FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
Hello, can someone confirm my observation that the printer is not correctly responding to print-jobs after 10 to 20 runs? The effect in detail: after I printed some stuff, i.e several different models (all from SD-card), the next (problematic) start will typically result in bed-heating but not nozzle-heating. In this state I know I have to reset the printer otherwise any control from the menu will result in more ore less chaotic movements, i.e. crashing the X-axis to the left.
So again my question: can someone confirm this effect and could it be new firmware (I didn't recognize this effect with the older FW)?
Thanks in advance
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
Which version of Johnny Reb's custom Prusa Print Control interface and Software are you using? And on what hardware platform is it running?
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
@tim-m30
Prusa-Slicer 2.1.0+win64
MK3S, FW 3.8.0-2684
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
PS: I'm sure the sliced gcode is OK, because after reset the prints are all fine and exactly what expected.
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
Sorry to be dense, but I'm missing something. Are you printing via Raspberry Pi_X / Octoprint via USB? Or are you manually selecting Print from SD card using the printer menu? There are issues with using the USB port to print via software like Octoprint, Pronterface, etc. Many do, but tend to have more problems than simply using the SD card directly.
In general, I'll print one or two copies of something (days), but I rarely try printing dozens of things one after another (weeks); so turning off the printer between parts is normal for me. But I have printed weeks on end without burps: though usually large parts with 20 to 40 hour print times, and a few busy models sequentially (e.g., one model had 14 parts that together took well over a week to print).
That said, I can say that I have seen odd things that have reinforced my habits. Nothing consistent and repeatable, i.e., nothing I can write a bug report on, but just odd occurrences that have led me to suspect the firmware has ghosts that conspire to ruin prints if you don't do a power cycle once in a while. I am still running MK3, not an S, and it gets worse if I leave the filament sensor enabled; and looking at the firmware source, seeing how interrupts are handled, was enough to reinforce not using the filament sensor.
This likely isn't the answer you were looking for, but Prusa users are the reliability testers for production code. Prusa falls back on the Open Source nature of the beast to say that their test strategy is okay. Which means regression testing is limited, and bugs have a way of coming and going depending on what parts of the firmware were changed during the last build. 3.8.0 is not immune to this.
Though, just as I am certain there are bugs, pretty sure someone will come along and claim the firmware is flawless and has no bugs, too.
And, you can search GitHub for issues similar to yours: https://github.com/prusa3d
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
@tim-m30
Thanks for reply, I'm printing directly from the panel, no RPI, no Octoprint. It's not a big issue for me because I can change my workflow, but maybe my observation helps the software development if other users have the same problem, and thus I'm asking for.
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
PS: I've double-checked the effect and there is definitely something wrong. After let's say about ten printings (in total after about 1.5 hours) the next print-command from the panel is accepted and the bed is going to heat, but not the nozzle.
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
PS: I'm sure the sliced gcode is OK, because after reset the prints are all fine and exactly what expected.
FWIW: I have left my printer on for days and not had cumulative issues. How is the quality of your power?
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
Something that has bitten me in the past, and is repeatable, if that after flashing the latest firmware, a full reset with data clear and subsequent run thorugh the wizard (and redoing all the non-wizard cals) is needed. It really isn't optional since flashing can leave EEPROM settings that aren't cleared, and may not be compatible with the latest build. Any time I flash new firmware I do a the reset and re calibration. And when I see a repeatable ghost, I do the reset and the ghost usually goes away for a while.
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
@bobstro
Thank you for the info, good to know that it seems not to be a system issue. Well, the power quality hasn't changed, I'm quite sure, the cumulative issue takes place exactly after 10 prints.
RE: FW 3.8.0 printer stalling after some runs, overrrun buffers?
@tim-m30
thank you for this hint, that could be indeed the reason. I've already done the wizard calibration, so the question is, what else do you calibrate (non-wizard cals)?