Is copying files to the printer SD card (i.e. via usb to the printer) still painfully slow?
I've heard that the prusa printer firmware is Marlin based. My current printer is also Marlin based, and the act of copying files to an sd card in the printer sd card slot (in my case via octoprint & usb) takes so much time that it isnt a realistic option. As far as I can tell this is because the firmware receives the file line-by-line over the usb connetion instead of utilizing buffered writes (probably because of hardware constraints).
Is this also the case with the prusa firmware variants? Will it be faster on the MK3?
I'm asking because adding, removing SD cards, copying files etc. sounds like incredibly dull and boring busy work, and it is something I wish to avoid. On my current printer this isn't a problem, but the MK3 is much smarter than my current printer, and I don't wish to miss out on the smartness by using octoprint.
Re: Is copying files to the printer SD card (i.e. via usb to the printer) still painfully slow?
I @replied Josef Prusa a view days ago and received this tweet as an answer:
https://twitter.com/josefprusa/status/915315958545289222
So I guess, it could be much faster if implemented into the MK3 and octoprint. But maybe I am drawing the wrong conclusions:-)
Re: Is copying files to the printer SD card (i.e. via usb to the printer) still painfully slow?
At least it means they are thinking about the possibilities. 🙂
Re: Is copying files to the printer SD card (i.e. via usb to the printer) still painfully slow?
I hope they focus in on this specific task!
As much as it is simply a convienience, it is such a PITA to play musical SD cards.
I would love to be able to have a simple fast interface that would easily accept my gcode directly from the slicer, and print it as fast as the file is ready.
How amazing would it be to have the printer queued up at temperature, and export gcode directly to a print now command?
Furthermore, if there were a way to pop the previous print off the print bed and into a receiving basket, and continue on in the queue uninterrupted, that would be rediculously convienient! As is offered on a select few printers.
Re: Is copying files to the printer SD card (i.e. via usb to the printer) still painfully slow?
From the tweet:
We can theoretically talk to sd card directly over spi from the rpi. That means super fast gcode upload and printing from sd every time 👍
That is huge! What he seems to be saying is that Marlin isn't involved in the SD card transfer, that the Pi can mount the SD card directly. Basically, linux file transfer rather than line by line copying through Marlin. If the Einsy has been designed to support this, it'll be a big help.
I love the ability to control/monitor my prints from my Octopi, but I hate printing over the unreliable USB connection and having the Pi actively in the print cycle. On my ultimaker/pi recently I've got a random problem where the print just freezes which seems to be down to some lost USB transfer getting things out of synch. It would be great if I could:
We'll see. May require some Ocotoprint hacking.