Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

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U.S. Water Rockets
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Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

Post by U.S. Water Rockets »

http://www.st.com/content/ccc/resource/ ... 282409.pdf

http://www.st.com/content/st_com/en/pro ... 001v1.html

32-bit ARM Cortex M4 with FPU and integrated debugger interface.
6 axis motors
Looks like heated chamber and multizone 24V heated Bed.
3 extruders supported.
Built In Wifi
Nice compact board with good terminal blocks.

Interesting new player on the scene.
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Re: Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

Post by Xenocrates »

It looks interesting, but the biggest question mark is the firmware, and how well it supports delta's (At least for many of us). It seems to indicate it's based off marlin (Marlin4ST is the firmware name, so I'm making that assumption), which doesn't have the best delta support and lacks segment-less kinematics, auto-calibration, and has a far less polished web interface than it's competitors. The documentation I've seen so far is spare on the printer configuration stuff, and that's also a big malus for them. I'm honestly not a fan of even less enclosed terminal blocks, but they are beefy and have a high current capacity, which is good, along side the decision to allow some level of split input voltages is something I like.


It could be better, but for a just released evaluation board, it's pretty good.
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Re: Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

Post by U.S. Water Rockets »

For someone building a stock Rostock Max V2 with Rambo board, this looks like a nice less expensive replacement for the Rambo that supports some of the upgrades that people normally do to their Rostocks (24V heater, multiple extruder), plus it has WiFi, which seems to be high on a lot of wish lists for whatever reason ;-)

I wonder if ST would mass produce these and let some enterprising 3D printer maker to use them in their printer products?
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Re: Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

Post by bot »

Some of the specs look okay, but specs are only specs and the "proof is in the pudding" as all the reprap groupies would say.

As pointed out, we don't need a 32 bit marlin wonder. I'm hoping to see viable competition from smoothie 2 pro, but so far duet seems to be king of the all-around castle.
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Re: Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

Post by nebbian »

Note that the current DC42 fork for Duet has a serious safety issue (unlike the current Repetier or Marlin firmware), that doesn't turn off the power if the heater cartridge falls out.

More info, and pictures of the aftermath of a printer fire here:
http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?416,685969

If the firmware on this board is based on Marlin, then there's a good chance that it does have the heater decoupling test inside, which prevents this sort of issue.
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Re: Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

Post by bot »

Yeah, the Duet and everything is terrible and it will murder your family. Don't buy one, please! (leave more for me to buy) :mrgreen: :roll:
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Re: Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

Post by Xenocrates »

nebbian wrote:Note that the current DC42 fork for Duet has a serious safety issue (unlike the current Repetier or Marlin firmware), that doesn't turn off the power if the heater cartridge falls out.

More info, and pictures of the aftermath of a printer fire here:
http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?416,685969

If the firmware on this board is based on Marlin, then there's a good chance that it does have the heater decoupling test inside, which prevents this sort of issue.
The current version of the reprap-firmware does lack that feature, yes. given that a few weeks after we started seriously mentioning PT100 support to DC42, he had something working (Mostly), I doubt it will be a long time before we get something this critical (If only in a beta/limited implementation). Of special mention is that while Repetier/marlin, which do have that function, I've had them get stuck on because of a software fault, while the Duet has a watchdog to prevent this, and it's honestly a more common thing unless you are careless/cheap with your printer, for the software to hiccup than for a heater cartridge to come out.

I would also like to point out that the guys from Marlin spent a lot of time on it only a year ago (As admitted by a former marlin dev in the very thread you reference). So you giving DC42 a whole week to fix it, when the watchdogs already cover most of the failure modes, and from the first issue report, is really generous considering he's a single guy </s>. For that matter, according to the Repetier changelog, .91, which the Max ships with, doesn't even have it.
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Re: Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

Post by Eric »

Sounds like something you should bring up in the Duet section, rather than hijacking this thread to talk about something you don't even think is wrong with the board in question.
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Re: Next Generation 32-Bit ARM Based 3D Printer Controller $118

Post by Eric »

If you're looking for some active discussion about this new board, try http://hackaday.com/2016/07/19/new-part ... ontroller/.
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