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i3MK3S WiFi storage data mode 😀  

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Antimix
(@antimix)
Reputable Member
i3MK3S WiFi storage data mode 😀

Hello,

I think this topic can be of interest of many of us.
A couple of days ago, I casually discovered on youtube that is possible to transform *ANY* conventional 3D Printer in a WiFi data device with 0 effort (almost.. 😎 ). It is not possible to control the printer functions from remote of course, but you can WiFi read-write on the Prusa Printer's SD.

As result, now I am able to save the gcode for objects I need to print, directly on a shared folder on my PC, and that corresponds to the SD inside my i3MK3S, so that I don't need any more to go to the printer, remove the SD, bring it into the PC, save the file, and come back to the printer and fit the SD into it again.

WHAT YOU NEED

MODIFICATION TO THE PRINTER: ZERO 😀
HARDWARE REQUIRED: A Toshiba FlashAir W04 SD

You will find all the instructions on Matt's Hub

Just for info, the Toshiba SD currently on the market are W-04 release while the articles are referring to the old W-03.
I had to do several modifications on my SD Config file in order to have it work with W-04, so to avoid you hours of deep technical challenges, I will include here my CONFIG file for you:


[WLANSD]
ID=PRUSA_SD
DHCP_Enabled=NO
IP_Address=192.168.0.20 <--- Replace it with a STATIC IP address of your network that you will decide to assign to the device
Subnet_Mask=255.255.255.0
Default_Gateway=192.168.0.1 <--- Replace it with the IP address of your ROUTER in your network
Preferred_DNS_Server=192.168.0.1 <--- Replace it with the IP address of your ROUTER in your network
Alternate_DNS_Server=192.168.0.1 <--- Replace it with the IP address of your ROUTER in your network

[Vendor]
APPNAME=myflashair
CIPATH=/DCIM/100__TSB/FA000001.JPG
APPMODE=5
APPSSID=ASUS_WIRELESS
APPNETWORKKEY= <--- Put your Wifi Password here
VERSION=******** <--- Replace this with the VERSION string you will find in your original CONFIG file in your SD[/color][/i][/b]
CID=
******* <--- Replace this with the CID string you will find in your original CONFIG file in your SD[/color][/i][/b]
PRODUCT=FlashAir
VENDOR=TOSHIBA
UPDIR=/
WEBDAV=2
TIMEZONE=1 <-- This is your TimeZone
LOCK=1
DNSMODE=1
APPAUTOTIME=1800000
STA_RETRY_CT=0
WLANAPMODE=0x03

If you are interested in the technical detils of any parameters refer to the Toshiba WiFi Developer site

It works well, but when I go to the printer I need to remove and insert the SD, because the Prusa Firmware don't re-read the SD contents of the card when I select "PRINT FROM SD" from the LCD menu. The firmware does not expect the SD itself is able to change the contents, so it read them only one time when the SD is inserted. This is annoying when you have this new WiFi feature. Other Marlin versions have such feature and have either a "RESCAN SD" menu item or just a refresh content on selecting the "PRINT FROM SD" item.

Prusa, please implement this easy change in the next Firmware release.

VERY IMPORTANT: Yo must know what you are doing: if you rewrite a gcode that is being printed or delete it you may ruin your print. So try to write to the SD while the printer is not printing.

Happy WiFi data writing 🙂

Posted : 07/04/2019 12:18 pm
vintagepc
(@vintagepc)
Member
Re: i3MK3S WiFi storage data mode 😀

There is a setting in the printer menu to change the menu setting for the SD card slot to "flashAir" mode. Did you remember to change that? I may be wrong but seems like a logical change that if that is enabled it would re-read the card when you browse it.

Posted : 07/04/2019 1:36 pm
Tinkerwest
(@tinkerwest)
Trusted Member
Re: i3MK3S WiFi storage data mode 😀


There is a setting in the printer menu to change the menu setting for the SD card slot to "flashAir" mode. Did you remember to change that? I may be wrong but seems like a logical change that if that is enabled it would re-read the card when you browse it.

Unfortunately "flashAir" mode just effect the power supply to the card.

I found doing a reset from the button on the display will also do a sort. I find this a little more convenient than pulling the card in and out and I think less where and tear on the card slot.

Also adding to problems not being fixed the sort on newest file does not work. I switched to alpha which does. I wrote this up and put it on github a while ago, But it has not made the cut to be fix

https://github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware/issues/865

Posted : 07/04/2019 9:28 pm
vintagepc
(@vintagepc)
Member
Re: i3MK3S WiFi storage data mode 😀

Technically it does a bit more than that (otherwise there would not be issues leaving it on all the time):

https://www.prusaprinters.org/whats-new-in-major-firmware-release-3-0-6/


Toshiba FlashAir SD card support has been made switchable:
Printer shows the FlashAir IP in the support menu when it is enabled.
It is off by default. We had some feedback indicating, that some rare SD cards do not work properly with the FlashAir support.
The “Toshiba FlashAir” status display was improved to not force IP address query on each display refresh when in the “Support” menu and to update status of the Toshiba FlashAir on SD card insert / removal.

Posted : 07/04/2019 10:53 pm
Antimix
(@antimix)
Reputable Member
Topic starter answered:
Re: i3MK3S WiFi storage data mode 😀


Technically it does a bit more than that (otherwise there would not be issues leaving it on all the time):

https://www.prusaprinters.org/whats-new-in-major-firmware-release-3-0-6/


Toshiba FlashAir SD card support has been made switchable:
Printer shows the FlashAir IP in the support menu when it is enabled.
It is off by default. We had some feedback indicating, that some rare SD cards do not work properly with the FlashAir support.
The “Toshiba FlashAir” status display was improved to not force IP address query on each display refresh when in the “Support” menu and to update status of the Toshiba FlashAir on SD card insert / removal.

WOW I was not aware of it. Tomorrow I should check and activate it.

Many Thanks.

Posted : 07/04/2019 11:11 pm
JMcK
 JMcK
(@jmck)
Reputable Member
Re: i3MK3S WiFi storage data mode 😀

Just keep in mind, there’s a max size. My 16G card works fine, but I’ve heard 64G don’t work. I don’t know about 32G.

When someone asks you if you're a god, you say, "YES!"

Posted : 08/04/2019 2:06 am
Neophyl
(@neophyl)
Illustrious Member
Re: i3MK3S WiFi storage data mode 😀

My 32gb flashair card works perfectly as does my 16gb. 64gb definitely do not work though.

On mine if I upload a new file to one of the folders on the card when I browse to that folder the new file is already there, I do not have to remove the card to get it to show up.

I love the convenience of just mapping both printers as drives under windows and just dropping new files in there. Maybe one day I'll get around to running a pi with octoprint but for now the Flashair cards work great.

Posted : 08/04/2019 2:34 pm
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