Tft32

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TFT32

These resistive touch screen ARM based units indirectly control a 3D printer via gcodes sent via a serial interface.

Available under several different names, indicating the touch screen size:

  • TFT24 = 2.4" screen
  • TFT28 = 2.8" screen (same firmware as TFT32)
  • TFT32 = 3.2" screen (same firmware as TFT28)
  • TFT35 = 3.5" screen
  • TFT70 = 7.0" screen

Capabilities

  • Fundamentally: Functions as touch-screen "head end" to your 3d printer.
  • User-defined buttons that can send custom gcode commands.
  • With a suitable wifi interface, you can access the serial port console via wifi. (via Pronterface, which supports IP Serial devices)
  • Onboard power outage recovery when printing from connected storage. (has a supercap).
  • Supports filament runout detection. (via IO pins)

Wifi

A bit of a misnomer, the TFT32 unit is already communicating with your actual printer mainboard using a serial interface, and the "wifi" module is really a wifi-rs232 converter, so you're going Wifi->RS232->TFT32->RS232->Mainboard.

Either way, the MKS HLK-WIFI module connects via an 8-pin 2x4 ribbon cable, exactly like the main interface, and is configured using parameters in the mks_config.txt and can operate in client mode to connect to an existing AP by specifying SSID and Key, or hotspot mode; using a static or dynamic IP address.

Wifi Howto

Usage

There is no "printer side" configuration required, other than having an available serial interface and knowing the correct baud rate and "flavor" of gcode (Marlin, Repitier, Smoothie), configured in mks_config.txt.

Firmware Setup

Marlin

#mainboard firmware setting(marlin:1; repetier:2; smoothie:3)
>cfg_firmware_type:1

If you're running an older (1.x branch) Marlin: no changes on the printer firmware are required.

If you're attempting to run Marlin 2.0.x firmwares the ADVANCED_OK feature is not compatible and must be disabled: you will be able to move and heat, but printing from SD card will "hang" and you won't get heating when the print tries to start.

The MKSTFT unit has it's own firmware:

Latest MKS Official Firmware for TFTXX models

Repetier

#mainboard firmware setting(marlin:1; repetier:2; smoothie:3)
>cfg_firmware_type:2

Smoothie

#mainboard firmware setting(marlin:1; repetier:2; smoothie:3)
>cfg_firmware_type:3

Firmware Upgrade

the TFT unit firmware is loaded from USB/SD Card (I have only tested SD card):

  1. Set FileSys to SD
  2. place the following files on SD card:
    1. mkstft28.bin (actual firmware file; tft28 firmware also applies to tft32)
    2. mks_pic (images for the "skin")
    3. mks_font (font files)
    4. mks_config.txt (configuration file)
  3. Reboot TFT32 to upload firmware.

If you get stuck at at a message "loading bmp_dir.bin"; you are loading incorrect mks_pics for your model.

Compatibility

  • MKS Base
  • MKS Gen
  • MKS Mini
  • Creality Mainboard >=2.0 (m2560 w/ extra serial header)

Links