Pro Tip: Input shaping is most effective on rigid, well-built printers. Before calibrating, ensure your frame is square, belts are tensioned, and there's no play in the motion system.
Input Shaping Calibration
Reduce ringing and ghosting for high-speed, high-quality printing.
What is Input Shaping?
Input shaping is an advanced motion control technique that compensates for the natural vibrations of your printer's frame and motion system. By anticipating and canceling these vibrations, you can print faster without the ringing/ghosting artifacts that normally appear at high speeds.
What is Ringing?
Ringing (also called ghosting or echoing) appears as wavy patterns on surfaces near sharp corners or features. It's caused by vibrations from sudden direction changes propagating through the printer frame.
- Appears as "shadows" or "echoes" of edges
- More visible at higher speeds and accelerations
- Without input shaping, the only solution is to reduce speed
Firmware Requirements
| Firmware | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Klipper | Full support | Built-in resonance testing |
| Marlin | Limited | Some forks support it |
| Bambu Lab | Built-in | Factory calibrated |
| RepRapFirmware | Supported | Version 3.3+ |
Calibration Methods
1. Accelerometer (Recommended)
Using an ADXL345 accelerometer attached to the toolhead:
- Mount accelerometer to toolhead
- Run Klipper's SHAPER_CALIBRATE command
- System automatically determines resonant frequencies
- Recommended shaper type is calculated
2. Ringing Tower Test
Without an accelerometer, print a ringing tower:
- Go to Calibration > Input Shaping
- Print the ringing tower
- Measure the frequency of ringing patterns
- Calculate using: freq = print_speed / measured_wavelength
- Apply to firmware
Shaper Types
| Shaper | Vibration Reduction | Smoothing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZV | Low | Minimal | Fast, less smoothing needed |
| MZV | Medium | Low | Good balance |
| EI | Good | Medium | Most common choice |
| 2HUMP_EI | Excellent | High | Problematic resonances |
| 3HUMP_EI | Maximum | Highest | Very bad resonances |
Applying in OrcaSlicer
Input shaping is typically configured in firmware, not in OrcaSlicer. However, OrcaSlicer needs to know about it for accurate time estimates:
- Higher accelerations can be used with input shaping enabled
- Travel and infill speeds can be increased
- Time estimates may need adjustment for G-code filtering
After Calibration
With properly calibrated input shaping, you can:
- Increase outer wall speed significantly
- Use higher accelerations (5000+ mm/s² on well-built printers)
- Get smooth surfaces at high speeds
- Reduce print time by 30-50% while maintaining quality
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Ringing still visible | Wrong frequency | Re-calibrate with accelerometer |
| Corners too rounded | Smoothing too high | Try less aggressive shaper |
| Different X/Y quality | Different axis frequencies | Calibrate each axis separately |
| Inconsistent results | Loose components | Tighten belts, check frame rigidity |