Ran into this problem when first tried. Unfortunately it is contingent on the phone having simultaneously PD and OTG enabled at a hardware level. It does work with the newer style usb c splitters but the phone has to have it hardware wise. The other unfortunate thing is that this spec is not easily found, at least I couldn't. So it's a trial and error thing. Higher end devices 2018 foward tend to have it. But I'm sure there are lower ones too.
@Christopher Easler but something interesting, i have the same phone and with hml adapter for hdmi use, everything works and charges perfectly! i thing it is in the kernel of the phone. May be a custom rom will solve the problem.
But something interesting, i have the same phone and with hml adapter for hdmi use, everything works and charges perfectly! i thing it is in the kernel of the phone. May be a custom rom will solve the problem.
I ran octa4a 1.0.4 for awhile with no issue until octoprint 1.8 release. The octa4a 1.1.1 solved this problem. Great informative octoprint video as always. Looking forward to an updated Linux revisit 🤙🏼
This is perfect! Here in Sweden it's reasonable easy to get hold of Raspberry Pis last I looked, but I want one to tinker with and not tie it up to the printer. And now all I need is to fire up one of my old Androids - brilliant! Shouldn't be that hard to just scrap a USB cable to make a splitter for free.
I didn't read all 160 comments. I just didn't hear any mention of using an Android based tablet. And just using it as the printer screen. Great video!!
@@ChrisRiley I looked the 10inch tablet I have is android based, also has a separate 5v cannon plug. 1x hdmi 1x micro USB and 1x USB, going to see if it will take everything you went over, in the morning
@@ChrisRiley it worked! Just followed your steps in the video. The only thing is just what you were talking about the image isn't in the right orientation. The tablet is running Android 6, not super fast but works.
Try using the camera in landscape mode...i.e. rotate the phone. When I do this, I don't need to flip or rotate at all!...I think this is the prefered orientation, since it gives you the wider view of the print bed. Great content - I am REALLY liking this years series so far! Didn't have issues on the 1.04, but am going to upgrate to the 1.1.1 varsion (already went to the 1.8.1 version of Octoprint
@@ChrisRiley Thanks! I haven’t been able to install octoprint on either device yet, sadly. It’s saying the install is corrupted and I’ve been digging into the Python scripts and GitHub issues. I’ve been a native android developer for like 7 years, so I’m not too worried yet haha. Also no stranger to ssh or to the linux and Android shells in general. Worst case scenario I might have to root one of the devices
The one that I was awaiting from your channel! 1) Be careful of the battery. Specially if it is a swollen battery. Connecting it to the charge for long times could be risky. I usually just pull off the battery IC and then provide 4.0 V to it in the place of the battery 2) I had a lot of problems with Octolapse and older Android versions, I can't make it work, with newer versions I can with no problems. 3) For some reason I've never found a proper OTG cable to charge and connect the printer at the same time.
This was a really great video, Chris, thanks so much! I am trying to link up a small ~10 printer farm, so I'm exploring this option and with intention to aggregate instances using OctoFarm. I'm also running into the same issue with simultaneous charging and OTG functionality - would love an update on this! If I can't get charge + OTG on an old Android, I'll explore using a more powerful computer than a Pi (and containerizing) or using Repetier-Host.
Been running it for awhile! Best to drag n drop to the SD card for long prints. Hands down awesome plug-in! Can't wait to see more tips n tricks you find!
Oh you couldn't have timed this more perfectly, my guy! Can't wait to see the klipper video since I want to run klipper on all my machines and I don't have that many pi's laying around right now 😂
Maybe try the a7to rotate in phones pull-down notifications this happens with me on other apps but when switch auto rotate portrait or landscape it'll change it on remote device screen
Great video! Thanks for explaining everything clearly. I have 1 question for you. What can I do if the webcam url is unreachable? How do I verify what it should be and correct it?
That's a good question. It still runs MJPEG streamer, so you could check it by looking at the service. Check it with ps -aux |grep mjpeg it should list the port.
The lack of Raspberry Pi has been a real issue. Have to be very judicious, atm. Nice video. Wonder if the COto4 instance would work for a farm set up. Might have to research that.
Thanks Chris! Again great video! Thank you. Question...have you attempted to run the Octodash for the android to get the screen visuals? Is that possible? Note: Here is some info for the ones that are curious. I have a work around for the Y cable. First of all, I know that leaving a battery plugged in constantly is bad for it and dangerous for lithium so what I done was removed the battery completely from my phone, most batteries will be labeled + and - on 2 pins only. I took a 5v AC to DC adapter and soldered the positive and negative directly to those matching pins. I now can plug my phone up and leave it running constantly with no worries about a battery and this leaves my Data port open to work with the printer. No need for any y cables etc. I hope this helps someone.
Thanks! I haven't tried in incorporate Octodash on this setup yet. Not completely sure how it would work. Thanks for all the great info on how to deal with the charging, this should help other folks.
Yeah it's the actual phones auto rotate settings in notification pull down menu lock it to portrait or landscape so when when moving the phone the camera stays locked in that orientation
Hi there ... cool , it's an old topic , the version is not the same ... but small question , how to know the phone performance needed to run manage multiple printers in the same instance of Octoprint ?
That's a great question and with a phone that is really hard to tell. All you can do is just give it a try. I'm sure someone out there has a performance monitor for phones, but I'm not familiar enough with them to know.
Hi, when I connect the mobile to the printer, the board has power all the time, how do you fix this? Also when I connect the mobile to the printer bevor powering the printer, the homing is shit, it runs to the end stops like hell and fault.
Hi Chris, great video! Helped me out a lot. I set up my old OnePlus 9 Pro and am using its camera to monitor my prints. Is there anyway I can lock focus on the print head? My phone seems to keep switching focus between the print head and the back of the printer.
Thank you! That's a great question, I don't thing octo4a has any smarts on how the camera does the focus. You might be able to go into the phone settings and turn off the auto focus.
Quickly scanned the comments and didn't see my question. Sorry if it's a duplicate...' Can you run two printers from one phone? Not needing two cameras, but would this require two phones? Thanks, Chris.
My phone won't charge even without an OTG cable. I'm trying to run this on a Samsung s10e. Haven't gotten the OTG cable yet to try hooking up to the printer, but I've been really enjoying the camera server with it's ability to focus up close and stabilize the image. I was even able to add it to my Blue Iris camera server. Problem is that it is not charging when Octo4 is running. It's not hooked up to the printer, I've even stopped the print server and just was using the camera server, turned down to 720p 5fps and it's still rapidly draining the battery. I even hooked it up to a quick charger and the phone says it's connected to a "fast charger", but the battery keeps draining anyway. Phone is getting really hot too and making me nervous about the battery. Once the battery drains out and it shuts down, the phone cools off and it charges back up just fine. Not sure what's going on here. I've never felt this phone get so hot. Being a s10e I would think it could handle this app with ease. I'm not using any OTG cable yet, just directly plugged into the charger.
Wow, that is really strange, I wonder what is going on as well. I would like to find someone else with the same phone and see if they have the same issue. I would check over on the octo4a github.
I'm guessing this is because of the changes that were made to octoprint. I would ask over on the octo4a github to see if they plan on updating as well.
I installed the system on an ANDROID BOX it works very well everything works fine BUT!!!! I can't get a camera to work Android recognizes the camera, but when I try to check the "generic webcam" box, the message REQUESTING PERMISSION TO DEVICE appears ???? any suggestions to solve the problem???
@@ChrisRiley Wok´s very good Detail: you have to isolate the 5V on the USB cable, otherwise when you turn on the BOX, the printer will also "partially" turn on Or don't use the power supply and power the BOX with the printer itself, but then it takes a few minutes for the system to boot up and become available I isolated the 5V from the USB cable and always leave it on Yes I tested 3 different cameras They work in other Android applications, but they don't work in OCTO4A
@@ChrisRiley I think that's kinda funny because I think I ran in to a similar problem as you. I couldn't find a good OTG cable for micro usb have you considered usb type-c to micro usb adapter ? since most devices don't use micro usb anymore there's not that many up-to-date type of hub/ otg cable that adapter could at least open the door to a more modern OTG cable.
Hi Chris, another option for octoprint, klipper or anything in linux is a Android TV box, very inexpensive and are a very good option. They do involve a bit of programming depending the chip the box uses. There is not a lot of information on setup, might be a good topic to look into seeing Pi's are rare now, and TV boxes are plenty.
Cannot attach an accelerometer is a big downside. You can get a Pi3 alternative for $less than 60usd. Less hassle. But using the phone as a screen is a good idea. Also very disappointed a video installing klipper was never made for octo4a, although it was baited at the start of the video
Did you do the Klipper on phone video? I got it set up, but not sure how to use it since I can't get Mainsail loaded? But thr Klipper plugin is installed. How do you use klipper without mainsail/fluidd?
Creality Ender 3 Max and mine will nevert recognize the printer, even when the Android phone is plugged in directly to it. 'No working connection parameters could be found'. Been fighting with this for 2 days now. uchhh......
And again, the most underrated channel on youtube ... wtf guys go and get this guy a thumbs up and get subscribed - he will NEVER disappoint you, for sure. Thank me later!
i have tried every thin two old phone i get the ip address but the box to the side is open and i cant check it i try to view plugins it says 150% downloaded
so im running into an issue where Octoprint 4a is installed it gives me the IP to connect and the port. when I go to my computer that is on the same network as my phone that is using my home's wifi connection it will not connect. I tried going to the phone and browsing to localhost:5000 and it goes to octoprint just fine. I also went to my router and set my phone's MAC to get a static IP that it says it is using in octoprint as well as in my phone's wifi information and my router's list of IPs. What am I missing?
The only thing I can think of is that your phone won't allow an incoming connection. I would look into your wifi settings on the phone, maybe there is a mini firewall of some kind.
Install step shown at 4.42 Fails On a surplus cheap ($10) Current Brand New due to phone not having Bash or Curl.. Being a locked device by Australian Carrier Telstra i am having difficulty trying to get permission to install them in /Bin folder. I installed Termux and tried but using pkg install bash and get various messages inc imetadata integrity can't be verified etc tried to install sudo and that ended in failure
The trick is getting a phone/tablet that will allow OTG & Charging at the same time. I went and did an experiment with a cheap Amazon Fire tablet. Octoprint runs brilliantly on it, however, it won't charge and provide otg at the same time. I also tried running octo4a on an Andriod TV box, (onn) from Walmart that was 20 bucks. it will install, and run but only for a few seconds before itself kills itself. boo. The next test is an RCA Tablet that runs USB C, my goal is to find a Super Cheap tablet that will blow a raspberry pi out of the watter and get it to run klipper.
Great idea and I'm hoping to implement it someday, but the first OTG + Power cable, actually the 2 pack Amazon sent were complete duds. I tried them on 1 phone and 2 tablets, trying 3 different USB power supplies and 2 different micro USB wires and neither of them passed power through to the phone (or tablet). I have a feeling the most challenging part of getting this going will be wading through the glut of cheap USB OTG + Power adapters on Amazon to finally find one that works.
@@ChrisRiley My guess is that it did not work. MOST vintage android devices WILL not work. octo4a is a great exercise but unusable for longer that the battery lasts.
Just showing you can use it the same as any other Pi install. Just just the IP on the phone and you can load it in the browser. It's just another option you have.
When I try and access the octopint through my home computer, i get the "This site can not be reached" message. Octo has the right IP given by the router
This doesn't work for me at all. The phone is a MOTO G7 Power running Android 10. I'm getting "Installation Corrupted". I attempted to SSH into the phone, but I'm getting "Connection timed out". The only other App I've installed on this phone is AlfredCam (which has been working fine for months). I also tried to install Octo4A on my (identical) daily use phone, but on that phone I'm getting "Octoprint For Android keeps stopping" as soon as I hit "Install Octoprint".
NEED HELP, i somehow forgot the username and password after using the wizard to setup octorpint. HOW THE HELL DO I DO WIZARD AGAIN ? I also tryed to SSH to the IP adress of the octo4a phone with putty but is sayed: connection refused. Help me please
You can remove the app from your phone and try again. Only other option would need you to login to the terminal ssh to reset it. ruclips.net/video/12m77CHspEI/видео.html
I've tried to find one that will do both. It really depends on the phone you use. I have had some luck with this one, but it's pricey for a gamble. amzn.to/4dggrkG (aff link take you to Amazon)
Someone has happened to him that the 3d print fail, because he stops out of nowhere and show a message of "server offline" and the IP on the cell phone changes ...
@@ChrisRiley Ok Chris, but I restart the Octoprint and this shows the right IP again and I can print. I think the phone is being disconnected by some energy control.. I don't know, I was watching Thomas Sanlarerer's video and i go enabling the option to always leave the screen on while the phone is plugged in... Let's hope there is what happens ...
You cant flip any camera in OctoPrint except the Raspberry Camera. My current USB camera cannot be rotated on my Raspberry Pi 4 with OctoPrint. But my raspberry pi camera connected via the ribbon cable does rotate.
Fantastic video. Looks like some really kool code. Looking forward to trying it. Does it set up a real root access or is it in a sandbox and does it set up a host name, so I can access it via a hostname vs an ip address or localhost. Thanks Chris
An OTG cable is must for connection or its just for charging purpose? Im trying to connect pixel phone via direct usb C cable that came with the phone and octo4a is not detecting the printer.
@@ChrisRiley Figured out! So I tried Type C to C data cables and it didn't connect. Then I tried never used cable that came with my pixel buds that had USB C to USB A and it worked! I used a OTG converter that came with phone to connect USB A to USB C on my phone. Thanks
Since I have an oldschool Ender 3 with a mini usb connection, I had to get a little creative. I ordered a usb c to mini usb adapter (female to male). Then bought a usbc hub. All that is supposed to be here Thursday. Here's to hoping that adapter doesnt fry my printer. Honestly I was just looking for a video on how to use an old phone as a webcam for octoprint. Wasn't really planning on using it as a server as I already have an octoprint server up and running.
Hi; im trying to install this software in a S7 Edge, and it keeps bombing out while installing dependencies . Warning could not build wheel for tornado that uses pep 517 Can you please tell me what can be wrong?
@@ChrisTheMobileMechanic still not working, but someone has got his working ok apparently he has rooted his phone, also I dont know of the reason why it does not install on mine its because its network locked,.... Tried to root the phone the other day but it was not free, as it was advertised...
Is there an app other than octoprint that simply works as an IP camera and does time lapse? I am just doing timelaps now with some app but can't view the stream over WiFi. If no IP camera is there another timelaps app for Android that can set the focus to manual? I am using superlapse right now but it is focus hunting all the time when the printer moves....and there is a lot of movement going on in my delta.
It should just come up if you punch in the IP with the port, like this 192.168.1.x:5000 unless your phone has some sort of security that blocks the connection.
Well i can charge my s8 while printing with octo4a i just need to figure out to connect octo4a to klipper thats where im hitting a wall as i cant figure out how to connect to klipper via octo4a
@@nickt4508 i'm currently installing linux on my phone and trying that lol. i'm pretty sure you need linux to install klipper so octo4a is not gonna make it. but that's my understanding.
Hii Chris, Thank you for making such useful videos, they all helped us a lot. A que came in my mind that can we use TMC2209 stepper drivers of another board with some different board ?? For e.g. can i use Lerdge TMC2209 stepper drivers on BTT Octopus Pro V1.0 Board ??
Yes, you should be able to use them on any board, if they have a pinout, look it over and make sure it matched the board you are going to, but most of them are pretty close to one another.
@@ChrisRiley I have one more que, i"am using BTT TFT70 v3.0 GD display with BTT octopus pro V1.0. I want to use it in Vertical Mode, but after the screen get vertical, the touch doesn't work and also the icons are not appear at right place. i have done all the possible methods whatever i found on internet. Please Help me or suggest me anything regarding this.
@@ChrisRiley just watched you vid on 2022 windows to run octoprint. Reason. Im sick of powercuts/accidental shutdowns corrupting the octoprints sd card on a pi. Thought octo4a was going to be my saviour but alas its not great on any phone i have access to.
hi chris. do i get this right? i need all the time internetconnection? my printer is in the workshop, but when i am there i use the internet for my phone. is it still possible to check the print from home, whithout having a internet connection at the mobile in the workshop??
MicroUSB will not charge the phone wilst in OTG mode. It's designed to power the peripheral not the phone and I'm affraid it's a limitation (hardware) of the microUSB design. USB C will work though as it is designed to work both ways. Wireless charging might work whilst printing?
@@ChrisRiley I appreciate the reply so far haven’t found a fix yet I’ve tried a lot seems to be some reason with the serial port on the skr and I’ve scouted the internet all over for a remedy, love your video’s very informative and easy to follow.
Awesome! Thanks for testing! What you could try out: put a small USB hub between the adapter cable and the printer. You could connect a keyboard as well as a mouse, and use them on the phone. Also you should be able to connect your palette 2. Do you think it is possible to install a second instance of octoprint like on a pie, to control a second printer?
I think the problem is that you start the server in portrait mode. If you start it (after you force kill it) the orientation is always the same in both the server and timelapse. At least on mine.
Hi Chris, great video. I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and can't get it to charge and connect to the printer at the same time. I'm going to buy the adapter you linked, but I noticed that your phone in the video is not charging during the tutorial. The battery drops from 100% to 60%. Does your adapter actually work? The Amazon listing says it does not charge the phone. Hoping you can sort this out. Thanks!
does anyone have the same problem as me, when i have loaded octo4a on my android and run it but the browser shows the issue initial settings fetch failed. Please help me find a way out of that problem
I am trying get ahold a PI of any use for printers for a decent price... cannot find a zero or 4,3 or anything under a 100$..... anyone? trying to klipper.....
@@ChrisRiley successfully running a Lulzbot Mini 1.04 on a Fire 7 (7th Gen). Only thing that I can't get working is the camera as that crashes the app without fail and causes wifi to go crazy giving it a random IP.
great video ... after u connected it all up you phone dont seem to be charging . i got a brand new c-type hub with allows to connect charger but still phone don't get power
Hey Chris I was wondering how the follow up video is coming along and I did basically everything in this video on my s7 but I can’t seem to get the y splitter to charge and run the printer at the same time is there a specific rom or something you have on that device?
Hi, when you do a follow up video to this, can you also demonstrate it on an Ender 3 v2? I have it up and running on my PC and the phone, but it can't connect to the printer after trying many different cables (the issue may be the splitter?). I have the baudrate and serial port selected, but when I try to connect to it, it will say it's disconnected and the state is offline.
Hi all,been trying to get this to run ,using the latest release 1.1.1 on both a Lenovo Tab M10 FHD plus 4/128 with Android 10 and the latest security file and a Motorola e7 power 2/64 again with Android 10 and the latest security file both download the apk ok and ask for permission to install unknown apps etc. and install but,as soon as I try to install octoprint it just crashes ,anyone had similar issues,any fixes yet ?
Hey Chris, Great Video! IT is a great way to repurpose an old android device. Especially with the ever growing pi shortage! What was the setup you used to hold the phone?
I don't know what he used, but we are watching this because we have a 3D printer so... ... just design and make one 😁 I'm sure there already are several variants on printables, thingiverse, etc.
Please don't buy the regular Y cable I show in the video. These don't charge the phone very well. I am working on a follow up to this video.
THIS. I have yet to get any phone or tablet to charge. To include usb C.
Ran into this problem when first tried. Unfortunately it is contingent on the phone having simultaneously PD and OTG enabled at a hardware level. It does work with the newer style usb c splitters but the phone has to have it hardware wise.
The other unfortunate thing is that this spec is not easily found, at least I couldn't. So it's a trial and error thing. Higher end devices 2018 foward tend to have it. But I'm sure there are lower ones too.
most brand of android Phone dosen't support the y-cable.
@Christopher Easler but something interesting, i have the same phone and with hml adapter for hdmi use, everything works and charges perfectly! i thing it is in the kernel of the phone. May be a custom rom will solve the problem.
But something interesting, i have the same phone and with hml adapter for hdmi use, everything works and charges perfectly! i thing it is in the kernel of the phone. May be a custom rom will solve the problem.
Wow , that is by far a very useful use for an unused smartphone. Thank you for sharing Chris.
Thanks, I think so too.
Thanks! Helped me a ton with setting up my old phone on my E3V2. Can't wait for the klipper video!
Glad it helped! Thank you so much!
thank you for your work! I have learned a lot with your tutorials. keep pushing!
Wow, thank you!
I ran octa4a 1.0.4 for awhile with no issue until octoprint 1.8 release. The octa4a 1.1.1 solved this problem. Great informative octoprint video as always. Looking forward to an updated Linux revisit 🤙🏼
I'm glad it fixed the problem. Thanks for your comment
This is perfect! Here in Sweden it's reasonable easy to get hold of Raspberry Pis last I looked, but I want one to tinker with and not tie it up to the printer. And now all I need is to fire up one of my old Androids - brilliant!
Shouldn't be that hard to just scrap a USB cable to make a splitter for free.
That's great! Let us know how it goes, thank you
I didn't read all 160 comments. I just didn't hear any mention of using an Android based tablet. And just using it as the printer screen. Great video!!
Thanks, I don't know if anyone has tried a tablet. I'm having trouble finding a cord that will charge while I'm using it.
@@ChrisRiley I looked the 10inch tablet I have is android based, also has a separate 5v cannon plug. 1x hdmi 1x micro USB and 1x USB, going to see if it will take everything you went over, in the morning
Cool, let me know how it goes. Thanks
@@ChrisRiley it worked! Just followed your steps in the video. The only thing is just what you were talking about the image isn't in the right orientation. The tablet is running Android 6, not super fast but works.
Try using the camera in landscape mode...i.e. rotate the phone. When I do this, I don't need to flip or rotate at all!...I think this is the prefered orientation, since it gives you the wider view of the print bed.
Great content - I am REALLY liking this years series so far!
Didn't have issues on the 1.04, but am going to upgrate to the 1.1.1 varsion (already went to the 1.8.1 version of Octoprint
Thanks!
People who record video in portrait should be blood sacrificed.
Among all the channels that teach about 3D printers, you are the best. Did you find a way to get klipper running on a phone?
Thank you! I haven't found a good way to do it yet. I'm sure someone has it in the works. I will search around.
Hey, the camera rotation trick was still necessary on OctoPrint v1.9.1, on a Samsung S10. And it worked - thank you!
Awesome, glad it worked.
Just started using this on my old phone. Works perfectly.
Awesome!
Sweet! Since I have a galaxy s6 and a tab A laying around, it was a relief to see that the s5 is powerful enough!
Thanks for watching! Good luck with projects
@@ChrisRiley Thanks! I haven’t been able to install octoprint on either device yet, sadly. It’s saying the install is corrupted and I’ve been digging into the Python scripts and GitHub issues. I’ve been a native android developer for like 7 years, so I’m not too worried yet haha. Also no stranger to ssh or to the linux and Android shells in general. Worst case scenario I might have to root one of the devices
The one that I was awaiting from your channel!
1) Be careful of the battery. Specially if it is a swollen battery. Connecting it to the charge for long times could be risky. I usually just pull off the battery IC and then provide 4.0 V to it in the place of the battery
2) I had a lot of problems with Octolapse and older Android versions, I can't make it work, with newer versions I can with no problems.
3) For some reason I've never found a proper OTG cable to charge and connect the printer at the same time.
3) It depends on your phone, not all phones support otg+charging at the same time
All good points, thanks for your insight
how can you pull off the battery IC?
Pretty darn handy considering the prices of the Pi's right now. I have a couple old phones sitting around too. Will give it a try!
Let us know how it goes
This was a really great video, Chris, thanks so much! I am trying to link up a small ~10 printer farm, so I'm exploring this option and with intention to aggregate instances using OctoFarm. I'm also running into the same issue with simultaneous charging and OTG functionality - would love an update on this! If I can't get charge + OTG on an old Android, I'll explore using a more powerful computer than a Pi (and containerizing) or using Repetier-Host.
Thanks Nathan, yes, I am trying to get more phones to test. There will be an update for sure.
Looking forward to the klipper install
🙂👍
Hi first :) going to test this :)
Hope you like it!
Been running it for awhile! Best to drag n drop to the SD card for long prints. Hands down awesome plug-in! Can't wait to see more tips n tricks you find!
Thank you
Oh you couldn't have timed this more perfectly, my guy! Can't wait to see the klipper video since I want to run klipper on all my machines and I don't have that many pi's laying around right now 😂
Working on it! Thank you
awesome video !!
When's the Klipper video coming out? lol
So many interested in an Octo4A klipper alternative.. with $500 pi 4's and all.
Thanks! I am rounding up a few more phones that work well with this, then we will get on Klipper.
@@ChrisRiley any news on that topic?
Maybe try the a7to rotate in phones pull-down notifications this happens with me on other apps but when switch auto rotate portrait or landscape it'll change it on remote device screen
I'll give that a try.
Newer version, but if I check flip vertical AND flip horizontal, it works. Great instructions Chris.
Thanks, I try it
Great video! Thanks for explaining everything clearly. I have 1 question for you. What can I do if the webcam url is unreachable? How do I verify what it should be and correct it?
That's a good question. It still runs MJPEG streamer, so you could check it by looking at the service. Check it with ps -aux |grep mjpeg it should list the port.
Love your vids, The little details helps a lot thanks man and keep up the great stuff >>
Thanks, will do!
The lack of Raspberry Pi has been a real issue. Have to be very judicious, atm. Nice video. Wonder if the COto4 instance would work for a farm set up. Might have to research that.
That's a good idea, thanks
Thanks Chris! Again great video! Thank you. Question...have you attempted to run the Octodash for the android to get the screen visuals? Is that possible? Note: Here is some info for the ones that are curious. I have a work around for the Y cable. First of all, I know that leaving a battery plugged in constantly is bad for it and dangerous for lithium so what I done was removed the battery completely from my phone, most batteries will be labeled + and - on 2 pins only. I took a 5v AC to DC adapter and soldered the positive and negative directly to those matching pins. I now can plug my phone up and leave it running constantly with no worries about a battery and this leaves my Data port open to work with the printer. No need for any y cables etc. I hope this helps someone.
Thanks! I haven't tried in incorporate Octodash on this setup yet. Not completely sure how it would work. Thanks for all the great info on how to deal with the charging, this should help other folks.
it helpped me, i just soldered wires strait to phone. great idea.
Yeah it's the actual phones auto rotate settings in notification pull down menu lock it to portrait or landscape so when when moving the phone the camera stays locked in that orientation
😀👍
Hi there ... cool , it's an old topic , the version is not the same ... but small question , how to know the phone performance needed to run manage multiple printers in the same instance of Octoprint ?
That's a great question and with a phone that is really hard to tell. All you can do is just give it a try. I'm sure someone out there has a performance monitor for phones, but I'm not familiar enough with them to know.
@@ChrisRiley ok thanks for replying ;)
Hi, when I connect the mobile to the printer, the board has power all the time, how do you fix this? Also when I connect the mobile to the printer bevor powering the printer, the homing is shit, it runs to the end stops like hell and fault.
The board has power all the time, I'm not sure what you mean.
@@ChrisRiley as long as I connect the mobile phone to the board via USB it is under power 24/7. I don't like that.
@@martinwirtz577 Ah, so it depends on the board. Some of them have a vrf jumper that you can set to keep this from happening.
@@ChrisRileythx it's a SKR E3 v2 mini
Hi Chris, great video! Helped me out a lot. I set up my old OnePlus 9 Pro and am using its camera to monitor my prints. Is there anyway I can lock focus on the print head? My phone seems to keep switching focus between the print head and the back of the printer.
Thank you! That's a great question, I don't thing octo4a has any smarts on how the camera does the focus. You might be able to go into the phone settings and turn off the auto focus.
Quickly scanned the comments and didn't see my question. Sorry if it's a duplicate...'
Can you run two printers from one phone? Not needing two cameras, but would this require two phones? Thanks, Chris.
I think you could, but it's probably not going to be that easy. Octo4a is really designed for one for one.
@@ChrisRiley thanks!
Any update on the cable for Samsung S5? I have the same phone but won't charge at the same time.
I never found a cable that worked. ☹
My phone won't charge even without an OTG cable. I'm trying to run this on a Samsung s10e. Haven't gotten the OTG cable yet to try hooking up to the printer, but I've been really enjoying the camera server with it's ability to focus up close and stabilize the image. I was even able to add it to my Blue Iris camera server.
Problem is that it is not charging when Octo4 is running. It's not hooked up to the printer, I've even stopped the print server and just was using the camera server, turned down to 720p 5fps and it's still rapidly draining the battery. I even hooked it up to a quick charger and the phone says it's connected to a "fast charger", but the battery keeps draining anyway. Phone is getting really hot too and making me nervous about the battery. Once the battery drains out and it shuts down, the phone cools off and it charges back up just fine. Not sure what's going on here. I've never felt this phone get so hot. Being a s10e I would think it could handle this app with ease. I'm not using any OTG cable yet, just directly plugged into the charger.
Wow, that is really strange, I wonder what is going on as well. I would like to find someone else with the same phone and see if they have the same issue. I would check over on the octo4a github.
please help i cannot see webcam on octoprint.Can you make a video fixing the camera ?
I'm guessing this is because of the changes that were made to octoprint. I would ask over on the octo4a github to see if they plan on updating as well.
I installed the system on an ANDROID BOX
it works very well
everything works fine BUT!!!! I can't get a camera to work
Android recognizes the camera, but when I try to check the "generic webcam" box, the message REQUESTING PERMISSION TO DEVICE appears ????
any suggestions to solve the problem???
Cool install, interesting. Have you tried more than one camera? I wonder if it's a drive issue.
@@ChrisRiley Wok´s very good
Detail: you have to isolate the 5V on the USB cable, otherwise when you turn on the BOX, the printer will also "partially" turn on
Or
don't use the power supply and power the BOX with the printer itself, but then it takes a few minutes for the system to boot up and become available
I isolated the 5V from the USB cable and always leave it on
Yes
I tested 3 different cameras
They work in other Android applications, but they don't work in OCTO4A
Thank you Chris for the awesome video, did you have any luck so far with setting up klipper ?
Not yet, still trying to find a better OTG cable.
@@ChrisRiley I think that's kinda funny because I think I ran in to a similar problem as you. I couldn't find a good OTG cable for micro usb have you considered usb type-c to micro usb adapter ? since most devices don't use micro usb anymore there's not that many up-to-date type of hub/ otg cable that adapter could at least open the door to a more modern OTG cable.
Hi Chris, another option for octoprint, klipper or anything in linux is a Android TV box, very inexpensive and are a very good option. They do involve a bit of programming depending the chip the box uses. There is not a lot of information on setup, might be a good topic to look into seeing Pi's are rare now, and TV boxes are plenty.
Cool, thanks!
Wouldn't you be able to install Octa4a on a android tv box?... dunno about the camera, but I think it should work
@@jtech23 I think that is what Nathan is saying
Cannot attach an accelerometer is a big downside. You can get a Pi3 alternative for $less than 60usd. Less hassle. But using the phone as a screen is a good idea.
Also very disappointed a video installing klipper was never made for octo4a, although it was baited at the start of the video
android phone would still be the best, since it has camera, built-in battery and normally come with much more powerful SoC
Did you do the Klipper on phone video? I got it set up, but not sure how to use it since I can't get Mainsail loaded? But thr Klipper plugin is installed. How do you use klipper without mainsail/fluidd?
You can do it through the octoprint plugin, but I still haven't tested klipper with octo4a, I will make it a priority.
@@ChrisRiley Thanks Chris, It is a very interesting option if you can't get a pi. You get touchscreen and wifi essentially free:-)
Creality Ender 3 Max and mine will nevert recognize the printer, even when the Android phone is plugged in directly to it. 'No working connection parameters could be found'.
Been fighting with this for 2 days now.
uchhh......
If you cable the printer up to a computer, will it see it?
Had the same issue for Ender 3 V2 Neo. I was using a USB cable that was for charging only. Have you made sure your USB cable is a data cable?
Prusaslicer?
Great vid, thank you! Does Prusaslicer work with this octo4a directly? Anyone made it happen?
Yes, Prusa slicer will send files to octoprint directly even using octo4a.
And again, the most underrated channel on youtube ... wtf guys go and get this guy a thumbs up and get subscribed - he will NEVER disappoint you, for sure. Thank me later!
Thank you so much!
I don't need to thank you either now or later, been subbing for a while😁
But I thank you anyway, and agree that this is a great channel👍
i have tried every thin two old phone i get the ip address but the box to the side is open and i cant check it i try to view plugins it says 150% downloaded
I have heard there are a lot of issue with the newest version. I hope it gets fixed and updated soon.
@@ChrisRiley i was able to openssh and get it to work
so im running into an issue where Octoprint 4a is installed it gives me the IP to connect and the port. when I go to my computer that is on the same network as my phone that is using my home's wifi connection it will not connect. I tried going to the phone and browsing to localhost:5000 and it goes to octoprint just fine. I also went to my router and set my phone's MAC to get a static IP that it says it is using in octoprint as well as in my phone's wifi information and my router's list of IPs.
What am I missing?
The only thing I can think of is that your phone won't allow an incoming connection. I would look into your wifi settings on the phone, maybe there is a mini firewall of some kind.
Install step shown at 4.42 Fails On a surplus cheap ($10) Current Brand New due to phone not having Bash or Curl.. Being a locked device by Australian Carrier Telstra i am having difficulty trying to get permission to install them in /Bin folder. I installed Termux and tried but using pkg install bash and get various messages inc imetadata integrity can't be verified etc tried to install sudo and that ended in failure
I have been testing several phones and I have run into a locked devices that have the same issue.
Could you connect power straight to the battery contacts and just forget the USB charging?
Honestly,. I'm not sure if that would throw the phone off or not. Might be worth a try.
Hello, it works perfect and I installed octolapse, but how do I activate "custom image preferences"?
please help me
I'm not sure, it should work just like the install on the Pi.
Does Octo4A support controlling external devices [via usb maybe?] similar to using Octopi via GPIO ports? 🤞😬🤞
Not that I know of, but you never know who's going to come up with what.
The trick is getting a phone/tablet that will allow OTG & Charging at the same time. I went and did an experiment with a cheap Amazon Fire tablet. Octoprint runs brilliantly on it, however, it won't charge and provide otg at the same time. I also tried running octo4a on an Andriod TV box, (onn) from Walmart that was 20 bucks. it will install, and run but only for a few seconds before itself kills itself. boo. The next test is an RCA Tablet that runs USB C, my goal is to find a Super Cheap tablet that will blow a raspberry pi out of the watter and get it to run klipper.
I have another type of cable on order, I will report back if the new version works.
@@ChrisRileyguess it didn't work hahaha
$30 blu view 2 from TracFone supports otg while charging
Great idea and I'm hoping to implement it someday, but the first OTG + Power cable, actually the 2 pack Amazon sent were complete duds. I tried them on 1 phone and 2 tablets, trying 3 different USB power supplies and 2 different micro USB wires and neither of them passed power through to the phone (or tablet).
I have a feeling the most challenging part of getting this going will be wading through the glut of cheap USB OTG + Power adapters on Amazon to finally find one that works.
I have another type of cable on order, I will report back if the new version works.
@@ChrisRiley My guess is that it did not work. MOST vintage android devices WILL not work. octo4a is a great exercise but unusable for longer that the battery lasts.
Thanks bro! Ima do this now but I'm confused on 1 thing. You went from 100% phone install to your pc, why for what, how?
Just showing you can use it the same as any other Pi install. Just just the IP on the phone and you can load it in the browser. It's just another option you have.
When I try and access the octopint through my home computer, i get the "This site can not be reached" message. Octo has the right IP given by the router
Are you using port 5000 on your URL?
This doesn't work for me at all. The phone is a MOTO G7 Power running Android 10. I'm getting "Installation Corrupted". I attempted to SSH into the phone, but I'm getting "Connection timed out". The only other App I've installed on this phone is AlfredCam (which has been working fine for months). I also tried to install Octo4A on my (identical) daily use phone, but on that phone I'm getting "Octoprint For Android keeps stopping" as soon as I hit "Install Octoprint".
There have been a lot of issues reported with this project recently. I am hoping they get it fixed soon and published.
NEED HELP, i somehow forgot the username and password after using the wizard to setup octorpint. HOW THE HELL DO I DO WIZARD AGAIN ? I also tryed to SSH to the IP adress of the octo4a phone with putty but is sayed: connection refused. Help me please
You can remove the app from your phone and try again. Only other option would need you to login to the terminal ssh to reset it. ruclips.net/video/12m77CHspEI/видео.html
@@ChrisRiley when I reinstalled the app the IP didn't change, so I wasn't prompted to do the wizard again :/
pudieron encontrar una solución para cargar y transmitir datos al mismo tiempo?
It seems to depend on what phone you use. Some OTG ports allow you to charge and read data at the same time, others don't.
I have the Y cable and it either charges or datas transfer use. Anyone have idea that what could be the issue? Should I buy a different adapter?
I've tried to find one that will do both. It really depends on the phone you use. I have had some luck with this one, but it's pricey for a gamble. amzn.to/4dggrkG (aff link take you to Amazon)
Someone has happened to him that the 3d print fail, because he stops out of nowhere and show a message of "server offline" and the IP on the cell phone changes ...
The phones are on DHCP so the IP will change unless you can hard set it inside your router.
@@ChrisRiley Ok Chris, but I restart the Octoprint and this shows the right IP again and I can print. I think the phone is being disconnected by some energy control.. I don't know, I was watching Thomas Sanlarerer's video and i go enabling the option to always leave the screen on while the phone is plugged in... Let's hope there is what happens ...
It's works !!!
You cant flip any camera in OctoPrint except the Raspberry Camera. My current USB camera cannot be rotated on my Raspberry Pi 4 with OctoPrint. But my raspberry pi camera connected via the ribbon cable does rotate.
Great, thank you!
So wait can I only connect to the phone with a desktop/computer?
You can connect from any device on the network.
Fantastic video. Looks like some really kool code. Looking forward to trying it. Does it set up a real root access or is it in a sandbox and does it set up a host name, so I can access it via a hostname vs an ip address or localhost. Thanks Chris
I will have to check that, I think it's just sandbox mode. I didn't see a hostname entry, but I think we could add one really easy.
An OTG cable is must for connection or its just for charging purpose? Im trying to connect pixel phone via direct usb C cable that came with the phone and octo4a is not detecting the printer.
I don't think you should need a OTG to connect to the printer. It could be a permissions issue on the phone no letting it connect.
@@ChrisRiley Figured out! So I tried Type C to C data cables and it didn't connect. Then I tried never used cable that came with my pixel buds that had USB C to USB A and it worked! I used a OTG converter that came with phone to connect USB A to USB C on my phone. Thanks
Has anyone tried using this app on android tv box? If so how did it go?
Thanks for your comment. Let us know if anyone tries it. I'll look into it too
Since I have an oldschool Ender 3 with a mini usb connection, I had to get a little creative. I ordered a usb c to mini usb adapter (female to male). Then bought a usbc hub. All that is supposed to be here Thursday. Here's to hoping that adapter doesnt fry my printer.
Honestly I was just looking for a video on how to use an old phone as a webcam for octoprint. Wasn't really planning on using it as a server as I already have an octoprint server up and running.
Way to think out of the box! Good luck
Hi; im trying to install this software in a S7 Edge, and it keeps bombing out while installing dependencies .
Warning could not build wheel for tornado that uses pep 517
Can you please tell me what can be wrong?
I don't know the code well enough, I would head to github and ask over there.
Same her, Did you ever get it working?
@@ChrisTheMobileMechanic still not working, but someone has got his working ok apparently he has rooted his phone, also I dont know of the reason why it does not install on mine its because its network locked,.... Tried to root the phone the other day but it was not free, as it was advertised...
Is there an app other than octoprint that simply works as an IP camera and does time lapse?
I am just doing timelaps now with some app but can't view the stream over WiFi.
If no IP camera is there another timelaps app for Android that can set the focus to manual? I am using superlapse right now but it is focus hunting all the time when the printer moves....and there is a lot of movement going on in my delta.
The only app I have ever used on my Android was hyperlapse, I think it was only on Samsung phones maybe. I don't know about anything else.
hey brother how do i get my screen to come up on my computer from my phone ? its not working thanks in advance
It should just come up if you punch in the IP with the port, like this 192.168.1.x:5000 unless your phone has some sort of security that blocks the connection.
could you still use an webcam to have a better/different angle
I don't think so, it's been a struggle just to get the serial connection working at all.
where is the trying to install klipper on this setup gone
Still trying to get some more phones to test. Seems like it's very hit and miss on which ones work and which ones don't.
@@ChrisRiley is very intressted in a how to as i have run in to a wall trying to do it to my old ender 2 using a samsung galaxy s8+
@@nickt4508 so far there is no cable that can support charging and transfer data at the same time. I was hoping to use s7 edge too. micro usb....
Well i can charge my s8 while printing with octo4a i just need to figure out to connect octo4a to klipper thats where im hitting a wall as i cant figure out how to connect to klipper via octo4a
@@nickt4508 i'm currently installing linux on my phone and trying that lol. i'm pretty sure you need linux to install klipper so octo4a is not gonna make it. but that's my understanding.
I cant get my ender 3 to connect
Will it connect to your computer?
I just tried the newest version and it says it's corrupt and to reinstall
People are having a really hard time with the new version, I hope they fix it soon.
Hii Chris, Thank you for making such useful videos, they all helped us a lot. A que came in my mind that can we use TMC2209 stepper drivers of another board with some different board ?? For e.g. can i use Lerdge TMC2209 stepper drivers on BTT Octopus Pro V1.0 Board ??
Yes, you should be able to use them on any board, if they have a pinout, look it over and make sure it matched the board you are going to, but most of them are pretty close to one another.
@@ChrisRiley Thank you 😊
@@ChrisRiley I have one more que, i"am using BTT TFT70 v3.0 GD display with BTT octopus pro V1.0. I want to use it in Vertical Mode, but after the screen get vertical, the touch doesn't work and also the icons are not appear at right place. i have done all the possible methods whatever i found on internet. Please Help me or suggest me anything regarding this.
is it possible to connect a adxl345 to the phone via a hub?
That I don't know, it would be interesting to figure that out though.
Looking at that camera rotation - does flip horizontally & rotate 90 anticlockwise get it to the right orientation?
I think it may also be different depending on the phone you're using.
I'll give it a try, thank you
I tried this on an lg g5 but it didnt manage to run any successful prints. I may try to acquire a samsung galaxy s6
I have to use my S8 to get charging and connection to work correctly. I am trying to locate more phones to test currently.
@@ChrisRiley just watched you vid on 2022 windows to run octoprint. Reason. Im sick of powercuts/accidental shutdowns corrupting the octoprints sd card on a pi. Thought octo4a was going to be my saviour but alas its not great on any phone i have access to.
And you can access the octoprint from your laptop or other phone just like you do with a pi??
Yes, just use the 5000 port number after the ip.
hi chris.
do i get this right? i need all the time internetconnection? my printer is in the workshop, but when i am there i use the internet for my phone. is it still possible to check the print from home, whithout having a internet connection at the mobile in the workshop??
You don't need internet, but you would have to have network connectivity. So it still has to be able to reach your network.
Hi Chris, do you have a link for the spliter, I've tried a couple but they won't charge my phone. I will also be using the S5.
I'm still having a hard time with this. I need to get more phones to test. It's looking like only some USB-C phones can change while printing.
MicroUSB will not charge the phone wilst in OTG mode. It's designed to power the peripheral not the phone and I'm affraid it's a limitation (hardware) of the microUSB design. USB C will work though as it is designed to work both ways. Wireless charging might work whilst printing?
Anyone have any issues with octo4a not detecting a printer I swapped my ender3 main board to a skr mini and now I can’t detect a printer
I haven't had an issue yet, but maybe others have a fix.
@@ChrisRiley I appreciate the reply so far haven’t found a fix yet I’ve tried a lot seems to be some reason with the serial port on the skr and I’ve scouted the internet all over for a remedy, love your video’s very informative and easy to follow.
Awesome! Thanks for testing!
What you could try out: put a small USB hub between the adapter cable and the printer. You could connect a keyboard as well as a mouse, and use them on the phone.
Also you should be able to connect your palette 2.
Do you think it is possible to install a second instance of octoprint like on a pie, to control a second printer?
Interesting, I will have to try somethings. I don't see why you couldn't run more than one. I will play around with it.
I connected my microwave and a washing machine to my phone and it works perfectly
I think the problem is that you start the server in portrait mode. If you start it (after you force kill it) the orientation is always the same in both the server and timelapse. At least on mine.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check it out
Is the phone screen on or off when using this with timelapse? Screen on drains battery fast.
It has to stay on I believe. I have found some phones/chargers can stay charged while the screen is always on and others cannot.
Does Micro USB vs Type C affects print quality in some way? Being the first technically slower than the second
It shouldn't, both are more than fast enough for any amount of gcode streaming.
Hi Chris, great video. I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and can't get it to charge and connect to the printer at the same time. I'm going to buy the adapter you linked, but I noticed that your phone in the video is not charging during the tutorial. The battery drops from 100% to 60%. Does your adapter actually work? The Amazon listing says it does not charge the phone. Hoping you can sort this out. Thanks!
I thought it was charging, I will go check again.
I have another type of cable on order, I will report back if the new version works.
@@ChrisRiley thanks very much! I really want to be able to use the phone for this. Looking forward to your update.
@@ChrisRiley please let us know what cable you find…
does anyone have the same problem as me, when i have loaded octo4a on my android and run it but the browser shows the issue initial settings fetch failed. Please help me find a way out of that problem
Chrome didn’t load the page for me, I did the initial setup with Firefox then it loaded fine on chrome
I haven't seen that problem. Does a different browser help?
@@ChrisRiley Firefox worked great for first setup, then chrome started working
I am trying get ahold a PI of any use for printers for a decent price... cannot find a zero or 4,3 or anything under a 100$..... anyone?
trying to klipper.....
I know, it really sucks we can't get them. I am looking really hard to find something else we can use.
Will this work on a Kindle Fire? I have a few sitting around and would love to repurpose 2 of them.
I'm not sure. If it excepts a APK file then it will. Let us know if it works.
@@ChrisRiley successfully running a Lulzbot Mini 1.04 on a Fire 7 (7th Gen). Only thing that I can't get working is the camera as that crashes the app without fail and causes wifi to go crazy giving it a random IP.
Has anyone tried this on an Amazon Fire HD8 yet? It seems to load ok. Thanks for a great tutorial Chris!
Thanks for watching!
great video ...
after u connected it all up you phone dont seem to be charging .
i got a brand new c-type hub with allows to connect charger but still phone don't get power
Yeah, I'm still working on it. Thanks for watching
Can I use it only for octolapse and print with a memory card
I think you can, it would be worth a try.
Wow what a great idea from Octoprint and a great guide thanks Chris! Just a thought would this Install work on an old android based tablet?
It should... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hey Chris I was wondering how the follow up video is coming along and I did basically everything in this video on my s7 but I can’t seem to get the y splitter to charge and run the printer at the same time is there a specific rom or something you have on that device?
I've been having the same problem. I haven't been able to figure it out yet.
Could you do this with a Chromebook?
I think you could, but not really sure how at the moment. I don't think it would support it directly on the Chrome OS.
@@ChrisRiley I looked it up, and apparently you can if you load Linux onto the computer
Hi, when you do a follow up video to this, can you also demonstrate it on an Ender 3 v2?
I have it up and running on my PC and the phone, but it can't connect to the printer after trying many different cables (the issue may be the splitter?). I have the baudrate and serial port selected, but when I try to connect to it, it will say it's disconnected and the state is offline.
I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the suggestion.
@@ChrisRiley Thank you. This is driving me nuts.
Hi all,been trying to get this to run ,using the latest release 1.1.1 on both a Lenovo Tab M10 FHD plus 4/128 with Android 10 and the latest security file and a Motorola e7 power 2/64 again with Android 10 and the latest security file both download the apk ok and ask for permission to install unknown apps etc. and install but,as soon as I try to install octoprint it just crashes ,anyone had similar issues,any fixes yet ?
I installed 1.1.1 and didn't have any issues, maybe someone over on github knows.
Hey Chris, Great Video! IT is a great way to repurpose an old android device. Especially with the ever growing pi shortage!
What was the setup you used to hold the phone?
I don't know what he used, but we are watching this because we have a 3D printer so...
... just design and make one 😁
I'm sure there already are several variants on printables, thingiverse, etc.
Thanks, here's a link to the cell phone tripod on Amazon:
geni.us/VWWcW
@@bennylloyd-willner9667... so true!
This is great!!
Thanks Chris
Thank you
can't wait for klipper and hopefully Fluid and Mainsail follows suite.
Thanks for watching, stay tuned
Let's hope Klipper (Mainsail/Fluidd would be awesome) behaves nicely.
We'll see
You sound just like the engineering explained guy! I had to get my glasses to be sure. LoL
I wish! 😀
Where can i buy the Y cable? i need 1 micro usb and 1 type C
Here's a link that will take you to Amazon (aff)
geni.us/jac8j0A
When u connect the phone to the cable the phone was not charging. And i tried the same thing but phone doesnt take charge with those cables
I'm having trouble finding the right cables. I'll keep you posted
@@ChrisRiley you should mention this in pinned comment .so everyone dont but the wrong cable like the one in video