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Settings Reference Guide and Explanation

Configuring Pyr0-Piezo parameters using serial input

  • To change trigger active duration: TRG_D [integer for milliseconds]
  • To change gain factor: GAIN_F [integer for gain state - see note*]
  • To change the output logic: LOGIC [0|1] (0 for active low, 1 for active high)
  • To enable piezo plugged detection: PZDET [0|1] (0 for disabled, 1 for enabled)
  • To set the sensor logic output voltage: SIGVOL [0|1] (0 for 3.3v, 1 for 5v)
  • To change ADC hysteresis value: HYST [integer in millivolts]
  • To change sensor input pullup vRef low threshold: VFOL [integer in millivolts]
  • To change comparator trigger high threshold: VCOMP [integer in millivolts]
  • To change the duration between ADC measurements: LOOP_D [integer in milliseconds]
  • To update the internal vRef constant value **(see notes below): CONST [long value]
  • To update the internal vRef using a multimeter reading: ADJUSTVCC [integer in millivolts]

You can also enable or disable DEBUG output with: DEBUG [0|1]

You can query the current configuration with: CONFIG

You can query the current state (including ADC measurements) with: STATE

To set all settings to defaults, use: ERASE

These commands should be wrapped in this format:

CMD INT

Examples:

GAIN_F 3 <~ set gain factor to index 3 (6x)

VFOL 2350 <~ set the vref floor to 2.35V

DEBUG 1 <~ Enable debug output

STATE <~ display current sensor status

*Note for Gain Factor:

The gain STATE is representative of these values:

0 = 3x
1 = 3.5x
2 = 4.33x
3 = 6x
4 = 11x

**Note for calibrating internal 1.1v vRef:

The ADC reading function assumes an "ideal" multiplier constant. Each Atmega chip is slightly different, so it won't be completely accurate without tuning. Most of the time this won't be necessary, so don't mess with this if you don't know what you're doing! The reading can be fine-tuned manually by using a multimeter, and this equation:

scale_constant = internal1.1Ref * 1023 * 1000

where

internal1.1Ref = 1.1 * Vcc1 (per voltmeter) / Vcc2 (per readVcc() function)

If the scale_constant calculated is different from the default 1125300, update the voltMeterConstant variable in pP_config.h with the correct value or send a new value with CONST

Alternatively, you can input a direct reading from a multimeter, in millivolts, and have the sensor calculate the constant value automatically by using VCCADJUST

Sensitivity Tuning Workflow

If you find your Pyr0-Piezo sensor is not triggering as expected, there are several settings that can be adjusted.

GAIN_F

The first setting that should be adjusted is always the GAIN of the circuit. That is, the amount of amplification the input signal gets multiplied by. Increasing this setting will increase sensitivity, but will also increase noise. If this parameter is set too high, the sensor will likely trigger constantly, or each tap of the piezo will cause multiple or prolonged trigger events.

VCOMP

After adjusting the GAIN, the next setting that should be adjusted is the voltage comparator threshold. This setting is representative of the "level" that the signal from the piezo must reach in order to produce a trigger event. Lowering this setting will increase sensitivity, as the signal needed to trigger is reduced. Having this parameter set too low will have similar behavior to GAIN_F being set too high. If this parameter is set too high, the sensitivity may be reduced too much, or it may not trigger at all. If this parameter is set higher than the input voltage of the circuit, the sensor will report an error and may not function properly.

VFOL

The Voltage Follower parameter is used as a combination of noise filter and "virtual ground". **This setting must never exceed the parameter set for VCOMP as this would cause a constant triggered state. Setting this parameter close to the VCOMP value will increase sensitivity, and lowering this parameter will reduce sensitivity but will also reduce noise filtration.

Best Practices (so far)

GAIN_F should be set as high as possible without false triggering

VCOMP should be set to 50-75% of the input voltage of the circuit in most cases

VFOL may work better higher or lower depending on the environment of the sensor, but higher will filter out more noise and increase sensitivity

Pyr0-Piezo circuit explanation

In order to understand what each parameter does, a basic understanding of the circuit and signal involved is required.

To begin, we start with the piezo element itself, which usually consists of a disk of brass doped with a piezoelectric ceramic. When flexed, bent, or pressed, this disk outputs a voltage. The amount of energy produced is small, however, and can be "noisy". Each stage of the circuit addresses a different aspect of amplifying, filtering, and conditioning the signal to reject false positives and noise.

Stage 1: Amplification

The piezo's output is tied to a high impedance input of an Operational Amplifier. The Amp stage takes the signal from the piezo and increases it's voltage by a factor, anywhere between 3x and 11x depending on the GAIN_F setting. This amplified signal is then passed through to the third stage. The wire between Stage 1 and Stage 3 is also attached to the output of Stage 2 through a high-ohmage resistor. Adjusting the GAIN_F setting is the coarsest and easiest way to adjust the sensor's sensitivity.

Use cases for adjusting GAIN_F:

  • Sensor is not sensitive enough, or is too sensitive
  • Many false triggers during movement

[Image placeholder. Add a visual of before/after amplification stage]

Stage 2: Noise Filter & Slow-Recovery Sustain (Voltage Follower)

This stage utilizes a combination of a PWM-based DAC, another Amp channel, and a high-ohmage resistor. The purpose of this stage is to provide a "Voltage Floor" or a "Virtual Ground" to the Low-Side input of Stage 3. This stage is governed by the VFOL setting. The essential effect of this stage is that any signal input from the first stage that falls below the VFOL threshold will be filtered out and suppressed. This setting can be used to address a noisy input signal from too much EMI, static electricity, or other factors.

Use case for adjusting VFOL:

  • Many false triggers when stationary
  • Many false triggers during movement

[Image placeholder. Add a visual of VFol compared to input signal]

Stage 3: Comparator Trigger

This stage of the circuit utilized another PWM-based DAC to set a "trigger threshold", which is governed by the VCOMP setting. When the input signal from the previous two stages increases beyond the threshold set by VCOMP, the sensor's Z-Min signal is tripped and a Z-Min trigger signal is sent to the control board of the 3D Printer. As the Follower's filtering signal is attached to this input through a high-ohmage resistor, the amount of time it takes for this triggering circuit to reset is extended, which further reduces multiple trigger signals from being sent. By default, VCOMP is set to 2.85v which should be compatible with even 3.3v systems, but there could be instances where the VCOMP setting is higher than what the rest of the circuit can provide, and therefore no triggering would occur, even with valid input.

Use case for adjusting VCOMP:

  • No triggering from the sensor at all
  • Low input voltage

[Image placeholder. Add a visual representation of the comparator signals]

Other Settings

Trigger Duration

The Trigger duration, governed by the TRG_D setting, determines the length of the pulse sent to the printer's control board. Too short of a signal might not be registered by the controller, but too long can interfere with the ADC calculations of the sensor's firmware.

Loop Duration

The Loop duration, governed by the LOOP_D setting, determines how long the controller waits between ADC readings which are used to automatically balance the circuit. This setting should be kept as short as possible for the best possible results, but too short could cause hitching or overloading of the software.

Software Hysteresis

The hysteresis value, governed by the HYST setting, is a variable used in the ADC calculation to determine whether to adjust the PWM-DAC duty cycle. The hysteresis value adds or subtracts that value from the ADC comparator calculation. It gives a buffer to the software, preventing it from making adjustments to the DAC outputs below the value defined by HYST.

Volt Meter Multiplier Constant

The section below is still relevant, but the process for adjusting this setting is now simplified. Simply take a voltmeter measurement from the output of the regulator (or the side of the Zener Diode with the line across it) and input the measurement with VCCADJUST

Example:

Measured input voltage is 5.12v

VCCADJUST 5120

The Voltage Multiplier Constant, governed by the CONST setting, is a value used in the software to accurately determine the microcontroller's input voltage. However, due to minor differences in each chip, this value may not be completely accurate for each individual board. Usually the amount of difference is so minor as to not make much of a difference, but if desired, the end-user can adjust this constant value by using the following:

scale_constant = internal1.1Ref * 1023 * 1000

where

internal1.1Ref = 1.1 * Vcc1 (per voltmeter) / Vcc2 (per readVcc() function)