How to activate the WiFi module function on your 3d printer

We have got much feedback to ask the wifi function on ChiTu series printers. We are trying to bring a better solution in the soon future.

For now, there are several ways to use the WiFi function on ChiTu controller.

1. ESP WiFi module
2. Set Router to client/repeat mode
3. Raspberry PI with a USB cable

To use ESP8266 on ChiTu boards, you have to make sure your board has come with the WiFi Slot. The ELEGOO Mars and Mars pro use a customized board which not include this part.

Before using the network sending function, you have to open the WiFi button.

There are different GUI on ChiTu boards,  you can download our general UI firmware. You can learn more about our GUI pages. Download the General UI:   UI_ALL_LCD.bin

This will change your current UI page, and we may not respond to any further request to recover it. Please consider. (UI page don’t affect any printing quality)

Change this button to WiFi method

Using the ESP8266, we recommend you use our ChiTu HB tool to send files and printing, it is more stable than operating sending on CHITUBOX software.

You can download the tool here: ChiTu HB Tool

You can see a .txt file in the folder, please edit your router or wifi name and password in the same format. Then print this file to activate the WiFi module.

You can also create this file by following steps:

Input your router or WiFi hotspot name and pass work here

Click the button on the right to get the config file

Copy this config file to USB and Print it to active WiFi module

After print this file, you can read the USB by scan and search button

You can choose the file to print

The HB tool was designed for the FDM printer, so there are some buttons not workable on the LCD printers, like move XY axis, fan speed and adjust the temp.

Also, you have to use the ESP8266 from official Chitu, we have edited some coding to make it work.

We are not able to provide tech support as too many factors affect the ESP  module, please consider first before place the order.

If your ESP01 not buy from our store, you need to update the firmware first,

then purchase our HB authorized code via this link. Please also provide your screenshot(we need to know the device number) of HB after purchasing.

You will have to connect the router to your printer via a net cable, which means your board must come with an Ethernet Interface.

Some printer doesn’t show the interface, you will need to open the cover to check.

Choose the default in the machine list as some printer don’t come with Sending button

After sending the file there will be a popup to print now or not

Download the Pi OS: Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit) with desktop version is enough.

Raspberry Pi OS (previously called Raspbian)

raspberrypi.local

• pi
  raspberry

config.txt

• dtoverlay=dwc2

modules-load=dwc2,g_mass_storage

The steps you need to do.

-Edit config.txt to let Pi use dwc2 USB driver

echo “dtoverlay=dwc2” | sudo tee -a /boot/config.txt

-Run the USB driver in Raspbian.
echo “dwc2” | sudo tee -a /etc/modules

-Activate function module
echo “g_mass_storage” | sudo tee -a /etc/modules

-Create a system folder. you can custom the storage.
dd if=/dev/zero of=/home/pi/piusb-1gb.bin bs=1024 count=1000000

-Setting the U disk(SD card)
sudo modprobe g_mass_storage file=/home/pi/piusb-1gb.bin stall=0 removable=1 idVendor=0x0781 idProduct=0x5572 bcdDevice=0x011a iManufacturer=“SanDisk” iProduct=“Cruzer Switch” iSerialNumber=“1234567890”

-Format U disk(SD card)
sudo mkdosfs /home/pi/piusb-1gb.bin -F 32 -I
or
mkfs.vfat /home/pi/piusb-1gb.bin

-Add a shared folder of U disk(SD card)
sudo mkdir /mnt/usb_share

-Edit /etc/fstab，add at the end.
sudo nano /etc/fstab
/home/pi/piusb-1gb.bin /mnt/usb_share vfat users,umask=000 0 2

-Remount
sudo mount -a

-Setting the U disk(SD card) again.
sudo modprobe g_mass_storage file=/home/pi/piusb-1gb.bin stall=0 removable=1 idVendor=0x0781 idProduct=0x5572 bcdDevice=0x011a iManufacturer=“SanDisk” iProduct=“Cruzer Switch” iSerialNumber=“1234567890”

You can also search Pi Zero W tutorials on YouTube

All the documents and tools you can find on the official raspberry website. But you can only send file to the 3d printer and have to start printing yourself.

Our suggestion is to use the Pi Zero W to send the file as it is faster than ESP, the speed can reach 1M/s~3M/s depends on your network, and use Chitu ESP8266 with ChiTu HB to send the printing command.

So these are the ways to make your printer with WiFi,  some Chitu board based printer don’t come with wifi interface or ethernet, you can only send the file via Pi Zero W instead of printing.