, two Corner Brackets, and one 3x3Plate onto Rail A.
- Attach a 2x1Plate and a 3x3Plate onto Rail H.
- Attach Rails E and H to Rail A.

Figure 11: Left Side Frame Assembly

16
- Attach the Spool Holder to Rail C. The spool holder is composed of an M5 75mm bolt, an
M5 nylock nut, an M5 15mm washer, and an M5 square nut as shown in Figure 12

Figure 12: Spool Holder

- Attach the Left Motor Mount, the Extruder Bracket, two Corner Brackets, and one
3x3Plate onto Rail C.
- Attach Rail C to complete the left side of the frame.

Figure 13: Left side continued

17
- Attach two Z Motor Mounts to Rail K.
- Attach Rails G, L, K, and M to the right side frame assembly.

L
K

Figure 14: Middle Rail Assembly

18
- Attach Rails G, L, K, and M to the Left side frame assembly.

L
K

Figure 15: Left and right sides

19
- Attach two Corner Brackets onto Rail N.
- Attach Rail N to the front of the frame assembly

Figure 16: Center front rail

20
- Adjust the following parts according to the dimensions shown. Tighten bolts.

24mm 24mm

31.5mm

69mm

21
- Attach four rubber feet to the four corners of the bottom with M5 10mm bolts.
- Attach remaining bolts which thread into tapped ends indicated in Figure 3 (14 total).
- Tighten all M5 frame bolts snugly but not tight enough to cause cracking of plastic parts.
- Measure between Rails A and B at the top and bottom of the frame, verify that the two
rails are parallel to within 0.5mm. Loosen up lower corner brackets or rear idlers to
make adjustments and leave a slight gap at the end of either Rail L or G in order to make
rails A and B parallel.
- Measure between Rails E and F using the same technique, make adjustments to the
gaps at the end of Rails G or N so that Rails E and F are parallel to within 0.5mm.

F
G

N
E

Figure 17: Assembled Frame

22
7. Z Platform Assembly

- Place a standard M3 nut into each of the four bed supports.

Figure 18: Bed Support

- Attach four 3x3 Plates, four Corner Brackets, and the Z Endstop Bolt Holder to Rail Q.
- Attach two Bed Supports and a Lead screw Bracket to Rail O.
- Attach two Bed Supports and a Lead screw Bracket to Rail P.
- Attach Rails O and P to Rail Q.

Figure 19: Z Platform Frame assembly

23
- Adjust Z platform parts according to Figure 20. Both sides are symmetrical.
- Verify that the distance between rail O and rail P is 317mm.

Figure 20: Z Platform Dimensions

24
- Attach four Z Wheel Guides to rail Q (two on each end). Lightly tighten bolts, final
adjustment and tightening will occur after Z platform is aligned within the frame.

Figure 21: Z Wheel Guide installation

- Insert four wheels into the front facing Z Wheel Guides. Set aside parts for the four rear
wheels to be used after Z platform installation.

Parts Needed:
(8) Wheel Units (assembled on page 9)
(8) M5 nuts
(8) Wheel Spacers
(8) M5 40mm Bolts

Figure 22: Z Wheel Assembly

25
- Install the Z platform into the frame, rest platform on the Z motor mounts.
- Line up the four Z wheels with the rear legs. Loosen the Z Wheel Guide bolts and adjust as
needed to align the Z wheels with the V-slot grooves in the legs.

Figure 23: Z Platform installation into frame

- Insert four wheels into the rear Z Wheel Guides.

Figure 24: Rear Z Wheel installation

26
- Tilt the frame forward.
- Roll the Z platform from the top of the frame to the bottom and back.
- Adjust Z wheels and Z guide M5x10 bolts as needed for smooth motion.
- Wheels should be snug against the V-slot grooves but not too tight as to resist motion.
- The pairs of M5x10 Z guide bolts control the tightness of the wheels against rails.
- All 8 wheels should have equal pressure against the legs when rotated by finger.
- These steps may require multiple fine tunings to get all wheels aligned and evenly tight.

Figure 25: Z Platform Movement Testing

27
- Insert two brass lead screw nuts into the lead screw brackets and bolt in place as shown
in Figure 26.

Parts Needed:
(2) Brass lead screw nuts
(8) M3 20mm Bolts
(8) M3 Nylock nuts

Figure 26: Leadscrew Nut Installation

28
- Connect the two lead screws to two motors using 5mm x 8mm flex couplings.
- The end of the lead screw should be seated against the top of the motor shaft.
- If there is space between the lead screw and motors shaft, the bed will not be stable.
- Thread the lead screws into the brass lead screw nuts as shown.

Figure 27: Z Motor and lead screw installation

29
- Bolt the Z motors to the Z motor brackets with M3 8mm bolts.

Parts Needed:
(8) M3 8mm bolts
(8) M3 Washers

Figure 28: Z Motor bolts installation

30
- Move the Z platform all the way to the bottom of the frame.
- The brass lead screw nuts need to be centered over the Z motors as shown in Figure 29.
- Adjust the lead screw brackets in the Y direction as needed.
- Adjust the motor mounts in the X direction as needed.
- When aligned properly, the bed should move from the top of the frame to the bottom
without binding, and the lead screws should be vertically straight when the bed is at the
bottom of the frame as shown in Figure 30.

Figure 29: Lead Screw centering alignment

31
Figure 30: Lead Screw alignment

32
- Install the heated bed PCB as shown in Figure 31.
- The bed will be removed later to attach wiring.
- Attach the corkboard insulator to the bottom of the heated bed using JBweld epoxy.
- Place the bed thermistor in the hole in the center of the heated bed so that it touches
the glass, secure the thermistor in place with thermally conductive epoxy.
- The distance between the bottom of the bed and the top of the bed bracket is ~8mm.

Parts Needed:
(4) M3 20mm bolts
(8) M3 Washers
(4) Bed Leveling Springs, similar to the dimensions below:
~4.7mm outside diameter
~12.6mm uncompressed length
~6.10mm fully compressed length

Figure 31: Heated Bed PCB Installation

- Attach glass plate to the bed with small binder clips.

- Standard ~3mm thick window glass works well.
- Match glass dimensions to the dimensions of the bed and have the glass corners
notched to avoid hitting the bed mounting bolts. If notching glass corners is not an
option, use a rectangular glass plate which will fit in between the mounting bolt heads.

33
8. Print Carriage Assembly
- Insert 10 M3 standard nuts into the openings of the front print carriage plate.
- Insert 8 M3 standard nuts into the openings of the rear print carriage plate.
- A small amount of adhesive on the outer edge of each nut helps them stay in place
during assembly.

Figure 32: Front and Rear Print Carriage M3 nuts

34
- Assemble the E3D V6 Hot End according to this guide.
- Attach the hot end to the front carriage plate as shown in Figure 33.

Parts Needed:
(2) M3 8mm bolts
(2) M3 25 mm bolts
(2) Printed hot end clamp pieces

Figure 33: Hot end installation

35
- Install the tubing holder with two M3x8mm bolts as shown in Figure 34.

Figure 34: Tubing holder installation

- Attach the X Endstop to the rear print carriage plate using two M3x8mm bolts and 6 M3
washers to avoid having the bolts hit the V-slot rail behind the carriage.

Figure 35: X Endstop Installation

36
- Attach the 40mm fan to the duct as shown in Figure 36.
- Airflow direction arrow on fan should point towards duct.

Parts Needed:
(4) M3 20mm bolts
(4) M3 Nylock Nuts
(8) M3 Washers

Figure 36: Part Cooling Fan Assembly

- Attach the fan duct to the fan swivel bracket as shown in Figure 37.

Parts Needed:
(1) M3 20mm bolt
(1) M3 Nylock Nut
(2) M3 Washers

Figure 37: Part Cooling Fan and Swivel Bracket Assembly

37
- Attach the fan swivel bracket to the rear print carriage plate with two M3x8mm bolts as
shown in Figure 38.

Figure 38: Part Cooling Fan Swivel Mount Assembly

- Attach four belt clamps to the front and rear print carriage plates as shown in Figure 39.
- Leave the clamps loose for later belt attachment.

Parts Needed:
(8) M3 10mm bolts
(8) M3 Washers
(4) Printed Belt Clamps

Figure 39: Belt Clamp Installation

38
- Bolt the front and rear print carriage plates together as shown in Figure 40.
- Verify that there are no M3 bolts extending beyond the backside of each plate.
- The final print carriage assembly is shown in Figure 41.

Parts Needed:
(4) M5 40mm bolts
(8) M5 Washers
(4) M5 Nylock nuts
(8) Printed Wheel Spacers (7mm tall)
(4) Wheel Units (assembled on page 9)

Figure 40: Print Carriage wheel assembly exploded view

39
Figure 41: Completed Print Carriage Assembly

40
9. XY Gantry Assembly
- Attach the LED strip onto rails E, G, and F using double sided tape.
- The LED strip is easier to install before the XY gantry is in place.
- Cut the LED strip only at the pre-marked black vertical lines.

Figure 42: LED Strip

- Slide the print carriage onto Rail R.

Figure 43: Print Carriage on Rail R

41
- Attach the X Endstop Flange on the backside of Rail R as shown in Figure 44.
- The Endstop flange should be 37mm from the end of the rail

Parts Needed:
(1) M5 10mm bolt
(1) M5 Square Nut
(1) M5 Washer
(1) M3 25mm bolt

Figure 44: X Endstop Flange placement

- Insert an M5 20mm bolt in the bottom side of the Right H-Bar End as shown.
- This bolt will make contact with the Y Endstop switch.

Figure 45: Y Endstop Bolt placement

42
- Attach the right H-bar end piece to the right end of rail R as shown in Figure 46.
- Attach the left H-bar end piece to the left end of Rail R.
- Tapered mounting holes should be at the bottom of the H-bar ends.
- Loosely tighten bolts, final tightening will happen later.

Parts Needed:
(8) M5 10mm bolt
(8) M5 Square Nut
(8) M5 Washer

Figure 46: Right side H-bar end installation

43
- Attach an H-bar end plate and wheels to the right H-bar end as shown in Figure 47.
- Attach an H-bar end plate and wheels to the left H-bar end.
- Tapered mounting holes should be at the bottom of the H-bar endplate and point out.
- Leave the four lower wheels off until after the XY gantry is installed in the frame.

Parts Needed:
(4) M5 40mm bolts
(8) M5 Washers
(4) M5 Nylock nuts
(8) Printed Wheel Spacers (7mm tall)
(4) Wheel Units (assembled on page 9)

Figure 47: Right side H-bar endplate installation

Figure 48: Assembled XY Gantry before frame installation

44
- Loosen the 8 M5 bolts which hold the H-bar ends to rail R.
- Install the XY gantry into the frame as shown in Figure 49.
- Adjust the H-bar ends until the wheels are centered on the V-slot grooves.

Figure 49: XY Gantry installation into frame

45
- Install the four lower wheels on the left and right H-bar ends as shown in Figure 50.
- The tapered slopes around the lower wheel mount holes allow the wheels to be
tightened against the V-slot by tightening the M5 40mm bolts.

Parts Needed:
(4) M5 40mm bolts
(8) M5 Washers
(4) M5 Nylock nuts
(8) Printed Wheel Spacers (7mm tall)
(4) Wheel Units (assembled on page 9)

Figure 50: Lower XY gantry wheels installation

46
- Adjust all 12 XY gantry wheels until each wheel has equal tension against the V-slot rails.
- Slide the print carriage and the XY gantry back and forth to verify proper motion.
- Tighten the eight M5 10mm bolts which hold the H-bar ends to rail R.
- Install the two Core-XY motors on the front of the frame as shown in Figure 51.
- Install a 16 tooth GT2 pulley on each of the two Core-XY motors.

Parts Needed:
(8) M3 8mm Bolts
(8) M3 Washers

Figure 51: Core-XY Motor Installation

47
- Route the two GT2 belts around pulleys and bearings as shown in Figure 52.

Figure 52: Core-XY Belt Routing

- Connect belts to the print carriage and secure with belt clamps as shown in Figure 53.
- Both belts should be fairly tight with little slack. Some trial and error may be required.
- Belt clamps do not need to be excessively tight or they will crack.

Figure 53: Core-XY Belt clamps

48
10. Extruder Assembly
- Install the extruder stepper motor with three M3x8mm bolts as shown in Figure 54.
- Attach the MK8 extruder gear to the motor, align teeth with filament holes.

Figure 54: Extruder motor

- Install the extruder tubing holder with two M3x8mm bolts as shown in Figure 55.

Figure 55: Extruder tubing holder

49
- Assemble the extrusion tensioner flange as shown in Figure 56.

Parts Needed:
(1) 625ZZ Bearing
(1) M5 12mm Bolt
(1) M5 Nylock Nut

Figure 56: Extruder tensioner flange assembly

50
- Attach the tensioner flange to the extruder with an M3x10mm bolt as shown.

Figure 57: Extruder tensioner flange Installation

51
- Install the black bowden tube connector fitting into the top of the extruder as shown.
- The printed opening for the bowden tube connector may need to be widened with a file
or knife blade to allow a good fit of the connector threads since the printed part is prone
to cracking if the opening is too small. If the connector is too loose in the opening, super
glue can be applied to the threads before inserting the bowden connector.
- Insert the bowden tube into the black bowden tube connector, leave the other end
disconnected until later.
- Install the extruder tensioner spring as shown in Figure 58.

Parts Needed:
(1) M5 40mm Bolt
(2) M5 Washers
(1) M5 Standard or Square Nut
(1) Spring, similar to the dimensions below:
~8.5mm outside diameter
~25mm uncompressed length
~13.8mm fully compressed length

Figure 58: Tensioner spring and bowden connector

52
11. Wiring and Electrical Components
- Wire all components according to the D-Bot Electrical Diagram.
- The solid state relay must be bolted to an aluminum rail for heat dissipation.
- Verify jumpers are placed on all pairs of pins under each of the stepper driver boards.
- Leave most wiring loose until all functionality can be confirmed so that fixing and
troubleshooting wiring can be done easily.
- Keep low voltage wiring and line voltage AC wiring separate and isolated.
- Wiring which connects to moving components needs to be properly supported so that
repeated movement of the wire will not degrade it or cause failures at connections.
- Never rely on solder joints or electrical connectors to secure wiring.
- This instructional video gives an excellent explanation on the different types of header
connectors and how to crimp Dupont connector pins.
- Install the Y and Z endstops with two M3x8mm bolts and two M3 nuts each.
- The best way to secure wiring to the print carriage is to zip-tie wires to the bowden tube
or place wiring and bowden tube in a flexible conduit.
- Stepper motor wiring needs to be extended, cover solder splices with heatshrink tubing.
- The hot end heatsink fan is connected to 12V supply power as shown in the diagram. It
does not cycle on and off with the part cooling fan because only the negative lead to the
part fan is being switched by the microcontroller. The hot end fan will run full time as
long as supply power is on.
- An alternative way to wire the endstops is to remove the white connector housing and
solder wires directly to the endstop boards.
- If the Ramps cooling fan is connected as shown in the electrical diagram, it will need to
have a two pin header soldered to the ramps board. The fan can also be connected to
the ramps input power jack.
- Line voltage power jack wiring is shown in the appendix.

53
12. Software Configuration and Initial Set Up
- Connect Arduino/Ramps 1.4 board to PC via USB-B cable. Do not turn on 12v power yet.
- Tune stepper motor drivers using the technique shown here. The D-Bot stepper drivers
are set to approximately 0.55 volts.
- Download and install Arduino from https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
- Download D-Bot_Marlin.zip from http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1001065/#files
- Unzip D-Bot_Marlin.zip
- Open D-Bot_Marlin>Marlin>Marlin.ino
- Set Tools>Board>Mega 2560
- Set Tools>Port> (Change to the COM port used, this may require some trial and error)
- Click verify (checkmark), then upload (arrow).
- If you cannot connect or if you receive a timeout error, you may need to download and
install the CH341SER driver. Some Chinese knockoff Arduino boards use a serial chip
which is not the same as normal Arduino boards.
- Download Repetier Host from http://www.repetier.com/download-now/ and install,
skip the installation of Repetier Server.
- Open Printer Settings and configure per the following 4 pages.

54
Repetier Host Settings Page 1 of 4

Set Port to the same COM port used to upload the firmware via Arduino.

55
Repetier Host Settings Page 2 of 4

56
Repetier Host Settings Page 3 of 4

57
Repetier Host Settings Page 4 of 4

58
Configure Slic3r per the following 9 pages. These settings serve as a good starting point for
D-Bot printing. Some settings are required for proper function (bed shape, retract) and some
settings can be adjusted based on further testing or based on individual print requirements
(infill, layer height, etc).

59
Slic3r Settings Page 1 of 9

60
Slic3r Settings Page 2 of 9

61
Slic3r Settings Page 3 of 9

62
Slic3r Settings Page 4 of 9

63
Slic3r Settings Page 5 of 9

64
Slic3r Settings Page 6 of 9

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Slic3r Settings Page 7 of 9

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Slic3r Settings Page 8 of 9

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Slic3r Settings Page 9 of 9

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13. Initial Testing
- Turn on the 12v power supply and verify when powered up that the hot end heatsink
fan runs and that it does not shut off as long as main power is turned on. If the hot end
heatsink fan shuts off at any point then something may be wired incorrectly.

- Click the Connect/Disconnect button to enable communication with the printer. On the
Temperature Curve tab of Repetier Host, verify that the Extruder and Bed temperature
plots are steady at ambient temperature (between 20C to 25C). If they do not
correspond to ambient temperature, thermistor settings may not be correct in
configuration.h or thermistors may be wired incorrectly. If the bed or extruder
temperature is ramping up without being enabled via Rep Host, something may be
wired incorrectly or the Ramps board may be faulty.

- Review the Repetier Host manual control guide to become familiar with the interface
and icons http://www.repetier.com/documentation/repetier-host/rhmanual-control/

- Install an M5x40mm bolt in the Z endstop bolt holder and raise the bolt as high as
possible to guarantee that the nozzle will not impact into the bed during initial test
movements.
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- Initial Z endstop calibration and bed leveling:
1. Home the Z axis and make sure that the bed stops several millimeters away from the
nozzle. Keep your mouse over the Emergency Stop button in Repetier Host and stop
the movement if needed, you don’t want the nozzle to crunch into the glass.
2. Lower the Z endstop bolt by a couple millimeters and home Z. Repeat this process
until the nozzle is close to the bed, almost touching. See video demonstration here
3. Move the print carriage by hand near each corner of the bed and verify distance
between nozzle and glass is approximately 0.2mm (thickness of an index card). You
should feel slight resistance when an index card is inserted between the nozzle and
glass. If you can’t move the XY gantry by hand, click the motor disable button in Rep
Host (just left of the P button).
4. Adjust the M3 corner bolt nearest the nozzle to either raise or lower the bed to
achieve the correct distance.
5. Repeat for each of the corners, then at each of the four corners again to verify
perfect leveling.
6. You should not need to adjust the Z endstop bolt again, all bed leveling and
adjustment will be done via the four M3 bed screws.

- Using Repetier Host controls, move all three axes and verify proper direction of
movement. If the hot end moves in the wrong direction, wiring or firmware
configuration may be incorrect.
(Never disconnect or change control board wiring while the power is on, this includes
power supplied via USB cable also.)

- Verify operation of all three endstops, if the hot end or bed moves away from the end
stop instead of towards it, a parameter may be wrong in the Rep Host settings or the

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 Marlin configuration files. The X endstop position can be fine-tuned by adjusting the M3
25mm bolt that points at the X endstop. The nozzle should line up with the left edge of
the bed grid when homed.

- If the print carriage is pushed all the way to the back and the Y endstop is activated, the
printer will not home to X when commanded. This is an issue with Marlin/ Repetier.
Manually push the print carriage away from the Y endstop until the LED turns off before
engaging the homing command.

- Calibrate Bowden extrusion steps per this example video. Extrusion length calculation is
in the last half of the video, ignore stepper driver tuning directions, this has already
been completed for the D-Bot. When inserting the Bowden tube into the hot end, make
sure that the tubing inserts all the way in and is seated into the heatbreak.

- PID Temperature Feedback Tuning:

Proportional Integral Derivative Tuning is an essential step to guarantee proper
operation of the temperature feedback loops of both the hot end and the heated
bed. Do not skip this step and do not assume that the values preloaded in the
configuration file can be reused; each printer derives different PID values based on
slight differences in wiring and hardware.

PID tuning - Hot End:

Begin the PID autotune routine for the hot end by typing M303 E0 S200 C8 into
the Rep Host G-code interface, then click Send. The nozzle will automatically heat up
to 200C and cycle around that set point 8 times then it will cool down.

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Once complete, Repetier Host will report three final Kp Ki and Kd values as shown
below. Enter these values into the indicated section of the configuration file stored
at D-Bot_Marlin>Marlin>configuration.h. Marlin lists these as Ultimaker settings but
that is just a default name.

PID tuning – Heated Bed:

Similar to the hot end PID tuning, begin the PID autotune routine for the heated bed
by typing M303 E-1 C8 s60 into the Rep Host G-code interface, then click Send.
The heated bed will automatically heat up to 60C and cycle around that set point 8
times then it will cool down. This will take several minutes longer for the bed
compared to the hot end. Once complete, Repetier Host will report three final Kp Ki
and Kd values as shown below. Enter these values into the PIDTEMPBED section of
the configuration file stored at D-Bot_Marlin>Marlin>configuration.h. Note: this is
not the same section used above, these parameters begin with DEFAULT_bed.

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- Once the six parameters for the hot end and bed Kp Ki Kd settings are entered into
configuration.h, save the file and close. Reupload D-Bot_Marlin>Marlin>Marlin.ino by
using the same process as the initial firmware upload. Rep Host needs to be
disconnected (connect/disconnect button under the File menu) or closed completely in
order for Arduino to connect to the Mega 2560/Ramps.

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 14. Appendix

- Railing lengths required for a build based on a 300x300mm bed:

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- For a 300x300mm bed, the Z motors will need to be moved forward so that the Z
platform is supported at or near the center of gravity for uniform raising and lowering.
- Longer GT2 belts will also be needed for a larger build.
- Line voltage power jack/fuse/switch module wiring is shown below:

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Please show your appreciation for this design and all of the volunteer work that went into this
documentation by uploading your finished printer to the Thingiverse page and please try to
help future builders who may have questions, thank you.

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