How to Run a Samsung Galaxy S5 Without a Battery for 3D Printing with OctoPrint
By
MYEUHD
Crusty in the right places. Worth the chew.
Summary
This article provides a detailed tutorial on how to repurpose an old Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone to run OctoPrint for 3D printing by bypassing the battery entirely. The author explains that the Galaxy S5 kernel doesn't support charging while connected to USB devices, making the worn battery problematic. The solution involves wiring the phone directly to a power supply by connecting the battery terminals to a 3.7V-4.2V DC source, effectively running the smartphone without a battery. The guide includes step-by-step instructions on opening the phone, identifying battery contacts, creating a custom power connector, and testing the setup for 3D printer control via OctoPrint.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledUsing an old smartphone for OctoPrint is a perfect fit - it has USB OTG support to connect to the printer, WiFi to access the controls and upload models, and a camera to monitor the print progress.
The only, yet critical, issue is that the kernel for Galaxy S5 does not support charging while it's connected to a USB device.
The battery is old and worn, and cannot last through a long print job, and the phone will shut down when the battery is depleted.
The solution is to wire the phone directly to a power supply, bypassing the battery entirely.
This method effectively turns your old smartphone into a dedicated OctoPrint server that can run indefinitely without battery degradation issues.
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