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Web enabled Robo3d using Raspberry Pi and Octoprint

Discussion in 'Mods and Upgrades' started by sjreggel, Feb 19, 2014.

  1. woferry

    woferry Member

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    I never use the printer/LCD's SD Card (I don't even have a card installed), I suspect that's why you'd be seeing the slowness, as the pipe between that and the Pi has to be pretty convoluted/slow (it's only a UART between the two, meant for streaming GCode during printing not doing large file transfers). I print directly from OctoPrint (storing things on the Pi's SD Card) and have had no issues with slowness, since the file is much closer to the software in that case. With the data on the Robo instead, OctoPrint would basically have to have the printer sending it the GCode so it can analyze it, rather than the other way around which is the way things are intended to work.
     
  2. Sean Carson

    Sean Carson Member

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    I have no issues with speed. It's near instantaneous with my pi 2.
     
  3. Scifideity

    Scifideity Member

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    I forgot to mention I've experienced the same slowness when uploading to the Pi to have it print from itself and not use the LCD SD Card. I was trying the LCD SD since I was thinking the Pi would just tell it to print and then the Robo would pull the file and go. I'm still new to the Robo and Pi so still figuring things out.
     
  4. Scifideity

    Scifideity Member

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    I'm running the Pi 2 Model B 1GB RAM 900 MHz Quad-Core CPU with a Kingston 32GB micro SD. Pretty much the exact setup recommended by Tom in his video. I used his links to order everything.

    Thinking I may have a faulty Pi 2. I ordered another one to test that theory and it should be here today. Amazon's return policy is pretty solid on faulty stuff so I can send the bum one back if the same SD image works in the new board.
     
  5. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    To get the price of the Pi where it is today, a lot of things are sacrificed. The CPU is essentially responsible for controlling every aspect of the IO, from USB to WiFi to GPIO to the LCD Touchscreen. There has been much discussion in the Octoprint GIT on the library used to copy to and from the SD card. They know Python is slow. but every thing they have tried so far has not reduced any of the overhead. It is what it is, and it is still pretty good for a under $40 SBC.

    I also believe the Python libraries for SD card IO is only able to use a single core. So much slower than any multi-core app.
     
  6. Scifideity

    Scifideity Member

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    So is taking 50min to load and calculate a 3Meg .gcode file from SD to Pi considered normal? I say 50min but it'd probably still be "Calculating...." if I hadn't stopped it. I definitely understand I'm not getting a super computer Robo front end for <$40 but geez, at this pace it's not even worth that. I'm hoping I just have a bum Pi 2. I'll run through the setup again shortly on the new Pi 2 that's now arrived and see if anything changes.
     
  7. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    There could be something wrong with the gcode file. Did you try making a minute change and reslicing it? I have uploaded a lot of 20+Mb files and if I write it to the Pi's SD card it is slow, but if I write it to the LCD's SD card through Octoprint it is like molasses. But nowhere near what you are quoting.
     
  8. Scifideity

    Scifideity Member

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    Once I get this new Pi up and running I'll do some test with various files and see how it performs.
     
  9. Scifideity

    Scifideity Member

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    First impressions on the new Pi 2. I ordered a different Wifi dongle for this one just to rule out the WiPi and the new Pi 2 and Wifi fired right up. Took out the Canakit Wifi and popped the WiPi into the new board to confirm if it was the WiPi or the other Pi 2 and the WiPi fired right up.

    It's starting to look like I definitely got a bum Pi 2 the first time around.

    More test results to follow...
     
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  10. Ricardo Arredondo

    Ricardo Arredondo New Member

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    I saw your first post of the day as i was upgrading my extruder. Sorry for the delayed reply. But i never really have an issue waiting for my OctoPrint server to load as you say. Its pretty darn quick. But i do remember having and issue with a raspberry pi prior to this and it was due to having an old sd card that i had used for a ton of different projects. So upon replacing with a newer samsung i was good to go. Hope that helps.
     
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  11. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    @Scifideity I just did a test on mine, It is hardwired not WiFi. Copying using the web interface 5.3 Mb file was under 3.5 seconds to the internal SD and about 30 minutes to the LCD SD card then it crashed the rPi2.
     
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  12. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Heh, took one for the team :)
     
  13. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    Yeah, had to Putty into it and shut it down properly to get it back up and running.
     
  14. Scifideity

    Scifideity Member

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    I'm experiencing similar results, minus the crashing bit, using this new Pi 2 board. Copied an 11.5Meg .gcode file in about 5sec and a fresh copy over of the previous file, 3.1Meg, took maybe 2sec tops.

    So, new rule of thumb is never copy to the LCD SD Card via OctoPrint.

    Time to send this defective Pi 2 back to Amazon.

    Thanks for the advice everyone :)
     
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  15. Scifideity

    Scifideity Member

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    Anyone find and implement a good solution for adding external Status LEDs to their Pi once it's in a case?
     
  16. Bruce Jenkins

    Bruce Jenkins Member

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    Could you expand a bit more on how you used your Android tablet for the TouchUI octoprint.
    I can see how one would add the plugin to octoprint - but just don't understand how you would connect the tablet for the TouchUI.

    I have (several actually) old android tablets I'd love to try this on

    (Pics, more info would sure be great)
    Thanks
     
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  17. Bruce Jenkins

    Bruce Jenkins Member

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    This tread has been great - and a BIG THANKS to all the great (and specific) instructions for use noobies that want to jump into the rPi Octoprint pond.

    I am somewhat confused though on all the rPi 'models' I read people using. 'Tom' suggests using a "rPi 2", but I see here people talking about a Pi A, B, B+, and 3.

    Is a Pi B the "2" ??

    I assume the rPi 3 is the latest - but it seems Octoprint is still in development for that - but is the upgrade for the Pi 3 hardware worth the extra wait on the software?

    just not sure which one to get.
     
  18. Scifideity

    Scifideity Member

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    I used Tom's link which took me to the Pi 2 Model B 1GB 900MHz which I think it the last one before Pi 3 but i'm not positive. So far I have no complaints. Once I got everything figured out and tweaked it's running like a champ. I still have to figure out the Email Notifier but just haven't had time .
     
  19. WheresWaldo

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  20. Bruce Jenkins

    Bruce Jenkins Member

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    Thanks for your quick replies ... still confused frustrated over which camera to get ... the Pi Camera looks the easiest - but akward ribbon/mounting

    Anyway - thanks again.
     

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