Setup Octopi For Controlling Your MPCNC Router

Octopi is an extremely convenient way to control your MPCNC router from a web browser. It enables you to start, pause, and cancel your milling jobs remotely. There is a plugin named “Better GRBL Support” made specifically to control CNC routers movement such as jogging, homing, and setting the Z-Axis position, along with starting and terminating milling jobs. There is also a plugin that will send an SMS text message to your phone notifying you when the milling operation is complete.

Octopi runs on Raspberry Pi Zero/2/3/4/5 B single board computers. If you do not already have an unused Pi I would recommend buying a Pi Zero 2 W kit as listed in the table above. You will need a microSD card and a USB microSD card reader like the ones above to write the Octoprint image to the microSD card and power the Pi with that card.

Take not, not every MPCNC router’s Jackpot board has a USB Micro-B port, some of them have USB-C so be sure to check the port on your Jackpot board before buying the USB cable to connect it to the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.

1. Let’s Look at the Material Requirements
2. Getting Started
3. Configure the Octopi’s Initial Basic Settings
4. Use Better GRBL Support Plugin
5. Use a Notification Plugin

1. Let’s Look at the Material Requirements

Item	Price	Quantity	Total	Location
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Kit	$39.99	1	$39.99	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M1PS35R/
32 GB microSD Card	$7.88	1	$7.88	https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-UHS-I-Memory-Adapter/dp/B00M55C0NS/
USB microSD Card Reader	$9.99	1	$9.99	https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Portable-Reader-RS-MMC-Micro/dp/B006T9B6R2/
Micro USB-B to USB-A Cable	$8.11	1	$8.11	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074VM7SMM/
Grand Total			$65.97

2. Getting Started

If you setup Octopi for the 3D printer in one of the previous steps then you already have a USB microSD card reader.

1. Insert your microSD card into USB microSD card reader like the one in the kit and plug the USB device into your computer.
2. Download the Raspberry Pi Imager software for writing the Octopi OS to your microSD card. The address for the Imager software is here: https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
3. After installation run the software.
4. Click on Choose Device and select the type of Raspberry Pi you have. If it is from the kit above select Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
5. Click on Choose OS and select: Other specific-purpose OS > 3D printing > OctoPi > OctoPi (stable)
6. Click on Choose Storage and select the microSD card.
7. Click Next.
8. Click Edit Settings on the Use OS customization popup.
9. Under the General tab set the host name to the web address you want to access the Octopi server on. I recommend cncrouter for the hostname. The hostname automatically has a .local domain name extension on the end.
10. Create the login user name you want to use.
11. Enter the password you want for that login name.
12. Enter your wifi router’s SSID and password so the Octopi will automatically connect to your home wifi network. You might run into an error if you enter your 5Ghz wifi SSID and password. If so, just enter your 2.4Ghz wifi SSID and password. That connection is fast enough to upload the .gcode file in your web browser to the 3D printer.
13. Enter your LAN country and other locale settings.
14. Click the Services tab and Enable SSH to access the linux command prompt for your Octopi server from another computer. It is useful for updating the Octopi server software.
15. Click Save.
16. The click the Yes button on the Use OS customisation popup.
17. Then click the Yes button on the Warning popup.
18. When the Octopi OS has been written to the microSD card, click the Continue button on the Write Successful popup.
19. If in Windows 10 go to the This PC screen right click on the drive with boot in the name that is about 250MB in size, right click on the drive and select Eject. If a popup appears click the Try Again button until the drive successfully ejects.
20. Remove the USB device, remove the microSD card from the device, and insert it into your Raspberry Pi.
21. Connect a USB cable between your Ender 3 V3 SE and the Octopi server. The USB-C end plugs into the Ender and the Micro USB-B end plugs into the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
22. Attach the power supply to the Raspberry Pi and plug it into a power socket.

3. Configure the Octopi’s Initial Basic Settings

1. Enter the hostname you chose with .local on the end in your web browser’s address field.
2. If your Firefox web browser pops up with a security warning click the Advanced button and then click the Accept the Risk and Continue button.
3. When the Setup Wizard opens, in the Start screen click the Next button.
4. In the Access Control screen enter the username and password you want to login into Octopi with and click the Create Account button. Then click the Next button. You will use these to login inside your web browser.
5. In the Online Connectivity Check screen click the Test host & port button, then click the Test name resolution button, then click the Enable Connectivity Check button followed by the Next button.
6. On the Anonymous Usage Tracking screen decide if you want to share anonymous usage statistics and click the appropriate button. Then click the Next button.
7. On the Plugin Blacklist screen click the Enable Plugin Blacklist Processing button to help prevent installing unsafe plugins. Then click the Next button.
8. On the Classic Webcam Wizard screen delete the text in the Stream URL and Snapshot URL fields. Then click the Next button.
9. On the Default Printer Profile screen just click Next as when the Better GRBL Support plugin is installed a new profile will be created by it.
10. Click the Next button.
11. On the Finish screen check the boxes and click the Finish button. Then click the Reload button

4. Use Better GRBL Support Plugin

1. The Better GRBL Plugin will provide the controls needed to operate your MPCNC router.
2. Go to the OctoPrint Settings page by clicking on the Octopi’s Wrench Icon and click on Plugin Manager.
3. Click on the + Get More button and in the Search box enter the phrase “Better GRBL Support”.
4. Click the Install button.
5. The screen will reload and you need to press Finish to go past the post installation screen.
6. Go to the Octoprint Settings page again and click on Printer Profiles.
7. Click on the garbage icon for the Default profile as you will be using the Grbl Default Machine profile with the star next to it.
8. Go to the Octoprint Settings page one last time and under the Plugins list click on Better Grbl Support.
9. Scroll down the page and check the boxes that say “Has A Axis” and “Has B Axis” as the MPCNC router uses two stepper motors for moving the router along the X and Y axes.
10. The plugin is now configured.

5. Use a Notification Plugin

1. A Notification plugin will notify you via text message when your router has finished so you can remove the milled object and initiate another milling operation preventing CNC router down time.
2. Click the Octopi’s Wrench Icon for Advanced Settings
3. To install the Octotext plugin click on the Plugin Manager link.
4. Click on the + Get More button, confirm your password, then enter Octotext in the search box.
5. A plugin with the name Octotext will appear, click it’s Install button.
6. Then click the Close button. and the Restart now button in the upper right hand corner of the web page. Then click the Proceed button. Then click the Attempt to reconnect button.
7. Click on the wrench icon again and under Plugins you should see a link called Octotext where you can enter the settings of an email address and cellphone to send texts via your email provider to your cellphone.
8. In the Options section I would only enable:
   • Print finished notification.
   • Unrecoverable Error notification.
   • Print Fail OR Cancel notification.
   • Enable Print Failure notifications
9. In the EMail Configuration settings you will need to enter your email provider and cellphone information. This obviously differs for everyone. I would advise you to read the plugin’s readme. The plugin author uses a free email account from Microsoft Outlook. You will need to
   • SMTP gateway: smtp.office365.com
   • SMTP port: 587
   • Message: 3D Printer Event
   • Username and host address: (Enter the Outlook user name you created) @ outlook.com
   • Email password: (Enter your email address password)
   • Phone number OR user name @ Gateway OR Email address: (Enter your cell number) @ (Get your Gateway from this wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_gateway#Email_clients )
   • Uncheck: Enable the test icon (an envelope) on the top of the navigation bar.
   • Click the blue “Save” button at the bottom
   • Click the blue “Send a test message” button at the bottom.
   • The plugin will tell you if the message was sent successfully by Outlook. You should receive a text message on your cellphone momentarily. If not there is something wrong with your settings.