Ramps? Printrboard? or what?

[www.ebay.com]
Just spotted this on fleabay - looks like a bargain but I'm unfamiliar with ramps/arduino combo as I'm using Printrboard. Printrboard is also Arduino based but is an all-in-one board with integrated stepper drivers.
What other electronics are you guys using and what firmware do you run with the ramps/arduino setup?
I assume they all run with Pronterface/Slic3r software.

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Richmond, New Zealand
Thingiverse ~ YouTube

Currently Gen6

soon switching to one of our own Sanguino boards frot eh heated bed control and SD card printing control

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Experimenting in 3D in New Zealand

It would be good to set them up and run the same code and see how they compare. Printrboard is an all-in-one like the Gen 6 but has heatbed and SD on the board. As long ans the stepper drivers keep working these type of boards are cheaper and simpler from what I read.

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Richmond, New Zealand
Thingiverse ~ YouTube

I run Sanguinololu and ramps, both of which run Sprinter and Marlin firmware so Pronterface/Slic3r is fine with them.

I run an older Ramps 1.2 on Arduino Mega with Sprinter firmware and Printrun/Slic3r. All works well. Currently finishing ghetto heated bed.

Finished my ramps 1.3 build and plan test repertier on it . . .just waiting for the dupont connectors for my test rig . . .

Is Sanguinololu a single board plus stepper modules or is it a shield for an arduino etc ?

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Richmond, New Zealand
Thingiverse ~ YouTube

Sanguinololu is a single board + stepper modules, the arduino is the big dip chip on the board.

Thanks, and Ramps is an arduino shield with stepper modules?

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Richmond, New Zealand
Thingiverse ~ YouTube

RAMPS (RepRap Arduino Mega Pololu Shield) is a shield, it uses the same stepper driver modules as the Sanguinololu

And it need either an atmega1280 or atmega2560 to plug into.

That makes sense. Looks like Sanguinololu is the best of both worlds then - cheaper than the Arduino/ramps but with replaceable stepper modules. The Printrboard I am using is also arduino based and they reckon the fastest but I don't think there would be much in it, the mechanical limitations are going to be the same for all of them. Cost-wise probably the cheapest is Printrboard then Sanguinololu then RAMPS.

I have only used Marlin firmware so far, is there any advantage/disadvantage to using Sprinter or something else?

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Richmond, New Zealand
Thingiverse ~ YouTube

Marlin is supposedly better than Sprinter but have not tried it yet

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Experimenting in 3D in New Zealand

I disagree strongly that marlin is better than sprinter. Sprinter is a lot more stable. Marlin also doesnt support older hardware like SL 1.0 (anything below SL 1.3A in fact, haven't checked the ramps side)

But Marlin is the only firmware that supports a led display, and auto PId tuning is in beta on Sprinter (last I looked).
The rosstock code is also only in the marlin derivative for now (something I intend to change, if I can)

Other things to consider.

Ramps has support for a second extruder as standard and a lot more spare IO pins to play with.
SL is not setup for a second extruder, and has limited number of IO pins spare. Basically SL is for people who just want to print with a single head. (may be able to hack a second one on, not sure) RAMPS is for dual head and experimentation.

Printrboard also has 1/16 micro-stepping, dual head support plus lcd, onboard sd card and fan output. It also runs with Marlin or Sprinter. The only downside I can see with Printrboard is the built-in stepper drivers so as long as you don't blow them no worries.
Actually they only support one printer head on the one I have but I read they are offering an upgrade add on for it soon.

[reprap.org]

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Richmond, New Zealand
Thingiverse ~ YouTube

Hi , Iv,e been looking down a similar path, Please keep me posted as I am in tbe build stage and want to go down the best road.!

I have just bought an Azteeg X3 as well as another Printrboard for a Prusa I am building to sell shortly.
The Azteeg is a very cool board and supports dual extruders straight out of the box. It also looks like it might be easier to modify the firmware but it is a learning curve I have yet to scale.
Personally I think the Printrboard is the easiest one to use plus it is the cheapest and supposedly the fastest printing. I still haven't killed one yet and I am onto number three

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Richmond, New Zealand
Thingiverse ~ YouTube

ramps 1.4 with lcd option seems to go well, there are a few options such as fan control and a second extruder.

As a newbie the ramps 1.4 with lcd is what I've gone for. Purchased from fabster3d via eBay. Shipping took about 3 days to NZ!

Simon, I have a Sanguinololu board here I am going to experiment with,got arduino chips thru Nicegear in Timaru. Sometime i
I'll build a test bed, probably out of that spare mendel frame lying in wait

Ramps 1.4/ Arduino2560/ Sprinter/ Pronterface/ Slice3r
...and see no reason to change

I've also been using the Azteeg X3. Very easy to alter the firmware on (Printrboard is a bitch to change) and uses standard plug in stepper drivers. Has on-board SD and driver slots for 5 axes. I have also signed up for their LCD control panel prototype which should arrive soon.
Comes with very nice to use screw terminals, none of that header pin bollocks.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2013 01:57AM by Wired1.

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Richmond, New Zealand
Thingiverse ~ YouTube