Identifying low-end controller for open-source clay printer

Hey all,

It's been an awful long time since I hang out here (more than 10y) but I would like to consult the incredible hive mind here again. I'm currently working with Product Development students on a modular flexible open source 3d clay printer. Most stuff is easy to settle on except the electronics. We would like to make the machine compatible with two options:
-A high end option using Duet and RepRap Firmware (RRF), this because it is the most used board in commercial ceramic 3d printers like the Lutum, Potterbot or Stoneflower and a favourite amongst DIY enthousiasts in the ceramic 3d printing community. It's open source, well supported and has shown to be viable as a long term controller choice (so no question here honestly).
-A low end option, especially to drive cost down and make it accessible in the less wealthy regions of the world where there's a lot of demand. 5 years ago the choice would be easy with an Arduino + Ramps. But today I'm not sure anymore what is the best default low-end option. Ramps & 8-bit seem to be on the way out? These days lot's of 32bit boards seem to be around but I also see a tons of boards from Asia that seem to have a large diversity of dimensions and layouts. There doesn't seem to be anything that develops stably on a single dimensional footprint or pin layout?

The requirements for a clay printer(and so an OS one) are fairly basic:
-Delta machine 3 motor axises (so 8 bit sometimes a limitation)
-2 extruders (some clay extruders combine 2 stepper motors, one on supply and one in extruder)
-no heated bed or hot end requirements so low power consumption
-easely available around the globe!
-long term option, hopefully around for 5+ years or drop-in upgrades (same footprint, layout etc)
-no need for incredible speed or super high resolution or other fancy features (1-3mm nozzle typically, 0.5-1mm layer height)

related obviously is the firmware. For the high end it will be RRF, would be fantastic if there's a cheap board that also supports it but options there seem limited. Am I correct that the BTT SKR3 supports RRF? I also found this port:
[teamgloomy.github.io]
Not sure how stable that is long term.
Alternative would be good old Marlin (2?) with the disadvantage of supporting 2 firmwares...

Looking forward to your input!

... for my paste-dispensers and some "random" machines I've used Marlin4Due and Marlin2 wit ArduinoDue boards ... but today I'll either too try with RRF or something new with an ESP32 board.

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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]

@unfold I suggest you join the RepRapFirmware/TeamGloomy Discord channel. There you will find help with running RRF on a range of low costs controllers.

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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].

Quote
dc42
@unfold I suggest you join the RepRapFirmware/TeamGloomy Discord channel. There you will find help with running RRF on a range of low costs controllers.

Thanks for the tip @dc42! Just jumped in there and seems very lively discussion, always a great sign. Will read a bit more into the GitHub page and Discord and post some questions there to. I wasn’t sure RRF on BTT was really a thing (very little mention on BTT site) but now more confident that’s it is very active and not tied to the goodwill of a company to support it!

Quote
VDX
... for my paste-dispensers and some "random" machines I've used Marlin4Due and Marlin2 wit ArduinoDue boards ... but today I'll either too try with RRF or something new with an ESP32 board.

Thanks Viktor. I’ve always been surprised that Arduino Due based boards did not really become a big thing in RR land like Mega+ramps. Or did I miss something? I read about a new Arduino 32 bit board on Mega footprint that was released this year. [store.arduino.cc]

@unfold - thanks for the hint with the GIGA -- could be a pretty fine update, as I have some shields with Due-formfactor for CNC-controllers/BOB's, running with my own Marlin4Due/Pronterface-laser-Mod or RRF

Could be, the Due based boards didn't get enough attention for the higher price? ... my favorized RADDS boards were a chunk more pricey than the RAMPS (built here in Germany, not in China) ... and the special 5V-shields for the CNC-BOB's my (then) company has developed, even more (too, not found out by the Chinese cloners).

Now I'm in a totally different job situation, but have several of the CNC-boards, mentioned previously ... could be interesting, to reactivate some of them with the GIGA, as I'm actually collecting/building some machines for high power laser-cutting (200W or 270W IR-laserdiodes, combined with 120W CW-fiberlasers) and for metal wire "FDM" ... and another build for CNC-milling with 3 or 5 axes - here too in need for several controllers ...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/07/2023 05:03PM by VDX.

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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]