SD Card Lag

[KevinMakes 22]

Random topic about Ultimaker2 usability/UIX thing.

The SD card that comes with the UM2 is complete garbage. If you have 10 files or more navigating is the most irritating thing on the planet. Do yourself a favor and get a Photography sd card any high speed one will work. I think I got a 16 gb for around $14 and then separated the files with folders and now I can hold several hundred files (24-48 each folder) with little to no lag when scrolling through them on the ultimaker "print" interface.

[drofnas 15]

Hmm, guess I should try one of my high speed SD Cards. But I've also had 0 issues with the performance of the cheap SD card my UM2 came with. Could just be one of those times where I don't know any different, so therefore I didn't notice the lag

I also tend to only keep a max of 10-ish prints on my cards, when I'm done those .gcode files are moved to my NAS for later use if need be.

[cloakfiend 996]

Thats weird i had hundreds of files on my sd card and didn't notice much lag, but it was more annoying scrolling through it looking for something once the file system stopped arranging them in date order, so i just deleted them all and now whenever i load something i just rotate the wheel once to the left just after i press print and it always goes to the latest file. I don't find the lag a problem, i just treat it as a dump card for printing with no other purpose at all, therefore speed and anything else is irrelevant to me as its never a factor. I now dont let myself put too many files on it as it gets confused with too many files anyway and i hate looking through the card for them when there are loads on it as the nozzle cools too much and i have to start all over again, due to a sensitive PFTE, so I need it fast.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Guest

[Labern 775]

both My UM's don't have any lag with stock card and 50 plus files. Maybe you got a dodgy card or has some corrupt file?

[LePaul 354]

Let me chime in...I haven't had any problems with the included SD card either.  My only complaint is it will not sort by newest file, if I modify a print in Cura then export to the SD Card, it doesn't move to the top of the SD Card menu [on the Ulticontroller]

Although i was thinking about buying a second SD card, should this one fail.  But the smallest ones I find are 8gb.  Will the Ulticontroller see an 8gb card?  D o we have to format it or partition it down to a smaller size?  @SanderVG ?

Edited November 2, 2015 by Guest

[neotko 1,417]

One of my sd it's 8GB and works on my umo+. Since the ulticontroller it's older it should work on um2.

[cloakfiend 996]

Hey @lepaul i had the same issue as you, but its just that there is not enough memory given to the interface so keep less files and the latest one will ALWAYS go to the bottom, hence the one click to the left when going from the print menu and you should automatically have your desired file selected in the menu when you are about to print it, and all you need to do is click it!

[IRobertI 521]

No, the latest file will not always go to the bottom. That's what _usually_ happens, but it's not always the case. I can't remember the exact reason for it right now but it has to do with what index the file gets assigned when it's written to the card. Sorting isn't being done because the poor Arduino is already strained enough as it is.

[SandervG 1,521]

No it can see it just fine for the Ultimaker 2.

If you have an Ultimaker Original you should keep a small eye on the size on the card, especially the amount of files on it. It could potentially slow down your UltiController.

[LePaul 354]

No it can see it just fine for the Ultimaker 2.

If you have an Ultimaker Original you should keep a small eye on the size on the card, especially the amount of files on it. It could potentially slow down your UltiController.

 

Didn't know that, good tip

[cloakfiend 996]

I use a UM2 and after I loaded it with tons of test gcodes over the last year, it did start placing them randomly as I was always used to having the latest one last, but at one point this stopped, hence me advising people not to slap too many files onto it, making 4GB more than enough space to play with. Maybe it doesn't like the larger GB gcodes, but I cant remember, either way if you don't have much on the card, its not an issue.

[KevinMakes 22]

I use a UM2 and after I loaded it with tons of test gcodes over the last year, it did start placing them randomly as I was always used to having the latest one last, but at one point this stopped, hence me advising people not to slap too many files onto it, making 4GB more than enough space to play with. Maybe it doesn't like the larger GB gcodes, but I cant remember, either way if you don't have much on the card, its not an issue.

 

I use a 16 gb and i can see all files just fine. As far as the lag, I looked up the read write rate of the stock card, apparently it is the bottom of the barrel worst card available...I dont know if it was just one included by fabbric8 in a time of shortage or what. for those of you who see no lag... I must just be picky because even with the fastest card on the market (the new one we purchased there is still a little lag.) I will post a video...

[cloakfiend 996]

Damn Kevin, you must be picky! lol. ;)and I thought I had no patience. Try loading a 2million poly model into Maya from Zbrush with a crap graphics card and then editing it! now thats what i call lag......

I know those SD cards are poor quality, but as long as they work without fail (as mine seems to)  I really don't get the lag thing, as surely you are on about the speed the UM2 or whatever takes to scroll through the files, as apart from that, i cant imagine where else you are waiting? Perhaps waiting for cura to write the file to the sd card, yes true, but i've found that to vary even with the same file strangely enough? it may be cura responsible? Maybe I don't work with SD cards enough but my wacom cintique has a port and i just chuck them in there from my eos and drag drop whatever doesn't seem to make much difference what card i use the lag appears the same, the read write speed differ, yes but lag to me is waiting twiddling my fingers whilst something hangs momentarily or is just preoccupied in its duty you have just assigned it.

Besides, waiting a second of lag for a 19hr print seems acceptable in my view, lol.\

Some things don't like large cards, maybe thats an issue, I remember my hacked DS didn't like cards over 8GB but here i really don't know i've not used any different cards and have whipped it out of my UM2 so many times the plastic has broken off it from various places but luckily it still works! so its ok in my books.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Guest

[KevinMakes 22]

Well, I know for a fact that if I had to load a 2mil poly count model in any software wit a crap graphics card on a regular basis I would jump from a tall building without a parachute... Thats why I purchased 2 Titan x blacks for my workstation... I only edit models within the range of 60thou tris...

my workstation has a few other jems ( msata ssd and 32 gb rram. ) so I rarely wait on...anything so waiting on the list to update for 3 seconds and then when I think it has stopped loading and decide to click on the desired file and find out halfway through the print that it isn't the right one... is...well torture. I have never wanted to forcibly shove my face through an electronic device so much as I did when using the stock sd card fo the ultimaker 2...

[cloakfiend 996]

Nice specs, but the 3 second wait is weird, i think you might just be unlucky with the UM2 interface or something as I dont get that.

[LePaul 354]

I know my DSLR camera requires class 6 or faster SDHC/SDXC memory card for what it does. What's the requirement for the Ulticontroller? Or for the Ultimaker 2?

I just looked at my SD card and there's about 30 gcodes in there. Plus the many sub-directories Cura made trying to replicate my PC's Save path. But I haven't seen any slow down or lag

[KevinMakes 22]

I know my DSLR camera requires class 6 or faster SDHC/SDXC memory card for what it does.  What's the requirement for the Ulticontroller?  Or for the Ultimaker 2?

I just looked at my SD card and there's about 30 gcodes in there.  Plus the many sub-directories Cura made trying to replicate my PC's Save path.  But I haven't seen any slow down or lag

 

hmmm idk but I got the fastest sd card on the market and no more problems. and the total file count on the original sd card was 392. and there was no subdirectories. all in one file.