PrintCam: Easily integrate a Camera to your Prusa Mini

I love my Prusa Mini+ 3D printer. It’s been a tireless workhorse on many projects. I have to say that despite many years of 3D printing I’m still fascinated by them and can lose vast amounts of time sitting hypnotised by their wondrous movements. For those of you less enamoured and more sensible, there are numerous options for remote monitoring your 3D printers with the fabulous Octoprint leading the way.  Recently Prusa has launched Prusa Connect which offers a heap of remote control functionality with, of course, the option of adding cameras. The PrintCam is a neat camera add-on designed to work specifically with Prusa Connect and it’s super simple to install and get up and running.

The PrintCam kit is a WiFi-enabled camera running at 640*480 resolution. While 640*480 might not sound a lot in terms of modern camera resolution, it’s plenty to check that your printer isn’t creating a spaghetti mess! The PrintCam assembly is powered via a cable that sits between the USB socket and the USB drive and, looking at the product video below, it looks incredibly simple to install, instantly powering up as the printer boots.

The camera can be mounted behind the Prusa Mini display but the kit includes a neat mount to attach the camera in an enclosure to the X-axis stepper motor. It gives a clear platform and nozzle view in either position and it’s perfect for quickly checking your print continues well in your absence.

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