Is Marlin 2.xx strictly for 32 bit controllers?

I have been following this for a while, but am not really certain. I have never heard anyone talk about Marlin 2.xx without talking about SKR boards or Smoothie boards (not running Smoothieware). Never with the ancient and venerable 8 bit AVR MEGA chips. My 32 bit controller of choice is the Duet 2 series right now. It is the only one that seems to be natively supported by reprap firmware, and the smoothie board seems to have vanished. I am open to a less expensive option than Duet, but it would need to be pretty good.

So, is Marlin 2.xx only for 32 bit boards, and is the only way of using by compiling with with Visual Studio? That seems like a remarkably hostile step backwards from the simple, if not particularly elegant, Arduino origins of Marlin 1.xx - And Arduino supports 32 bit systems now, so I am thinking that I am missing something.

What boards support Marlin 2.xx?
What are the development environments that are required to use Marlin 2.xx?
And the big one: Why would anyone want to? What makes it so desirable?

inquiring minds, and all that,
DLC

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Kits: Folgertech Kossel 2020 upgraded E3Dv6, Anet A8 upgraded E3Dv6, Tevo Tarantula enhanced parts and dual-head, TronXY X5SA Pro(E3DHemera).
Scratch: Large bed Cartesian, exchangeable heads, Linear slide Delta, Maker-Beam XL Micro Delta, 220x220CoreXY.

I have compiled Marlin 2 alpha - Marlin 2.0.6 For both my Hictop Arduino mega 2560, and Have compiled it for my MPCNC using Arduino Mega 2560, Ramps 1.6
These controllers have run Marlin compiled using " BOARD_RAMPS_14_EFB " - " BOARD_MKS_GEN_13 " -" BOARD_MKS_BASE_14 " and have worked perfectly.
Have configuration all three boards types and tested for both EFBE and EFBF.

Presently all three of my systems are running with " BOARD_MKS_BASE_14 " though have single Extruder only on 3D Printers.

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Computer Programmer / Electronics Technician

Quote
Roberts_Clif
I have compiled Marlin 2 alpha - Marlin 2.0.6 For both my Hictop Arduino mega 2560, and Have compiled it for my MPCNC using Arduino Mega 2560, Ramps 1.6
These controllers have run Marlin compiled using " BOARD_RAMPS_14_EFB " - " BOARD_MKS_GEN_13 " -" BOARD_MKS_BASE_14 " and have worked perfectly.
Have configuration all three boards types and tested for both EFBE and EFBF.

Presently all three of my systems are running with " BOARD_MKS_BASE_14 " though have single Extruder only on 3D Printers.

Cool. Just using the Arduino IDE? What does 2.xx deliver differently to 1.xx?

DLC

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Kits: Folgertech Kossel 2020 upgraded E3Dv6, Anet A8 upgraded E3Dv6, Tevo Tarantula enhanced parts and dual-head, TronXY X5SA Pro(E3DHemera).
Scratch: Large bed Cartesian, exchangeable heads, Linear slide Delta, Maker-Beam XL Micro Delta, 220x220CoreXY.

Displays Bed leveling point on LCD, Power-Loss Recovery.

Really have not added many new features, was just playing nothing to do got bored upgraded to next version of marlin.
Posted that I have upgrade for new version of Marlin for Hictop 3DP08 - 3DP18 and left link to configured Marlin firmware on google Drive.

I know should be 3D Printing for Profit, now that we are being released for lock-down will start posting for local 3D Printing work.

[github.com]

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Computer Programmer / Electronics Technician

One of marlin 2 philosophy is to be as usable on 8 bit systems.

644p is possible (just) but don't expect to many features with only 64k flash
1284p is also getting tight, with only 128k flash
at90usb1286 is still supported, but has 128k flash limits
2560 is still well supported.

But there are features in marlin that wont work on 8 bit
Highres/colour marlin controlled lcd's (ie where marlin controls the pixels, not smart lcd which are serial/SPI devices)
SDIO_SUPPORT, requires hardware support in MPU (high speed SDCARD interface)
SDCARD as a USB drive (not all 32bit controllers support this)
CDC serial (virtual serial over USB that upload/downlaods as fast as it can, ignores baud rates). Not all 32 bit controllers support this, and the at90usb1286 has this feature.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2020 01:02AM by Dust.

I have been reading that you need to have a Visual Studio IDE to compile for the 32 bit boards.
Most of what I read is that it is a bear to get that to work. But, people don't usually post that everything is great and that they have no trouble.
Does Marlin 2.xx now support configuring with just M commands like Reprap or do you still have to re-compile even to set a delta Z height?
I would love to move to 32 bit boards like the SKR's (if anyone makes one that actually works...) I have gotten REALLY spoiled by my Duet 2 Maestro boards, but I can't afford those for all my printers, and even the Rambo board really shows its weaknesses when running a full graphics controller. What I really want is a 32 bit board/firmware combo that allows a config file rather than a re-compile, can network and can set the stepper currents with an M command instead of a screwdriver. But I think that I am just dreaming, right?

be well,
DLC

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Kits: Folgertech Kossel 2020 upgraded E3Dv6, Anet A8 upgraded E3Dv6, Tevo Tarantula enhanced parts and dual-head, TronXY X5SA Pro(E3DHemera).
Scratch: Large bed Cartesian, exchangeable heads, Linear slide Delta, Maker-Beam XL Micro Delta, 220x220CoreXY.

Quote
Roberts_Clif
Displays Bed leveling point on LCD, Power-Loss Recovery.

Really have not added many new features, was just playing nothing to do got bored upgraded to next version of marlin.
Posted that I have upgrade for new version of Marlin for Hictop 3DP08 - 3DP18 and left link to configured Marlin firmware on google Drive.

I know should be 3D Printing for Profit, now that we are being released for lock-down will start posting for local 3D Printing work.

[github.com]

Yeah, I get that. I have been enhancing and repairing printers since June when Make4Covid went dormant. .

be well,
DLC

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Kits: Folgertech Kossel 2020 upgraded E3Dv6, Anet A8 upgraded E3Dv6, Tevo Tarantula enhanced parts and dual-head, TronXY X5SA Pro(E3DHemera).
Scratch: Large bed Cartesian, exchangeable heads, Linear slide Delta, Maker-Beam XL Micro Delta, 220x220CoreXY.

"I have been reading that you need to have a Visual Studio IDE to compile for the 32 bit boards.
Most of what I read is that it is a bear to get that to work"


No. you use vscode (a programmers text editor) and platformio as the development environment

If Arduino IDE supports the platform, you can compile it on arduino IDE. Main exception ls lpc1768/9 based controllers, that is only for platformio.
Of course you have to manually add these platforms, and in most cases use the required version. Which under Arduino IDE is a PITA! but you can do it.

vscode/platformio Is dead simple to set up, your average grandma can handle it.
Made even easier with the marlin auto build tool. [marlinfw.org]

or without auto build [marlinfw.org]

the main issue is people and their reluctance to change, even when the new thing is way better.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2020 01:58AM by Dust.

Quote
dlc60
What I really want is a 32 bit board/firmware combo that allows a config file rather than a re-compile, can network and can set the stepper currents with an M command instead of a screwdriver. But I think that I am just dreaming, right?

I don't normally post on this forum, but I think I should point out that there are versions of RepRapFirmware for LPC and STM based 32-bit boards now, including the SKR boards.

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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].