Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?  

Re: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

Search the forum Michael. This has been asked so many times. General consensus seems to be use Pi3 and connect via USB and power it separately. I do this on my printers and it works fine.

Re: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

Use 3+, much better and faster.
Use USB connection, instead, easier and same result. Of course power draw from B+ is larger but not that bad

Re: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

hello
i use pi 3B+ connected via gpio like the pi zero
and a pi webcam!
works fine

i think the pi zero w is a little bit slow

happy greetings tomcheck 😀

Re: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

I have both but the III B+ was much easier to set up.

Re: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

I have a 3B+ in a cooled enclosure connected thru the USB port. Web cam works fine and prints are great. More power in Pi is better IMHO

Steve

Re: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

I've been using a 3B to drive an A8 clone for a long time. For extra "setup fun" I'm running OctoPrint on top of CentOS 7. Never had a problem with that and I don't expect the switch to an MK3 to make any difference.

Regards, Jan

Re: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

I'm getting nice results with RPi 3+ connected via USB to my MK3.

Octolapse is fun to play with. 🙂
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hSR6CF1AHBePf9198

Re: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

I've just connected a PI3 with a custom cable from EINSY to GPIO header. Everything works fine, 0.7A max consumption with webcam connected by USB.

Followed instructions here for octoprint configuration : https://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/-f30/rpi-zero-octopi-working--t12432.html

RE: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

Hello guys, thanks for these interesting info. I want to do the same (pilot my MK3S with Octoprint on a Raspberry). Since I have to buy a Pi, and since the Pi 4B is available, is it a good choice, or do I have to by the previous Pi 3B+ ?

Thanks in advance ...

RE: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

Pi 3B+ and Pi4 2GB pretty much same price, so get a Pi 4 and allow for heat sinks and active cooling because of increased speed/complexity. Somebody posted the neat idea of running a 5v fan off 3.3v so it'd be quiet.

b

RE: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

The 4 is a much more power hungry device and may require added cooling and less flexibility in power sources.

The downside to the 4 for me is more than the upside (which I can't think of any).

RE: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

@heneryh

FWIW I beleive the supposed overheating problem on the Pi4 simply deflects that is able to do much more works. I suspect that a throttled Pi4 would get no hotter than a Pi3 running the same plugins and would provide the same level of performance. A Pi4 has twice as much memory and the option to run more demanding plugins at the same price, why wouldn't you?

RE: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

Are there any scenarios where the 3b+ does NOT work?

As for why not the 4?  My concern is now you almost always seem to need a fan and extra powerful power supply.  Those are extra costs and less usability of all of the power stuff in your junk box.

No big deal if you want to go with the 4, just get the fan and larger PS.

RE: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

Thanks for the advises. My conclusion is that whatever Pi 3B+ or Pi 4B I will need a fan. The price of a Pi 4B is even less than for a Pi 3B+. For the board only or for a starter kit. If I already had a Pi 3B+ I would definitly use it. It seems to be well sufficient. But since I have to buy one I will go for the Pi4B +active fan + heat sink. And in case latter I use it for another purpose it will be better than the Pi3B+ What surprises me is that Prusa seems to say that the Pi zero W is enough for the rusa MK3+, but according to many source this is not true. Hopefully I did not buy a Pi zero ... I was almost ready to do so before I went through this forum ! Thanks guys !!!

RE: Raspberry Pi Zero W or 3B+?

@heneryh

"Are there any scenarios where the 3b+ does NOT work?" not that I know of but it is more likely to become less responsive with a combination of high load plugins. FWIW you can't go wrong with a 3B+ it just that at sometime you may start to run out of grunt although perhaps by then they'll be a Pi5?

I bought a 3B+ just before the price drop and am perfectly happy with it for now.