A 3D printer wants one thing to inform it which technique to zig and how one can zag — the quantity every stepper motor ought to rotate at any given second — and that’s the job of the controller. As 3D printers have grown extra complicated and complex through the years, controllers have needed to evolve to help new options. That has resulted in lots of controllers turning into fairly giant, which generally is a drawback for compact builds. That’s why Kai Pereira designed the ultra-compact and open supply Cheetah MX4 Mini 3D printer controller.
It is a new design and it isn’t even clear if Pereira has constructed a prototype but, however the Cheetah MX4 Mini already seems promising. On its customized four-layer PCB is an STM32H7 microcontroller, 4 TMC stepper driver headers, three thermistor inputs, a probe enter, three fan outputs, and two high-current heater outputs. It has help for an LCD display screen, an SD card, and USB-C enter. Energy can are available in via the USB-C port or an exterior energy provide (12V or 24V).
The Cheetah MX4 Mini ought to work similar to some other 3D printer controller and must be appropriate with all the well-liked firmware choices. That features Klipper, which has shortly turn into the go-to alternative for thus many people.
These options aren’t notably groundbreaking and a number of different controllers provide comparable advantages. However the Cheetah MX4 Mini’s large promoting level is its measurement. Its footprint measures simply 90×80mm (3.54×3.15 inches), which may be very compact. For comparability, the Duet 3 Mini 5+ is 123×100mm. There are smaller controllers on the market, however the Cheetah MX4 Mini has a number of options for its small measurement.
In the event you’re involved in attempting a Cheetah MX4 Mini your self, the open supply information are already on GitHub. Pereira has the board setup with JLCPCB for simple ordering or you should use the information with some other PCB fabrication service.
