Does Marlin know about different drivers?

Software / Firmware SKR Boards
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I know that sticking with the SKR family of controllers is a bit out of vogue, but, since I had the SKR1.3 working fine on the LR3, I decided to stick with that for now. The good news is that the initial installation worked nearly perfectly… all motors moved in the correct direction and endstops are active and correct.

Only one problem. Because I increased the size of the bed considerably to 42"x72", when I went to home the x or y axis, a homing failure occurred. Note that the FW version for the LR3 was 513, and I had edited and recompiled to accommodate my TMC2208 drivers. I should have left well enough alone and just used care when homing x and y. (z was fine)

But after learning that in FW version 515, the bed size was increased, I thought installing that “ready made”" firmware might be an easy fix for the LR4.

After installing V1CNC_Skr1p3_DualLR_8825-2.1.1 successfully, I found that the movement was far too fast and the distance travelled was too much by 4X, at least on x and y. I now realize that this may have been because the released version used the DRV8825 drivers instead of the TMC2208 drivers that are on my machine.

Also, in the github notes, it suggested that the default display was now the touch screen and that the TFT35 display could no longer read the SD cards. This was apparently to enable WiFi capability which I know nothing about in regards to the SKR1.3. Is it even possible? When I tried the 515 firmware, this change did not occur. Note that the version I tried appeared to be otherwise correct–it was for the SKR 1.3

I was able to get the machine operating correctly again by going back to the firmware that had worked for my LR3, but, I have a couple of questions.

So, I guess that to take advantage of the most recent version 515, I would need to change the stepper drivers to the TMC2208s that I’m using. (Should I start with the 2209 or the 8825 version?) Would there be any other changes needed since the bed size is already adjusted? My LR4 is a plain vanilla system with x and y homing at zero and z homing at zmax. All the motors are standard configuration also.

Also, PlatformIO and I have never been on very good terms. Does anyone know of a recipe for the specific steps that one needs to follow to recompile the firmware? I just don’t use it enough to keep all the details straight. I have, on occasion, gotten it to work, but, it seems to always be updating or something so that it’s never the same twice in a row. (Or so it seems to me.)

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Still perfectly viable, with only some issues you won’t hit (SKR Pro 1.2 has issues with some endstop electronics that the SKR 1.3 doesn’t run into).

SKRs can also run Klipper, so they’re by no means obsolete.

Yes, stepper driver or microstepping differences.

Some members of the SKR family can use an ESP-01S to run a WebUI that is a close relative to the V2 web UI used on the FluidNC systems. I have several of those ESP-01s and will happily give one to you if you want it- but first I’ll go see if SKR 1.3 supports it. (Will be a follow-up post)

That’s probably the best option.

I may have a set of TMC2209s, or if you’d rather I still have a V1E supplied SKR Pro 1.2 with TMC2209s that has been running my test bench setup. Yours if you will put it to use.

I’m certainly not an expert. My experience is similar to yours- I install it, do a few projects with it, and find it fiddly. I keep telling myself I’ll find some way to containerize it so I can keep a known building environment for each project family but I get lazy and never do.

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Mmm i think i have one of those esp*#* around. As im going to take the hit without the screen now for my idex build, will ask you for a little guidance later (when the time comes).

Idex should have a lr category in the shop !

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