Octoprint Pi 4  

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

Do not waste your money on a Zero, it is totally underpowered for the task. I know folks will say oh I use a zero without any problems but they are usually the ones complaining that OctoPrint creates artifacts.

From the OctoPi page

"Recommended hardware: Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+ or 4B. Expect print artifacts and long loading times with other options, especially when adding a webcam or installing third party plugins. Setups not using recommended hardware are not officially supported.

Please note that the Raspberry Pi Zero W is not recommended explicitly since severe performance issues were observed, caused by the WiFi interface when bandwidth is utilized (e.g. the webcam is streamed), negatively impacting printing quality. See also here."

I think realistically the choice is between 3B+ and 4B, either will serve you well. The 4B has a faster CPU and has a tendance to overheat, so plan for heatsinks and a small fan.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

You DO NOT want a Raspberry Pi Zero for Octoprint. The Octoprint developer (Gina) specifically recommends against this. You're now looking at the "full size" RPi boards. While a 2B will work, a 3B or 3B+ gives very good performance. A 4B also works, but is overkill and has greater power and cooling requirements, so consider a bit of extra possible expense for a proper power supply and case with cooling. It really comes down to personal preference. If you have one on hand, a 3B is great. If buying new, it may just come down to what's readily available to you.

The camera should work with all of them with the appropriate cable.

So far as instructions, you just install Octoprint normally (the OctoPi image works well) with any of the RPi models.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

A RPi 3A+ should also work, but I can't say that I've seen anything documenting using one. With only a single USB port, any size gain is offset by the need for a cumbersome USB cable and/or hub.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

So the 3b+ would be the best solition.

but where can i get a manual for this?

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

Posted by: @davi-15

So the 3b+ would be the best solition.

It's a good solution. If you've got a 3B+ or 4B, just use that. If you're buying new, a 3B+ is perfect. A 4B won't hurt anything if you can accommodate the increased power and cooling concerns.

but where can i get a manual for this?

Just follow the normal OctoPi installation procedure.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

I ordered a 3B+ because I read that the 4B required an extra fan for cooling, and I wanted to avoid that.  After doing some more reading, it sounds like I may even want to consider a fan for the 3B+.  Am I ok without an extra fan?  Do I need to add some heatsinks if I don't?  I do plan to run a v2 camera if that makes a difference.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

@jasonptitus

The 3B+ does not necessarily require cooling, but it always has a life-prolonging effect on the electronics.
I have installed a fan and a heat sink on my 3B+. The parts don't cost much money and the amount of work is also not big. In my printer enclosure there are sometimes temperatures around 45 degrees C. and the Pi is happy when some air circulates.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

@jasonptitus

The Pi 4 does not require a fan.  You can operate without it.  I have several with and several without.  

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

Raspberry Pi 4s do run a bit hot, but it's not too bad on the newer firmwares. If you want to combat that to perhaps increase its lifespan, then a heatsink should suffice. I use a fan but that's just a personal choice. Big bonus over rPI 3 for me is that it's much faster, OctoPrint restarts is just the snap of my fingers, for instance. And you also don't need to worry about plugins being too "heavy", not likely on rPI 3 either, but it's a nice comfort.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

Thanks for the comments.  I will do some research on fan options, even if it isn't strictly necessary.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

I used to have Pi3, now i run Pi4 and i can say that it's quite faster. especially if you add SSD and boot from there (there are manuals on the web how to do it - it requires latest FW).  Pi4 is without fans, just original Pi4 small heatsink kit and it's running at appr. 50-55 degrees (C). And i also run original 7 inch LCD and octodash on it.

A small advice: when buying Pi4 then 1GB of RAM is quite enoguh for octoprint. Mine is 4G (1 and 2G was not available at time of purchase), but RAM usage never reaches 1G, not even close. So if it's used only for octoprint then buying 4G is wasted money, i guess.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

I agree. The Pi 4 doesn't need a fan. It doesn't even need a special power supply. I run mine off a standard Apple charger and have a wireless keyboard and a Logitech C920 webcam connected to it along with Octoprint and a bunch of plugins.

The Pi 4 boots Ocotprint in seconds, Print Time Genius analyzes G Code in seconds, the interface is instantly responsive, etc.

Yes, it gets bit bit on the warm side when my print room gets above 30C, but it's never throttled.

I'm currently building an enclosure, so it will be getting relocated to a dedicated electronics bay along with the Einsy,  PSU etc and will have forced air cooling.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

@jasonptitus

You can still upgrade the fan optionally. On Thingiverse there are different case designs for e.g. the Pi 3B+ - with and without 30x30 or 40x40mm fan etc. but copper or alu heatsinks cost almost nothing and I would definitely recommend.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

Fans are to be avoided if not really necesarry. Fans die. Fans gets dusty and blow dust on Rpi, too. Fans are noisy. That's why is always better to add bigger passive heatsink than using a fan.

Mounting RPi vertically helps quite a bit, together with a case which has plenty of holes to allow air to circulate.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

@protoncek

I would have to respectfully disagree about fans being noisy, I'm running a 5V 40mm Noctua fan off of the 3.3V pin and it's so quiet you can't possibly hear it ;). My rPi 4 runs at ~40C, you don't need a lot of gust to cool it. If it dies it's easily replaceable, and the Pi can survive without it so it's not really an issue.

I agree that 1GB RAM is sufficient, but I would still recommend 2GB because compiling some python modules (e.g. numpy) can require a lot of RAM. It's not a deal breaker by any means but it's nice to have the extra buffer.

@morphias

A typical charger provides 1000mA and the Pi 4 base consumption is 600mA, that doesn't leave a lot of room for connecting peripherals. A total of 1.2A can be drawn from the USB ports, so depending on what is hooked up to the Pi it won't run properly. The reason a 3A power supply is recommended for the Pi 4 is to ensure it always has the proper amount of power. If there is too little the Pi could end up having to throttle the CPU or it might lose power entirely.

Not saying you have to change it, but just giving you a fair warning that while it works, you probably won't be able to connect more USB devices to it.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

@mafredri

I agree!

I use these fans: https://noctua.at/en/nf-a4x10-5v
In my opinion the best on the market. They have been running on my machines for years and so far I haven't had any failure (Not theory but practice-proven).

And I think - cooling never harms the Pi electronics.

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

Sure, fans can be practically silent (if you use expensive ones), but all other thing i mentioned still exists, and most annoying one is dust. That's why it's always better to have passive cooling, if possible. So, when using fan regular cleaning of Pi is a must.

Just an example: did you ever see the difference inside a PC case betweeen using active cooled graphics card and  using passive one? After a year or so (or even sooner in dusty environments) the difference is really huge (in dust accumulation). 

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

I do not think it is entirely needed.  I did hook my pies up with power over ethernet throughout this nifty gadget:  Loverpi POE HAT.  I am very happy with the results. I installed a Noctua 40mm fan.  It works and it relatively silent.  I have a 50/50 split with this setup.  My enclosure does not get above 105 F.  Argue what you want.  I just do not see it as needed 100% but it does add a cool factor.  

RE: Octoprint Pi 4

@protoncek

You’re can have your own opinion on this but I just don’t agree with it. It takes many years (if at all) for the dust buildup to become a problem, in an enclosure it might not even become a problem. Sure, dust will insulate the board and reduce cooling, but not by more than what the fan can combat. 40mm Noctuas are not expensive either, they cost maybe $10-13. And also they are very high quality. Personally I have never had a Noctua fail in >15 years, the computers have been retired before the fans failed 😂. So all in all, I think you are overplaying the downsides of fans, just food for thought.