Marlin vs. Duet - The best Control System for 3D Printing 

In fact, Marlin is more mature than RepRapFirmware. Therefore there are some features or refinements which it has that RRF does not have (Such as Live Z adjustment). Eventually RRF will have all of the features/refinements which make sense to have (there is some bloat in Marlin). The reason RRF is preferable is because it is so easy to configure for your printer. It is so easy to use, and it is so easy to upgrade your printer. Doing all these things pretty much just involves editing Macros. These Macros just consist of Gcode commands. You are already using Gcode with your 3D Printer, so you won't have to learn a programming language. There is even an online configurator which will build your Macro directory for you! Contrast that with Marlin: If you want to configure it, or upgrade your printer, you will need to modify the base code of the firmware. You do this through the Arduino programming environment. This is a version of C++ programming language which you will have to learn. Not only that, but you will need to figure out the structure of the firmware. True, most things can be modified from the config.h file, but there are other parameters tucked away in funky locations. I've been at my wits end on multiple occasions and had to solicit help from a friend of mine who is an expert with building that firmware.

@@DesignPrototypeTest RRF does have live-z, it's called baby-steps. doh, duh, doh....

@@gnydick True enough, but my experience with baby stepping on my Tevo Little Monster wasn't stellar. So, I went looking on the duet forum and I found some possibly outdated criticism about baby stepping ( forum.duet3d.com/topic/6773/z-compensation-rules-when-it-s-on-when-it-s-off ). Most likely my problem with baby stepping can be attributed to the older Duet board I have installed in my TLM but also baby stepping does lag. This makes it difficult to use. It doesn't work as well as LiveZ on marlin, so my original critique is still valid: RRF still lacks some refinement which Marlin possesses. RRF is superior, but not perfect.

@@DesignPrototypeTest Yeah, baby-stepping isn't (wasn't) as good. I suggested to them to change it to have immediate effect. The problem was that it would wait for things in the queue to execute before taking effect. It was an issue with timing, the developer wasn't sure about accidentally causing missed steps by trying to apply a change while things were executing. He never followed up with me, but in subsequent firmware updates, it seems as though he took my suggestion because it doesn't seem to wait as long anymore. That could be a false observation though. There are other issues with the implementation. For example, if you home your Z, then reset babysteps, the bed (or gantry) will move, but the Z-position doesn't change in the firmware, so that can lead to being at the wrong height. I'm going to actually mention that to him today, to probably change the way it's implemented.

@@gnydick WOW! That's you in the forum post that I linked. How cool is that. :)

If anyone is capable of this it is you Constantijn. I always found it interesting the similarities between Repetier firmware and Marlin. Then I realized that they are essentially forks and combinations of the same original open source firmware projects which folks in the past were working on. Maybe you could find an old precursor to Marlin/Repetier and fork it for the Teensy.

i think marlin 2.0 supports teensy already. iirc, i saw the example config file.

​@@DesignPrototypeTest You're flattering me too much! ☺️I was thinking of forking the current marlin version. Is there any reason not to fork the current one, other than that marlin is pretty big and therefore not as straightforward as some of the earliest versions?

@@evertchin Interesting... Will look into that. Wintersemester is almost over and then I'll have plenty of time on my hands 🙌:D

if you have a neck in the woods, you can't get it.

I'm thinking about the Duet2, but I'm hung up on the ethernet vs. wifi version. It sounds like the ethernet version gives you the best of both worlds? (a simple wifi dongle gave you wifi?)

@@pfschuyler Yes. Worked like a charm! Ethernet to wifi, connected it up to my computer to configure it. Then plugged in my printer. I have been working like this for over a year now.

@@JimPBarber Thanks for the feedback. So would you say its worth it to get the Ethernet over WIFI versions? Which would be easier to manage in your opinion?

@@pfschuyler A straight wireless would be easier to manage being it would be inbuilt. Less complex for certain. However, as a network engineer I prefer the flexibility that the ethernet provides. I have setup a print farm and, within that farm I prefer ethernet for its ease of use aggregating the printers to a single switch. However, for my personal stand alone printer I utilize an ethernet to wireless adapter again for flexibility of location. So, it really depends on the application. Going from ethernet to wireless is easy and about $20.00 to 40.00 will get you wireless. To go from Wireless to Ethernet is not as simple or cheap. Also, there is the ever evolving wireless standards a/c/n/mimio etc.... I can upgrade to the latest as it evolves with ethernet easily by buying the latest ethernet to wireless adapter. Not so much with a strict wireless on the board chip that is limited to the technology it was manufactured with. But, I will say it again. Straight wireless is the more simplistic solution if you are willing to accept it's inherent limitations.

Same setup here. Also TMCs connected via UART. Until Klipper will have active development I will stay with this.

Raspberry PI + Ramps + Arduino ... may still be the biggest bang for buck.

@@KrustyKlownBang for bucks yes, however, Reprap firmware does not run on ramps! hens why the switch to the duet is looking more likely. if you just want a 3d printer Marlin is more then capable, but if your building a all in one machine, ( printer, CNC, PCB milling, laser,) there are a lot of CAM g-codes and M-codes are not found in Marlin but they are in Reprap firmware.

@@patprop74 OK, great information, thanks for explaining those advantages.

Hai DriverSteve, Is there any tips or link for integrating to a 20 x 4 lcd screen (lcd 2004). I'm new and wanted to get a duet. But I'm not sure if it's possible?

Thank you!

Yes. Here is the latest video in that series ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qXUtxt61Ae0.html Also, I'm nearly done with an entirely new build installing a Maestro into an Ender 3 Pro.

Design Prototype Test thanks I am looking forward to it!

Thank you!

Do you have it working like that, and if yes, would there be a link to the wire setup?

@@llejk Not Currently on a duet but I have an anet a8 display working with a melzi board, the process is simple just find the schematics and match the pins to one another. The creality files can be found on the github cause its open source.

At this time, your only options are the RepRap Discount Full Graphics display or the Panel Due which costs around $80 USD. Personally, I don't use a screen with my Duet builds.

May well be easily solved by modifying the encoder with some capacitors. To dampen the switch stutter.

The encoder inaccuracy is just a configuration issue - there are rotary encoders which do two or four pulses per step, configure the correct number (i.e. 4 pulses for the creality displays) and you are fine.

Yes. It's called "Panel Due" it's available from Duet here: www.duet3d.com/DuetAddons

@Pilot16H Thanks, Pilot. That's what I would have assumed. I asked because I don't seem to be able to do that with my tethered i3 Mini. Not having to mess around with SD cards is a very attractive idea to my mind. Much appreciated. Thanks again.

Pilot16H is correct, but it is even better than that. You can disconnect your computer, then open up the web interface with your phone, then open it with your computer again and the printer will just continue working flawlessly.

klipper really is the best option

Thank you.

SKR 1.3, 1.4, and 1.4 Turbo are also 32 bit boards, they are reliable and run Marlin 2 with pretty much all the same functionality for a fraction of the price. For around $50 you can buy the entire setup, board, touch screen, WiFi module, and TMC2209 drivers. I feel that to bias this review in Duet's favour he didn't even try to make a fair comparison. There's no shame in being compensated to promote Duet, unless you pretend its an unbiased opinion. Another misleading point he makes is that duet is somehow an original, its open source and based on another open source Arduino controller, which they copied and integrated in their design. The board is good Quality, but I would absolutely not call it the best board you can buy, especially if considering value for money.

The duet clones are expensive. I have converted most of my printers to skr 1.3s (one with a skr pro 1.1 ). No issues

@@Phil-D83 you should mention firmware too, Marlin 2 ? Its free and well supported by the community and developers.

do you have bl touch hooked up to it? if so can you send me your files. having hard time with it

"It doesnt have the power to ... uploading of files during printing process" This is wrong. I just double checked and uploaded a new .gcode file to the Duet WiFi while it was in the middle of a print. I already run a DSLR camera directly through my Duet to achieve Octolapse like photography: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CwHVQ81GfXw.html

Thank you for the comment. I spoke incorrectly in the video, but I got the general direction right when I said "Klipper is for Raspberry Pi and Ramps boards. RepRapFirmware is for Duet."

@@DesignPrototypeTest klipper will run just fine on duet boards. Saying klipper is for ramps boards is incorrect.Klipper is not just for running 8 bit boards, though admittedly that is where you will find the best improvements. The benefit over running reprap or marlin firmwares is that proper kinematic calculations are used instead of the hacks marlin and other firmwares were forced to use on underpowered micros. This allows for faster speeds at higher print quality , no need for any sort of "jerk" control. I will grant you that klipper is much more difficult to set up (still better than recompiling marlin for every change). It would definately benefit from a configuration tool to make things easier. I am currently running klipper on my ender 3 using both the original melzi board and a custom prototype board. I use an stm32 (blue pill) to drive tmc2208's and the end stops. The melzi board is responsible only for the fans and heaters. Prints are much smoother and I regularly print at 150 mm/s, a speed which would have stalled the steppers on the original config/firmware.

Thank you for this comment. Will you educate me further? Do you have Octoprint running and sending prints to your Duet board? What is the interface between the Pallet 2 Pro and the Raspberry Pi? Does the Pallet talk to the Duet, or do both of them just talk to the Pi?

@@DesignPrototypeTest Initially before hooking up the Palette 2 I ran a test and used a standard Octoprint install in the Pi and connected it via USB cable to the Duet 2 Wifi and sent over a print job which worked fine. I did notice while the Pi is connected it disconnected the normal interface that comes up on the browser which comes back when the Pi is disconnected. With the Palette 2 I have a cable that runs from it to the Pi and another usb cable that runs from the Pi to the Duet 2 Wifi. A multicolor job is sent to the Pi which then controlls both the printer and the Palette 2. Rather ingenious way to produce 4 color or multimaterial prints with PLA. Mosaic supplies 2 plug-ins for the Pi that makes the magic happen.

@@Magic3DPrinting Thank you.

It's not open source, and is not nearly as customizable.

And the SKR Mini e3 with the 2209 divers is hands down better than the Gen L.

If you set them up correctly there is absolutely no difference in print quality between the two. In other words, you can set up Duet to have the exact same behavior as your Marlin build had, and your prints will look exactly the same.

I'm only interested in the best. Other channels are welcome to this appeal to the mediocre masses. It doesn't bother me.

If you get a Chinese maestro clone (it is open hardware after all) and put it into the Ender 3 you get pretty much the same functionality and price as a MKS gen L board, trinamic stepper drivers and a Raspberry Pi with Octoprint.

@@christophmuller3511 thanks for the response, and I'll give you some honest feedback that I'll try to make constructive. I belong to a Maker community in Northern VA, (Nova Labs) and have met lots of people interested in 3D printing. Only a couple people that I've met make money in any way with their 3D printer. Most see the entry price as a barrier to justify this as a hobby. If it wasn't for the Ender 3 and it's low entry price I would not be doing 3D printing today. I want to learn and have a growing journey, if you pull me too hard then I won't appreciate it. I know that I may eventually outgrow this printer and want something better or larger. But I love tinkering and seeing how far I can take this printer and get as much functionality and as many features I can cram onto that default board, until the next thing I want to do no longer fits. Then will consider a better board or a better printer altogether, but I need to know where I'm going and why. If I got an Ender 3, then I'm already not going for the best. So your video contradicts itself and that's the reason I feel you don't get me. Maybe I'm not your target audience. My sincere 2cents.

@@DesignPrototypeTest If you are aiming for the best and looking down to the 'mediocre masses' with this high nose attitude, you should at least be well informed before posting a lot of incorrect stuff on your channel. Just to mention a few: 1. You can run a delta on marlin with a Trigorilla and a 12864 graphics controller. I do. And if you are not happy with the maximum achievable print speed, you still can go for Klipper (which also supports this display. Running it on my ender 3 with mks GEN 1.4 btw.) 2. If you want to stick to compare apples with apples, for a cheap Wi-Fi connection, you don't use a raspberry, you use an ESP-01 for 2-5 dollars and install ESP3D on it. It's attached to the internal serial port with 3 wires. 3. Klipper runs on duet 2 boards. The example config is there since 3 months. Regards from one from the mediocre masses.

Jorge Jimenez this is not my video. But to give you my perspective: I also run an Ender 3 and I quickly realized that I would run into the flash size limits on the original board if I would do a few updates. Also, as the printer is not running in a separate room I wanted trinamic drivers to make it as silent as possible. That pretty much sealed the deal of going with a new board. I could have gone for a MKS gen L, an Arduino Mega clone + ramps or similar - the maestro just seemed more future proof and it delivered.

Get the skr Pro board and use 1 of the 3 extruders ports as a stepper port, this should give you 3 motorized z-axis and 2 extruders and cost 1/3 of what duet costs. You can get the board from BIQU website.

I'm not sponsored. I just really love this control board, and I never want to touch a Marlin build again. I will tell you all when/if I ever get a sponsorship. I wouldn't hide something like that.

Jerry, DPT and I rarely see eye to eye but Duet is a great board.

I agree Eddie but where I still have issues is what if you want something added to it as you need it then you are stuck waiting on them to added it as people were for Smoothie. Come to find out a lot of what people wanted wouldn't come until later boards you get to buy again but I haven't kept up on them in a couple of years due to that. Now on Marlin, or Repetier firmware you can add your own routines or tweak the routines in them as needed.

@@thebeststooge I got tired of waiting for smoothie devs to add some basic features which Marlin and Duet have and I just figured I'd add it myself, and after a few hours on the weekend I got great z-probing multi probe support working with tolerance checking -- not that hard. RRF is a bit harder to wrap your head around in terms of the underlying C code, but I've made modifications to it as well -- I now have my patch of changes I carry from build to build lol.

@@thebeststooge as @kazolar mentioned below, the RepRap Firmware that Duet runs is Open just like Marlin. its feature cycle does tend to be considerably slower though.

Where did you set the threshold to fallback to spread cycle? Mine is at 110mm/s, works well enough that I'm considering upping it to 140mm/s for silent fast moves.

@@tistione running them in legacy mode, no uart. i was just running 80mm/s on an ender 3 with not 1 missed step.

im actually wiring up my corexy now... built that one for speed and accuracy. plan to print around 100mm/s.... I have another corexy im designing/building now and theyll both have duets so i wont really be able to test the stealth chop at higher speeds which is a bit disappointing

If you gave a car enthusiast a smart car and a Ferrari, ans asked him to compare the two, which one do you think he would talk about more?

@@DesignPrototypeTest smart.

You should not use the onboard Stepper motor drivers on a Duet Wifi to drive Nema 34 sized stepper motors. At best you can drive a Nema 23. More information here: duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Choosing_and_connecting_stepper_motors

Ok. It's inexpensive, But what can you do with that WiFi socket? Marlin has no WiFi functionality. I doubt the TFT is running Octoprint. It's always some proprietary Chinese interface that is not open source. Can you even upload a g-code file to that screen? You certainly can't manipulate your firmware build wirelessly like you can do with the Duet. So your printer can be called "WiFi" but it is completely non functional because of software.

@@DesignPrototypeTest actually the TFT35 can handle printing remotely through an app on a phone, upload prints and control printer functions. It has a 32bit onboard processor and has micro SD and usb connection. Everything is controlled through the touchscreen not through the marlin on the skr. And additional 2x UART connections. Also runout detection and remote power on/off. And yes it is open source through bigtreetech.

>...on a phone... Right, because everyone is always slicing their 3D prints on their phone. That incredibly inconvenient. You make/download the geometry on you PC/Mac. Then you slice it on your PC/Mac, then you somehow upload it to your phone, wait for it to upload. Then you upload it to your printer, wait for it to upload, then you can press print on your phone? Or do you have to initiate the print from the SKS screen? What's the point of having a TFT screen if you are using your phone to control the printer? This process sounds like it is is anything but polished and pleasant to use for the user.

@@DesignPrototypeTest one you can't slice on octoprint either. It's the same process. You upload to Octoprint to print on your printer. If you have pre-sliced files they can just be uploaded and still monitor on a wifi cam on Astroprint or any other compatible app. It has the same functionality as octoprint. And is cheaper! PS if i have my laptop with me anywhere in the world i can just direct upload to the tft which turns on the printer prints and auto shutoff and also monitors filament runout.. Same as if you where using a octoprint.

The Duet Board will handle that volume without issue. It's just a matter of changing the min and max travel limits (4 variables) in the config.g file. Easy. The problems you will face with such a large machine are mechanical in nature. Good luck man!

@@DesignPrototypeTest I'm using endstops for each axis. 4 z motors 2 y 1 x linear rails all the way around x and y pushed with leads screws not pulleys...yea I've got my work cut out for me!but I love it 👍😜💯💪

Don't use a Maestro for this project. The Stepper Drivers aren't powerful enough. The Duet Wifi or Ethernet has the more powerful stepper drivers, but they don't have enough plugs for all these steppers, so you will need to get fancy with your wiring. Look up the difference between wiring those stepper motors in series vs parallel.

@@DesignPrototypeTest thanx for tips... I will be buying the Duet Wi-Fi ..I assumed that there was an adapter that would allow the extra connections!?

You didn't watch the video did you? Your convoluted question is the perfect illustration of why I say: Just get a Duet. It will work. It will be WAY easier to set up, and there is probably documentation for how to make everything happen which you want. You won't be in over your head asking some random RU-vidr how to make it work.

It's possible to suck at software installation, and be really good at thinking like a mechanical machine (able to troubleshoot a 3D Printer). Given the improved state of our slicer programs these days knowing g-code, and being able to program or install operating systems with command line editing is not a necessary skill to be successful at 3D Printing.

I can't imagine anyone who can't follow the simple instructions to install Octoprint, would ever be able to learn to use a reasonable CAD program...so they probably shouldn't bother.

@@robertsilvers5807 it's really not bad. All you need to do is take the SD card out of your pi put it in your computer and change get the text in a single file to get it on wifi. I don't remember the file name but there are tutorials.

@@robertsilvers5807 dude, download the OctoPie SD image. Burn, done...that's hard?

@@DesignPrototypeTest who said this was an OfficeJetPro experience? This is a learning experience. OOB printing is the 1 gcoge model on the MSD. Else you've gained the lab club. PATIENTS, read the forums, some EBooks... The curve is same as noob Windows, OSX, LINUX, BSD (there is a very ROBUST OS) not a noob thing. Truth, stop making things up on the fly.

The Duet control board will work with any 3D printer coming from China including CTC. I have many videos about installing the duet board, and the process will be similar for your CTC. Please watch these two videos for more information: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-G-NJTaDUJ1M.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HxEk7-6RriQ.html

I was using a $5 raspberry pi zero w! 😂😂

Even better. I used the pi 3 So I can octolapse and view the printer over the network without delay. Also built in Wifi. I think the Duet is unnecessary and overkill to put a $200 board on a $300 printer...lol

@@cutty02 most people think so.. until they experience a Duet board first hand

Screw the features how well does it print. My prints already come out nearly perfect. Is that board going to add quality to my prints over my mks sbase?

@@cutty02 yes. 32 but boards increase processing power which means you can print the same or higher quality at higher speeds. More accurate curves and all movements that normally big down an 8 bit board and sometimes would cause a print to visibly lag while it waits for commands from the board. Especially on Delta's where the mathematics are much more complex. As well as being quiter vs 8 bit boards due to better motor driver control.

you do not understand correctly. While they have they own "creature comforts", these are different brains for your machine and will certainly change print quality.

@@mtraven23 Can you tell me what makes a board more or less precise than another board?

@@fredwupkensoppel8949 I can try, but there are many people more qualified than me...I have been into 3dp on and off since I built my printer 3 years ago Is it safe to assume you are looking at only 32 bit boards? If not, that's the first big thing, processing power-bits & frequency. a 32 bit control board may or may not make your machine better (prob will). There is a lot of math happening to control the print head, even more if you run a delta and even more if its a big delta like mine. Processing 32bits in every clock cycle gets things done faster (and without lag or stuttering), add to that most 32bit control boards are running in the 70-120 mhz range (vs ~16mhz for an arduino mega) and you really open up a lot of time the program loop. If you are just getting into it, I might recommend an inexpensive starter setup based around the mega & ramps 1.4 and cheap A4988 stepsticks. This is a modest control system, but well tested, supported by firmware and simple to setup. That is where I started, my peak achievement was printing a functional planetary gearbox with double helix gears. My point is, these new systems are amazing, but many many users find a simple 8bit system to be sufficient. on to drivers --you asked specifically about precision, that's a compilation of many factors, instead we can talk about resolution. Boils down to how many steps per rotation, more = finner resolution, but also slower speed. 8 bit controllers usually break 1 rotation into 32 steps, where as 32bit controllers are up to 256 steps / rotation and they have the processing power to send all those pulses. I could go on and on, perhaps you could share some info about your printer or what your purposes are for 3d printing.

@@mtraven23 Thank you for your time. My friend and I are looking to buy a Prusa Mini and want to print mostly functional stuff. But we do want to take 3dp up as a new hobby, so printing pretty things or even tools like the nasa wrench should definitely be an option too.

Z seams are a problem in your slicer and Gcode files. It shouldn't have anything to do with Marlin or RepRapFirmware.

@@DesignPrototypeTest kinda does. Marlin ignores some stuff with extruder jerk. Reprap does not, especially with pressure advance. Reprap must stop when going from printing move to not printing move, some recent firmware changes start supporting coasting. Reprap is still developing and taking requests. I love the extra fitures like laser mode and all gcode config. Marlin maybe change something in 2.0 version.

@@tomaszbiskup891A good reply. Thank you. It's true that RRF is not as mature as Marlin. It will get there. The more popular these boards get, the sooner it will catch up.

Also swap SD cards and your raspberry pi can be a multiuse printing, gaming, and streaming computer. Let's see the Duet do that!

@@222dolson media.giphy.com/media/1M9fmo1WAFVK0/giphy.gif

They test them out prior to shipping I believe. Mine came the same way. I had no issues reconfiguring it to work on my Ender 3. Set up my own macros based on the ones that were there, seemed helpful to me.

Mine came from the German distributor the same way - the scripts on the card are factory test scripts.

The Duet 2 Wifi will work with all the normal 3D printer movement types: Cartesian, CoreXY, Core XZ, or Delta. Only the rare and problematic Polar and Scara movements are not supported. all3dp.com/know-your-fdm-3d-printers-cartesian-delta-polar-and-scara/

There is a ceiling to print quality with FDM printing. The stock Ender 3 is capable of making prints which are every bit as anything else on the market. The quality of the parts will depend more on your skill and patience with setting up the print through your slicer software than it will depend on the machine itself. With all my modifications these printers still perform the same. So, why bother to upgrade? It's like the difference between driving a BMW vs a GEO Metro. Both will get you down the road at the speed limit. One has a lot more luxury and safety features. Which one would you rather drive?

@@DesignPrototypeTest well I look for performance and accuracy😁 so I think i will buy one of thes boards.

That's news to me. Thank you for the correction.

@@DesignPrototypeTest Well to be honest it supports SAM micro controller like on Arduino Due, or on the Duet ;) so supporting the Duet is not official but possible, and has already be done by some people out there.

Klipper isn't only for 8-bits boards... read up on things... github.com/KevinOConnor/klipper/blob/master/docs/Features.md

@@Nitram_3d And adding raspberry pi to upgrade existing printer is way cheaper that way

I thought there were issues with the MKS robin. isn't it proprietary?

It is, as is everything from MKS, proprietary and the shank in your ribs is that they derived their stuff from open source hardware/firmware. When we brought up the fact that they are closed source using open source (over on the reprap forum) they said they didn't want their work stolen. Basically they don't want to happen to them what they themselves did AND previous versions of the sbase had some really bad issues that people in the reprap community solved for them. If it were me I would pay more for a completely open source product so fixes are always happening when, or if, needed.

@@cutty02 I was one of the firsts western MKS boards owners back in time. According to the price tag, people (hoaxed by western manufacurers lobbies) pretended the quality was the lowest, and the boards will burn your house within hours. Surprizingly the MKS boards owners did not had the same feedback. The low coper PCB and the overall built quality revealed to be pretty descent. Since, the rare (according to the huge production that folowed) issues was mostly because of the use of low gauge wiring by entry level 3d printer manufacturers. Despite the bashing, like your comment, MKS became a giant board manufacturer, and actually their boards represents often the best value for money. I own several MKS boards 8 and 32 bits with no noticeable issues. At the fablab I repair a bunch of 3D printers kits per year, and when I discover a MKS board inside it's usually not to blame. Yes, the Robin is proprietary, and I will tell later about this. But that makes absolutely no difference for the user. Robin is a good board and a good firmware, probably the best from MKS yet. This is fast and easy to setup. Actually, I see no reason to boycot the Robin, except bad-faith ethics.

@@thebeststooge There's a lot of myths here. First, as you should know, the MKS members was early active members of the reprap community in China. The first MKS board was the Gen, developed in response of the 5USD Ramps which was the worst quality ever, with a huge number of issues from catchin fire to miss of components ! MKS proposed a decent quality All in One board for less than the price of arduino and Ramps clone bundle, with a bonus second built in extruder. The western Ramps manufacturers started to sweet because the board was better than theirs at an unbeatable price, and a strong bashing starts. They claimed the board was not open source (obviously it was : all the sources was on Github, PCB and so, no repeating of what's already in the arduino and ramps which are documented enough yet). Then MKS produced a working version of the overpriced Smoothieboard for its real value price : the MKS Sbase (with sources still available on Github). Things gone even worst. See historic on Reprap's wiki : Arthur Wolf the developer of Smoothieware deleting systematically and arbitrary any information about MKS. No surprise as he was one of the early bashers. As an user, i feel very uncomfortable about that, because you cannot hijack the information because of commercial purpose, pretending about ethics. The Robin is not copyright for commercial purpose, this is in response of the stupid harassment of a bunch of self-proclamed guardians. Those people forget the Reprap movement stolen everything from Stratasys when the copyright of fdm technology falled into the public domain. And now they don't want their open source used ? This is pittyfull. I have another idea of copyleft which allows anyone to push it one step further, and offering boards at real value price is one of the improvements for the final user. Last argument, but not least : Prusa's printers are not open source since the MK2. Yep, there's no BOM and the magnetic bed sources are not published. Was Jo Prusa bashed or banished from the Reprap's wiki for heretismus ? Not at all ! Jo is not alone : what about Ultimaker ? A lot started opensource then turned copyright to sustain the growth. Who am I to juge ? Actually who cares about open source for boards ? How many people will spend more money to build their own than to buy one ? Probably none. People wants quality boards at reasonable price. So they may consider MKS's. The reprap movement was great but it is dying slowly : as reprapstuff became businesses. Yes this is no open source funding any more, for most of the projects. The thrill is gone.

Well, when you take something from open hardware source then close it the reprap people consider you scummy to say the least. Prusa uses RAMBO now so I think that is closed source so he had to go close source on that but I no longer own any of his printers so I do not know.

Lerdge is not open source, and your customization options are very limited.

@@DesignPrototypeTest I like your videos man thanks. I can rip models off of sketchfab if you want anything to print

Try this on your delta: Through a USB interface, use GCode commands to move the printer so it is at the first layer height of .2mm (G0 Z0.2). Now move the print head to one side of the Bed (G0 X-100). Now, rapidly move the print head to the other side of the bed (G0 X100 F300). What happens? Does the nozzle drag on the bed? This was my experience, and I attributed the behavior to a lack of processing power. The board can't compute the movements fast enough to keep up with the printer, and so it moves in an arc instead of a straight line in plane with the bed.

@@DesignPrototypeTest I print standard with a 0.1 layer height (also for the first layers, a great solution for getting prints to stick btw) and never use 0.2 layers actually. At 0.1 is doesn't scrape the bed. The hotend being unable to move straight is caused by the same issue causing it to hit the bed. If you ran out of computing power, the line wouldn't be an arc as well. But just don't go over 32 microsteps for a delta, its more than enough to get good prints. I actually use the cheaper and reliable a4988, but combined with 0.9 degree steppers. Some feasible tips to get your (and others their) delta better if you haven't (done) them yet: Use optical endstops, use a mechanical probe (doesn’t have to be a bltouch, I use a spring loaded hex key with an optical endstop) and divide your bump speed when homing and probing by factor of 10 or more. By going slow here, you increase accuracy a lot by making your mega2560 relative 10x times faster here (that’s duet speed ;p). Homing and calibrating a delta is a much more delicate then a cartesian, so don't rush it. More probing points are better of course. Don't use the rods with bearings, they suck. (see ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5G8GdNywsUQ.html at 0.59 for the extreme play). Use magnetic rods instead. They are just a pleasure to use, you can use different effectors, have zero play and no they never come lose unwanted, the bigger 12mm balls I use although. Less feasible, avoid linear rails and rods for the towers, you can't tighten these like wheels on rails, so if they have play, you're screwed, some friction is also required for a delta, the effector shouldn't fall down. Delta's are great machines, but there is a catch on almost every aspect. and a single catch is enough to ruin your print quality. Don't get me wrong, a duet is the best choice for upgrading the board I found out myself as well, which I will likely do this summer or so ,as I'm pushing my printer hard. But I don't think you should buy a duet or any other board to solve medium or large problems like bed leveling, Their are more affordable ways and other aspects of your printer that are more likely to be the weakest link of the chain and causing the fault. You should buy it to further improve an already decent printer and for the convenience of using the reprapfirmware. But I aint gonna stop you if just homing in under 5 seconds is worth a €160 to you.

Agree ! My Anycubic Kossel with a 12846 Display runs.. hitting these Comand in a row ... G1 X0Y60Z0 F4000 G1X-52Y-30Z0 F4000 G1X52Y-30Z0 F4000 it just works without Problems .. @Design Prototype Test maybe your Kossel is not set correctly .. there so many Options .. have you test them all ?

Duet started as a RADDS (Reprap Arduino Due Driver Shield) and then they combined the Arduino and Shield into one PCB, then they just went bonkers making engineering every little detail to be perfect. And they are still making improvements. A Duet Wifi is expensive, but it is well worth it.

​@@DesignPrototypeTest I have a Wifi router, with multiple printers connected (and yes, they're protoypes ;) ). So, the WiFi is not an issue. Does Marlin support 3V boards, nowadays ? Marlin4Due is still expirimental, and discontiuned, after BobC and WurstNase ? Still looking for the proper firmware, preferably Arduino (open source), so that it can be tweaked to communicate with my Raspi (WiringPi) webserver. Because, I wrote my own 6-wire communication protocol (6 data lines ) to speed it up a bit, sending smaller packets with each loop, so it does not interfere with other processes, like PID and such. I also bought a Teensy. Seems like a nice board.

Development has halted on Smoothie, and in my experience nothing about it is superior to Duet. Lerdge is closed source and difficult to customize/upgrade.

You are welcome.

Most people will only print in one color using PLA. They will download the geometry from Thingiverse, or similar, and the stock Ender 3 will serve them just fine. So, you are correct the benefits I talked about are not needed by most people. Then again, most people only need a 2nd hand Toyota Camry but we all want a Tesla or a BMW don't we? Anyone who wants to upgrade their printer with features such as auto bed leveling, a high temperature hotend with Thermocouple, Sending prints through the network instead of an SD card, etc. will find it MUCH easier to do these things on the Duet. The fact that the Duet is the superior hardware is an added bonus.

You don't have to dedicate a computer to your printer. Since it's controlled through a web interface, you can run in from any device on your network. You could mount an old cell phone and use that. If you have multiple printers, just make browser short cuts to each

Yes. Just plug it into a 24v power supply. It automatically adjusts to the increased current.

@@DesignPrototypeTest awesome! Dear Santa:

The Duet board and RRF were developed in tandem. A complete software/hardware solution made by the same team. That's why it is so tremendously functional, and rock solidly reliable. What you are asking is like saying My Lamborghini is cool, but I think I should put an Chevy LS crate motor into it. "B is For Build" did that. It didn't turn out so great did it? See, every step of the way has countless details that you need to get right. Nobody get's them right the first time. It's a ton of work to design, prototype test, repeat until you have a fully functional engineered solution. Are you going to go through 10 versions of your build? Duet has gotten all the details right for you. They are on like version 100. I guarantee that doing the hodgepodge you suggested will result in a less functional printer than if you had just ponied up for the Duet to begin with. If you like frustration, or if you want to do the hours and hours of work because you want to understand every minutia of your firmware build, by all means go for it. I'll bet you good money my printer with the Duet will still be better when you are done. AND mine will be less expensive when we factor in time spent as an expense.

Duet 2 wifi cloned - 49 €. Works great. Go figure.

@@ZhuJo99 Where have you found that deal ?!

Where's the bias? A select few of you keep accusing me of this. The idiot-proof design of the Duet boards running seamlessly integrated firmware on a 32 bit processor make the Duet boards superior. The firmware is so much easier to use and modify it's unreal. It's not even a comparison. If it weren't for the fact that Marlin is the mature industry standard we wouldn't even be having this discussion. I really believe Duet is the future. 95% of users couldn't modify a Marlin build successfully if their life depended on it. That is why there are so many videos teaching how to do it, but in the end all these users just get a pre-made version of the firmware and upload it to their printer. Go watch my older videos when I actually used Marlin. I am capable of getting it to work, but I choose not to because I don't like to be frustrated time and time again. Regular users shouldn't be mucking about with the underlying source code of the firmware. Macros are the future. Regarding $20 more for the Maestro but you lose the WiFi so it can't be compared: You can still network into the printer, it just has to be connected with a CAT5 cable. If you remove the WiFi capability (disconnect the Pi) from the 8bit boards you are reduced to the SD card, or a direct USB connection to a computer. If you shut off or disconnect the computer the print is lost.

Rewatch the first few minutes of your video. You immediatly start to trash marlin and gloss over what the pi and octoprint actully bring to the table. It is much later in the video that you mention any short comings of the deut offerings. Give honest pros and cons of each up front. Give each a fair shake in the video. Not spend the vast majority of the video on only one side of the completion, or change the name of the vieo to why you should use a duet board. Actully comparing some of the other 32 bit options wouod be nice as well. Those deut boards my be awesome but they are also expensive. Not the most viable option for people with very cheap printers like the ender 3. That expenss is also all in one shoot. The other option alows a person with a budget to piece together a part at a time to expend/improve capabilities. Both marlin and octoprint have solid premade set uos availible for those unwilling/unable to both with editing the firmware. That is the bonus to marlin being so widely availible. Eventually riprap may get common enough for the same to be said about it, but the fact is at this point it is not. To answer the lan side, a cord is a cord is a cord it is still not wireless and that does need to be factored in.

@@galihad1980 octoprint is kinda trash though. its unreliable and actually makes your printer even slower with more artifacts than printing from sd card... i could see an argument for pi & ramps using klipper would be the best cheap option but it isnt the easiest upgrade to do. the extra money for a duet is honestly worth it over a marlin + octoprint build. i've used marlin on 8 bit and marlin 2 on 32 bit, smoothieboards, and duets. the duets are the best. hands down. easiest to customize, hardest to break, Amazing UI, fastest file uploading. It does depend on what people are trying to do though. A lot of people don't have the money. However I would say it is better to save up than to spend money now on an "upgrade". the difference between 60 dollars an 160 isnt that much if you save for 3 to 6 month. if you cant save 30 to 15 dollars a month, then buying a printer is honestly a horrible decision and you should find a cheaper hobby, look into contracting out 3d printers, or see if your local library or university will let you use theirs. owning a printer is expensive. having an unreliable printer is not only more expensive, its also dangerous.

MKS boards are total trash ... bad quality

@@DesignPrototypeTest Marlin is a PITA. I just bought an Anet A8+. I wasn't happy with the extruder so I ordered a Titan Aero. Of course you can't use it until you update the firmware. Since this is a fairly new version of the printer, there is no documentation or tutorials on it. I googled and fiddled, and googled and fiddled only to get errors while compiling in Arduino. I bricked the board twice before I quit. Install the Duet, set the configuration, and I'm up and running.