Hey guys, I got this a while ago http://www.amazon.com/SainSmart-Control ... 3d+printer and I'm wondering if any of you guys know how I could wire it into the rambo board. Thanks.
It's an M2.
Sainsmart LCD screen
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Capt. John
- Posts: 271
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- Location: Manistee, MI
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Re: Sainsmart LCD screen
I purchased the 99 dollar controller from Makergear that comes with instructions to hook up.
Haven't hooked it up yet of the mindset I'd lose my S3D functionality printing directly from a SD card.
Unless, factory files from S3D software are the saved files that's on the SD card?
Haven't hooked it up yet of the mindset I'd lose my S3D functionality printing directly from a SD card.
Unless, factory files from S3D software are the saved files that's on the SD card?
Capt. John
Manistee, Michigan
Reel Amateur at 3D printing
Fishing Tackle Manufacturer & Webmaster for:
http://www.michiganangler.com
http://www.michigansportsman.com
Manistee, Michigan
Reel Amateur at 3D printing
Fishing Tackle Manufacturer & Webmaster for:
http://www.michiganangler.com
http://www.michigansportsman.com
Re: Sainsmart LCD screen
Cap'n,
You can have S3D "print" G-code to a file on an SD card, then put the card into the socket on the M2. Use S3D or the Viki (or other) LCD to select the file and print it. If you use S3D to start the print from SD card, you can unplug the USB cable, take the PC and go do something else with it while the printer keeps on running from the G-code on the card.
On some PCs with limited horsepower, you may need to do this because at some points the printer may be "starved" for commands from the PC and have to stop and wait for the PC to send more. This results in "drooly" pauses where things stop, leaving blobs and such. Most folks run PCs with enough horsepower for S3D to keep up with the printer when printing direct over USB, however. The RAMBo in the M2 can read G-code from the SD card fast enough to never "starve" for commands, making this a great solution for the slow PC problem.
You can have S3D send the G-code file to the SD card IN THE PRINTER, but now your file transfer is not at full SD card rate; it's at 250 kbps or 115.2 kbps or whatever, and is SLOW. Like old LapLink serial cable transfers (if you're old enough to remember). I have a Dell E6500 with a built-in full speed SD card socket, so on the rare occasions where I print from SD card, I put the card in the PC, put the G-code file on the card, then eject the card and pop it in the M2 and start the print.
Dale
p.s.: Sorry, Capt. I was having a crunchy, sugary breakfast cereal moment when I started this reply!
You can have S3D "print" G-code to a file on an SD card, then put the card into the socket on the M2. Use S3D or the Viki (or other) LCD to select the file and print it. If you use S3D to start the print from SD card, you can unplug the USB cable, take the PC and go do something else with it while the printer keeps on running from the G-code on the card.
On some PCs with limited horsepower, you may need to do this because at some points the printer may be "starved" for commands from the PC and have to stop and wait for the PC to send more. This results in "drooly" pauses where things stop, leaving blobs and such. Most folks run PCs with enough horsepower for S3D to keep up with the printer when printing direct over USB, however. The RAMBo in the M2 can read G-code from the SD card fast enough to never "starve" for commands, making this a great solution for the slow PC problem.
You can have S3D send the G-code file to the SD card IN THE PRINTER, but now your file transfer is not at full SD card rate; it's at 250 kbps or 115.2 kbps or whatever, and is SLOW. Like old LapLink serial cable transfers (if you're old enough to remember). I have a Dell E6500 with a built-in full speed SD card socket, so on the rare occasions where I print from SD card, I put the card in the PC, put the G-code file on the card, then eject the card and pop it in the M2 and start the print.
Dale
p.s.: Sorry, Capt. I was having a crunchy, sugary breakfast cereal moment when I started this reply!
Re: Sainsmart LCD screen
It's not so much a matter of horsepower as it is of USB throughput. Most of the time you won't notice. On some large models with lots of tiny segments, you will see it slow down, no matter how beefy your computer. It is shoveling all that gcode through USB, and gcode is pretty verbose for what it does.
The other issue is that sometimes the host program will miss an ACK from the printer, acknowledging that it received a command, and will just wait for a few seconds until it times out and moves on. This is, apparently, due to ground loops from not sharing ground(?) Whatever the reason, it will leave a melty spot, which is annoying if it happens on a perimeter. Hasn't happened for me lately, though.
In general, I print long "important" prints (relatively speaking) through SD, and print through USB for quick and dirty things.
The other issue is that sometimes the host program will miss an ACK from the printer, acknowledging that it received a command, and will just wait for a few seconds until it times out and moves on. This is, apparently, due to ground loops from not sharing ground(?) Whatever the reason, it will leave a melty spot, which is annoying if it happens on a perimeter. Hasn't happened for me lately, though.
In general, I print long "important" prints (relatively speaking) through SD, and print through USB for quick and dirty things.