Print stopping weirdness

Quick question... I have Duplicator i3 and been having success on shorter prints using the Rasberry Pi Server image on a Pi 3. However, I keep discovering stopped prints maybe 2 hours into an 8 hour job... I thought I'd try printing the same code from the built-in SD card to eliminate Repetier Server from the equation and that also failed, however, I hadn't disconnected the USB cable to the PI. The same model is now going great guns on just SD card with no USB connected. Of course, coincidence can play a part - but could Repetier still have had a bearing whilst being connected (but not used)? Apologies for the long drawn out explanation... Thanks!

Comments

  • Don't think that server being connect plays a part for sd prints. Only think that could break is usb connection and printer would then simply not run new server commands any more I think.

    In such cases you should enable logging and check what is in the log when such a hang happens. Also test if it still happens with dry run being enabled (M111 S14). Often it is power fluctation on printer side that causes the usb connection to drop/hang. Also check /var/log/syslog around the hang time on the pi.
  • I did an experiment - fresh install on a spare Mac Mini and it got through the full 8 hours no problem.

    So now looking back at the PI - think I made a schoolboy error powering Logitech webcam directly from the PI. So introducing a powered USB hub and trying again. The PI logs were full of comms errors and the mac mini had none so I'm guessing I was overloading the power on the PI and causing it a headache... I'll check back in once I've done some more experiments!
  • Yes, that sounds familiar. Have an other user with same problem. Form pc it works and from pi it gets instable. When I do it from my pi it is stable, so it must not be instable in any case. But it is a known fact the a pi is very sensitive to power and having wrong usb cable with thin wires for power is enough to get it into troubles.
  • Well, PI failed again even with a powered hub for webcam. Gut feeling is that the overhead of time-lapse recording pushes it over the edge... Just trying again with webcam completely disabled and unhitched... seems to have already got further...but we will see. Would love to use the Pi, as it's a brilliant solution and webcam integration is simple... unlike Mac OS, especially as the recommended webcam bridge app has changed for the worse... 
  • Disabling webcam seems to have cured it so I guess next step would be lower the time-lapse resolution etc to see if its to do with processing power required...
  • Spoke too soon... Stopped about 2.5 hours in - so webcam was a red-herring :-) although obviously lasted longer without!
  • Nothing in the printlog - but glanced very quickly in the console before I had time to pause it was a few comms, one of which mentioned speedmultiplier? Not sure if the Wanhao is rebooting... never does it whilst I'm stood near...
Sign In or Register to comment.