Where Do I Start?

Have a problem or question, suggested links/information/FAQ's? Post it here
User avatar
Roberts_Clif
Reactions:
Posts: 1372
Joined: March 25th, 2017, 8:17 am
Location: Washington, State USA
3D Printer(s): Hictop 3DP11/12

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Roberts_Clif »

Mr SNG wrote: October 9th, 2019, 11:09 am Would I be correct in assuming that the USB has to be configured in order to use Arduino ?
On my Hictop 3DP11/12's have never needed to install a USB driver to work with their controller.
Only needed to install the Arduino IDE's
Mr SNG wrote: October 9th, 2019, 11:09 am Is it better to use the SD card over USB for G-Codes when printing ?
I have learnt that depending on the location of the LCD/SD card reader on my Hictop.
That noise interference can cause failed prints, this the the main reason for placing my LCD on front T-Slot.

Now on my MPCNC I found the my Ardiono 2560 Mega/Ramps 1.6 combination requires my Loading a CH34x
USB Windows driver for communication with the controller to function.

As far as better or worse will depend on how much power your PC has.
My Octo-core processor has no problems doing most anything I tell it to do.
Mr SNG
Reactions:
Posts: 74
Joined: January 1st, 2018, 11:02 am
3D Printer(s): hictop auto leveling desktop 3d printer prusa i3

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Mr SNG »

Well I finished setting up my machine this evening and ran my first print of a Cura robot file downloaded from Thingiverse printed using PLA.

Its not a great print and from what I know about thermo plastics it looks as if there is moisture involved! So I guess I should buy a new spool of PLA as the stuff I used is about 3 years old!

Thing is I didn't hear any popping from the hot end so could it be anything else?

Image
User avatar
Roberts_Clif
Reactions:
Posts: 1372
Joined: March 25th, 2017, 8:17 am
Location: Washington, State USA
3D Printer(s): Hictop 3DP11/12

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Roberts_Clif »

The image provided could happen in other ways.

I have had a similar experience when accidentally set the slicer to 3mm when I had 1.75mm filament.
3mm - 1.75mm.jpg
Mr SNG
Reactions:
Posts: 74
Joined: January 1st, 2018, 11:02 am
3D Printer(s): hictop auto leveling desktop 3d printer prusa i3

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Mr SNG »

Things are now moving in the right direction at last! Tried out Cura 4.3 the print setting was "Draft" this was the result:

Image

Image


The print didn't turn out half bad considering the choice of print setting. So I guess there must have been a problem with my set up last time!


.....
User avatar
Roberts_Clif
Reactions:
Posts: 1372
Joined: March 25th, 2017, 8:17 am
Location: Washington, State USA
3D Printer(s): Hictop 3DP11/12

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Roberts_Clif »

This has a tendency of happening from time too time.

Until you get your slicers tuned an saving your configurations will allow this not to happen very often.
Mr SNG
Reactions:
Posts: 74
Joined: January 1st, 2018, 11:02 am
3D Printer(s): hictop auto leveling desktop 3d printer prusa i3

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Mr SNG »

So having now got this far the big question is: What are the advantages of flashing upgraded firmware?
User avatar
Roberts_Clif
Reactions:
Posts: 1372
Joined: March 25th, 2017, 8:17 am
Location: Washington, State USA
3D Printer(s): Hictop 3DP11/12

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Roberts_Clif »

Which one is 3D Printed in ABS
Center ABS 1.jpg
Abs
Gutter ABS.jpg
Octolapse vs SD card print Octolapse failed my Print quality
OctoLapse vs SD 2.jpg
Octolapse has a fuzzy finish

These are all printed with s-curves and Junction Deviation for a smoother finish with faster print.
And Still I could make them smoother by increasing outer wall thickness.
Mr SNG
Reactions:
Posts: 74
Joined: January 1st, 2018, 11:02 am
3D Printer(s): hictop auto leveling desktop 3d printer prusa i3

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Mr SNG »

At a guess I would go for the far left print.

Its amazing the difference printing from an SD card, I wouldn't have thought it would have been that noticeable! just go's to show the old tried and tested applications work the best.

Currently because I am still waiting for a new SD card reader to arrive through the post I am using a micro which is working really well. I'm now currently printing filament spool support inserts.
User avatar
Roberts_Clif
Reactions:
Posts: 1372
Joined: March 25th, 2017, 8:17 am
Location: Washington, State USA
3D Printer(s): Hictop 3DP11/12

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Roberts_Clif »

It was the center Skeleton Fish. As in the images name.

It really floored me.
The only model that was fuzzy was when I used Octoprint - Octolapse to record tame lapse.
As a person of habit I still print mostly with Cura 15.06.4 with good results simply because it gives the best.

Now I have printed with PrusaSlice it gives good prints, though I found it needs more adjusting.
As when printing a model needing supports, could not get the supports to release from the model.
Ended up reprinting it with Cura 15.06.4, I did successfully print a complex business card puzzle.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:362357
Mr SNG
Reactions:
Posts: 74
Joined: January 1st, 2018, 11:02 am
3D Printer(s): hictop auto leveling desktop 3d printer prusa i3

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Mr SNG »

Have to say I am really getting to like Cura 4.3 it has so many options in the configuration settings and after watching Architects3DP videos on youtube I am now starting to see some really good results.

Like the Velociraptor Business Card link, I'm going to print a couple of those for my 9 & 11 year old grandaughters.

Dave
User avatar
LePaul
Reactions:
Posts: 3966
Joined: February 7th, 2016, 10:26 pm
Location: Bangor, Maine USA
3D Printer(s): 24 - Yes I have a problem!
Contact:

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by LePaul »

Remember that with Octoprint/Raspberry Pi/USB connections, most 8 bit boards struggle to keep up with the data sent to them. Their IO just isn't that powerful. I print slower (40 mm/s) with Octoprint and quicker with SD Card.

I asked about this last year on the Octoprint forum and got some really deep, technical answers https://community.octoprint.org/t/the-o ... heory/6341
User avatar
Roberts_Clif
Reactions:
Posts: 1372
Joined: March 25th, 2017, 8:17 am
Location: Washington, State USA
3D Printer(s): Hictop 3DP11/12

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Roberts_Clif »

LePaul wrote: December 6th, 2019, 8:46 am Remember that with Octoprint/Raspberry Pi/USB connections, most 8 bit boards struggle to keep up with the data sent to them. Their IO just isn't that powerful. I print slower (40 mm/s) with Octoprint and quicker with SD Card.
Good Information.
I tried to get information about the new Raspberry Pi 4 with USB 3 and choice of 1GB, 2GB or 4GB memory.
Would be nice to know if the USB 3 and more power an would allow Pi 4 to keep up with higher print speeds.
User avatar
GrueMaster
Reactions:
Posts: 522
Joined: March 15th, 2017, 8:46 pm
Location: Oregon
3D Printer(s): Hictop 3DP-17, Hictop CR-10S

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by GrueMaster »

I doubt it. The real issue remains: The arduino is still transferring via serial (like modem speeds serial). I think they top out at 115200 baud. Thats ~115Kb/s (bits per second). SD is usually between 10MB/s-80MB/s (bytes per second).

I ran into this in my last job when I tried to develop a USB stick emulator. I found one online that was an open hardware project (the 'server' would emulate a USB flash drive), but transferring a 100K file took ~3 hours. I have done a little more research on this, and it would theoretically be possible to emulate an SD card using an FPGA. This would allow you to do what you are looking for, but it would be hard to do unless you know how to program an FPGA. I would think it could be done on a development board that is similar to a raspberry pi (Intel/Altera has some cheap ones for ~$100 with dual core Arm processors).
User avatar
Roberts_Clif
Reactions:
Posts: 1372
Joined: March 25th, 2017, 8:17 am
Location: Washington, State USA
3D Printer(s): Hictop 3DP11/12

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Roberts_Clif »

I was optimistic about it working.
In the back of my mind I always knew the limits were dependent on the serial buss speed.
Guess I could try an change speed to 250000 I wonder though, if those short lags are actually caused by the buffer running out rather than the baud-rate.

If this is the case then the larger memory of the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Increased memory could help.
This is shown by benchmarks of the two Raspberry Pi's in the Attachment below.
Image2.jpg
video menchmarks



https://community.octoprint.org/t/updat ... lved/10499
User avatar
Roberts_Clif
Reactions:
Posts: 1372
Joined: March 25th, 2017, 8:17 am
Location: Washington, State USA
3D Printer(s): Hictop 3DP11/12

Re: Where Do I Start?

Post by Roberts_Clif »

Hello @SNG;

It has been quite a while, bring us up to date on how your 3D Printing is going these days.
Post Reply

Return to “General Questions”