Topic: multiple printers
I'm running 4 3d printers now on one computer but am having trouble managing all 4 of them. Has anyone found an easy way to do this?
- carl_m1968
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Re: multiple printers
zburhop wrote:
I'm running 4 3d printers now on one computer but am having trouble managing all 4 of them. Has anyone found an easy way to do this?
Don't run them from a computer when you have more than one. Use an SDcard on them.. That is really too much data going out the USB port for a computer to keep up with reliably and you are asking for a crash on one or more of them. Nothing like a data glitch and printer freeze 4 hours into a 6 or 8 hour print.
Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.
- AZERATE
- PRINTiT
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Re: multiple printers
I've been running 2 printers on 8gb RAM, just installed 2 4gb sticks last night so now I'm up to 16gb with no issues. I will print for about 5 hours at a time with both going. Last night I showed CPU usage at 5% and RAM was at 20%...that is with 2 printers dancing, 12 open web tabs, Solidworks/Sketchup, slicing in a third RH window, and cranking the iTunes jams.
I would recommend, if you can, look into boosting your RAM and maybe even upgrading your processor if you are experiencing any slow performance/stalling.
Printit Mason and Printit Horizon printers
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!
- Tin Falcon
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Re: multiple printers
I'm running 4 3d printers now on one computer but am having trouble managing all 4 of them. Has anyone found an easy way to do this?
Easy is sometimes a matter of opinion.
There are certainly options.
Have you looked into the http://octoprint.org/ setup a raspberry Pi is fairly cheap I just picked up a B- for $20 plus tax and another $5 for a class 10 miroSD chip.
If you wire into your local network you can keep the price down . Also there are usb and HDMI switch boxes that would allow you to share a monitor and keyboard with 4 Pi boards. You only need the keyboards and monitor to start up and shut down the pi boards . You can monitor the printers with a separate computer or tablet. May be too complicated for a quad setup but wanted to throw out the option.
Depending on what boards you are running you should be able to get a LCD controller card with SD slot for under $15 then make or buy a case for it/ them.
tin
Soliddoodle 4 stock w glass bed------Folger Tech Prusa 2020 upgraded to and titan /aero extruder mirror bed
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura
FT5 with titan/ E3D Aero------MP mini select w glass bed
MP Utimate maker pro-W bondtech extruder
Marlin/Repetier Host/ Slic3r and Cura
- carl_m1968
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Re: multiple printers
AZERATE wrote:
I've been running 2 printers on 8gb RAM, just installed 2 4gb sticks last night so now I'm up to 16gb with no issues. I will print for about 5 hours at a time with both going. Last night I showed CPU usage at 5% and RAM was at 20%...that is with 2 printers dancing, 12 open web tabs, Solidworks/Sketchup, slicing in a third RH window, and cranking the iTunes jams.
I would recommend, if you can, look into boosting your RAM and maybe even upgrading your processor if you are experiencing any slow performance/stalling.
Thr USB controller itself is the bottleneck. With for printers running a live build the data passing through that controller is alot and chance for data collisions is very high. Not saying it can't be done but it is inviting an unwanted crashed print at some point.
Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.
Re: multiple printers
I have an insanley fast machine....and usb is indeed the bottleneck........My main issue is that theres not a super good way to switch between machines without getting confused and accidentally canceling a job. I was mainly looking for some sort of pi server or something that would link all 4 printers through a common interface so i could keep them straight etc. I ran a pi version of octopi about 2 years ago but the pi freezes fairly often. I also tried repitier server but that was not without issues either.
- pirvan
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Re: multiple printers
AZERATE wrote:
I've been running 2 printers on 8gb RAM, just installed 2 4gb sticks last night so now I'm up to 16gb with no issues. I will print for about 5 hours at a time with both going. Last night I showed CPU usage at 5% and RAM was at 20%...that is with 2 printers dancing, 12 open web tabs, Solidworks/Sketchup, slicing in a third RH window, and cranking the iTunes jams.
I would recommend, if you can, look into boosting your RAM and maybe even upgrading your processor if you are experiencing any slow performance/stalling.
I don't think running multiple instances of Repetier is going to affect the performance any, unless you plan on slicing your models simultaneously.
I currently have 2 instances running, one s printing a groot bust on my SD3, the other is printing baby groot on my Printrbot Simple. I also have Solidworks, Photoshop, 2DS Max, MeshMixer, 6 instances of NetFabb, 3 instances of MeshLab, iTunes and god knows what else is running in the background that I don't know of.
MY current CPU load is at 2%, memory is @ 7.62GB (47%) and my Disk I/O stays under 3MB/sec.
I was looking at the actual data that's being sent to the printer, and frankly you could probably do 500 printers at a time. Even if you add the other information going from the printer to the computer (temp monitoring, location, etc), the data being sent across the USB is minimal.
You would probably run out of resources for all the Repetier apps running in memory, but I doubt you could ever bottleneck the USB bus.
To print or, 3D print, that is the question...
SD3 printer w/too many mods, Printrbot Simple Maker Ed., FormLabs Form 1+
AnyCubic Photon, Shining 3D EinScan-S & Atlas 3D scanners...
...and too much time on my hands.
SD3 printer w/too many mods, Printrbot Simple Maker Ed., FormLabs Form 1+
AnyCubic Photon, Shining 3D EinScan-S & Atlas 3D scanners...
...and too much time on my hands.
- carl_m1968
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Re: multiple printers
pirvan wrote:
AZERATE wrote:I've been running 2 printers on 8gb RAM, just installed 2 4gb sticks last night so now I'm up to 16gb with no issues. I will print for about 5 hours at a time with both going. Last night I showed CPU usage at 5% and RAM was at 20%...that is with 2 printers dancing, 12 open web tabs, Solidworks/Sketchup, slicing in a third RH window, and cranking the iTunes jams.
I would recommend, if you can, look into boosting your RAM and maybe even upgrading your processor if you are experiencing any slow performance/stalling.
I don't think running multiple instances of Repetier is going to affect the performance any, unless you plan on slicing your models simultaneously.
I currently have 2 instances running, one s printing a groot bust on my SD3, the other is printing baby groot on my Printrbot Simple. I also have Solidworks, Photoshop, 2DS Max, MeshMixer, 6 instances of NetFabb, 3 instances of MeshLab, iTunes and god knows what else is running in the background that I don't know of.
MY current CPU load is at 2%, memory is @ 7.62GB (47%) and my Disk I/O stays under 3MB/sec.
I was looking at the actual data that's being sent to the printer, and frankly you could probably do 500 printers at a time. Even if you add the other information going from the printer to the computer (temp monitoring, location, etc), the data being sent across the USB is minimal.
You would probably run out of resources for all the Repetier apps running in memory, but I doubt you could ever bottleneck the USB bus.
It's more about using poor cables and hubs then actually bottle necking, but the bus has been bottle necked by people using 3 printers due to bad cables and constant error checking due to those cables. if you want to run multiple printers, don't use a hub. Plug them straight into the PC/Laptop. If you run out of ports then get another laptop they are cheap on eBay. Like 50 bucks cheap. Then don't use cables over 6 feet long and make sure they are shielded.
It can also be the environment as in electrically noisy that can cause errors. Poor building wiring, strong RF sources in the area, and other things can contribute to noise that the USB can pick up and cause errors.
Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.
- AZERATE
- PRINTiT
- Offline
Re: multiple printers
To clarify, I did a DIY PC which uses a Fatal1ty KILLER board that supports up to 12 USB ports....so no hub is used.
Carl is right that using hubs would potentially negate any prolonged use.
$50 for a computer of questionable reliability is a painful risk IMO. I agree with Tin on the Pi....or, if your boards are capable of supporting LCD controls. But the latter would cost more than the Pi setup overall.
Printit Mason and Printit Horizon printers
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!
Multiple SD2s- Bulldog XL, E3D v5/v6/Lite6, Volcano, Hobb Goblin, Titan, .9 motor, Lawsy carriages, direct Y drive, fishing line...the list goes on
Filawinder and Filastruder #1870.....worth every penny!