Best 3d printer board to date

Hey folks

I'm seeking advice for the best 3d printer board as of date.
I'm kinda new to 3d printing and Arduino.

1) Reliable
2) Cost
3) Ease of use.

I've used an Azteeg X1 3DP and a VIKI LCD previously but have had issues ( can't get VIKI to display anything)

traditionally i would say ramps.

You really can't ask that in a general forum. Every answer you get will be a biased one since very few people have used all boards available. And even the negative feedback on certain boards is usually (not always) caused by bad components from the manufacturer and not a bad board design.

I personally have been using the Sanguinololu. It's pretty straight forward and has be quite reliable, so I haven't needed to try any other boards. You can also get the Melzi board which is a Sanguinololu with the stepper controllers and the micro SD slot built into the board.

While some of the newer boards haven't been widely used yet, most of peoples opinions come from cost (cheapest) vs. reliability. Depending on where you source your parts will effect price. RAMPS is widely used as cheapest, but also has the most posts here for help. Either because the instructions weren't clear enough for setup, or the firmware needs calibration.

I have used RAMPS, Rumba, and Rambo.

The RAMPS board is great and is by far the best value. I really like how the assembly is modular which allows for the replacement of individual components such as the stepper drivers and Arduino board. A common issue with this board is problems with the thermal fuses. The fuses are easy to switch out and I believe you can get a version that uses blade style fuses which don't have the issue.

The Rumba from Reprapdiscount failed miserably and fried one of the stepper drivers as I was testing it out. I would avoid that board. There are postings in the 3D Printing G+ community about similar failures.

I am currently using the Rambo from Ultimachine. The cost is high on this one, but you get a complete package that is easy to set up and use. I have no complaints so far and I have been printing with it almost daily since April.

If you are in the USA, the Azteeg X5 has a reasonable price for a 32-bit Smoothieware-based board.....

Well, I would say: Not Sanguinololu. Should I explain? I don't like it, it is just a slimmed-down board. Yes it has everything on it, but Ramps has more outputs, can handle more data, and is just more common, so you can find replacement parts for it more easily. My Ramps also have less trouble with overheating where the Sanguinololu required much more tweaking to get it all right.

My advice: try Ramps. It's what you want.

1) Reliable - YES (depending on what your skills are with electronics of course - RTFM)
2) Cost - El Cheapo (I got my last one from Robotdigg, haven't hooked it up yet, but it was dirt cheap my other Ramps is from Gadgets3D, and it is truly good quality, their stepper drivers are also great with the 2nd trimpot)
3) Ease of use - This is something that depends on you; the user - If you read the wiki about Ramps, you'll be able to troubleshoot most of the things that will be on your path to happy 3D-printing paradise

All in all, and I'm don't mean to be offensive, I feel you are kind of avoiding having to fix your current printer board. Because I am sure there is a solution to getting your current setup working. Are you sure it's not going to work now as it is? It would be a shame to just not use something anymore that's basically already a great board.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

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KingRahl
Depending on where you source your parts will effect price. RAMPS is widely used as cheapest, but also has the most posts here for help. Either because the instructions weren't clear enough for setup, or the firmware needs calibration.

The reason there are more RAMPS posts has more to do with the popularity. Mostly all boards configure and load the same. There is quite a bit more documentation on RAMPS setup and config than most of the other boards out there. The config is a function of the firmware which is independent of whatever hardware package one chooses. With the exception of the Azteeg I've used pretty much all of them. RAMPS is not only easy to use but the one of the easiest to expand if need be. Some of the other boards need to have bootloaders configured or are difficult or not possible to expand.

The issues people have are they aren't familiar with the firmware and boards and many rather than researching the info post here for a quick fix. I see this as a function that more people want to print than are familiar with building DIY CNC tools, which is really what a printer is. RAMPS is a good, modular way to learn about printer electronics. While the RAMPS shield is inexpensive, one still needs an AT Mega board and stepper drivers. This puts in more in line with other packages that offer fewer features and less expandable.

I use RAMPS for the basic machines, i3 and the like and Rambo for the MM2s for the out of the box 24 volt support. I'm holding off on ARM until the firmware selection becomes more available, specifically a Marlin port to ARM. Smoothieware looks promising as well.

It's not that I don't want to fix or can't fix the issue with the VIKI. That combo is reserved for another build.
I kinda jumped into Arduino with my eyes closed.
I'm not a programmer of any sort

Here's is the thing...I contacted support for the VIKI several times over 6 months and got very little support in anything useful.
Customer support is huge for me. I build and support CnC routers. I expect the same level of support.
I'm just looking for a no hassle design...

If you expect the same level of support you get from Shopbot, Flow or Torchmate you are going to need to reset your expectations. Most of the low price dealers are electronics fab houses in Shenzhen and focus more on electronics in general than specific to CNC or 3D. If you are doing DIY you are going to have to roll your sleeves up and have at it. You'll get support to make sure the component works but application specific support from general electronics or board vendors isn't going to happen if they aren't selling you the rest of the machine. There is no margin in it. Many have Wikis but most of that content is copied from teh Wiki here. Since you have a CNC background you should be able to use the Wiki here and other sources and have a pretty easy time configuring a machine.

It sounds to me like you need to do more research. Research RAMPS, Rambo, Smoothieboard and Azteeg for starters as well as the associated firmware. In terms of programming at this point it will largely be limited to editing config files, compliing and uploading them. That is more platform/board specific than vendor specific.

My 2 cents:
I would not consider RAMPS for a new build. My main objection is the messy wiring. Also, the Arduino platform it's running on is just about maxed out, there is little headroom for more advanced future features. The modular approach is clunky, and the stepper drivers are pretty damn hard to fry unless you do somethimg stupid like disconnect motors while powered.

I've recently switched to Smoothieboard, and can just say that i love it. With the "premium" connectors it's a joy to wire. It can also run standalone with the addition of an ethernet jack + 5V regulator. Configuration is very easy to change, no more firmware uploads, just drag and drop onto tyeounted SD drive. Software contorl of current limit is also a big +.

I've only used RAMPS and Smoothieboard, but in my book Smoothieboard is in a different league, there is no comparison.

/Andreas

Megatronics v3 is my baby [yes, biased]. Only problems are user errors [wrong poles on input power supply.. don't ask].
6 stepper drivers [7 steppers], 2 on-board thermocouple supported, built in SD slot, etc. Things I only read about as adapters on other boards [although I haven't researched too far, so I am ignorantly biased]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2014 10:34AM by MrDoctorDIV.

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Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

anwe79...my only concern is if you burnout a stepper driver you have to replace the whole board.
Panucatt has Azteeg X5 mini

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2014 12:06PM by RC-CnC.

I'm running two printers on RUMBA boards, both without any trouble since months now. One of them is actually the prototype i got earlier last year for testing, the other i bought for my OrdBot. they just work.

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[www.bonkers.de]
[merlin-hotend.de]
[www.hackerspace-ffm.de]

Quote
RC-CnC
anwe79...my only concern is if you burnout a stepper driver you have to replace the whole board.
Panucatt has Azteeg X5 mini

Yep that may be a concern, but they are actually quite hard to burn out. The only thing that will surely kill them is to disconnect the motors while powered. They have both short circuit protection and overtemp protection, so you can abuse them quite a bit without any real worries.

Personally I can solder well enough to be able to replace one by hand but I realize most people won't want try that.

The modular drivers have much worse cooling than board mounted drivers. I had massive heat problems with RAMPS and stepsticks (granted, probably the worst modular drivers from a thermal view), no problems at all with the smoothieboard. No fan necessary.

My only gripe with smoothieboard is that it's not super easy to extend with more drivers, but it's no worse than RAMPS in that respect.

/Andreas

PS; You're more likely to burn a driver on the RAMPS because of the sloppy connectors most of them come with. The premium connectors with the Smoothieboard are locking and polarized, so won't wiggle loose as easily and you can't connect them the wrong way around (once you've wired them properly the first time that is).

I'm not afiliated with anyone by the way.

/Andreas

Maybe i'll try the Panucatt Azteeg X5 mini

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2014 01:02PM by RC-CnC.

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anwe79
My 2 cents:
Also, the Arduino platform it's running on is just about maxed out, there is little headroom for more advanced future features.

No doubt that computationally the newer ARM hardware is more capable than the AT Mega. The part holding up moving to and exploiting higher power processors is the firmware. Most of the firmware ported from exisiting platforms to 32 bit does not offer any feature enhancement. Those will require complete re writes to leverage any new power the processor may provide. Smoothie is a 32 bit app but in reality we are probably a year or so out from seeing anything other than some performance enhancements from a 32 bit platform. Smoothie supply can be constrained, it's not priced at a cost driven price point and the dev community is no where near as large as some of the other more established platforms. I think over time this will change but right now trying to future proof a platform decision for 32 bit is still early in the game.

Many here focus on the technical prowess of a solution rather than the practical implementation. Those are two different goals. The overwelming majority of people just want to be able to get the solutions up quickely, easily and cheaply. Those are far greater market drivers than potential for enhancement or processing power at this stage.

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vegasloki
Smoothie is a 32 bit app but in reality we are probably a year or so out from seeing anything other than some performance enhancements from a 32 bit platform. Smoothie supply can be constrained, it's not priced at a cost driven price point and the dev community is no where near as large as some of the other more established platforms.

The Azteeg X5 Mini *is* priced fairly for what it contains. The street price is $109, and it comes with 8825 stepper drivers that do 1/32 microsteps. Sure, it is lacking the fluff of an ethernet port like the Smoothieboard has, but I can't touch a 32-bit RADDS/Arduino DUE combo for that price and have seen non-China RAMPS setups priced higher.

My only gripes with the Azteeg X5 Mini are that it doesn't have a separate power rail for the heated bed like the RAMPS and some other boards, and that Smoothie's LCD support is limited to the full-graphics LCD and requires custom cabling that looks ugly.....

The Ramps//Mega2560 is a tough package to beat, they are cheap and work well.
On a Cartesian, it's perfectly fine, it may be a bit limiting on a delta to some extent if you want to push things to the extreme, but most delta owners never encounter an issue. It's a pretty bulky package by the time you get a fan on it and there are some very poorly made boards out there, but bang for the buck they are tough to beat.

When in doubt, just buy a Ramps, you really can't go wrong with it.


I'm installing an X5 now.
The X5 steppers are stronger, and have voltage and thermal protection, they should be more difficult to burn out compared to most others. I believe there are some new LCD's coming for it. A big bonus on the X5, you don't have every cheap pdb manufacturer in China copying it and installing junk electronics on it like you do with Ramps systems. There is a definite quality difference between the X5 and the various Ramps boards I have, or worse, the Ramps-FD I have. The manufacturer on that cut every possible corner.

I do agree, lacking the second power rail on the X5 is a bummer, and something I hadn't noticed before (I'll have to deal with that). If it works as well as I think (and all signs point to that), I would put it as the best deal out there, at least for delta owners.

When the X5 gets more traction the copy houses will start offering them. They aren't interested in moving any product that they can't have made in the thousands. The fact the microprocessor and the stepper drivers are on the board is going to dissuade the really low end shops as those aren't dirt cheap in the market like passives are. For those guys RAMPS is dirt cheap because it's a board and a couple bucks worth of parts, if that. They aren't just making 3D boards but generic boards of all type. Late last year Zalm was working on a 32 bit single board controller that was funded by Ultimaker. I don't know what's become of that.

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sheepdog43
I do agree, lacking the second power rail on the X5 is a bummer, and something I hadn't noticed before (I'll have to deal with that). If it works as well as I think (and all signs point to that), I would put it as the best deal out there, at least for delta owners.

My DC/DC SSR just arrived yesterday. Building my own second power rail for the heated bed is one of my goals for this weekend.....

Just received my Azteeg X5 board layout and connectors appear very solid and well thought out

How would you guys compare the Azteeg to the Minitronics? Mini is cheaper, but has more outputs, so I'm obviously missing something as to why Azteeg is more popular.

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Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

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MrDoctorDIV
How would you guys compare the Azteeg to the Minitronics? Mini is cheaper, but has more outputs, so I'm obviously missing something as to why Azteeg is more popular.

Azteeg X5 Mini is 32-bit, runs Smoothieware, includes a microSD slot, and costs $109 USD. The Minitronics from RRW is 8-bit, runs Marlin (or possibly Repetier), and costs $110 USD at today's exchange rate. One is looking ahead to the future, the other is just another re-package of the past. I have a Megatronics 2.0 and an Azteeg X5 Mini, and as much as I like the packaging and design of the Megatronics board I'd take the Azteeg over *anything* AVR-based after seeing my delta printer pauses from being out of CPU resources go away with the 32-bit processor. Smoothieware is a joy to configure. All you need is notepad and a microSD card reader. Save the file (and firmware) onto the microSD card and pop it into the slot on the board. No Arduino compiler, editing include files, compiling/uploading code, etc.

Or, if you want to look at it another way, Azteeg X5 Mini is a stripped Smoothieboard, and the Minitronics is a stripped Megatronics or similar board. Both are simplified to provide what is needed for a production printer, not to be hacker-friendly. YOur best bang for the buck is still the X5, as long as you don't need additional outputs.....

What's the currency? A simple Google search shows far less than $110.
Makes sense. Modifying firmware is simple enough for me with Repetier's online config tool, but I might like Smoothie's way better. It's definitely on my list of boards for my build.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/2014 02:16PM by MrDoctorDIV.

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Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

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MrDoctorDIV
What's the currency? A simple Google search shows far less than $110.

Oops! My bad. I was converting something else right before writing that into British Pounds, and forgot to change the units on my calculator back to Euros. RRW's Minitronics is $87.50 at today's exchange rate.

Here is the sample Smoothieware config.txt file for an Azteeg X5 Mini on a Delta:

https://github.com/Smoothieware/Smoothieware/blob/edge/ConfigSamples/AzteegX5Mini.delta/config

Copy it to a microSD card, pop it into the Axteeg board, and power up the printer. No Arduino software, flashing firmware, etc. The best part is that Smoothieware presents the printer's SD card as a removable drive over the printer's USB cable, so you can edit the file, make changes, and reboot the printer to make them live.....

Cleeeaaaann. That's almost sexy it's so clean. I like it, I like it very much. Thanks for the enlightenment. Makes me question what I've been doing this entire time.

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Realizer- One who realizes dreams by making them a reality either by possibility or by completion. Also creating or renewing hopes of dreams.
"keep in mind, even the best printer can not print with the best filament if the user is the problem." -Ohmarinus

If your needs are modest, don't overlook the Printrboard.

Reasonably priced (under $100US), easy to use, reliable, good support, open source...some companies are building their printers with the board, so it must be pretty good.

With the Extrudrboard expansion you can use 3 extruders.

I suggest getting the board directly from Printrbot and not a third party in case there are quality/support issues.

Many are using Printrboards because they are inexpensive and work well. It's a lean, mean, printing machine. The catch is the bootloader. If you get it pre configured or know how to work with an ISP or are familiar with bootloaders it's not a big deal. There is limited variety with regard to add on devices like LCD panels but there are readily available panels in the form of the Panellolu.

The concept of Smoothie is the opposite of the current method of dealing with programming embedded devices for 3D printing. It's more like a BBB where the interface is more user friendly and able to access the power of the environment more readily without using obscure methodologies. I would reckon that eventually, particularly as we see devices like the Arduino Tre come on line that the Arduino IDE will move toward offering a different interface rather than that of the traditional text file/compiler.

I´ve tried them all ( except for RAMBO) and my fav for simplicity is Roy´s Panucatt Azteeg X5

I use it for CNC´s, lasercutters and all my 3d printers.. and I build them all out of OpenBuilds VSlot..

I love having one card to setup the firmware rather than uploading thru arduino

for my machines they´re all currently here..
www.3d-seed.com