path: root/docs/FAQ.md

# Frequently Asked Questions

## How can I donate to the project?

Thank you for your support. See the [Sponsors page](Sponsors.md) for
information.

## How do I calculate the rotation_distance config parameter?

See the [rotation distance document](Rotation_Distance.md).

## Where's my serial port?

The general way to find a USB serial port is to run `ls
/dev/serial/by-id/*` from an ssh terminal on the host machine. It will
likely produce output similar to the following:
```
/dev/serial/by-id/usb-1a86_USB2.0-Serial-if00-port0
```

The name found in the above command is stable and it is possible to
use it in the config file and while flashing the micro-controller
code. For example, a flash command might look similar to:
```
sudo service klipper stop
make flash FLASH_DEVICE=/dev/serial/by-id/usb-1a86_USB2.0-Serial-if00-port0
sudo service klipper start
```
and the updated config might look like:
```
[mcu]
serial: /dev/serial/by-id/usb-1a86_USB2.0-Serial-if00-port0
```

Be sure to copy-and-paste the name from the "ls" command that you ran
above as the name will be different for each printer.

If you are using multiple micro-controllers and they do not have
unique ids (common on boards with a CH340 USB chip) then follow the
directions above using the command `ls /dev/serial/by-path/*` instead.

## When the micro-controller restarts the device changes to /dev/ttyUSB1

Follow the directions in the
"[Where's my serial port?](#wheres-my-serial-port)" section to prevent
this from occurring.

## The "make flash" command doesn't work

The code attempts to flash the device using the most common method for
each platform. Unfortunately, there is a lot of variance in flashing
methods, so the "make flash" command may not work on all boards.

If you're having an intermittent failure or you do have a standard
setup, then double check that Klipper isn't running when flashing
(sudo service klipper stop), make sure OctoPrint isn't trying to
connect directly to the device (open the Connection tab in the web
page and click Disconnect if the Serial Port is set to the device),
and make sure FLASH_DEVICE is set correctly for your board (see the
[question above](#wheres-my-serial-port)).

However, if "make flash" just doesn't work for your board, then you
will need to manually flash. See if there is a config file in the
[config directory](../config) with specific instructions for flashing
the device. Also, check the board manufacturer's documentation to see
if it describes how to flash the device. Finally, it may be possible
to manually flash the device using tools such as "avrdude" or
"bossac" - see the [bootloader document](Bootloaders.md) for
additional information.

## How do I change the serial baud rate?

The recommended baud rate for Klipper is 250000. This baud rate works
well on all micro-controller boards that Klipper supports. If you've
found an online guide recommending a different baud rate, then ignore
that part of the guide and continue with the default value of 250000.

If you want to change the baud rate anyway, then the new rate will
need to be configured in the micro-controller (during **make
menuconfig**) and that updated code will need to be compiled and
flashed to the micro-controller. The Klipper printer.cfg file will
also need to be updated to match that baud rate (see the
[config reference](Config_Reference.md#mcu) for details).  For
example:
```
[mcu]
baud: 250000
```

The baud rate shown on the OctoPrint web page has no impact on the
internal Klipper micro-controller baud rate. Always set the OctoPrint
baud rate to 250000 when using Klipper.

The Klipper micro-controller baud rate is not related to the baud rate
of the micro-controller's bootloader. See the
[bootloader document](Bootloaders.md) for additional information on
bootloaders.

## Can I run Klipper on something other than a Raspberry Pi 3?

The recommended hardware is a Raspberry Pi 2, Raspberry Pi 3, or
Raspberry Pi 4.

Klipper will run on a Raspberry Pi 1 and on the Raspberry Pi Zero, but
these boards don't have enough processing power to run OctoPrint
well. It is common for print stalls to occur on these slower machines
when printing directly from OctoPrint. (The printer may move faster
than OctoPrint can send movement commands.) If you wish to run on one
one of these slower boards anyway, consider using the "virtual_sdcard"
feature when printing (see
[config reference](Config_Reference.md#virtual_sdcard) for details).

For running on the Beaglebone, see the
[Beaglebone specific installation instructions](Beaglebone.md).

Klipper has been run on other machines. The Klipper host software only
requires Python running on a Linux (or similar) computer. However, if
you wish to run it on a different machine you will need Linux admin
knowledge to install the system prerequisites for that particular
machine. See the [install-octopi.sh](../scripts/install-octopi.sh)
script for further information on the necessary Linux admin steps.

If you are looking to run the Klipper host software on a low-end chip,
then be aware that, at a minimum, a machine with "double precision
floating point" hardware is required.

If you are looking to run the Klipper host software on a shared
general-purpose desktop or server class machine, then note that
Klipper has some real-time scheduling requirements. If, during a
print, the host computer also performs an intensive general-purpose
computing task (such as defragmenting a hard drive, 3d rendering,
heavy swapping, etc.), then it may cause Klipper to report print
errors.

Note: If you are not using an OctoPi image, be aware that several
Linux distributions enable a "ModemManager" (or similar) package that
can disrupt serial communication. (Which can cause Klipper to report
seemingly random "Lost communication with MCU" errors.) If you install
Klipper on one of these distributions you may need to disable that
package.

## Can I run multiple instances of Klipper on the same host machine?

It is possible to run multiple instances of the Klipper host software,
but doing so requires Linux admin knowledge. The Klipper installation
scripts ultimately cause the following Unix command to be run:
```
~/klippy-env/bin/python ~/klipper/klippy/klippy.py ~/printer.cfg -l /tmp/klippy.log
```
One can run multiple instances of the above command as long as each
instance has its own printer config file, its own log file, and its
own pseudo-tty. For example:
```
~/klippy-env/bin/python ~/klipper/klippy/klippy.py ~/printer2.cfg -l /tmp/klippy2.log -I /tmp/printer2
```

If you choose to do this, you will need to implement the necessary
start, stop, and installation scripts (if any). The
[install-octopi.sh](../scripts/install-octopi.sh) script and the
[klipper-start.sh](../scripts/klipper-start.sh) script may be useful
as examples.

## Do I have to use OctoPrint?

The Klipper software is not dependent on OctoPrint. It is possible to
use alternative software to send commands to Klipper, but doing so
requires Linux admin knowledge.

Klipper creates a "virtual serial port" via the "/tmp/printer" file,
and it emulates a classic 3d-printer serial interface via that file.
In general, alternative software may work with Klipper as long as it
can be configured to use "/tmp/printer" for the printer serial port.

## Why can't I move the stepper before homing the printer?

The code does this to reduce the chance of accidentally commanding the
head into the bed or a wall. Once the printer is homed the software
attempts to verify each move is within the position_min/max defined in
the config file. If the motors are disabled (via an M84 or M18
command) then the motors will need to be homed again prior to
movement.

If you want to move the head after canceling a print via OctoPrint,
consider changing the OctoPrint cancel sequence to do that for
you. It's configured in OctoPrint via a web browser under:
Settings->GCODE Scripts

If you want to move the head after a print finishes, consider adding
the desired movement to the "custom g-code" section of your slicer.

If the printer requires some additional movement as part of the homing
process itself (or fundamentally does not have a homing process) then
consider using a safe_z_home or homing_override section in the config
file. If you need to move a stepper for diagnostic or debugging
purposes then consider adding a force_move section to the config
file. See [config reference](Config_Reference.md#customized_homing)
for further details on these options.

## Why is the Z position_endstop set to 0.5 in the default configs?

For cartesian style printers the Z position_endstop specifies how far
the nozzle is from the bed when the endstop triggers. If possible, it
is recommended to use a Z-max endstop and home away from the bed (as
this reduces the potential for bed collisions). However, if one must
home towards the bed then it is recommended to position the endstop so
it triggers when the nozzle is still a small distance away from the
bed. This way, when homing the axis, it will stop before the nozzle
touches the bed. See the [bed level document](Bed_Level.md) for more
information.

## I converted my config from Marlin and the X/Y axes work fine, but I just get a screeching noise when homing the Z axis

Short answer: First, make sure you have verified the stepper
configuration as described in the
[config check document](Config_checks.md). If the problem persists,
try reducing the max_z_velocity setting in the printer config.

Long answer: In practice Marlin can typically only step at a rate of
around 10000 steps per second. If it is requested to move at a speed
that would require a higher step rate then Marlin will generally just
step as fast as it can. Klipper is able to achieve much higher step
rates, but the stepper motor may not have sufficient torque to move at
a higher speed. So, for a Z axis with a high gearing ratio or high
microsteps setting the actual obtainable max_z_velocity may be smaller
than what is configured in Marlin.

## My TMC motor driver turns off in the middle of a print

If using the TMC2208 (or TMC2224) driver in "standalone mode" then
make sure to use the
[latest version of Klipper](#how-do-i-upgrade-to-the-latest-software). A
workaround for a TMC2208 "stealthchop" driver problem was added to
Klipper in mid-March of 2020.

## I keep getting random "Lost communication with MCU" errors

This is commonly caused by hardware errors on the USB connection
between the host machine and the micro-controller. Things to look for:
- Use a good quality USB cable between the host machine and
  micro-controller. Make sure the plugs are secure.
- If using a Raspberry Pi, use a
  [good quality power supply](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/raspberry-pi.html#power-supply)
  for the Raspberry Pi and use a
  [good quality USB cable](https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopic.php?p=589877#p589877)
  to connect that power supply to the Pi. If you get "under voltage"
  warnings from OctoPrint, this is related to the power supply and it
  must be fixed.
- Make sure the printer's power supply is not being overloaded. (Power
  fluctuations to the micro-controller's USB chip may result in resets
  of that chip.)
- Verify stepper, heater, and other printer wires are not crimped or
  frayed. (Printer movement may place stress on a faulty wire causing
  it to lose contact, briefly short, or generate excessive noise.)
- There have been reports of high USB noise when both the printer's
  power supply and the host's 5V power supply are mixed. (If you find
  that the micro-controller powers on when either the printer's power
  supply is on or the USB cable is plugged in, then it indicates the
  5V power supplies are being mixed.) It may help to configure the
  micro-controller to use power from only one source. (Alternatively,
  if the micro-controller board can not configure its power source,
  one may modify a USB cable so that it does not carry 5V power
  between the host and micro-controller.)

## My Raspberry Pi keeps rebooting during prints

This is most likely do to voltage fluctuations. Follow the same
troubleshooting steps for a
["Lost communication with MCU"](#i-keep-getting-random-lost-communication-with-mcu-errors)
error.

## When I set `restart_method=command` my AVR device just hangs on a restart

Some old versions of the AVR bootloader have a known bug in watchdog
event handling. This typically manifests when the printer.cfg file has
restart_method set to "command". When the bug occurs, the AVR device
will be unresponsive until power is removed and reapplied to the
device (the power or status LEDs may also blink repeatedly until the
power is removed).

The workaround is to use a restart_method other than "command" or to
flash an updated bootloader to the AVR device. Flashing a new
bootloader is a one time step that typically requires an external
programmer - see [Bootloaders](Bootloaders.md) for further details.

## Will the heaters be left on if the Raspberry Pi crashes?

The software has been designed to prevent that. Once the host enables
a heater, the host software needs to confirm that enablement every 5
seconds. If the micro-controller does not receive a confirmation every
5 seconds it goes into a "shutdown" state which is designed to turn
off all heaters and stepper motors.

See the "config_digital_out" command in the
[MCU commands](MCU_Commands.md) document for further details.

In addition, the micro-controller software is configured with a
minimum and maximum temperature range for each heater at startup (see
the min_temp and max_temp parameters in the
[config reference](Config_Reference.md#extruder) for details). If the
micro-controller detects that the temperature is outside of that range
then it will also enter a "shutdown" state.

Separately, the host software also implements code to check that
heaters and temperature sensors are functioning correctly. See the
[config reference](Config_Reference.md#verify_heater) for further
details.

## How do I convert a Marlin pin number to a Klipper pin name?

Short answer: A mapping is available in the
[sample-aliases.cfg](../config/sample-aliases.cfg) file. Use that file
as a guide to finding the actual micro-controller pin names. (It is
also possible to copy the relevant
[board_pins](Config_Reference.md#board_pins) config section into your
config file and use the aliases in your config, but it is preferable
to translate and use the actual micro-controller pin names.) Note that
the sample-aliases.cfg file uses pin names that start with the prefix
"ar" instead of "D" (eg, Arduino pin `D23` is Klipper alias `ar23`)
and the prefix "analog" instead of "A" (eg, Arduino pin `A14` is
Klipper alias `analog14`).

Long answer: Klipper uses the standard pin names defined by the
micro-controller. On the Atmega chips these hardware pins have names
like `PA4`, `PC7`, or `PD2`.

Long ago, the Arduino project decided to avoid using the standard
hardware names in favor of their own pin names based on incrementing
numbers - these Arduino names generally look like `D23` or `A14`. This
was an unfortunate choice that has lead to a great deal of confusion.
In particular the Arduino pin numbers frequently don't translate to
the same hardware names. For example, `D21` is `PD0` on one common
Arduino board, but is `PC7` on another common Arduino board.

To avoid this confusion, the core Klipper code uses the standard pin
names defined by the micro-controller.

## Do I have to wire my device to a specific type of micro-controller pin?

It depends on the type of device and type of pin:

ADC pins (or Analog pins): For thermistors and similar "analog"
sensors, the device must be wired to an "analog" or "ADC" capable pin
on the micro-controller. If you configure Klipper to use a pin that is
not analog capable, Klipper will report a "Not a valid ADC pin" error.

PWM pins (or Timer pins): Klipper does not use hardware PWM by default
for any device. So, in general, one may wire heaters, fans, and
similar devices to any general purpose IO pin. However, fans and
output_pin devices may be optionally configured to use `hardware_pwm:
True`, in which case the micro-controller must support hardware PWM on
the pin (otherwise, Klipper will report a "Not a valid PWM pin"
error).

IRQ pins (or Interrupt pins): Klipper does not use hardware interrupts
on IO pins, so it is never necessary to wire a device to one of these
micro-controller pins.

SPI pins: When using hardware SPI it is necessary to wire the pins to
the micro-controller's SPI capable pins. However, most devices can be
configured to use "software SPI", in which case any general purpose IO
pins may be used.

I2C pins: When using I2C it is necessary to wire the pins to the
micro-controller's I2C capable pins.

Other devices may be wired to any general purpose IO pin. For example,
steppers, heaters, fans, Z probes, servos, LEDs, common hd44780/st7920
LCD displays, the Trinamic UART control line may be wired to any
general purpose IO pin.

## How do I cancel an M109/M190 "wait for temperature" request?

Navigate to the OctoPrint terminal tab and issue an M112 command in
the terminal box. The M112 command will cause Klipper to enter into a
"shutdown" state, and it will cause OctoPrint to disconnect from
Klipper. Navigate to the OctoPrint connection area and click on
"Connect" to cause OctoPrint to reconnect. Navigate back to the
terminal tab and issue a FIRMWARE_RESTART command to clear the Klipper
error state.  After completing this sequence, the previous heating
request will be canceled and a new print may be started.

## Can I find out whether the printer has lost steps?

In a way, yes. Home the printer, issue a `GET_POSITION` command, run
your print, home again and issue another `GET_POSITION`. Then compare
the values in the `mcu:` line.

This might be helpful to tune settings like stepper motor currents,
accelerations and speeds without needing to actually print something
and waste filament: just run some high-speed moves in between the
`GET_POSITION` commands.

Note that endstop switches themselves tend to trigger at slightly
different positions, so a difference of a couple of microsteps is
likely the result of endstop inaccuracies. A stepper motor itself can
only lose steps in increments of 4 full steps. (So, if one is using 16
microsteps, then a lost step on the stepper would result in the "mcu:"
step counter being off by a multiple of 64 microsteps.)

## Why does Klipper report errors? I lost my print!

Short answer: We want to know if our printers detect a problem so that
the underlying issue can be fixed and we can obtain great quality
prints. We definitely do not want our printers to silently produce low
quality prints.

Long answer: Klipper has been engineered to automatically workaround
many transient problems. For example, it automatically detects
communication errors and will retransmit; it schedules actions in
advance and buffers commands at multiple layers to enable precise
timing even with intermittent interference. However, should the
software detect an error that it can not recover from, if it is
commanded to take an invalid action, or if it detects it is hopelessly
unable to perform its commanded task, then Klipper will report an
error. In these situations there is a high risk of producing a
low-quality print (or worse). It is hoped that alerting the user will
empower them to fix the underlying issue and improve the overall
quality of their prints.

There are some related questions: Why doesn't Klipper pause the print
instead? Report a warning instead? Check for errors before the print?
Ignore errors in user typed commands? etc? Currently Klipper reads
commands using the G-Code protocol, and unfortunately the G-Code
command protocol is not flexible enough to make these alternatives
practical today. There is developer interest in improving the user
experience during abnormal events, but it is expected that will
require notable infrastructure work (including a shift away from
G-Code).

## How do I upgrade to the latest software?

The first step to upgrading the software is to review the latest
[config changes](Config_Changes.md) document. On occasion, changes are
made to the software that require users to update their settings as
part of a software upgrade. It is a good idea to review this document
prior to upgrading.

When ready to upgrade, the general method is to ssh into the Raspberry
Pi and run:

```
cd ~/klipper
git pull
~/klipper/scripts/install-octopi.sh
```

Then one can recompile and flash the micro-controller code. For
example:

```
make menuconfig
make clean
make

sudo service klipper stop
make flash FLASH_DEVICE=/dev/ttyACM0
sudo service klipper start
```

However, it's often the case that only the host software changes. In
this case, one can update and restart just the host software with:

```
cd ~/klipper
git pull
sudo service klipper restart
```

If after using this shortcut the software warns about needing to
reflash the micro-controller or some other unusual error occurs, then
follow the full upgrade steps outlined above.

If any errors persist then double check the
[config changes](Config_Changes.md) document, as you may need to
modify the printer configuration.

Note that the RESTART and FIRMWARE_RESTART g-code commands do not load
new software - the above "sudo service klipper restart" and "make
flash" commands are needed for a software change to take effect.

## How do I uninstall Klipper?

On the firmware end, nothing special needs to happen. Just follow the
flashing directions for the new firmware.

On the raspberry pi end, an uninstall script is available in
[scripts/klipper-uninstall.sh](../scripts/klipper-uninstall.sh). For
example:
```
sudo ~/klipper/scripts/klipper-uninstall.sh
rm -rf ~/klippy-env ~/klipper
```