IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change
 
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IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change  

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MileHigh3Der
(@milehigh3der)
Honorable Member
IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

Mk3S/MMU2S.  I struggle with the MMU, but I've had  lot of success using the MMU as a ready filament system, rather than a multimaterial printer.  Recently the MMU has been 5 red flashing, and more recently and specifically I've been getting rapid red flashing on the active filament.

The printer will load from the MMU to the extruder, and then it tries to load and unload.  It eventually fails, and I get a rapid red flash on the active filament line. So an 'unload' error while I'm trying to start a print.

Checked under support, and it says

IR sensor

Unknown state

 

Taken the sensor out and checked everything.  Nothing that I an see.

 

What does 'unknown state' mean?

Posted : 24/11/2020 9:26 am
cwbullet
(@cwbullet)
Member
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

Are sure it had a good connection with the controller board?  I would say it is either a poor connection, faulty wire, or faulty sensor.  Have a Chat with Support.  

--------------------
Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog

Posted : 24/11/2020 2:19 pm
MileHigh3Der
(@milehigh3der)
Honorable Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change
Posted by: @cwbullet

Are sure it had a good connection with the controller board?  I would say it is either a poor connection, faulty wire, or faulty sensor.  Have a Chat with Support.  

Poked around, but didn't see anything.  If in the menu on the MK3S, I turn off the 'IR sensor', will the MMU still work?  I thought when the IR sensor was implemented, there no longer was a calibration on tube length.  If you turn off the sensor, does it have a default length it runs?

Also, I was getting a rapid red flash- which denotes an UNLOADING error???  It seems like the MMU feeds filament in, and then the extruder pulls it in, but then retracts a bit?

It is maddening to not have more specific error codes, or basically anything on the state of the MMU.

Thanks

Posted : 24/11/2020 10:08 pm
pcweber
(@pcweber)
Member
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

I had similar issues and there were two areas that may have caused it. First the IR sensor is in the extruder; therefore, you may have an error related to that. It along with the filament sensor in the selector work together to load and unload properly. 

Verify your connections on the MMU board and up to the Einsy board. I used some contact cleaner on the connections when I had an intermittent lighting problem. That took care of that problem.

The same with the IR sensor adjustment on the extruder, if the adjustments are off there may really be intermittent problems. I had a small burr in the filament path of the extrusor, once I smoothed out the path I stopped having strange reloading problems.

Stay safe and healthy, Phil

Posted : 24/11/2020 10:51 pm
MileHigh3Der
(@milehigh3der)
Honorable Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

So on the main support list says that the IR sensor status is unknown, but if I drill down on the sensor tab to show the minda and FINDA and IR sensor Status I can get zeros and ones by hand inserting filament into the extruder with the feed tube is displaced.

I am getting inconsistent readings on the IR sensor. I can never get it to give a one when I put a 1.5 mm wrench in. I can get one when I use a piece of filament. Sometimes when I get a one it’s sticks as a one even when I remove the filament.

 

So what does that “unknown state“ mean?

Posted : 25/11/2020 5:21 am
cwbullet
(@cwbullet)
Member
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

@milehigh3der

Have you opened a chat with support?

--------------------
Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog

Posted : 25/11/2020 11:39 am
MileHigh3Der
(@milehigh3der)
Honorable Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

I wanted to try to work it a bit. I was out of compressed air, so I got some today to try.  Blew everything down.  

I realized that I think the allen wrench I was testing with was too short.  I got 0 and 1's out of the sensor.  I assume the smaller diameter wrench is a test for under diameter filament?

Tried a test print and it at least loaded one filament right.  I'm going to try the help line to better understand what the 'unknown state' means when it will give the 0 and 1's.

Posted : 26/11/2020 4:08 am
MileHigh3Der
(@milehigh3der)
Honorable Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

I thought I had seen a pop up for an online q&a, but I can't find it.  Is there an online/realtime way to ask questions, or an email to submit questions?

Posted : 26/11/2020 4:31 am
pcweber
(@pcweber)
Member
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

[email protected] 

Stay safe and healthy, Phil

Posted : 26/11/2020 7:16 am
cwbullet
(@cwbullet)
Member
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

@milehigh3der

The chat on the store - logon and it will appear.  

--------------------
Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog

Posted : 26/11/2020 12:55 pm
repivot
(@repivot)
New Member
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

Did you ever find a solution?  I just put together a new MK3s+ and have the same issue. 

Settings -> Filament Sensor is ON

Support-> Fil Sensor v.:  UNKNOWN State  (always)

Support-> Sensor info-> Fil Sensor:  toggles from 0 to 1 with filament not present and present (working correctly)

It fails the Self test Filament sensor test.

This appears to be the same problem you were having...

Posted : 04/12/2022 1:45 pm
repivot
(@repivot)
New Member
RE: IR Sensor gives 'Unknown State' and I can't get it to change

If anyone runs into this again,  This is how it was solved.  The firmware was reloaded.  The sensor still appeared as unknown until the self test was ran and then unknown was replaced with a version #.

Posted : 04/12/2022 7:58 pm
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