Poor Man's Pause on Filament Run Out

This works as long as you’re printing via USB and you don’t plan on using the computer for other things while you’re printing.

Obtain a cheap USB mouse. Open it up and connect wires parallel across the left button switch’s normally open pins. Run these wires to a filament run out switch configured to close when filament runs out or jams. Plug the cheap mouse into the computer running Cura. When you start the print, leave the mouse point on the “Print” button, which turns into the “Pause” button in older versions of Cura’s control window. In newer versions, move the pointer to hover over the separate Pause button. That’s it! If filament runs out or jams, the kludged mouse clicks pause for you.

Thanks! I hadn’t seen that. I was hoping for something a little more polished.

Pete

Yes, this is anything but elegant! It should be noted that the detecting switch in this “Poor Man’s” kluge needs to make a momentary contact, then releases, otherwise it does a click and hold, that is, the mouse would send the button down signal but no button up signal via USB. It’s not a great idea to begin with, requiring that you don’t move the mouse pointer off the Pause button on the screen for the duration of the print, but I can build a USB mouse (I design and make special purpose USB mice) that will automatically generate both the button down and up signals by detecting just a switch closure.