Printer Monitoring?

[Wolfie]

I would like to set somthing up under the hood at the printer with a camera so that I can monitor the print remotely. Does anyone have suggestions as to what would be a good stand alone option? RaspberryPI? BananaPI? Arduino?

1. Camera
2. Self Contained
3. Network connection
4. (Optional) Internet accessible

Suggestions?

[ssayer]

Do you have an old smart phone collecting dust? If so, you have everything you need except the IP Cam app...

[Wolfie]

Hehe! No. I am using my old smart phone (Droid X2) ;0 I am grandfathered into the Verizon Unlimited data plan. I won't upgrade because it would force me out of the plan.

I orderd a Raspberry Pi 2 B, camera and starter kit from Adafruit this afternoon. I want it for XBMC but I threw in the camera for tinkering with the printer monitor. If it woroks then I may look at ordering an inexpensive Pi B (old one) since it doesn't do much other than vid and display a web page (at least I hope that it will).

[Marm]

He was asking about using an old smartphone, that isn't on the cellular network anymore, to connect to wifi and stream video from there.

A Cheap webcam and the right software will stream to the internet easier than a Pi would, since you already have a computer sitting by your printer.

But if standalone is required, then go get a cheap standalone wifi security camera.

There is a recent multipage thread on this here too.

[Wolfie]

He was asking about using an old smartphone, that isn't on the cellular network anymore, to connect to wifi and stream video from there.

A Cheap webcam and the right software will stream to the internet easier than a Pi would, since you already have a computer sitting by your printer.

But if standalone is required, then go get a cheap standalone wifi security camera.

There is a recent multipage thread on this here too.

Yes, I know what he was asking about. The ONLY smart phone I have is currently in use.

I also know that a webcam can work, but its not practical with my setup. Computer is not in the same room as the printer otherwise, I would have used that method.

And yea, I swear I saw a thread here but my Search Fu was not successful in finding it. You would be amazed how many times the word monitor and raspberry show up here.

[stridera]

I'm currently doing this. I have a raspberry pi 2 with the camera module setup. I added vpn to it so I can vpn from my phone as well as monitor/control stuff.

This is pretty nice because I always have a camera pointing at my print.

Other things I'm working on adding:
- Have the Pi control LED's placed around the frame of the printer. (Actually having it change color based on the progress, starting at red and then progressing to Orange, Yellow, Green and finally Blue for 100% is the end goal.)
- Enclosure with a heater controlled by the pi
- Website you can login to that will show the current print via the camera as well as controls like "STOP!" and pause.
- Would like to add a filament detector (switch in teflon tube?) that will automatically notify me when it is triggered and then pause the print.

Anyway, for $35 for the pi and another $30 for the camera module (or just use a cheap usb camera you have laying around) it seems like a steal. Give it a wifi module and you have a remote monitoring/controlling platform that is highly configurable.