Prusa Slicer 2.8.0 with Mk 3.5 on earlier firmware - help please!
Hi guys, laptop replacement has meant i have installed the latest Slicer (2.8.0) and i want to use this with my trusty Mk3.5 on Firmware 3.8.1-2869, which is not the latest. I've just outputted a file to me SD card, but it doesn't appear on the list when the SD card is inserted to my printer. Is this because the printer firmware is out of date? Or some other reason? I don't really want to update the firmware if i don't have to. Any work around?
Thanks in advance.
RE: Prusa Slicer 2.8.0 with Mk 3.5 on earlier firmware - help please!
The new profiles in 2.8 are configured to output gcode files as binary now. Earlier versions of printer firmware don't support that as they don't know what it is. You can change what's output in Prusa Slicer though back to using non Binary gcode.
There are 2 ways to do so. You can either change the settings in your printer profile>General>Firmware and untick the supports Binary g code setting and then saving the profile as a new user one or the simpler way is to go into Preferences in Prusa Slicer and then Other>Use Binary G-Code when the printer supports it and make sure that is unticked.
RE: Prusa Slicer 2.8.0 with Mk 3.5 on earlier firmware - help please!
Thank you for your response. I tried the latter approach (i.e. via the Preferences menu). The file outputs as a .gcode. I can see the file on the browser in my Mk3.5, but when click the button to execute it to print, it 'reboots' the printer each time, so I guess it doesn't like something within the Slicer 2.8.0 output. Can you help me further?
Thank you
RE: Prusa Slicer 2.8.0 with Mk 3.5 on earlier firmware - help please!
Unfortunately I'm not sure I can. You would at a minimum need to post examples of a gcode file that causes your printer to restart and an older one that prints fine. That way a comparison of the contents such as the headers/ end as well as command format could be done.
You can then edit the problem one to remove potential causes and then see if the edited version succeeds. That way you could narrow the issue down.
You probably should open a new issue on the Prusa Slicer github about your problem. The Mk3x firmware forum is here https://github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware/issues but they are likely to just get you to update to the latest version.
Or you could report it on the Prusa Slicer github https://github.com/prusa3d/PrusaSlicer/issues and see if they can figure out what the slicer is now outputting that the older firmware doesn't like.
In both instances the Dev's are going to need the same 2 gcode files to compare in all likelyhood. I did have a quick search to see if there was anything already but I couldn't find one.
RE: Prusa Slicer 2.8.0 with Mk 3.5 on earlier firmware - help please!
Acknowledged, thank you. I would imagine I'm not the first person to try and output from Slicer 2.8.0 to Mk3.5 on Firmware 3.8.1-2869, so had thought there might be a quick workaround. Perhaps i need to bite the bullet and update the firmware then? My only reluctance to do so to date has been based on the fact 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'.. forgive my ignorance - if i do a firmware update on my Mk3.5, do i have to apply the updates progressively from the existing firmware level to the latest, or can i simply apply the latest firmware? sorry for my ignorance on these matters.
RE: Prusa Slicer 2.8.0 with Mk 3.5 on earlier firmware - help please!
I fall into the same category. My Mk3 (non S) is running iirc 3.7.x. So still on Linear Advance 1
Even though I'm running 2.8 I long ago made sure ALL the profiles I used (print/filament/printer) were all detached from the system profiles. So I haven't had any problems as I only enable/add new settings after evaluating if I actually need them and after personally testing if they improved things (or not). I do not like the idea that a profile update can silently change my settings as the underlying ones they are based on change.
I do think that Prusa don't test new versions of the slicer against old firmware as their print farm is probably running the new stuff all the time. 2.8 also seems to have generated many github issues with profiles no longer being compatible with various printers and so disappearing from the drop downs. Another side benefit of detaching them all long ago, never have that problem 🙂
If you do post the gcode here , don't forget to zip it up. I'll take a look but no promises. Some of the other users who know gcode better might be able to weigh in on it too.