1 Topic by wire10ga

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Topic: Wireless printing

Found this on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/30 … =discovery

Been wanting something like this for a while.  I think some people here are using a Pi and octoprint, but how easy is that?  Which would be better this or the Pi?  I don't mind an Ethernet cable being hooked up to printer, just don't want to keep it tied to my computer all the time.

Any thoughts?

SD2 - Glass Bed, Fans on PCB and Y motor, Custom enclosure
Slicer - Simplify3D

wire10ga's Website

2 Reply by grob (edited by grob 2014-06-05 00:05:08)

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Re: Wireless printing

The Pi + octoprint solution is good, all I needed to do was download and image the sd card (there's a pre-made image called 'octopi'), plug it in, and follow some instructions to make it log onto my wifi automatically (you need to buy a cheap wifi usb dongle too).

Printing is great, the interface is not quite as responsive as RH of course, and it misses a few features (eeprom settings etc.). Uploading g-code means I'm using RH to slice anyway. If you need to add additional controls, it can be quite highly customised in the config files, but due to not being bothered to learn I haven't got around to that yet myself, it's just as it came.

Uploads can be a bit slow, and when I tried connecting a raspicam to it to monitor prints, while it required no set-up the constant refreshing of images slowed the poor little pi down to a crawl. Not sure whether this is fixable, or due to me having the old 256mb version of the pi, but at present not worth having a camera on it.

It was a big difference just to be able to take the computer away from the printer though - much improved life (no more fear of bumping the usb cable and trashing a print!).

SD3. Mk2b + glass, heated enclosure, GT2 belts, direct drive y shaft, linear bearings, bowden-feed E3D v5 w/ 0.9° stepper
Smoothieboard via Octoprint on RPi

3 Reply by slimstar2

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Re: Wireless printing

Hi wire10ga,     
I finally got my Panelolu 2 working with my SD 3   Printrboard Rev E I just load G code to SD card and pop card into Panelolu 2 and away we go . I can tune speed, temp, etc  on the fly and save to eeprom . Plus I get to monitor all axis positions and extruder and bed temps with no chance of communications loss wrecking a print . ( this is a problem I used to have )

SD3, RAMPS 1.4, Lawsy's carriages modified by me, 2 SSRs, E3D V6, 2 Power supplies, Independent monitoring of both power supplies (amps and volts) also extruder and bed temps, Blue Tooth connectivity, bearings in all axis & rotational points, Y axis direct drive.  Remotely controlled power box on / off . Gecko Tec build plate . Renamed FrankenDoodle

4 Reply by elefort

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Re: Wireless printing

Hi Slimstar2,

Do you have a blog or some website that has documentation as to how you was able to get all this working on the printrboard rev e?

5 Reply by elefort

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Re: Wireless printing

Hey slimstar2,

Are you using te SD card reader on the printrboard itself or did you install an external one?

6 Reply by slimstar2

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Re: Wireless printing

Hi elefort   Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner I didn't realize one of my email accounts was turned off . I used directions from Think3DPrint 3D website .You need the article about turning JTAG off so that pins are available for the Panelolu2 .(Printrboard Rev E doesn't use them but Panelolu needs them). The panelolu2 has a SD slot  built in that's the one I used . I modified their Marlin to run my SD3 . I haven't had any problems since March  and I have run many prints some up to 15 hours long .I couldn't do that before . Let me know if this helps .........Bill D

SD3, RAMPS 1.4, Lawsy's carriages modified by me, 2 SSRs, E3D V6, 2 Power supplies, Independent monitoring of both power supplies (amps and volts) also extruder and bed temps, Blue Tooth connectivity, bearings in all axis & rotational points, Y axis direct drive.  Remotely controlled power box on / off . Gecko Tec build plate . Renamed FrankenDoodle

7 Reply by elefort

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Re: Wireless printing

Hey slimstar2,

No problem. I was under the assumption that you had the onboard SD card reader working on the rev e, however you have an external SD reader. This seems to be the way to go as it seems people are doing the external SD card with panelolu successfully. Solidoodle did something with the onboard SD card reader because I haven't seen anyone successfully achieve getting it to work, and I have been having the hardest time getting it to work.

One question, when you uploaded the firmware did you have an issue with your computer recognizing the new com port after you applied the jumper and pressed the reset button on the motherboard rev e? I have a thread started on this (http://www.soliforum.com/topic/6965/fir … t-showing/).

Thank you for your time and reply...

8 Reply by elussya

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Re: Wireless printing

Has anyone tried to use one of the wireless SD cards that you can buy from Amazon to print from ? I would think it would work, but haven't tried myself. Would be a decently low-cost way of getting wireless added to a bunch of printers possibly?

9 Reply by COASTER19 (edited by COASTER19 2014-07-13 21:55:26)

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Re: Wireless printing

A guy did it on his makerbot a while ago, but one issue (I think?) with the current offerings from RAMPS 1.4 + Graphic LCD/SD is the lack of sdhc support.  That means the software can only make use of 2 gigs of the card.  I'm sure it is somehow possible to do with some crazy software hackery, but I'm not up for trying tongue

I ended up getting this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RY … &psc=1
5 bucks with free shipping and the convenience of usb.  It's not perfect, but it is certainly nicer than having to find my SD adapter each time.

This is a good starting place if you are up for the challenge: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic … st5ZIfs5L0

10 Reply by slimstar2

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Re: Wireless printing

Hi elefort ,  I had no problem I just plugged it in and it worked . Later I realized that once you enabled the Panelolu 2 it must be connected for the printrboard to work ........ Hope this helps       Bill D

SD3, RAMPS 1.4, Lawsy's carriages modified by me, 2 SSRs, E3D V6, 2 Power supplies, Independent monitoring of both power supplies (amps and volts) also extruder and bed temps, Blue Tooth connectivity, bearings in all axis & rotational points, Y axis direct drive.  Remotely controlled power box on / off . Gecko Tec build plate . Renamed FrankenDoodle