CloneBoard Mini

I thought it would fun to see if it would be possible to design and produce an Atmel 2560 based, Sailfish Firmware compatible controller using the same form factor as that used by the Melzi.

This exercise has resulted in a board that I am extremely excited to introduce... The CloneBoard Mini.

My hope (and the intention behind this post) is that there will be enough people interested in purchasing and testing one of these to allow me to proceed with the first production run of these boards! :-)

More information about the board can be found on my website.

Excuse my ignorance, but what are the benefits of the sailfish FW?
-Olaf

A full list of Sailfish features can be found here: http://jettyfirmware.yolasite.com/features.php.

I have had a couple of people ask what colour LCD will be supplied with the CloneBoard Mini...

For the first production run... I will include one of 4 LCD options at no additional cost with each interface panel purchased. The options are:

• Black text on a Yellow background:

• White text on a Blue background:

• Black text on a White background:

• White text on a Black background:

I will contact each person that has placed an order to confirm which option they prefer once manufacturing starts on the CloneBoard Mini.

Thank you to everyone in this community who has supported the CloneBoard Mini project!

I was initially nervous to post details about this project here - primarily due to being unsure of how it would be received since this is a Sailfish based board and therefore slightly different to the rest of the RepRap focused boards being discussed... but based on the percentage of orders received directly from this post versus the number of post views... I am very happy that i did! :-)

At this stage I am only short a few more orders to reach the minimum required target. Since I am so close to reaching this minimum... I am able to confirm that manufacturing will start a few days earlier than originally intended and that if everything proceeds according to plan... I expect to be able to start shipping towards the end of January.

I will still be sending out the emails to confirm the selected LCD option during the first week of January... and will post any relevant updates on the project's progress whenever available.

Carl, do you realise that a board using a modern 32-bit processor would cost you less to build than your atmega2560-based board?

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

In the same way that it would not be too smart to put a V8 into a car designed for a 800cc engine... Certain machines see no benefit using a 32bit board instead of a 8bit with a mature and safety orientated firmware like Sailfish.

With greater power... there are also greater expectations... and therefore the cost : cost relationship also starts to progressively fall away the more features you add...

That having been said... I do have a board to target the 32bit side of the market that I will post about in a separate post soon! :-)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/2015 08:05AM by Carl.

My point was not about processing power, it was about cost. A modern 32 bit chip costs about half as much as an atmega2560, and you don't need to add another microcontroller to provide the USB interface.

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Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Cost was never the deciding factor...

The primary objective behind this project was to have fun and to see if I could design a Sailfish firmware compatible board using the Melzi form factor. I thoroughly enjoyed this challenge... and have been impressed by the board's performance.

Although the 2560 may be great 90's technology... and admittedly a little retro... Sailfish makes this a very capable platform since it is designed to optimise the Atmega 1280 and offers numerous additional features when using the 2560 version of the firmware... and thus the reason I chose the 2560.

I believe that the majority of the supporters of this project will be using the board to upgrade machines that are currently using a Melzi - and as such this board will represent a considerable upgrade. The balance of the supporters will more than likely use the board on custom built cartesian machines.

If there is a demand for a 32bit on the Melzi form factor... it would be yet another fun challenge! ;-)

The initial run of the CloneBoard Mini is currently in production. I expect to be ready to start shipping by the beginning of February - but will keep everyone updated if there is any change to this date.

I have started sending the emails to confirm each order's preferred LCD selection - I expect to have all the emails sent by the end of this Wednesday... so please do not worry if you have not received an email already!

To anyone who would still like to order a CloneBoard Mini... there are now only 12 units available! :-)

What thermocouple amplifier in on the Cloneboard Mini?

The CloneBoard Mini uses a MAX6675 thermocouple amplifier and therefore supports a Type K thermocouple for extruder temperature readings.

Just a quick update...

I have received all of the components and have been hard at work over the past two weeks loading the firmware and testing that each board is fully operational before preparing them for shipping.

I am still on schedule to start shipping from Monday... and will send the tracking information as soon as they have been sent! :-)

All CloneBoard Mini orders received have now been shipped and each person should have received their tracking information! :-)

I would like to centralise any support or questions related to the CloneBoard Mini on the Clone Google Group - but will still keep an eye open for any questions posted here.

Thank you to everyone who placed an order - I hope it arrives safely and that you are happy with your purchase!