Calibration & Motion MODULEKLIPPER

Klipper Rotation Distance & Gear Ratio Calculator

Calculate new rotation_distance for Klipper printer.cfg, including gear ratio mode (driven:driver) for BMG, Titan, Voron StealthBurner, and Orbiter.

Calculation Mode

Previous rotation_distance in printer.cfg

Presets:

Requested Extrusion

Actual Extruded Distance

Klipper Configuration Snippetprinter.cfg

New rotation_distance

21.771mm

rotation_distance = (22.678 × 96.0) / 100 = 21.771

Klipper printer.cfg [extruder] snippet

[extruder]
rotation_distance: 21.771

Klipper rule: A smaller rotation_distance value causes the motor to push more filament for the same commanded length.

Measurement & Operating Instructions

STEP 01

1. Check printer.cfg

Locate the [extruder] section in your Klipper printer.cfg.

STEP 02

2. Run Calibration

Mark 120mm, command 100mm extrusion via Klipper web interface (Mainsail/Fluidd).

STEP 03

3. Copy Snippet

Paste the generated rotation_distance into printer.cfg and execute RESTART.

02 / MATHEMATICS

Klipper Rotation Distance & Gear Ratio Logic

Klipper replaces arbitrary steps/mm with physical rotation_distance (millimeters of filament traveled in one full motor revolution).

New rotation_distance = (Previous rotation_distance × Actual Extruded Distance) / Requested Distance

Real-World Worked Benchmark:

Current rotation_distance = 22.678. You command 100mm extrusion but only 96.5mm actually extrudes. New rotation_distance = (22.678 × 96.5) / 100 = 21.884.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is rotation_distance in Klipper?

rotation_distance is the amount of distance in millimeters that an axis or extruder moves during one complete 360-degree rotation of the stepper motor shaft. It replaces Marlin's steps_per_mm with a hardware-based measurement.

How does rotation_distance relate to Marlin steps_per_mm?

The mathematical conversion is: rotation_distance = (full_steps_per_rotation × microsteps) / steps_per_mm. For a 200-step motor (1.8°) with 16 microsteps and 93 steps/mm: (200 × 16) / 93 = 34.408mm.

How do gear ratios affect extruder rotation_distance in Klipper?

When using a geared extruder (e.g. Bondtech BMG 3:1 or Orbiter 7.5:1), you set rotation_distance for the drive wheel and configure gear_ratio: 3:1 (or 50:17) in printer.cfg. Klipper handles the gear multiplication automatically.

What is the recommended rotation_distance for a Voron Clockwork 2 or Orbiter?

For Voron Clockwork 2 (CW2) with standard 50:10 gear ratio and Bondtech gears, the baseline rotation_distance is approximately 22.678. For Orbiter v2.0, it is approximately 4.637.

How do I fine-tune Klipper extruder rotation distance?

Command G1 E100 F60 to extrude 100mm. Measure the actual consumed filament distance L. Calculate: new_rotation_distance = initial_rotation_distance × (actual_extrude_distance / 100).

CALCULATOR SUITE