EzADXL: Add Pico and ADXL Resonance Measuring to Klipper
The ExADXL breakout board makes it simple to mount an ADXL module, or multiple ADXL, to a Raspberry Pi Pico. This is a popular approach to adding extra resonance measuring instruments to a Klipper-controlled 3D printer.
If the above is unfamiliar to you, Klipper is an open-source 3D printer firmware that is rapidly being adopted in the 3D printing community. It’s a very slick firmware with far too many options to dive into here but it’s well worth checking out and experimenting with. One aspect that enables some significant increases in printing speed and quality is that Klipper can measure resonances in your machine and tune the machine based on its readings. A popular route to enabling this is by adding a second MCU and an accelerometer. The MCU has to be reasonably capable and fast and as such the RP2040 powered Pico is a solid choice.
The ExADXL makes this really simple to set up with a mounting PCB for the Pico and numerous connectors for adding one or more ADXL modules, almost all possible options for which are available on the product page. You can start with just the bare board, or there are options for additional hardware. Optionally, you can have a complete unit with the Pico and the ADXL installed, flashed and tested.
If you’ve got a 3D printer that could use a breath of fresh air, then the Klipper firmware and the ExADXL breakout are definitely worth taking a look at!