New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
I have just ordered my first printer MK3S+, and have beed looking thrue all documentation around Prusa (and all other) Merlin, open source printers.
Coming from the industry I am shoocked about the quality.
1) All cables and compartment (plastic chases) are cramped, it is very hard to change the positions of the electronics. If I want to build an enclosure and have the electronics outside the enclosure. The cablemanagment is awful.
2) Using Thermistors are obsolete, why not Pt-100 and Max31865, much better temperaturcontrol and accurancy. Using Max31865 measuring the temperature digitally directly to the CPU with high resolution and reliability. Termocouples have many disadvantages i printers...
3) Connecting via SD-card, why not cabled Ethernet ? Using WiFi, is so unreliable (everything running on 2.4 GHz). OK I am going to use octoprint via Ethernet.
4) Printers not made/preparde for future upgrades, no spare space for extra cables, displays, ....
But a VERY engaged community, lot of people helping each other ....
Great.
Old man, just retired....
3)
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
These printers just plain work. If you want to need to tinker, there is always a Creality.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
Thanks for creating it. Looking forward for solution.
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
2) Using Thermistors are obsolete, why not Pt-100 and Max31865, much better temperaturcontrol and accurancy. Using Max31865 measuring the temperature digitally directly to the CPU with high resolution and reliability. Termocouples have many disadvantages i printers...
3) Connecting via SD-card, why not cabled Ethernet ? Using WiFi, is so unreliable (everything running on 2.4 GHz). OK I am going to use octoprint via Ethernet.
4) Printers not made/preparde for future upgrades, no spare space for extra cables, displays, ....
...
Old man, just retired....
3)
What you have in the MK3/S/+ is the result of evolution from some very primitive designs of the still-evolving RepRap project. If you google that term, you'll come up with photos of some incredibly kludgy Rube-Goldberg-ish earlier 3d printers with frames made from redi-bolt and electronics slammed together on perf board. I do agree that much of the electronics are last-generation and still quite makeshift.
The RepRap designs grew from 'whatever works', iteratively into 'whatever works very well' without regard to much, if any, formal design methodology. You can consider the newest 'plus' version to be the apex state of the art as far as what works very well but reliably enough to sell and support as a commercial project.
A couple of months ago I started getting occasional print fan errors. Upon inspection I realized that the fan cable passed through one very obvious nasty strain point. Rather than try to repair it I just said 'f-it' and ordered a new fan, but rerouted the cable to avoid being crushed at that point.
I'm probably the odd guy out here, but I really don't mind sneakernetting the files from the computer to the printer. I'm kind of used to the process with such things as digital cameras (yes, gang, I know if I switched to 'your brand' I might not have to do that) 😉 😉 and bootstrapping Raspberry Pis and such.
And also, I'm older, retired, and doing things that I enjoy doing instead of what they pay me to do. 😉
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
@jsw
I have to agree. Using a Raspberry Pi that I can program has the best both worlds.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
After using OctoPrint via Raspberry Pis, I really don't want any other wifi solution, much less one that's not standard across all my printers. The RPi + Prusa solution is ideal. I can use a bare-bones LCD menu when handy (e.g. when doing calibrations after a nozzle swap), then lazily sit at my desk and send prints to OctoPrint for organizing into folders with previews, and selectively doing things like ArcWelder to optimize. I also like stripping of comments done by OctoPrint on the fly. Less data going over serial is a good thing.
and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
@bobstro
I have to agree. RPI plus Prusa is the best options. I am still trying to get my filament server perfected.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
@bobstro
I have to agree. RPI plus Prusa is the best options. I am still trying to get my filament server perfected.
Hallo,
can you give a short explanation of what you are using for your filament server? Is it the solution in OctoPrint with FilamentManager and an additional database for your filament spools using Postresql. Your OctoPrint instances are all connecting to the same database?
Since upgrade to Python 3 I am not any longer able to get it work.
Best regards, Clemens
Mini, i3 MK2.5S, i3 MK4, CClone (Eigenbau)
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
Since upgrade to Python 3 I am not any longer able to get it work.
First rule of upgrading: Don't do it!
Second rule of upgrading: Don't do it just yet.
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
Since upgrade to Python 3 I am not any longer able to get it work.
First rule of upgrading: Don't do it!
Second rule of upgrading: Don't do it just yet.
It is some king of desease I have - I always have to update something !!! (maybe because I started to work with computers with Windows ?)
Best regards, Clemens
Mini, i3 MK2.5S, i3 MK4, CClone (Eigenbau)
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
Since upgrade to Python 3 I am not any longer able to get it work.
First rule of upgrading: Don't do it!
Second rule of upgrading: Don't do it just yet.
It is some king of desease I have - I always have to update something !!! (maybe because I started to work with computers with Windows ?)
Best regards, Clemens
Not to hijack the thread, but I must admit that although Windows has many many updates, very often, I have yet to have one of them 'brick' a device or fail to the extent that a restore point was required.
Now in my pre-retired life, I must admit that I lost count of the times that a so-called upgrade, and I'm talking about higher-end carrier-grade gear here, had to be backed out due to failing initial proof-of-performance testing.
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
@clemens-m
I am having the same problem. It works on about 60% of Octoprints.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
Maybe third rule of upgrading: ensure you can regress
In this case it's dead easy, either do a fresh install on a different SD card or clone your existing SD card and upgrade the clone.
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
@towlerg
I might have to do that. It is terrible that an upgrade has caused so many downgrades.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: New to 3D-printers but not to electronics.
Actually small perfect programs never have to upgrade.
You upgrade to
a) Add extra functionallity
b) Correct a bug (error in code or security)
Number of bugs in a software is proportional to size-squared.
Windows is a very big miss-mash, enormous big code all depending to each other opposite to Linux wich have a very small core, and then you add extra relative small programs. Every program have a different securitylevel, all this give that Linux is a much better software. More stable.
I had a public computer running for 10 years with no problems, no update, no service ....