Topic: Duet Wifi on SD2
I have experience with the non-Wifi Duet v0.8.5 which was featured on early Printit 8.10 models. Said board is practically indestructible which is saying a lot coming from me. My only issue with the v0.8.5 was that the Duet is not exactly capable of USB printing. You can do it, but the SD card and Ethernet ports provide far more reliable printing experience.
The printer I put this on is a Solidoodle 2 #6740 which has previously had the following:
Printrboard
Sanguinololu (courtesy of wardjr)
Rumba #1 RIP
Ramps 1.4 for about a day
Rumba #2
And now this little gem
So why did I put a Duet Wifi on a Solidoodle?
Several people have asked me this, and there are a few reasons. I still love my Solidoodles and since they are well calibrated, reliable, and paid for themselves several times over, I may as well replace a Rumba that has been randomly unresponsive through USB. The Duet Wifi also means I can clean my desk off a little and move this printer somewhere more out of the way and in no way tethered to my desktop computer.
Perks galore
You can print reliably three ways:
*Ethernet (though web interface)
*Wifi (through web interface)
*Preloaded gcode saved to SD card. With this, you can still use Repetier or S3D to command the printer over USB connection, but the web interface is still an option.
Other perks unheard of on other boards:
*Modify Config.g file wirelessly. I tweaked most of the Config file on my iPad while watching Raiders of the Lost Ark. How awesome is that?! I've been calibrating on my iPad as I have found time.
*After slicing files on RH/Slic3r, I saved the cgode and connected to the web interface and uploaded the file which is then saved to the SD card for later wireless printing. I have the same calibration cube stored no matter what device I am on (desktop, laptop, tablet, iPhone) and the file is still there, so I can make whatever changes are needed then pick up and go.
*Dead silent. I hear my fans and.....that's about it.
*You can not only change the printer name but also the address for the web interface.
*You can have multiple Duet Wifis running on the same router, though these are steps I have not explored yet. As I fall in love even more with this board, I can see myself checking those steps sooner rather than later.
Mounting, Wiring, Added steps
I would recommend mounting the same way as I have done by drilling holes in the rear of your frame. I used 3.5mm bits and M3 screws to allow some tolerance. This is especially necessary if you use the top left existing mounting hole since the width of the board may force the hotend wires to become compressed by the enclosure in the event you have a full enclosure as I do.
I used a printed Duet mounting template designed by Jagowilson to mark the holes than went to town. Use spacers and then M3 nuts inside the build chamber to secure the board in place.
If you have ever wired a new board before, then wiring will be very simple. If you have not, just take a pic of your old board and wire layout for reference before you start unplugging. This board does not have a barrel connector like the Printrboard does, and the stock SD power supply is underpowered anyway, so I would recommend getting a more robust PSU like a Supernight. If you have not used this PSU, you can use a power tool repair cord which can be found at any Home Depot. Jumper the terminals to ensure you have all rails providing efficient power, then feed them into the Power In terminals. I want to say I used 12g wires, but I can't remember.
It is also wise to grab some 2,3, and 4 pin DuPont style plugs like these. These are spectacularly superior to stock Solidoodle plugs and are easily reversible if you made a mistake.
Firmware and Config.g
To start, I would be eternally lost without the previous work and assistance of Jagowilson and wardjr. The Duet Wifi comes with a SD card loaded with multiple firmwares for you to start with, but I installed firmware used for the Printit 8.10 and modified it to revert back to Cartesian in contrast to the Core XY firmware the 8.10 runs. This was easy to fix by typing M667 S0. Again, 90+% was changed on my iPad as I relaxed at the end of the day.
So pic your flavor of firmware. No Marlin needed here, just download Reprap Firmware if you want to do some deep editing, but even a monkey like me could get this board up and running.
If this board sounds right for you, you can grab it from Filastruder and can be found here
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!