M82 & M83 - Extruder Mode
Description
M82 and M83 control the positioning mode for the extruder (E) axis independently of the linear axes (X, Y, Z). This allows the extruder to operate in a different mode than the rest of the machine, which is common in 3D printing workflows.
M82 (Absolute Extruder): Extruder E values represent absolute positions. Sending E10 twice in a row results in no movement on the second command because the extruder is already at position 10.
M83 (Relative Extruder): Extruder E values represent distances to move from the current position. Sending E10 twice in a row extrudes 10 units each time, for a total of 20 units.
Syntax
Parameters
| Command | Parameters | Description |
|---|---|---|
| M82 | None | Sets extruder to absolute positioning mode |
| M83 | None | Sets extruder to relative positioning mode |
Important Considerations
- The extruder defaults to absolute mode when configured via
ConfigureExtruder - M82/M83 only affect the extruder (E) axis — linear axes (X, Y, Z) are not changed
- G90/G91 set the mode for all axes including the extruder, but M82/M83 can override the extruder independently afterward
- If no extruder axis is configured, M82/M83 are silently ignored
Interaction with G90/G91
G90 and G91 set the positioning mode for all configured axes, including the extruder. M82/M83 can then override the extruder independently. The last command to affect the extruder axis wins:
G90thenM83— linear axes absolute, extruder relativeG91thenM82— linear axes relative, extruder absoluteM83thenG90— all axes absolute (G90 overrides M83)