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Posted · UM2 - printing via USB

Dear all,

The laptop I am currently using to draw models and export printing files from Cura (version 4.3.0) does not allow communication with SD cards without BitLocker encryption. Therefore, my UM2 can't read the card.

The only option that is left is to print via USB, which gives the following issue:

 When clicking "Print via USB", the head immediately starts to traveling (along a path that appears to be the correct contour of the product I am trying to print) , but without heating the bed and the nozzle, without raising the bed into the correct position and without extruding (feeder is not activated either). 

 

What is going wrong here? 

Thanks in advance!

Miron

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    Posted · UM2 - printing via USB
    1 hour ago, MironT said:

    What is going wrong here?

     

    in short:

    "Ultimaker" gcode flavor does work only for prints from sd-card.

    If you want to print via USB - change "GCode flavor" to "Marlin" (machine settings in Cura)

     

    important difference:

    Material settings on the printer (temperatures and retraction settings) are not longer used. Everything has to be configured in Cura.

     

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    Posted · UM2 - printing via USB
    40 minutes ago, MironT said:

    Thanks! That did the trick.

    One last question: is there a way to keep the printer printing while removing the USB cable? 

     

    No, since (if I understand this correctly) Cura is directly sending the G-Code instructions to the printer in real time if you're printing over USB.

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    Posted · UM2 - printing via USB

    When printing via USB that way, @P3D is correct. Also, be sure to set the PC to never go to sleep.

     

    if you want to not be tethered like that, you can get a Raspberry Pi and install Octopi, the Octoprint version built for the Pi. This runs as a 3D Print server and there is a Cura plug-in to let you print directly to it via the network. When I set mine up, I didn’t have luck connecting it via hardwired Ethernet, but it worked fine using WiFi with a little USB WiFi dongle. 

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    Posted · UM2 - printing via USB

    Cura can print through USB but it's not the best - I prefer printrun or prontrface (same program):

    http://koti.kapsi.fi/~kliment/printrun/

     

    I searched on youtube for "how to print through usb port using cura" and got 3 videos that look like they might be pretty good.

     

    The biggest problem I've had with cura is I'd plug in the printer and on windows (each OS will be different for this step) went into device manager and could see the printer appear but it would be a com port like "COM17" and if the number was larger than around 5, Cura wouldn't see it for me at least.  Not sure if that's fixed or if it will be a problem for you.  It's not a problem for printrun.

     

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    Posted · UM2 - printing via USB

    Another problem a lot of people have is that if cura is running and you plug in the cable, cura will often grab exclusive rights to that comport so other programs (like printrun) will not see or connect to the printer so some people have to exit cura to use printrun.  Sometimes.

     

    Officially printing over USB to a UM2 series printer is not supported because it is fraught with problems, and is somewhat unreliable.  You need a good quality USB shielded cable and you might also need to use some kind of USB hub.

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    Posted · UM2 - printing via USB

    Correction: we have a 2+ connect, not sure if that would change anything. My computer isn’t showing a new com port when plugging in. I’d prefer to use simplify 3D if possible or cura. Not sure if printing is approved for our use.

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    Posted · UM2 - printing via USB

    If you're running Windows, sometimes you have to go into device manager and if there are unknown devices, right click them and select "Update driver"

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    Posted · UM2 - printing via USB

    No the "connect" changes everything.  You can't do USB printing with that.  It has S5 style computers and a UM2 style hardware.  The S3/S5/S7 and UM2+connect have 2 computers - the old Marlin computer that runs the servos and heaters and expects gcodes and the linux computer which is the ONLY thing that sends gcodes to the Marlin computer (Marlin is open source firmware used in most printers today (>90%) but many newer printers use Klipper firmware).

     

    The linux computer does not allow USB printing and every gcode has to pass through the linux computer.  There should be no USB cable on the um2+C.  Instead it has the flat usb connector you would expect on a computer (not on a usb device) and those are for flash drives.

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    Posted · UM2 - printing via USB

    correct, its not possible to print to a 2+ Connect via a USB "Cable"

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