printrbot/printrhub

This is the public repository of the display and controller of our new 3D printer: Simple 2016.

printrhub's Issues

Printer WIFI page time limit?

Since nothing can be downloaded to the printer when it is on the WIFI screen, perhaps one work around is to implement a 10 second timer to revert back to the previous page - or the main Projects page.

This would avoid people THINKING they are sending files to the printer, when in reality, IF they are on the WIFI screen, it just silently fails. Instead of explaining it, this would all but eliminate a file upload failure due to being on that one restrictive screen.

There are other ways to solve this, but not sure of the limitations you are dealing with:
-allow uploads on that page
-explain with onscreen words "No uploads allowed in this screen"
-Having printrbot.cloud warn if they are on that black-magical screen (complicated)
--??

Prompt “update firmware” when new firmware is available

This could remove requirement of using the cloud firmware update page— which is difficult to use and confusing. That page could be used as a last ditch effort btw

Firmware Update Changes Listed by versions

Brief list of what was changed in various firmware updates. v.14.... v.15... etc

Im a github idiot so maybe that fancy pants stuff is already happening

Cancelling print sometimes freezes printer

We need to define when this happens. I believe it is when loading/unloading filament. But I need to go back and check.

Settings Icon Change

Consensus: Gear icon would be more universally understood for a settings page(s) than the existing icon.

-brook

List network IP address at all times

The display should display the printers IP address all the time or if not possible should be easily accessibly with a tap on a button.

UI prompts user to load/unload filament before the print head has moved up and forward.

If one were to attempt to load the filament when first prompted, they could potentially be hurt by fast moving head.

Display “updating firmware, do not shut off power” instead of screen going black

(May not be possible), in which case, we could give instructions to not turn off screen before update begins.

Load filament workflow - include unload?

When I go to change filament, it would be nice if the load filament workflow could include an unload step:

• Heat extruder
• Question prompt: "Is filament already loaded??"
  • If Yes, proceed to unload filament
• Once done, resume standard load process

Right now this is a two-step process, which includes two extruder heat-up times.

Document G-Codes used in current firmware

G-Codes are hardcoded in the firmware (see Printr.cpp). This has issues with sending files via WiFi and for overall flexibility.

As a first step we should document current G-Codes used and then decide where to split them or where to implement them. Documentation is required in Wiki

There are various possibilities:

1. Keep them in the firmware as is (hard coded)
2. G-Codes downloaded from the Cloud contain all G-Codes (i.e. G-Codes are generated in the cloud)
3. G-Codes are stored on internal SD card.
4. ...

Tasks

• Document G-Codes used in current firmware
• Discuss and decide where to put them (in this issue)
• Create issues required for refactoring

Change main screen on the printer's IP address to general info screen

Currently, when you hit the printer's IP address, you get a page to change Printer's name and to enter the local wifi name and password.

(As discussed) this page could be informational, and it could link to Local wifi name/pass.... change printer name... whatever you like.

Please include MAC address here too

add git tags for firmware release numbers.

Hi there. I can see that my printrhub has firmware package 108, but I'm not sure at what commit that firmware package was built. Is it possible to add git tags so we can keep track of what code gets shipped in which firmware build?

{
    "firmware": 108,
    "fw_cloud_buildnr": 108,
    "fw_info_sent": true,
    "fw_update": true,
    "ipaddress": "192.168.1.10",
    "locked": false,
    "mk20": true,
    "name": "printrbot",
    "serialnr": "",
    "softapip": "0.0.0.0",
    "ssid": "myWifi"
}

Thanks!

Option to add SSID and password on touch screen??

Setting up the printer via touch screen only should be possible without external device support (i.e. launching a browser on your PC/Mac or smartphone to setup the printer).

The currently implemented keyboard only supports various symbols and special characters. But perhaps those are not enough if users use a wide range of symbols and special characters in their WiFi passwords.

Enter / Edit WIFI name and password on printer

Please add an edit button on the wifi screen to enter wifi name and password.

I realize we your current soft-keyboard does not support all characters, but for most, this would be quite helpful.

I believe this is the most straight forward approach for the majority of people out there to connect to local wifi

Crash or update

I'll just tap a menu item and the screen goes black. All the support pages say this is probably an update and I'm meant to wait an hour‽ I'm pretty sure it's just crashed (it happened before I'd even connected wifi too).

It would be nice if there was a way to tell the difference between a crash and an update, or better docs on this. Does anything come on screen before an update starts? A dialogue "Do you wish to install update?" perhaps?

Bug fixes for all the crashes would be great too, this is insane.

High speed head crash into bed

Mid way through a Cura USB print I noticed it wasn't coming out well so I clicked "Abort" in Cura, which for some reason rams the print head into the bed at high speed and didn't stop until I powered off. This of course ruined the PEI tape :(

I realise this is probably a Cura issue, perhaps because on Ultimakers the bed goes down rather than the gantry.

But surely the Printrboard firmware should disallow commands that send the print head below the minimium Z. It homes at the start of the print and does bed levelling, so it knows where the bed is, I don't see why you'd let it smash through that.

Capture actual print times and adjust estimate accordingly

Feel free to ignore this suggestion, but it occurred to me...

Time estimates will always be off. They take longer than what the slicer (or in our case, the 2016 Simple) says they will take. For the Simple I haven't quantified how far they are off, but they do not seem to be accurate. The printrhub isn't at fault, since this comes from the cloud. I've printed both PLA (100% speed) and flexible filament (50% speed).

However, if there was a checksum for both prints and filament, a data table could be constructed with:

Model checksum, Selected Filament profile checksum, Actual print time

• Anytime the model is deleted or updated, erase all rows with the old model checksum
• Anytime a specific filament profile is deleted or updated, erase all rows with the old filament checksum
• A new row would be added when the print finished, or updated (and averaged) if a row already existed
• When printing, if the checksums match up, use this actual print time instead of estimated

Z maxes out at end of print causing jam

I'm using the small starter spool you ship with the printer. When a print finishes the gantry whizzes up the Z at warp speed, crashes into the spool, jams and causes a horrible grinding noise from the stepper as it skips!

The spool naturally gets pulled to the left past where it's supposed to be because those mini spools have a weird lip in the middle but not at the sides so there's nothing to stop it from sliding over too far.

Don't have the gantry go so high, or ship the mini spools with printed inserts that add a lip to the outside so it doesn't slide over, or make the flange on the spool handle bigger.

Enabling heatbed associated with materials in the cloud

If heatbed is activated it should heat up along the nozzle. Printing should start once both the nozzle and the heatbed have reached desired temperature.

There might be printers that have no heatbed installed. In this case we must either sense if there is a heatbed available and exclude that in the preheat phase or we must make sure that fireware does not wait for the heatbed to reach temperature when we only receive 0 degrees value back from printer status.

Projects showing up multiple times

I don't know if this is due to the cloud platform sending different project IDs for the same project, but when I push a project to the 2016 Simple it sometimes is listed multiple times. Deleting one instance of a project does not clear out the other ("identical") instances.

Report MAC address on WIFI screen

On wifi screen, please report the MAC address.

this would assist those requiring MAC address to add printer to their network.

The MAC address could also be reported in the main screen on the ESP (currently the default page when you hit the IP address of the printer http://192.168.4.1 for example)

Load filament doesn't run extruder

I used the on-screen load filament command, extruder heated, the print head moved, but the extruder didn't turn it just said load filament now. I assume the extruder is meant to turn to help you load the filament? In Brook's video he implies this.

Info button / display settings for part preview

Currently, the only way to know what the settings are for a part on the printer is to hit print - it would be useful to have an info button that displays the basic information for a part (essentially, whatever options are configurable), including print time and filament quantity. An uncluttered preview is nice - hence an info button. The current UI is nicely done, and this is just a suggestion.

allow job download without printing

add a button that allows downloading gcode without starting a print.

Display/Indicate currently selected filament

After switching filament types (PLA -> Ninjaflex), there is no indication what filament type is being printed with. Some ideas:

• Green check mark indicating a specific filament is selected as the current material
• On the printing screen, indicate which filament is selected
• On the filament picker screen, have the first choice be the selected filament type and use the words "Current Filament"
• A persistent "Material: Name" on relevant screens (load/unload, print, etc...)

I've been switching between a few different filament types, and think it would be useful to know what filament the printer currently thinks it is using. Also, I'm guessing it always reverts to the first filament in the list after rebooting, but I don't actually know.

Crunking out X after homing

When doing a USB print from Cura the printer homed correctly, and then for some reason the X axis decided to keep going right (- past home) causing the motor to click until powered off.

Weird bug, I don't know why after homing the printer would allow itself to go negative on the X.

It only happened once. After a power cycle and not changing any print settings the next attempt worked fine.

(More a G2 issue but I don't see a PB fork of G2)

...

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Wrap projects and jobs so first comes after last

At the moment projects and jobs end the scrolling when the last project or job is reached.
It would be better if project list would wrap around so you can constantly scroll without having to go back.

Attempting to print model produces "Unknown Error" or "File Not Found"

1. Import project from thingiverse
2. Send to printer
3. Select part and tap print
4. Shows downloading briefly
5. Get error on screen. Either "Unknown Error" or "File Not Found"

I can't say that I've seen this from manually uploaded STLs, but I might have. I haven't done this much yet.

First boot dodgy

On first boot I did the load filament thing, it said heating extruder but nothing happened. There was a picture showing red lights but the lights never came on. After 5 minutes I gingerly touched the hot end and it was cold. After a reboot the lights came on and the hot end did heat.

One issue is that to go wrong the first time it's turned on is a bad first impression.

Secondly it's not even clear when it has gone wrong - the screen was working fine, there was no message to say anything was wrong, but the lights and heat didn't come on.

Update G2 firmware via cloud

This may be a hardware limitation but it seems crazy that there are 3 things to update via the cloud, and then updating the Printrboard G2 requires USB. A one button update for everything would be more user friendly.

Feature suggestion: API endpoint for printing status

I looked over https://github.com/Printrbot/Printrhub/blob/master/esp/src/web_server.cpp, it would be great if you could add an endpoint to display printing status. Specifically, print time, % complete, etc...

I wanted to add a use case, as it would be a useful addition, and not just a cool feature: We make parts for use in our classrooms, and we are used to printing large batches of parts overnight with a Metal Plus. My hope with the simple is that we could have students in our shop print parts as needed, or perhaps if I need something small I could use it instead of the plus. However, I'm not always able to view a webcam, and would like to get notifications when a job is complete - or be able to check on status without viewing a video feed.

Extruder ran backwards when running LOAD filament

1. Use on-screen UI to load filament
2. Extruder retracted instead

This repeated until I power cycled.
The screen said Load filament now.