Working without SD Card

Hello!!

I would like to know if it is possible to print (properly) without the SD card. I mean, if it is possible to store all the information of the sd card (gcodes, sys and www folders) in another memory of the DUET PCB board (like in a EEPROM memory, RAM or sth like that)

Thanks in advance

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2015 05:59AM by AitorMarcos.

If you can get the printer working over USB, then in principle you could "print" the config.g file via the USB port before you do anything else. The snag is that you won't be able to use Pronterface as-is, because it expects an "OK" response after each command, but that doesn't happen until the M555 P2 command is read from config.g. Possible solutions include:

- Modify Pronterface so as to connect by sending M555 P2 instead of M105, or to send both;
- Modify the firmware so as to put it in Marlin emulation mode by default;
- Send M555 P2 via Arduino serial monitor first, then disconnect it and connect Pronterface;
- You may be able to access the printer via Ethernet, if the default IP address (192.168.1.14) is compatible with your network. If so, you could send M555 P2 via the web interface or Telnet, and then connect Pronterface.

But if it's just the SD card socket that has failed, then I suggest you first inspect the soldered connections at the back of it.

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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].

And what about the option of modifying the firmware? Would be possible to save al the SD card info (config.g and so on) in the firmware as a default info?

For example if I do the compensation of the Bed, and I want to store those values for the compensation, is it possible to store them in any other place that is not the sd card?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2015 07:30AM by AitorMarcos.

Quote
dc42
If you can get the printer working over USB, then in principle you could "print" the config.g file via the USB port before you do anything else. The snag is that you won't be able to use Pronterface as-is, because it expects an "OK" response after each command, but that doesn't happen until the M555 P2 command is read from config.g. Possible solutions include:

- Modify Pronterface so as to connect by sending M555 P2 instead of M105, or to send both;
- Modify the firmware so as to put it in Marlin emulation mode by default;
- Send M555 P2 via Arduino serial monitor first, then disconnect it and connect Pronterface;
- You may be able to access the printer via Ethernet, if the default IP address (192.168.1.14) is compatible with your network. If so, you could send M555 P2 via the web interface or Telnet, and then connect Pronterface.

But if it's just the SD card socket that has failed, then I suggest you first inspect the soldered connections at the back of it.

I doubt it is possible to get it running satisfactorily without an SD card unless the firmware is modified along the lines suggested. A web connection would surely not work without the web files on the SD card, and you'd have problems homing without any homing files present, though you could home by sending the homing file contents via the USB interface.

The main issue though would be that you would only be able to print from files sent live via USB or Ethernet, both of which can suffer from data bottlenecks causing the printer to print jerkily (especially when printing circles or curves).

Dave

Good point Dave, I'd forgotten about the homing files. The web interface would be difficult to get going without at least the reprap.htm file loaded form the SD card, however the telnet interface should still work.

My firmware fork (and zpl's) already saves some of the parameters in flash memory if that feature is enabled, including the M555 emulation mode.

---

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].