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DMB Arm Calibration - Advanced Troubleshooting

Updated Last week · 2 min readAdvanced

Use this article when normal Draw Me Bot calibration does not resolve drawing quality, position, or robot movement issues. Advanced calibration should be done slowly and tested with simple drawings before returning to a live event.

Symptoms That Point to Calibration

Recheck calibration when you see:

  • Lines are faint or missing.
  • Lines are too thick, or the pen drags.
  • The drawing is off-center.
  • The robot starts in the wrong location.
  • The paper is placed correctly, but the output is still shifted.
  • One robot behaves differently from another robot using the same settings.

Start With a Known Baseline

  1. Power cycle the DexArm.
  2. Open DMBot and reconnect the robot.
  3. Let the robot go to the home position before moving on.
  4. Load the exact paper size and stock used at the event.
  5. Confirm the selected paper size in DMBot.
  6. Remove unusual custom offsets until the basic calibration is correct.

Recheck Z-Height

Z-height controls pen pressure.

  1. Enter calibration mode.
  2. Lower the pen slowly.
  3. Stop when the pen tip barely touches the paper.
  4. Save the value.
  5. Run a test drawing.

If lines are faint, lower the pen slightly. If lines are heavy, raise them slightly. Make small changes and test after each change.

Recheck X and Y Offsets

X and Y offsets control placement on the paper.

  1. Run the XY calibration test.
  2. Compare the reference marks to the expected position.
  3. Adjust X and Y in small increments.
  4. Save the values.
  5. Test with a simple centered image.

If the paper is not placed in the same tray position every time, calibration will appear inconsistent even when the saved values are correct.

Pump Bot and Auto Paper Replacement

For auto paper replacement, verify:

  • Tray X, Y, and Z adjustments
  • Page thickness
  • Current magazine page count
  • Pickup height
  • Placement rotation angle
  • Left and right tray side settings

Test one paper swap before enabling continuous operation.

Safety

  • Do not manually move the DexArm while it is powered.
  • Use the home position before testing movement.
  • Stop automation immediately if the robot moves toward an unexpected position.
  • Do not use the emergency stop unless needed. Recovery can require a full robot reboot.


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