If you are trying to install your FarmBot on an uneven raised bed or with tracks that are out of alignment, you may run into issues.

At this time we have not done testing to determine the tolerance of track misalignment or slope that the machines will accommodate. It would be very difficult to make any such recommendations/specifications because of how many factors are at play (eccentric spacer adjustment, temperature, flexibility of joints as assembled, flexibility of supporting infrastructure, FarmBot weight, stepper driver tuning/power delivery, belt tension, cleanliness of the extrusions, exact FarmBot model, location along an axis, wind, etc).

Basically there are many factors that will work in the bot’s favor and many more factors that will work against it. There is a limit to what the bot can do, and the key is getting a set of all the factors that sum up to something within the limit.

For example, 1 degree of slope might be fine for most Genesis bots in ideal other conditions to overcome. But what about 1 degree of slope + headwind + dirt on the tracks + the added weight of an XL gantry and tubing/wiring + eccentric spacers that are a little too tight? That 1 degree of slope might be too much. It’s tough to say without very exhaustive testing, and even then there will be nuances to each individual installation.

That all being said, our recommendation is that every FarmBot installer should strive to give their bot as much “distance” from the limit as possible because that will translate into greater reliability, especially when the bot is confronted with less controllable factors like dirt and temperature. Giving “distance” starts with well constructed supporting infrastructure. If poor track alignment eats into most of that distance from the onset, then everything else is going to have to be close to ideal for the bot to work reliably. If the tracks are well aligned, it affords the bot more wiggle room with other factors later down the line.