Best New Feature Mix for Marlin 3D Printer with RAMBo 1.4?

I have a 2017 MakerGear M2E printer, with a RAMbo 1.4 controller. It has been a very solid workhorse, running Marlin 1.0. I just updated the firmware to 2.1.2.5, primarily to take advantage of Linear/Pressure Advance. I've got that calibrated, but haven't done any prints yet to see how much it helps.

In the process, I discovered a whole raft of new enhancements that sound potentially useful: Input shaping, Arc Fitting, S-curve Acceleration, and Junction Deviation. My concern is that if I just turn every bell & whistle on at once, my RAMBo could have a nervous breakdown. I asked the Google AI, and it suggested Input Shaping (for example) could use enough processor cycles & memory that I could run into trouble. If the result is compile errors, that will be a big clue. I also don't want to load it with firmware that fits, but can't run reliably.

It sounds like Arc Fitting may actually reduce the workload on the processor/memory, so I'm probably going to enable that. Does anyone have any experience with how much I can ask of my controller board in terms of the remaining features? I'd like to balance reliability with the mix of features that provides the most improvement in print quality.

Thanks!

I guess every one is too busy enjoying the holidays...

I did some experiments. I started with a baseline of Marlin 2.1.2.5, with only Linear Advance activated. I then added all the other features that are available, re-compiled, and kept track of the memory usage. Here are the results:



Although they definitely chew up some memory, I don't appear to be too close to running out of either RAM or flash, even with everything installed. I found another web site that did a similar analysis for features in Marlin 2.0:

Marlin 2.0 Memory Usage vs Features

One thing that can apparently chew up a lot of memory is any form of auto bed leveling. The MakerGear M2E has a steel frame, and is built like a battleship. I only have to check the bed level once or twice a year, so I don't need auto-leveling.

The one piece of my original query is how much improvement I will see in my prints with each of the various features. Given that I can apparently run them all with no penalty, I don't have to pick and choose, so it's not as much of a concern...

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2026 01:53PM by gwhite.

... good finds!

But not in my actual "interest range" ...

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Viktor
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