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Prusa Research I3 MK3S Manual
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Prusa Research I3 MK3S Manual

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Raspberry PI Chassis Mount for
Prusa I3 MK3S Printer
Steve M Clarke
Version 20200724
The Raspberry Pi box is fitted onto the top of the frame at the rear, above the Einsy
control box. It is secured by three bolts, two of which replace the two M3 x 12 bolts
holding the top of the left hand Z-axis. The Pi is powered from the 24V supply (that
goes to the Einsy board) via a DC / DC converter. Conduits are provided to allow
cables to pass behind the Einsy chassis case.
- 1 -

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Summary of Contents for Prusa Research I3 MK3S

  • Page 1 Raspberry PI Chassis Mount for Prusa I3 MK3S Printer Steve M Clarke Version 20200724 The Raspberry Pi box is fitted onto the top of the frame at the rear, above the Einsy control box. It is secured by three bolts, two of which replace the two M3 x 12 bolts holding the top of the left hand Z-axis.
  • Page 2 Disclaimer The modifications involve: Use of a soldering iron • Disassembly and re-assembly of the Einsy box • Connecting to the printer’s power supply • A wide range of things can go wrong if care is not taken, for example: Inserting screws that are too long can obstruct the head movement and •...

  • Page 3: Printed Parts

    1. Kit Decisions Decide on whether you wish to: Connect to the Pi via USB, or via the Einsy GPIO • Use / install a fan in the Pi case • Include a reset switch on the Pi box • Decide whether the reset is a hard or soft one •...
  • Page 4 Nuts and Bolts X off - M3 10mm 1 Off - M3 14mm 2 Off - M3 20mm 6 Off - M3 30mm 2 Off - M3 Hex Nut 5 Off - M3 Square Nut 4 Off - M2 8mm 4 Off - M2 12mm (for optional fan) Tools 3mm Allen Key...
  • Page 5 2. Upper Frame Fixings Note: Refer to the Z-axis Z-axis-top parts section of the Prusa installation guide for guidance on the installation and re-installation of the default fixings, noting guidance on over tightening. 1. On the printer, adjust the X,Y,Z position of the head to x=150, y=0, z=60 2.

  • Page 6: Preparing The Case

    3. Preparing the Case The case is made up of six printed parts, some of them being optional: a. The Base Box b. The Anchor Shim c. The PSU Clip d. The Reset Switch Block e. The Pi Bezel f. The Lid 4.
  • Page 7 5. Power Converter Harness In order to power the Pi (at 5V) when the PSU operates at 24V, and the Einsy converter is not necessarily capable of supplying the current required, a separate 24V to 5V converter is used. These converters are readily available and inexpensive. It is recommended that a 500mA fuse is installed in the positive 24V line before the converter –...
  • Page 8 6. Power Converter Clip The power converter clip is a custom item, and its dimensions will vary depending on which power converter you have selected. The default / example clip is for a “Mini MP1584EN DC-DC Buck Converter Adjustable Power Supply Module 24V, 22mm x 17mm x 4mm”. 1.
  • Page 9 2. Load the OpenSCad file “Prusa-PiBox-Switchblock-PSUClip”, and select the power supply clip, and set the parameters a,b,c,d,e, and then print the clip – printing in 0.15 quality takes around 30 minutes. 3. Slide the power converter into the clip, with the components facing the open side.
  • Page 10 7. Reset Switch (Optional) There are many different sizes of small button switch, and rather than designing the case for a specific one, a small drop-in “block” can be used to install a range of switches. The block itself is very simple: 20x20x6, with a hole at a height of 10mm from the base (for the switch).
  • Page 11 3. Test the switch with a multimeter – the two pins should be open circuit until the button is pressed. 4. Print a custom block for the switches – load “Prusa-PiBox-Switchblock-PSUClip” into Open SCAD, ensure the customiser (view menu) is not hidden, and set the parameters for a,b,c,d,e.
  • Page 12 8. LED (Optional) The Pi has two LEDs which can show whether the device is powered, and also shows ‘activity’ – these are not visible on the outside of the case. An optional single colour LED can be installed which can be controlled by the “GPIO Shutdown”...
  • Page 13 9. Installing a Fan (Optional) Required: 1 Off 30mm Fan 4 Off 12mm M2 Screws Fan Installation into the Lid 1. Note the required voltage for the fan (3.3V or 5V) 2. Ensure that the fan has two separate terminal connectors (the sockets are not adjacent to each other) 3.
  • Page 14 10. Fitting the Pi Case to the Frame Required: 1 M3 14mm screw 2 M3 nuts Pi Base with PSU Optional GPIO Cable 3 M3 30mm screws 200mm cable sleeving Power Supply Cable Installation 1. Measure the power cable, and cut such that there is a total of 500mm of cable from the power converter module to the end (including the in-line fuse if fitted).
  • Page 15 Final PSU Test 1. Re-do the PP3 battery test with the harness and PSU Pi Box Installation onto the Frame 1. Fit 3 flat M3 nuts into the Pi Box Warning: This is your last opportunity to do this. These nuts are used later to secure the lid.

  • Page 16: Items Required

    11. Fitting the Einsy Conduit It is recommended that the Einsy Conduit is installed. This allows all cables (including USB to a webcam) to tidily pass behind the Einsy box. It means disassembling the Einsy box, and re-installing with a spacer and longer screws.
  • Page 17 Preparing a New Einsy Base 1. If you have previously used a Pi Zero, and wish to print an entirely new Einsy base (without the cut-out), now is your last opportunity! Removing the Einsy Case 1. On the printer, adjust the X,Y,Z position of the head to x=150, y=0, z=60 2.
  • Page 18 Installing the Case and Conduit 1. Go through the Prusa instructions for the Electronics Assembly, but ensure that the Einsy Conduit is inserted between the Einsy Base / hinges and the metal frame. Use 30mm screws instead of the 10mm screws as indicated in the assembly instructions.
  • Page 19 12. Connecting the Pi Power and Testing At this point, the power converter module output in the Pi Box is not connected to the Pi. You may, if you wish, re-do the 9V PP3 power converter test. Incorrect connection of the power supply can cause damage to the printer power supply, Einsy Board or Pi Converter.
  • Page 20 Treble Check that everything has been installed correctly. 6. W ith the mains disconnected, use a multimeter to measure the resistance between the positive and negative terminals and ensure there is no short. 7. Plug in the mains and switch on. 8.
  • Page 21 12. Connect the output of the power supply to the Raspberry Pi: a. Red 5V to Pin 4 b. Black 0V to Pin 6 (the one with the tab) Note: the leftmost two pins shown in the diagram should be disconnected – these are for the fan positive supply.
  • Page 22 16. If using the GPIO, connect up the cable: Note that the you should connect the following pins only: a. Ground b. TxD c. RxD d. GPIO 23 e. GPIO 24 Note also that the ground is connected to a different pin than that which is used with a direct connection between a Pi Zero and the Einsy.
  • Page 23 17. If using the hard reset, connect the switch to the GE / Ground pins. 18. If using the soft reset, connect the switch to the soft reset connector (a) on the expansion header – this connector can go in either way around. 19.
  • Page 24 13. Re-installing the Einsy Harnesses 1. Re-install the Harnesses as shown in the instructions for the Electronics Assembly. 2. Install the GPIO header connections (if you are using the GPIO) – use the Einsy Connection Guide: Note that the you should connect the following pins only: a.
  • Page 25 14. Closing the Lids 1. Fit heatsinks to the Pi board if you wish. 2. Connect the fan (negative wire) to the ground pin on the expansion header. 3. If the fan is 3.3V, connect the fan (positive wire) to the 3.3V pin on the expansion header.
  • Page 26 6. Ensure the fan power cable is still attached, and fit the lid, and secure with three 20mm M3 screws. 8. Finally, close the door of the Einsy case and secure with its screw. - 26 -...
  • Page 27 15. Installing the OctoPi Software 1. Download and install Octopi from www.octoprint.org 2. Install the software onto a memory card. 3. Configure the network settings by editing /boot/octopi-wpa-supplicant.txt on the memory card with an editor that understands unix line endings. 4.
  • Page 28 16. Configuring the OctoPi Software 1. Connect to the Octopi with a web browser (go to http://octopi.local/) 2. Run through the configuration wizard. 3. Configure the Printer: Name: Prusa i3 MK3 Model: Prusa i3 MK3 Origin: Lower Left Width: 250, Depth: 210, Height: 210 Axes X: 6000, Y: 6000, Z: 200, E: 300 Temp ABS: 255, 100 Temp PLA: 215, 60...
  • Page 29 7. If Using GPIO Shutdown, configure the plugin to use GPIO16 for the Shutdown, and GPIO12 for the LED. - 29 -...
  • Page 30 17. Hardening the OctoPi Software This is particularly important if you have power-outages, or you use the hard reset switch. The Pi is prone to corrupting the memory card if not shut down correctly. Ideally, when turning off the printer, you should connect to the octopi.local web server, and shut down the Pi through the menu.
  • Page 31 Appendices A. Recommended Printing Configuration Item Support Fill Quality Notes Base Detail, 0.1mm Detail, 0.1mm Anchor Detail, 0.1mm Bezel 30% Quality, 0.15mm Print with ‘front face’ downwards PSU Clip Detail, 0.1mm Switch Block Detail, 0.1mm Einsy Conduit Draft, 0.3mm Connector 100% Quality, 0.15mm Guides - 31 -...
  • Page 32 B. Schematic of electrical assembly Power Converter Fan + GPIO To Einsy 1516 Reset Soft Reset Switch Fan - Hard Reset Notes: 1. The Connector Guides should be used to mask off the unnecessary pins. On no account should the 5V be connected between the Pi and the Einsy board –...
  • Page 33 C. Pi Bezel Dimensions D. Switch Block Dimensions E. Power Clip Dimensions F. Einsy Conduit Screw Fixing Dimensions - 33 -...
  • Page 34 G. Anchor Shim Dimensions Note: Allowable tolerance is +/- 0.05 on all dimensions. To check: 1.4 and 3.6 – think they should be 1.5 and 3.5. - 34 -...