UltiMaker uses functional, analytical and tracking cookies. Tracking cookies enhance your experience on our website and may also collect your personal data outside of Ultimaker websites. If you agree with the use of tracking cookies, click “I agree, continue browsing”. You can withdraw your consent at any time. If you do not consent with the use of tracking cookies, click “Refuse”. You can find more information about cookies on our Privacy and Cookie Policy page.
Unless you have the means and time to debug Cura and your printer, you may be out of luck. Ultimaker does not actively develop the code for printing via USB, since current Ultimaker 3d printers do not support printing over USB. So if it does not work with your printer, Ultimaker are not going to put development time towards a solution, unless someone else does the problem finding and fixing work in such a way that it does not further cripple other printers.
Your alternatives include printing via SD cards, using a program like Printrun to send the gcode that Cura created to the printer, or installing OctoPrint and the OctoPrint Connection plugin and have an integrated workflow in Cura.
AHoeben is the expert on this but there may be a couple of things you can try.
I use the USB connection for controlling printing from the SD card in the printer (rather than sending gcode files over the USB from Cura which I've found to be glitchy). I haven't had a problem with USB communication through Cura updates from 4.6 through 4.10. I have used Cura USB Printing for troubleshooting posts like this one and Cura has no problem finding my Ender 3 Pro. I have my own app for printing and it uses the Cura port driver.
There are a few things you can try to troubleshoot. I believe I understand at least a little of what USB Printing is doing to find a printer and I'll try to explain.
With Cura open - click on Marketplace in the upper right. It can take a minute to load.
Click on Installed and scroll down to USB Printing and make sure it's checked.
Since USB Printing hasn't been updated in about 3 years it would be wise to make sure the only device plugged in to a USB port is the printer. I would use the same physical USB port that you know has worked in the past.
When Cura starts it checks the operating system list for a port with a serial connection (in Windows it checks Device Manager). If it finds one listed it opens the port and it runs through the different possible baud rates and asks for a temperature check each time. When it gets a response it understands it populates the Monitor screen. If there are no satisfactory ports then the routine stops. 5 seconds later it checks again in case you have plugged in a printer.
Since it checks the operating system for a port the port must be configured as USB-Serial to be noticed. That means the correct driver must be installed. With the printer connected to the computer then Device Manager would say something like: USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM5). Some drivers install on only a single physical USB port and connecting to any other USB port on the computer is not noticed (that happens in Win7). Other drivers adapt themselves to whatever USB port the printer is connected to.
Understand that the Monitor in Cura can take up to a minute to populate so don't give up on it after only a few seconds. When you installed 4.10 you should have allowed the port driver to install as well (I think it's the Arduino driver in the installation dialog).
I run Windows so you would have to figure out what works in Linux or on a MAC. I hope this gives you a start on things you can check. The USB Printing utility in 4.10 should be identical to the one you had working in previous versions.
1
Link to post
Share on other sites
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Here comes Cura 5.9 and in this stable release we have lots of material and printer profiles for UltiMaker printers, including the newly released Sketch Sprint. Additionally, scarf seams have been introduced alongside even more print settings and improvements. Check out the rest of this article to find out the details on all of that and more
We are happy to announce the next evolution in the UltiMaker 3D printer lineup: the UltiMaker Factor 4 industrial-grade 3D printer, designed to take manufacturing to new levels of efficiency and reliability. Factor 4 is an end-to-end 3D printing solution for light industrial applications
Recommended Posts
ahoeben 2,010
Unless you have the means and time to debug Cura and your printer, you may be out of luck. Ultimaker does not actively develop the code for printing via USB, since current Ultimaker 3d printers do not support printing over USB. So if it does not work with your printer, Ultimaker are not going to put development time towards a solution, unless someone else does the problem finding and fixing work in such a way that it does not further cripple other printers.
Your alternatives include printing via SD cards, using a program like Printrun to send the gcode that Cura created to the printer, or installing OctoPrint and the OctoPrint Connection plugin and have an integrated workflow in Cura.
Link to post
Share on other sites
GregValiant 1,408
AHoeben is the expert on this but there may be a couple of things you can try.
I use the USB connection for controlling printing from the SD card in the printer (rather than sending gcode files over the USB from Cura which I've found to be glitchy). I haven't had a problem with USB communication through Cura updates from 4.6 through 4.10. I have used Cura USB Printing for troubleshooting posts like this one and Cura has no problem finding my Ender 3 Pro. I have my own app for printing and it uses the Cura port driver.
There are a few things you can try to troubleshoot. I believe I understand at least a little of what USB Printing is doing to find a printer and I'll try to explain.
With Cura open - click on Marketplace in the upper right. It can take a minute to load.
Click on Installed and scroll down to USB Printing and make sure it's checked.
Since USB Printing hasn't been updated in about 3 years it would be wise to make sure the only device plugged in to a USB port is the printer. I would use the same physical USB port that you know has worked in the past.
When Cura starts it checks the operating system list for a port with a serial connection (in Windows it checks Device Manager). If it finds one listed it opens the port and it runs through the different possible baud rates and asks for a temperature check each time. When it gets a response it understands it populates the Monitor screen. If there are no satisfactory ports then the routine stops. 5 seconds later it checks again in case you have plugged in a printer.
Since it checks the operating system for a port the port must be configured as USB-Serial to be noticed. That means the correct driver must be installed. With the printer connected to the computer then Device Manager would say something like: USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM5). Some drivers install on only a single physical USB port and connecting to any other USB port on the computer is not noticed (that happens in Win7). Other drivers adapt themselves to whatever USB port the printer is connected to.
Understand that the Monitor in Cura can take up to a minute to populate so don't give up on it after only a few seconds. When you installed 4.10 you should have allowed the port driver to install as well (I think it's the Arduino driver in the installation dialog).
I run Windows so you would have to figure out what works in Linux or on a MAC. I hope this gives you a start on things you can check. The USB Printing utility in 4.10 should be identical to the one you had working in previous versions.
Link to post
Share on other sites