Help us find out how the BigRep STUDIO connects
A few questions about your printer, and the setup guide for the way it can connect to SimplyPrint.
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Does it have a USB port for a cable to a computer?
Not a slot for a USB stick or an SD card: those only load files. We're looking for a port a computer can print through.
How to tell
- A USB-B port (the square kind on older office printers), mini-USB, micro-USB or USB-C, usually on the side next to the SD card slot, or at the back.
- Most printers with a small screen and a turning knob have one, like the Creality Ender-3 and Ender-5, the Prusa i3 MK3 and the Anycubic i3 Mega.
What we check for: Whether it supports serial printing: another device feeds it the print over USB, a few commands at a time.
Learn more
Through that port, another device can feed the printer the print a few commands at a time, which is called serial printing. Printers like these usually run Marlin firmware, and most were made before 2023.
To check, plug it into a computer with the printer on. On Windows it shows up in Device Manager, under Ports (COM & LPT). On a Mac, open System Information and look under USB. On Linux, run lsusb.
A printer with this port connects through OctoPrint on a Raspberry Pi: the Pi plugs into the port and connects the printer to SimplyPrint.
Not sure? Ask an AI assistant. Send it photos of the sides and the back of the printer, where the ports are, and it helps you answer.
