Duet2 WiFi : No WiFi without SD Card

[DennisHall]

Hi:

I'm configuring my first Duet2 Wifi. It works great with the SD Card (containing all the config files in the sys/ folder) in the board, but after I remove the SD Card and reboot it, the WiFi will not start.
After I boot up with the card in, as long as I don't reboot, it continues to work off the LCD, but the webpage / webserver does not work. I get "Your Duet rejected the HTTP request: page not found" with no SD Card in, but once I put the SD Card in and reboot, I'm fine again.

I'd like to flash this to the cards memory so I don't continually need the SD Card in when booting.
What am I missing here?

Thanks in advance.

[A Former User]

AFAIK you need the SD card with the configuration and the duet web interface on it at all times.

SD card cannot be removed after boot either, then the web interface stop working, and I think it will complain when you try to home and other functions that rely on config files.

[DennisHall]

Thanks for letting me know.

Now I just need to get the SD Card on the 7i LCD working then so I can use it.

Admittedly, the LCD does work great, but the low resolution and that 8-bit color scheme really don't do it justice.

I also cannot seem to see any SD Card in it - via LCD screen or in the config.g file, but the hardware is there.

[elmoret]

How many pins are on the PanelDue connector you’re using?

[DennisHall]

The white 4 pin connector and the 10 pin ribbon cable. The LCD is the PanelDue 7 inch.
I've connected everything as the docs describe.
Ribbon cable is in the CONN_SD and the white 4 wire (Rd Bk Bl Gr) connector is in the PanelDue. And, of course, the connectors are keyed so I have not plugged them in backwards.

Could this be because my FW version is 2.01(RTOS) (2018-07-26b2) maybe?

[dc42]

I realise that you are probably used to moving files to your older printer(s) by physically moving the SD card from your PC to the printer; but why not upload them via the web interface instead? Or (depending on which slicer you use) direct from the slicer?

[DennisHall]

Since we must use the Duet2 WiFi SD Card to maintain the web interface and the config files, I'd rather dedicate that to those purposes and make use of the LCD SD Card.

Sure, I'll be making great use of the web interface and all the other tools with this hardware combo, but I want to ensure all the parts work before I commit further and at this time, it looks like the SD Card in the 7 inch PanelDue does not work locally or through the web interface.

I prefer to start my projects with fully functioning hardware.

My other printer, BTW, is an Arduino RAMPS1.6 I had built from scratch with an ESP8266 and is working fine and has a functional SD card on the LCD.

[dc42]

An SD card in the PanelDue should work if it is formatted in FAT16 or FAT32 (not EXFAT). So if if it doesn't, and you purchased the complete PanelDue and cable from a Genuine Duet3D reseller, then I suggest you ask the reseller to replace them

[DennisHall]

@dc42 Thanks for the feedback.
Yes, purchased from Spool3D Canada.
I suspected this might be my next step, but very interested to find the root cause before-hand.

The SD Card I tested is the 4GB one that contains the original config files, is FAT16, and used to boot the Duet2.

Might it be that I must keep that card in the Duet2 while trying to use the LCD SD Card?

Could it be I must have a specific folder and at least 1 gcode file on the SD Card to have it recognized?

I also tried my 16GB SD Card that I use in my Arduino system (FAT32).

Neither cards work in the LCD reader. Both the Duet2 WiFi and the 7i PanelDue LCD are genuine Duest3D products, I'm not a fan on knock-offs - hence my moving to the Duet3D solutions.

I'm also concerned about the 8-bit colors and poor screen resolution - wondering if I update the Duet firmware to a 2.2x release will help all this.

[Phaedrux]

@dennishall said in Duet2 WiFi : No WiFi without SD Card:

I'm also concerned about the 8-bit colors and poor screen resolution

If you go to the setup view on the PanelDue there is a color gradient, can you take a picture of the screen and post it here so we can tell you if you have a bad screen or not.

The color pallete of the PanelDue is basic and functional, not exactly pretty, but there is a bit of difference between working colors and broken screen colors.

[DennisHall]

I'll need to do this tomorrow (I'm in EST time-zone).

I saw the palette today though and only saw green and blue, not a gradient palette.

Anyhow, I'll post it in my morning.

Best Regards,

[DennisHall]

@dc42 Big day today!
Powered on the setup today and the SD Card is working.
I tested by inserting the Duet3D supplied 4GB card and performed M21 in the LCD console - no luck. I then inserted my 16GB FAT32 card and did the same command and it works. I'll monitor it to see if it stays this way.

Now just the LCD colors and resolution to overcome.

Thanks for your patients.

[DennisHall]

@phaedrux Thanks for chiming in and waiting for my images.

I've attached 3 images:
Splash screen:
Control screen:
Setup screen:

I'm hoping a firmware update will correct this issue.

Best Regards,

[Phaedrux]

Yeah those colors definitely don't look right

[DennisHall]

@phaedrux As you could tell - I really meant "8-bit".

The kicker... Nothing else is connected to, or running from the Duet2 Wifi, only that LCD, so power, interference, etc. are all ruled out. The issue is either Duet2 or PanelDue hardware, else firmware. There is nothing else, nor will I commit to this product, until this is resolved.

Once I do commit, however, I'm hoping to have a very powerful and feature-rich 3D Printer that I can market and support in Canada. That is the long-term goal ATM.
Once I start down that path, there will be no room for errors/issues as this currently is.

[bot]

@dennishall

If you're attempting to market a product, shouldn't you be able to figure out these problems? Are you simply planning on buying a bunch of stuff, hoping it works, and reselling it for a profit? That doesn't seem very scrupulous. What value have you added to the product?

By the way, this is just a common failure mode of the LCD panel. Just get it replaced from the retail supplier of consumer goods that you bought it from at retail price.

[DennisHall]

@bot Thanks for the feedback.

Actually, I have been working extensively on not returning, but understanding the root cause of this issue.
I'm far from someone who would just assemble stuff and push it out the door.
I've been developing open-source software and IoT systems/solutions for some time with great success in the Learning and Development world.
I don't expect, or seek, profit but rather to provide the best possible product; hence the reason I'm trying this combination. I simply want a premium product to be - a premium product - that I know I can support without question later - be it for myself or a client.

This is not at all my mainstream business, nor would it ever be. Sometimes selling something to someone with no profit - even a loss - is far more profitable in the end.

I cater to the education industry - so definitely not money hungry

[bot]

@dennishall

Definitely not the answer I expected, but it's great to hear. I wish you the best of luck!

[DennisHall]

@bot Thanks, i really love the tech. of 3D Printers and that is what I want to share.

Anyhow, still moving forward with my build and grinning when I've got things working.
I already see/hear the difference with these ultra-smooooooottthhhh stepper drivers

[dc42]

@dennishall said in Duet2 WiFi : No WiFi without SD Card:

@phaedrux Thanks for chiming in and waiting for my images.

I've attached 3 images:

I'm hoping a firmware update will correct this issue.

Best Regards,

The colours are wrong. Red is missing completely. I've seen a similar thing once before a PanelDue 5i, which was caused by a short between 2 pins of the large square chip. I added the colour gradient on the setup screen so that our manufacturer could use it to test for this type of fault.

This is what it should look like:

There remains the possibility that the problem is caused by the wrong firmware being installed, but that would only happen if someone has re-flashed the firmware since manufacture (and chosen the wrong one). The correct firmware file is this one https://github.com/dc42/PanelDueFirmware/releases/download/1.22.1/PanelDue-5.0i-7.0i.bin.