Witch better controller board for Delta ?

Hi all,

I currently building a DELTA printer and I'd like to know what is the better choice about controller ?


Thank you very much

For running a delta, the 8-bit boards have barely enough performance, so the 32-bit boards are a better choice. The main 32-bit boards out there are the Smoothieboard and clones, the Duet, and more recently the Alligator. All have adequate performance for driving a delta, a built-in USB socket, a native USB port, and digital control of motor current (except the Smoothie-compatible boards that use plug-in driver modules). The main differences between them lie in the firmware they run. I'm biassed because I contribute to its firmware, but for me the best choice currently is the Duet. It supports segmentation-free delta movement, fast delta auto-calibration from a single set of probe points, and a good web interface that can be used from a PC, tablet or smartphone. None of the other boards has any of these features in their firmwares yet.

I've published a video showing the auto-calibration at work, at [www.youtube.com], and a blog post on my latest delta at [miscsolutions.wordpress.com].

Cheapest price for a Duet is currently $80 from Replikeo in Hong Kong, but if you are in Europe you might prefer to buy from Think3DPrint3D or RepRapPro to get more local support.

More info on the Duet can be found at [reprap.org], and on the Smoothieboard at [smoothieware.org].

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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].

I second a 32 bit controller, but recomend a smoothieboard..

Or an Arduino Due with appropriate shield . . . for those who want to stay modular . . .

- Tim

Quote
tadawson
Or an Arduino Due with appropriate shield . . . for those who want to stay modular . . .

I would not call this an option any more. The RADDS board seems to no longer be for sale, and everyone knows to avoid RAMPS-FD like the plague unless you are willing to modify the board to fix some of the design flaws that Geeetech doesn't think are dangerous enough to stop selling it.....

Let me throw in my +1 on the Smoothieware ecosystem. The Azteeg X5 Mini ($109) used to be the best 32-bit Smoothieware controller for the money, but Panucatt's customer service has been slipping recently from what I've heard through posts by others. A genuine Smoothieboard is on the pricy side, but it has a lot of features for the money.....

... why is the RADDS board not for sale anymore?

The shop is online and I didn't hear something about discontinuity

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Quote
vreihen

Quote
tadawson
Or an Arduino Due with appropriate shield . . . for those who want to stay modular . . .

I would not call this an option any more. The RADDS board seems to no longer be for sale, and everyone knows to avoid RAMPS-FD like the plague unless you are willing to modify the board to fix some of the design flaws that Geeetech doesn't think are dangerous enough to stop selling it.....

I am playing with RAMPS-FD, and it seems like a very good option, and the mods are not that bad (where needed at all). For what it is worth, no matter what I do, I can't create the heater issue everyone talks about, and have to wonder if the more recent Due boards have been changed to not have uninitialized outputs float high. There is also a user here that has made some pretty trivial mods to a RAMPS-1.4 to get it to work with Due, and from what I can see, RADDS is alive and well, other than ignoring the US market. I've also considered making a short run of RAMPS-FD v2, since I *HATE* all in one, single point of failure, harder to repair solutions . . .

- Tim

Quote
VDX
... why is the RADDS board not for sale anymore?

The shop is online and I didn't hear something about discontinuity

I stand corrected. Angelo apparently has the shopping part of his site back online:

http://max3dshop.org/index.php/default/elektronik/radds-v1-2.html

There has been no pricing or purchase info online for several months, at least viewing it from North America. The only thing that was visible was the support docs. Anyway, it appears that RADDS v1.5 is still available, with removable 128 micro-step drivers as an option.....

Yeah, it certainly would be nice if they would acknowledge the existence of North America with even a little English language support . . . the choice is there, just nobody bothered with the content. I have a real hard time ordering something from a site I can't read . . . *hint* *hint*

- Tim

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2015 05:06PM by tadawson.

... I'll ask him, if he's aware of the growing market in Northern Amerika ... and if he can update the site language

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Hi,

I look for a Distributor for the US-Marked.
If someone can help me for this, it was great.

We have had problems, because we are a long time out oft stock. Now i have ordered 1000 pieces RADDS v1.5 and 5000 RAPS128, HALL-E (Feed-sensor) LCD...

Wie need 8 Werks for produce every charge, because The components are Form netherland, Japan etc ..
The chinese has to import the components and this spent a lot oft time. Sorry for this.

After 3 years of Devellopment, 10 Prototyps, 5 Versions oft RADDS now we are perfect with RADDS v 1.5 . RAPS128 work also perfect. The repetier-firmware (work092.3) is very stable and marlin4due works also ...

Magento (shop system) are very complicate for multilingual. Now i will look to translate it also in english.
We have a Dokumentation in english, if helps ... [doku.radds.org]

For devellopers to trying it, I make now a special offer for only the first 10 orders for this set ( please PM me for this, if you like for Shipping Adress ...):

1*RADDS v1.5 + 4*RAPS128 = $ 99,00 .
(without Shipping cost (DHL Maxibrief ca. 3-7 days)).

So you can try it.
If you are not satisfied, i give you money back guarantie.

Feedback and a resellert-tipp are welcome.

Best reguards
Angelo

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2015 06:48PM by angelo.

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Mein Club: [hackerspace-ffm.de]
RADDS-Shield -> Commercial [max3dshop.org]

AZSMZ Mini with smoothieware
SMART RAMPS with repetier

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New 32 bit ARM based Motion controller for 3D printers, CNC Machines and Laser cutters. Like Azteeg x5 mini or smoothieboard(no network).
AZSMZ Mini [www.ebay.com] [bancuit.aliexpress.com]
AZSMZ 12864 LCD [www.ebay.com] [bancuit.aliexpress.com] [azsmz.aliexpress.com]
SMART RAMPS [www.ebay.com] [bancuit.aliexpress.com] [azsmz.aliexpress.com]
[www.facebook.com]

Hi all,

Thank you very much DC42 for these informations. So I think to orientate my choice to Duet. I live in NEW CALEDONIA so I think Hong Kong is a good choice for me to order.

I'd like to buy differential infrared Z probe ? How can I do ?

Best regards,

Laurent

Hi Laurent,

I just looked up New Caledonia, and it sounds idyllic! I'll send you a PM about how to order the 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].

Hello David,

Yes it is ;-)
I'm french but I live in New Caledonia about 20 years ago.