Ulticontroller better then PC connection

[mrcdesign 0]

Hello,

I have googled this but i couldn't find it to my surprise.

Is it true that having an Ulticontroller gives you better prints due to

no lag, more stable connection, and no pc lag?

Thanks,

Mrcdesign

 

[IRobertI 516]

Only if you're currently having those problems with your PC. In my year or two of printing I've never had those problems unless I start doing something very CPU intensive at the same time as I'm printing.

 

[Daid 303]

Yes, the communication from SD is faster then over USB. So with high detailed models you might have some stuttering with USB while not with SD. First model I noticed it with was http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:17906

But that was a year ago, software has advanced, so it might work better now.

 

[gr5 2,004]

The speed issue never manifested itself to me but I've only done about 20 prints through USB.

The stable connection thing is a big deal. I would say about half the times I ask Cura to print it dies in the first few seconds. A minor annoyance, but an annoyance none the less. Only once did it freeze after that and it was in the second layer so again, not too bad. Lots of people have posted here and on google groups about losing connection to the printer and having to reconnect.

Worse: You can accidentally pull out the usb, windows might upgrade your software and then reboot without you noticing the popup message, you might accidentally close the wrong connection, etc. I think the UC is definitely worth the money. If you have lots of free time and not much money then you can convert a controller made for other machines with only moving a few wires and 1/4 the price. But if you have enough money to afford say a smart phone or starbucks coffee daily then the UC is probably worth it for you.

 

[IRobertI 516]

Just a minor addition to my post, I don't use cura to print, I use printrun instead. Don't know if that matters but I've never had any issues with disconnections and whatnot with that. I also disable automatic updates/reboots in windows within minutes of a fresh install, I'll decide when to reboot thank you very much

I'm not saying the UC is a waste of money, I'm just saying that for me it's not worth it. YMMV.

 

[3dcase 37]

_Moghu,

_{Using my Ultimaker with a pc connection for 7 months, only gives me trouble when the pc is stressed (using an old one :???: ).}

_{Some other tools in my 'mancave' give a powerdip when switching on/off. Sometimes the printer stops.}

_{A 'Little' stressful for me when making 12 hour prints :mad:}

_{This week I finally mounted my Ulticontroller, still figuring out the advantages, but found them!}

_{No usb or voltage trouble anymore.}

_{Using Cura as slicer and printer controller , They work together!}

_{Like the preheat option in the Ulticontroller! Preheating when fiddling with the slicer. In Cura you have to wait until it's done slicing and you can start printing.}

_{Ulticontroller has a flowrate adjustment, Like that!}

_{I still have to find the 'Fill'speed option.}

_Regards

_Kees

 

[illuminarti 18]

There isn't a separate 'fill' speed option on the ulticontroller. You can adjust the overall speed (perimeters, fill, moves) jsut my turning the knob when on the main screen, or adjust the flow rate by going into the 'tune' menu during a print. But you can't adjust the infill speed by itself.

 

[mrcdesign 0]

Thanks for the reply's, i have ordered an Ulticontroller so i hope the quality will be good now.

I also bought soft PLA, but i can't get it to print, (with or without raft) are there any specific rules for soft PLA ?

And another question, about the material feeder.

On the material feeder you have the grey quick fit coupling, in there you have the part that "constrains" the plastic transparant tube, but that part is allways going up and down with the retraction, i looked it up, its build as it should be.

Any idea's ? ( I cant glue it for swapping materials )

 

[gr5 2,004]

You should start new topics for new questions. People who are experts in soft pla will read this thread title and skip over it.

Regarding bowden tube, yes! I have tried many solutions on ultimaker. This one looks better than what I ended up doing and is on my list of things to print:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:46157

Printing this will let you reduce your retraction amount. I retract 4.5mm. I haven't tried less than that yet. The less the retraction amount, the faster you can print.

 

[mrcdesign 0]

Ah true, but i didnt want to spam with much new topics.

Ill print that part right away.

My tube just let go again, when reading this.

 

[gr5 2,004]

That part won't keep your tube in. It just keeps the tube from moving up and down on every retraction.

 

[Daid 303]

For soft PLA, I just noted this down:

http://blog.ultimaker.com/cura-user-manual-flexible-pla/