USB or SD: How do you Print?

Alloy · Post by **Alloy** » Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:02 pm

Do you print via USB cable or do you save the gcode to the SD card and print from that? Why? What are the benefits of either way?

I print via USB mainly because I don't have an SD card reader.

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:20 pm

Do you print via USB cable or do you save the gcode to the SD card and print from that?

Both.

Usually just over USB, but we have a lot of weather and power surges around here, (or Windows might decide to run a freaking update), and SD is more stable. (Any little thing can cause a USB connection to drop, particularly if you are attached to a hub and extensions.

)

The other main reason for using the SD card is if i want to drop a color-change pause or two into the design.

But generally I just send the command over USB - it's quicker.

innkeeper · Post by **innkeeper** » Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:39 pm

SD card mostly - write the file via usb or network, then kick off though the lcd panel or via the network (running smoothieboard instead of a rambo)

dklassen · Post by **dklassen** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 12:46 am

100% USB. To me just more convenient.

ednisley · Post by **ednisley** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 1:45 am

Over the years, it's always been USB with Pronterface from an assortment of Linux PCs (formerly Ubuntu, now Mint). Almost never a problem, never a random disconnect, no spoiled prints, and no speed issues: It Just Works.

Sanju · Post by **Sanju** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 1:57 am

I tend to use USB for smaller prints (less than 3-4 hours) and SD for the larger things just so I don't have my laptop tied up with running the printer.

jimc · Post by **jimc** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 3:54 am

under 1hr and from my mac i go usb. like ed, never an issue. windows machine....always sd

jdacal · Post by **jdacal** » Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:27 am

USB from Octopi, sometimes SD card but not often.

willnewton · Post by **willnewton** » Fri Aug 14, 2015 1:44 pm

USB. I use an old Mac mini with S3d on it to drive my printer. There is no monitor or keyboard, mouse. I control that Mac using screen sharing via Ethernet cable from my new Mac mini that I do my design work on.

Used the SD card a few times. Just a pain in the butt. If I had a print over four hours, maybe I would use it. I have had no trouble over USB.

Tim · Post by **Tim** » Fri Aug 14, 2015 1:51 pm

USB, from both pronterface and Simplify3D, always from a Linux host. Like Ed says, "it just works".

When I take my M2 for show-and-tell away from home, I usually print off of the SD card, because it's one less thing I have to worry about during set-up, and because I use a laptop for the host, and the laptop will go into hibernation after a while if I forget to turn off the power saving mode.

USB or SD: How do you Print?

USB or SD: How do you Print?

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