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Creator 5 VDS Drying Box
The VDS is a two-chamber heated filament drying box for the Creator 5 series. The printer drives it over a dedicated serial link. The box runs its own firmware, and the printer can flash it. This page covers VDS firmware V1.0.1.
Nothing on this page is exposed through the HTTP API. The LAN client cannot read or control the box. The page exists for service and repair work on the accessory itself.
All details come from firmware study. None of them is verified on hardware yet.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Printer-side device | /dev/ttyS3 |
| Baud Rate | 115200 |
| Data Bits | 8 |
| Parity | None |
| Stop Bits | 1 |
| Chambers | 2 (A and B) |
| Own firmware | Yes, flashable by the printer |
Line framing: Send each command as one ASCII line that ends with LF. The box ends every reply with CR LF.
Command form: Every command starts with M and a number. Arguments follow as letter/value pairs, for example C0 L60 S480. Argument order does not matter. The box ignores letters it does not know.
No error reply: A command that lacks a required argument produces no reply at all. A value outside its valid range also produces no reply. Match a reply to its request by the M<n> ok. prefix, and use a timeout of at least 2 seconds.
Chamber selector: C0 selects chamber A. C1 selects chamber B. C2 selects both chambers.
Heat a chamber to a target and hold it for a set time.
Format: M10 C<ch> L<temp> S<mins> → M10 ok.
| Parameter | Valid range |
|---|---|
L<temp> |
45–85 °C |
S<mins> |
60–2880 (1 h–48 h) |
Stop the selected chamber.
Format: M11 C<ch> → M11 ok.
Pause the selected chamber. The box stores the live target and the remaining time. The chamber keeps that state until a new M10 or M11.
Format: M12 C<ch> → M12 ok.
Enable or disable humidity control for a chamber. The setting persists.
Format: M13 C<ch> L<0|1> → M13 ok.
A value of 0 also stops a running chamber.
Read the state of both chambers.
Format: M14 → M14 ok. <n> A:<f1..f11> B:<f1..f11>
The leading <n> is a fixed zero. Each chamber returns eleven integers:
| # | Field |
|---|---|
| 1 | Internal run-state byte of a second control list. The printer ignores this value |
| 2 | Chamber state. 2 marks timed drying. 1 marks drying that humidity control started |
| 3 | Relative humidity, in percent |
| 4 | Current temperature, °C |
| 5 | Remaining time, minutes |
| 6 | Humidity mode enabled |
| 7 | Cumulative drying time, minutes |
| 8 | Humidity sensor fault. Set when the sensor reply fails its data check |
| 9 | Thermistor fault. Set when the sensor reads open or shorted. The temperature reads 0 while set. The box pauses the chamber |
| 10 | Over-temperature. Set above 99.99 °C |
| 11 | Fan fault. Set when a fan runs but reports too few speed pulses for three check periods. The box pauses the chamber |
The box reads the humidity with a digital sensor on a two-wire bus. The bus also holds a small memory chip. The printer screen shows field 3 with a percent sign and field 4 with a degree symbol.
Clear both cumulative counters that M14 field 7 reports.
Format: M15 → M15 ok.
Format: M16 → M16 ok. V1.0.1
The printer compares this string against the version in an update file.
Prepare the box for a firmware update. The box writes a flag, resets itself, and never replies. The printer then flashes the new image.
Format: M17 → no reply; the box reboots
Set or clear two hardware output bits together. 0 sets the bits and 1 clears them. The polarity is the opposite of what the value suggests.
Format: M18 C<0|1> → M18 ok.
The command dispatches to an empty handler. It does nothing and returns nothing.
Format: M19 → no reply
Restore the default settings, stop any running chamber, and persist.
Format: M20 → M20 ok.
Write the ten-value configuration block. All ten letters are required.
Format: M21 A<h> B<h> C<0|1> D<0|1> E..J<presets> → M21 ok.
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
A, B
|
Humidity limits for the two chambers, value ×100 |
C, D
|
Flags |
E–J
|
Three preset pairs: temperature in °C, then time in minutes |
Read the configuration block back.
Format: M22 → M22 ok. <10 integers>
The A and B values are divided by 100 on the way out. The output is directly usable as M21 input.
| Item | Default |
|---|---|
| Chamber A / B temperature | 50 °C |
| Chamber A / B time | 480 min (8 h) |
| Humidity limits | 50.00 % / 30.00 % |
| Preset 1 | 50 °C, 8 h |
| Preset 2 | 60 °C, 8 h |
| Preset 3 | 80 °C, 8 h |
The printer checks the box version after each printer update. It compares the M16 reply with the version inside a VDS_V*.hex file from the update package. A mismatch starts a flash. The printer can flash the box with no dialog on its screen.
Do not send M17 by hand. A box that waits in the bootloader only recovers through a full printer-driven update.