PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released

wilriker

@BoA Thanks for being so precise that always helps!
I will most likely only get back to it next week, though.

Did the new build fix the other reported issues?

BoA

@wilriker Works like a charm

wilriker

@BoA Thanks for confirming.

BoA

@wilriker Well... I do not how to say this... Moving head from panel does nothing tool active or not - does not matter. All axes homed.

dc42

@BoA said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

@wilriker This is perhaps small issue with RRF not paneldue, but putting M116 P0 in tpost0.g seems to block refreshing tool status (and temperature refreshing) until temperature is reached.

That's an issue we already know about. It will require a change to RRF.

A Former User

@dc42 said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

Those of you with older version 1 and version 2 PanelDues, please note that we do not expect this release to work on old PanelDue boards that use the ATSAM3S2B chip, due to lack of RAM. However, we do expect it to work on later version 2 PanelDues using the ATSAM3S4B chip. If you have a PanelDue using the ATSAM3S2B chip, we suggest you replace the board by a version 3 PanelDue board, which can drive your existing LCD.

I really hope this is a joke and not real?

In which reality did any sane person think that such a firmware "upgrade" which is going to require certain users of already purchased equipment to make a further purchase a good idea.

I can understand that control board hardware evolves by a large degree but the display hardware...

Users of older display equipment are left with two choices: buy an upgrade to said hardware or continue to use older firmware.

I'm almost speechless with disbelief.

Phaedrux

@CaLviNx said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

Users of older display equipment are left with two choices: buy an upgrade to said hardware or continue to use older firmware.

What is the alternative? Halt development of paneldue features entirely? Do you still use your old 486 from 92 or did you upgrade that as well?

@CaLviNx said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

I'm almost speechless with disbelief.

Almost, but not quite.

elmoret

@CaLviNx said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

I'm almost speechless with disbelief.

How is this unlike literally any other software/hardware situation?

You cannot run iOS 14 on a iPhone 3.

You cannot run Windows 10 on a 286.

You cannot flash the firmware of a 4k HDTV onto a 720p HDTV.

Etc...

wilriker

@BoA said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

@wilriker Well... I do not how to say this... Moving head from panel does nothing tool active or not - does not matter. All axes homed.

I have a slight idea what the reason could be although the code looks good. Will need to test and verify later.

Again thanks for reporting.

A Former User

@elmoret said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

@CaLviNx said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

I'm almost speechless with disbelief.

How is this unlike literally any other software/hardware situation?

You cannot run iOS on a iPhone 3.

You cannot run Windows 10 on a 286.

You cannot flash the firmware of a 4k HDTV onto a 720p HDTV.

Etc...

Ah so Duet is using the Apple business model of planned obsolescence to generate sales, thanks for the clarification....

BoA

I am getting popcorn
This is getting ridiculous.

It is so hard to understand, that older hardware is not capable of handling new features?

droftarts

@CaLviNx said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

Ah so Duet is using the Apple business model of planned obsolescence

I hope so!

This typed on a MacBook Pro Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013, running Mac OS X 10.14 Mojave perfectly, and expecting quite a few more years out of it, even though OS X 10.15 Catalina is the last version of OS X that will support it. I've also got an iPad 3 from 2012, on iOS 9.3.6, that still works pretty well for web browsing and streaming TV, and the iPhones I've had have generally served me well for 3 to 4 years, far longer than anyone I know has kept an Android phone. Sure, I paid more up front, but long term? To me, Apple's perceived planned obsolescence is BS. I don't know anyone with even a high-end laptop from 2013 that runs Windows 10 nicely (though my MacBook Pro does).

But then let's not start a Mac vs PC flame war.

Ian

dc42

I agree, it's getting very tedious.

First, I should point out that until late last year, PanelDue was a product of my own company, which pre-dates Duet3D. So any blame for lack of foresight falls on me, not on Duet3D.

I designed PanelDue in 2014, as an accessory for the RepRapPro Ormerod 3D printer. My original design used an 8-bit processor, but after I realised the limitations of that processor I switched to the 32-bit ATSAM3S2BA. This was when very few 3D printer control boards (let alone 3D printer accessories) used 32-bit processors.

By December 2015 I had some OEM requests for customised splash screens, and I realised that a processor with more memory might be needed. So I had some PanelDue made with the ATSAM3S4B processor.

This all happened before the Duet WiFi was launched in 2016. From August 2016 (around the time of the Duet WiFi launch), I switched all production of PanelDue boards to use the larger processor, despite the negative impact on profitability. So all PanelDue boards with the smaller processor are more than 4 years old and their manufacture pre-dates bulk shipping of the Duet WiFi.

I guess my crystal ball failed, because back in 2014 I didn't know that we would develop the Duet WiFi, or how successful it would become, or how in 2020 RepRapFirmware would provide so much additional data available to user interfaces via its object model that we would need more memory to make use of it. But I did have the foresight even before Duet WiFi was launched to switch to a larger processor, which more than 4 years later has turned out to be sufficient to support the new features in PanelDueFirmware 3.2. I upgraded the processor further in PanelDue v3.

Those who bought a PanelDue 4+ years ago with the smaller processor can continue to use it, with exactly the same functionality as now (somewhat more than when they bought it), by continuing to use version 1.24 firmware. Those who have continued to develop their 3D printers and would like the new functionality can choose to replace the PanelDue control board (keeping the LCD), or replace the processor if they feel able, or hack the open source firmware to remove features they do not want in order to make the firmware fit.

I had none of those options with equipment I purchased that cost many times more than a PanelDue:

The only time I took an iPhone as part of a mobile phone contract, it became unusably slow because of a forced firmware update after just 18 months, 6 months before the contract ended
The Humax PVR I bought had a bug which forced me change my password to a much less secure one. They announced that they would not fix that bug - in fact, they have never issued any firmware updates for that PVR. Their attitude seems to be ship and forget.

So please tell me, is Duet3D really being unreasonable in producing new firmware that doesn't run on a $40 piece of hardware more than 4 years old, while RepRapFirmware continues to support the older hardware/firmware combination?

A Former User

Quite frankly I do find Duet3D rather unreasonable, borderline outrageous - but as it usually works out in favour of the user I choose to overlook it.

7i and 4.3 updated; excited for 3.2 testing!

nhof

Technical limits are a perfectly fine reason, in this case there's really not much to be upset about, particularly as the existing products will still work well, just without newer features.

Planned obsolescence doesn't really apply here. That term is usually reserved for unethical techniques to ensure products will break, slow down, or become impossible to repair to necessitate replacement.

It's a bit laughable that a product with fully published specifications including every individual component potentially needed for repair, along with open source firmware could be accused of 'planned obsolescence'. It's just normal obsolescence

Nuramori

I have a paneldue 5i that was purchased from Filastruder last year. Can I safely assume I’d be fine to use this firmware? Short of disassembling my printer to look for the processor type, is there a “safe” date that’s a good way to determine the likelihood the hardware will be compliant?

oozeBot

@Nuramori yes! The 5i and 7i upgrade without issue (I did it myself on several today). The discussion above is about the older models..

Nuramori

@oozeBot thanks. I wanted to make sure because other than when I bought it, it would be hard to determine the processor short of examining the board. (The “I” models weren’t mentioned, so I don’t know if they are inherently the proper processor).

wilriker

@Nuramori Thanks for pointing out that it was not clear enough. I updated the first post with a rough time until when it applies.

dc42

@Nuramori said in PanelDueFirmware 3.2-RC1 released:

I have a paneldue 5i that was purchased from Filastruder last year. Can I safely assume I’d be fine to use this firmware? Short of disassembling my printer to look for the processor type, is there a “safe” date that’s a good way to determine the likelihood the hardware will be compliant?

Version 1.0, 1.1 and earlier 2 PanelDue: ATSAM3S2B processor (64MHz, 32kb RAM, 128kB flash) - these are the ones that the new firmware probably won't run on.
Version 2 PanelDue manufactured from August 2016: ATSAM3S4B processor (64MHz, 48kb RAM, 256kb flash). Will run the new firmware, but not as fast as version 3 will.
Version 3 PanelDue, including all 5i and 7i: ATSAM4S4B processor, 120MHz, 64kB RAM, 256kb flash. Will run the new firmware.