Hictop Controllers

Asking for help on my New Hictop Controller.


My New Hictop replacement Controller has the SD Card on the Controller, and My Marlin that was configured for use with the old controller without the onboard SD card.

Though When I flash the New Controller it recognizes the onboard controller SD Card and not the 2004 LCD Reprap Discount Smart Controller SD card reader.

Is there a way to tell my Marlin to look for the LCD card Reader instead.

Thank You any information you may have I could Try.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2020 06:11AM by Roberts_Clif.

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Computer Programmer / Electronics Technician

Its a SPI device, so there is probably another pin you can use to enable the onboard vs external SD slot

It depends whats in your pins file for this board...

You would need to trace the select pin from EXP2



Try and work out where the SS pin goes to

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2020 07:13AM by Dust.

Thank You


It appears that the SS signal moves over to a R96 label with no resistor in route to the EXP2 side.
The other Side travels to two points Pin 5 of U7 (74HC4050 Buffer) below the SD Connector and Pin 19 of the ATMEGA2560-16AU chip.

Without a jumper on R96 the signal never gets to the EXP2 connector.

Looking at the LCD schematic it appears that the same buffer was duplicated to U7 Chip on Hictop controller to drive the onboard SD card reader.
So If I lifted Pin 5 of U7 and added a 0 ohm resistor to R96 the signal should again flow to the Reprap 2004 smart discount controller and function.
Does this sound like it would work to you.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2020 12:07PM by Roberts_Clif.

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Computer Programmer / Electronics Technician

Isn't there a version of Marlin that supports more than one SD card?

The SS pin of an SPI interface is only a dedicated pin when the SPI interface is operating in slave mode. In master mode, you can normally use any pins you like as the CS pins.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2020 01:29PM by dc42.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Yes believe you are correct. I remember reading a post somewhere.
I could route the wire from the SS pin on EXP2 connector to a different pin and run both SD card Readers if this is in fact true.

However my need is that if my original controllers ever die, this newer Hictop controller is what I presently own to replace it with.
It would be nice to get the SD card on the LCD working before this happens.
I also have a pair of Arduino's that would also work as replacements with new mounting hardware and re-designed controller case.
The Arduino Mega and Ramps 1.6 are a last resort, as the mounting is designed for the controllers I have.
Still believe if I disable the on-board SD card reader by lifting pin 5 of U7 and Enable the 2004 LCD Reprap controller SD card reader with a R96 jumper it will work.

I could even wire in a STDP Switch and toggle between the two SD card readers now that I have done a little research this too would be a easy fix.
May even be the best option as some models are printed many many times while others are only printed one.

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Computer Programmer / Electronics Technician