I’m considering making some upgrades to my ender 3 Pro, such as one of the multi material upgrades, but that would require more motors. Anyone know of a good motherboard? Thanks!
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My default response is BTT E3 mini v3.0 but since you’re looking to add more steppers something like a BTT Manta might be the way to go. Another option with Klipper is you can use multiple boards, I’ve only looked into this but you can use something like the E3 mini running Kilpper and then use the stock creality board to run up to 4 other steppers plus whatever. You’re going to need a system running Linux for Klipper either a raspberry pi, a VM, or just a cheap PC you’re not using.
I use a cheap pc I was not using, and let it do folding@home when I’m not printing… Actually… it does it while printing too. Anyways, Just get another board that handles klipper and just add it? Is there a specific “USB to Stepper” board, or do I just hotwire in another motherboard. I have the Ender 3 Pro with the “magical probably wont burn down your house” power supply, is that enough for another board, if I’m running another stepper?
Thanks!
Anyways, Just get another board that handles klipper and just add it? Is there a specific “USB to Stepper” board, or do I just hotwire in another motherboard.
Most control boards will let you know if they run Klipper in the listed specs and the stock ender 3 pro boards do run it, at least the 4.2.2 and newer boards do. You could probably even run an Arduino with an external stepper driver if you wanted to go real jank but I wouldn’t recommend that as a second board.
I have the Ender 3 Pro with the “magical probably wont burn down your house” power supply, is that enough for another board, if I’m running another stepper?
The stock PSUs that come with the 3 pros are 350 watts and are mainly that big for heating the bed. Adding another stepper to the printer shouldn’t tax that much more.
If you are looking at going the Klipper route there’s a bunch of good install guides, I think Nero3d has a pretty good one and most the big printing YouTube seem to have done one at some point. Just beware they’re usually guides for running the host on a raspberry pi so you’ll have to figure out those parts using your own setup.
I’d take this opportunity to upgrade to a Klipper setup. Find which board fits the Ender 3 Pro that can be flashed with the Klipper firmware, then get an external klipper controller, go from there.
I can personally really recommend the fly e3 pro v3. It’s well priced and is a 32 bit board that comes with both an stm32 and a esp32 built in allowing you to run duet reprap firmware without a spare raspberry pi thanks to an amazing port. Since it’s reprap firmware you get all the advantages of klipper like web gui, input shaper, editing config files without recompiling etc but without having a spare and quite expensive raspberry just lying around. https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCEqwdT
