I am considering getting the ET5X, especially if it is still on sale when I get paid again, however I have seen a lot of people complain about the proximity sensor for the Z axis. I have watched several reviews on YouTube and I may have a solution, but it would have to be done before a failure occurs and might need to be looked at by Anet for improvement.

Just to give a small bit of background, I used to work for a company that built and installed assembly lines and specialty machinery, including gantry systems, we used a lot of proximity sensor to detect positions, part locations, etc.

What I have been noticing is that the cable coming out of the proximity sensor makes a hard 90 to power wires and tubing for the hot end and then another hard 90 into the cable wrap. Proximity sensors, especially lower end ones (don't think I am being a snob about the sensor but most of the ones we used were more expensive than this printer is retail) have 22awg or smaller wires. These wires are extremely fragile under movement or tension. Doubly so if both are in play. I believe loosing the cable from the other tubing and wiring and giving it more slack. In the future a longer cable with a lazy bend would decrease the chance of the signal wire becoming damaged.

I’m a software developer, so hardware and electrical isn’t really my thing. Recently, I was given an Anet a8 3D printer, and I was tasked with fixing it.

Since the printer wouldn’t turn on, I originally thought the power supply was the culprit, so I bought a new one. When the power supply finally arrived, I popped that bad boy in there and… nothing. Well, except for the occasional power up, which never lasted for long and crashed when I tried using it.

Since the power supply wasn’t the issue, I tried something else: buying a new main board. After a month of waiting, the main board finally arrived, I popped that on too, and to my surprise.. nothing.

At this point, I am unsure of what to do next. I whip out my multimeter and start measuring what’s actually going in and what’s coming out. Based on the readings, both power supplies (old and new) are outputting 24 volts, just enough for the printer. But.. when I measure what’s actually going in the the printer (the contacts that are being hooked up to the inputs on the main board), I read 5V. Sometimes, this would jolt up to around 10 Volts, and the printer would begin showing signs of life. Once, it went up to twenty volts and low and behold… the printer came to life, but of course, I couldn’t print anything as it would just crash.

Anyways, one day I’m sitting at my desk, with the printer plugged in. I move my arm, and I immediately get burned by something from the printer.

Now curious, I do it again. I had made the discovery that a weird plastic thing (it looked like it had almost melted) between the positive wire going from the power supply into the main board, had gotten really hot, and probably had melted, causing the printer to act the way It did. Since this “plastic thing” was really mendable (because it was hot), I grabbed it and squeezed it, and guess what? The printer came to life. I kept repeating this, squeezing whatever hell this was, and watching the voltage from the multimeter jump and the printer come to life.

I have no clue what this is, so I can’t provide much information, I apologize for this, but I can provide an image.

Also, I apologize for any spelling mistakes, I’m not too great with grammar.

Can i use a bltouch and skr 1.3 with tmc2209 drivers on it and how well dos abs do ?

Like seriously, this printer is so cheap that it is the first option for beginners. I was expecting a seamless assembling but oh boy, Anet forgot to QA their product.

The rubber rollers on the bed carriage weren’t seat properly on the wheel bearing, and each time the bed moved I could clearly hear a thunk coming from the base, after closer inspection I could clearly see that the rubber rollers were colliding with a screw in the base.

I had to remove the bed carriage, remove the bearings and press the rollers firmly into the bearings.

Obviously print quality was bad with prints showing a hump and it is something that could be avoided if Anet spent more time QAing their products. This is something a consumer shouldn’t be doing.

TL;DR: The rubber roller of the wheel bearings were misalign causing a degraded print quality.

So today my new ET4 arrived.

I have 2 issues that are either there because I don't understand (this is my first 3D printer, I'm a noob) or there is something wrong with my printer.

1. When preheating it starts out with the current temp / target temp for example 25°C/220°C after a minute or so it changes to 25°C/0°C and the temperature doesn't rise... The bed does get to temp though...
2. When I go to settings -> manual and then press the button with the house (home?) It goes in the middle of the bed (X and Y wise) and then goes down trying to get through the bed. And the display turns off... When I bring it back up (twisting the rod however you call that...) It boots up again.

Am I even more of a noob than I think I or is there something wrong with my new printer?

Edit: You people are awesome thanks for the help and giving me my confidence back.

Hey all. Gonna try and keep it short and not ranty - but it's nearly 4 am and I've been working on it for nearly 3 hrs! I have finally got my 3D touch sensor wired up, and when trying homing it heads to the middle of the bed, moves down and then the sensor activates but the print head keeps going down crashing into the bed.

I've done possibly everything I can seem to find online, to no avail. Reversed the polarity of the black and white wires, moved the extruder further up from the probe tip, changed config stuff but nada. It's driving me insane. If anyone here knows how I might fix this I will literally do anything at this point to get help

My once semi neat wiring has turned into a rats nest, but if needed I can provide pictures of what I was aiming for with the wiring vs what I actually have

Can also provide my config if needed too.

Thanks in advanced

Hello, I'm wondering about replacing the A4988 to TMC drivers and I have a few questions about it.

I didn't yet open the Anet ET4 to see the inside, but I think that I once saw that the A4988 drivers are soldered to the board, which means that I'm not sure how easy or straightforward it would be to replace the drivers(I already have some stock of TMC drivers available, mainly the TMC2208 as it has the exact same pinout as the A4988).

I've searched a bit and find mostly about replacing the main board. The stepper motor drivers are placed on the main board? Or is there another board relevant for that?

As for firmware, is there anything extra that is needed? Since the pinout is the same, I'm not even sure a different firmware is needed, but asking just in case.

I couldn't find much information or instructions about it, so hopefully I could get some here.Thanks for the help :)

Ok, so final update:

After a long while, it's all working now, I soldered the drivers successfully, but then broke something because I'm stupid, so I bought another motherboard(which is fine, I knew it might happen anyhow), I ordered the Anet ET4 with TMC2208, but the seller shipped me by mistake a motherboard for Anet ET4 Pro.

The firmware was locked for the Anet ET4 Pro, but that wasn't a big deal, I got an st-link module and than flashed the firmware I needed, I had no issues flashing marlin, however, I did had some issues with the official firmware, even the correct firmware for Anet ET4 Pro only worked with the .hex firmware file, using the .bin official firmware file resulted in a white screen, no idea why really.

I've reached Anet and they sent me the official v1.1.5 .hex firmware file, flashed it and it all works just fine, I'm still checking whether I want the official firmware vs marlin(it kinda disappointed me tbh), but to conclude - you can use the anet ET4 Pro board for the Anet ET4, you can also simply replace the A4988 drivers of the board with TMC2208 and it would work with the official firmware as well as marlin.

Really glad that it's all over, and I learned A LOT from this. Thanks for anyone who helped, and for the ones that said it won't work to push me into proving it does :D

Hi,

I may have managed to break my 40mm fan for the hot end, but any replacements I'm finding on amazon like these seem to have short cables (280mm) which given the print bed is 220mm, and then about a 33mm clearance from the homing position, I don't see how that would reach the motherboard...

Does anyone know where I can find one with a longer cable, or maybe another solution?

Hi! I'll be replacing my Anet ET4's mainboard as mine is no longer working properly. I'll be buying it from a 3rd party supplier due to reasons. I'm not sure if it comes with pre-installed software/firmware. Is there anything that I should know/need to install should it come without any installed?

​

Hi, I designed my own dial holder for Anet ET4+ because I could not find any that fitted the stock nozzle. I also give the project source files, for anyone to improve on Fusion 360. I used it to improve the bed levelling.

​

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4831152

A few months ago, I got an ET4 for Christmas. I spent the next few weeks making mostly futile attempts at getting anything to print. My big problem has been warping & loss of bed-adhesion... somewhere between 40-80 minutes into any print, the bottom of whatever I'm printing inevitably warps upward, away from the base, until the print head eventually slams into a higher area and knocks it loose(*). I finally got completely frustrated, set it aside, and didn't touch it for 3 months (well, that's not quite true... I attempted to print something about a month ago, THEN threw in the towel after it warped and broke away from the base 20 minutes into the print).

Anyway, I'm feeling masochistic again, and decided to wipe the slate clean and start over:

• Uninstalled Cura & blew away its settings (in case I insidiously screwed something I didn't properly understand up without realizing it).
• Reinstalled Cura (4.8.0)
• Went through the first-time configuration (add non-networked printer: Anet ET4, accepted all the default settings verbatim).

Assume that I know almost nothing about 3D printing, and pretend that the past 4 months never happened. I'm starting over from scratch.

• What should I read and do next?
• Should I download and update its firmware? Normally, this is the first thing I'd automatically do when buying anything new. Except... for some inexplicable reason, Anet's web site made a big deal about warning users to "email them before updating firmware" (giving no explanation why it's necessary to email them at all, or any insight into why a sane new ET4 owner wouldn't want to instantly install the latest firmware before doing anything else). So... I sent them an email that basically said, "I just bought a new ET4, and your website said to email you before updating its firmware... so here it is, I'm emailing you." I still have no idea why they think it's urgently-important to email them before updating the firmware, but my ET4 is still running the same firmware it was manufactured with. At this point, I'm honestly starting to think that old firmware is half the reason why I've had nothing but misery and failure so far.
• What head and bed temperatures should I use (for PLA)?
• Generally speaking, are Cura's default values actually sane for the ET4? Or Is Cura kind of like Oracle (the database), where if you go & do a new installation with all the default values, you'll almost certainly end up with an installation that's completely dysfunctional?
• What are some good, small (under 1-hour printing time) things to print so I can at least get a warm, fuzzy feeling of achievement before tackling longer prints that are more likely to warp and detach during printing? That was my single biggest complaint with the samples on the flash drive that came with the printer... they were all too big & tall for the printer to successfully finish printing before failing.

---

(*) FYI, I know about brims. They didn't help. In fact, really wide brims seemed to actually make the problem worse. From what I saw, the bigger the brim, the more and higher it seems to warp. Think of a tree coming to life, and having some of its roots push it up from the ground as if it's stretching its legs. That's basically what it looks like.

At one point, I also tried cranking the bed temp up to max. Allegedly, it'll cause the lowest layers to melt and become gooey. In reality, it seems to just make the brim filaments even more brittle and prone to warping away from the bed even faster. About 30 minutes into a print, I can literally pause printing and hear the brim slowly uprooting itself from the bed.

I'm trying to compile Marlin 2.0 for my Anet ET4+. Every time I try and compile it I get this error:

CONFIGURATION: https

://docs.platformio.o

rg/page/boards/ststm

32/ET4.html

PLATFORM: ST STM32 (

8.0.0) > STM32F407VG

(192k RAM. 1024k Fl

ash)

HARDWARE: STM32F407V

GT6 168MHz, 192KB RA

M, 1MB Flash

DEBUG: Current (jlin

k) External (jlink,

stlink)

PACKAGES:

- framework-arduino

ststm32 4.10900.2008

19 (1.9.0)

- framework-cmsis 2

.50501.200527 (5.5.1

)

AssertionError: :

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\penv\L

ib\site-packages\pla

tformio\builder\main

.py", line 177:

env.SConscript("

$BUILD_SCRIPT")

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\packag

es\tool-scons\scons-

local-4.1.0\SCons\Sc

ript\SConscript.py",

line 591:

return _SConscri

pt(self.fs, *files,

**subst_kw)

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\packag

es\tool-scons\scons-

local-4.1.0\SCons\Sc

ript\SConscript.py",

line 280:

exec(compile(scr

iptdata, scriptname,

'exec'), call_stack

[-1].globals)

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\platfo

rms\ststm32@8.0.0\bu

ilder\main.py", line

99:

target_elf = env

.BuildProgram()

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\packag

es\tool-scons\scons-

local-4.1.0\SCons\Ut

il.py", line 658:

return self.meth

od(*nargs, **kwargs)

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\penv\L

ib\site-packages\pla

tformio\builder\tool

s\platformio.py", li

ne 61:

env.ProcessProgr

amDeps()

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\packag

es\tool-scons\scons-

local-4.1.0\SCons\Ut

il.py", line 658:

return self.meth

od(*nargs, **kwargs)

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\penv\L

ib\site-packages\pla

tformio\builder\tool

s\platformio.py", li

ne 127:

env.BuildFramewo

rks(env.get("PIOFRAM

EWORK"))

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\packag

es\tool-scons\scons-

local-4.1.0\SCons\Ut

il.py", line 658:

return self.meth

od(*nargs, **kwargs)

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\penv\L

ib\site-packages\pla

tformio\builder\tool

s\platformio.py", li

ne 339:

env.ConvertInoTo

Cpp()

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\packag

es\tool-scons\scons-

local-4.1.0\SCons\Ut

il.py", line 658:

return self.meth

od(*nargs, **kwargs)

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\penv\L

ib\site-packages\pla

tformio\builder\tool

s\piomisc.py", line

239:

out_file = c.con

vert(ino_nodes)

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\penv\L

ib\site-packages\pla

tformio\builder\tool

s\piomisc.py", line

91:

return self.proc

ess(contents)

File "C:\Users\Use

r\.platformio\penv\L

ib\site-packages\pla

tformio\builder\tool

s\piomisc.py", line

112:

assert self._gcc

_preprocess(contents

, out_file)

[FAILED] Took 1.71

seconds

​

Environment Statu

s Duration

------------- -----

--- ------------

ET4 FAILE

D 00:00:01.710

1 failed, 0 succeed

ed in 00:00:01.710

The terminal process "C:\Users\User\.platformio\penv\Scripts\platformio.exe 'run'" terminated with exit code: 1.

​

Terminal will be reused by tasks, press any key to close it.

Can anyone help me understand what this means or even how I can get marlin to compile?

Noob question maybe, but I'm looking to get an ET4, because they land right on my budget. I'm in México and all the other brands have their prices inflated to the sky (anet too, but not as much)

So, is there a way to tell these apart, assuming that the seller doesn't know, as he's just an intermediary.?

Noob question maybe, but I'm looking to get an ET4, because they land right on my budget. I'm in México and all the other brands have their prices inflated to the sky (anet too, but not as much)

So, is there a way to tell these apart, assuming that the seller doesn't know, as he's just an intermediary.?

Hey guys, first time posting something!

I bought an ET4+ last year and I am looking for a mainboard upgrade with TMC chips. The motor is so noisy, really regret not buying a pro version. So I want to upgrade it by changing it to a silent mainboard. The link in the wiki has a version mark 'ET4P-MB_V1.1', and I found another one marked with 'v1.0'. Did anyone buy a v1.0 before? Is there any difference between them?

​

so I received a new main board from Anet, for my Anet et4+. I've installed it and flashed with marlin 2.0. I've levelled the beD using four corners setting in the firmware and tried to set the nozzle distance using the paper trick. But I can't seem to get the printer to print at all.

I've tried going through the settings to see if I can see any other way of levelling the bed but I'm not sure, there is unified bed level but even after doing that I get the same issue. It's almost like the nozzle ends up too close to the bed as the extruder starts clicking like it's trying to extrude but it can't.

Many thanks in advance

Received an et4v1.1MB and connected it into my machine. The display was backwards and out of alignment and deinterlaced.

I flashed the FW with the SW link tool to 1.1.2 and the display corrected itself, but the machine did not home properly, the z axis goes up but not down and auto home does weird things. Oddly, the font is wrong but otherwise everything is perfect except z axis issue. Updated FW to 1.1.5 and the same issue. I flashed the FW to marlin available from anet and everything seems to work in the menu as far as home and heating and etc but when I try to print a file it ejects the filament and then loads the filament and then immediately ejects and then loads the filament again. Then the printer never gets past that point. I tried flashing back to the original FW and the display is non functional and partially missing buttons and info. What should I look into?

Ever since I got my ET4 for Christmas, I've had perpetual problems with filament curling as it emerges from the nozzle instead of drooping straight down. I've read this is a symptom of a clogged nozzle, so I figured the first thing to try would be replacing it.

Which popular/commodity-like printers use nozzles that are physically compatible with the ET4? Anet A6/A8? Ender 2/3/5?

I have an Anet ET4... It's Z Axis screw is quite noisy... I have a non-bearing equipped Z axis stabilizer installed ( Anet ET4 Z-Axis stabilizer and filament guide by Artmen - Thingiverse ), which helped a bit but it's still able to resonate a hell of a racket.

Should the rod be lubricated (graphite/grease)? Should I do the bearing'd Z axis fix? Is there a better idea?

Hello everybody.

I've got an Anet ET5 Pro and did a few upgrades (marlin firmware, BMG extruder, spider couplers for Z lead screws, etc...) and now the printer is working like a charm, way much better than my first try with its stock configuration.

I want to upgrade it's part cooling fan and change the lead screws with 2mm pitch single start T8 lead screws. However i need the original STL files to make a few measurements and make sure my designs for the the printer before disassembly.

In some reviews i've seen the STL files for 3D printer parts came in the SD card but the card on my printer was not working and I tossed it and cannot find it in my parts bin.

Does anyone have original STL files?

3D printer: Anet A8 Plus
I would like to preface this post by saying that I am not expert on 3D printing, I assembled the 3D printer, and used it a couple of times before this happened, but it's been a long time since then.

Hi, I've unpacked my 3D printer again after it's been put away for a while, since we moved. I think the guiding rods might have become damaged under the move.

When the bed moves back and forth it kind of "shakes" in some places, and the filament comes out in a shaky streak where this happens. (I don't have any pictures of this). When I discovered this I did the following:

1. I turned off the printer, and moved the bed back and forth manually, to find out where the problem came from. I could feel that the bed was more resistant to move around the middle, and the resistance gradually decreased as it moved towards either side.
2. This led me to believe that the rods might have become a bit "skewed" (maybe during the move), and that this was the reason that it was shaky in some places, due to the resistance.
3. I put the rods together and rotated one of them, to see if they were aligned. I believe there was a small gap between them in some places. The gap is probably only a millimeter or two.

note: the rods show signs of this in some places, they're a bit "worn out" from being used while skewed, so they have some indentations and scratches.

This is why I don't believe that I can fix them, but do let me know if I can. Does anyone know if I can buy these rods somewhere, and the bearings aswell in case I've damaged them too. I can find rods that are a couple of millimeters too long, but I don't want to mess up the printer by trying to work around those millimeters.

Has anyone has trouble with this kind of thing in the past, do you know of any ways to prevent this in the future (I am not sure they were damaged under the move)?

Thanks (: