https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/ Prusa3D Forum Discussion Board en-US Fri, 10 Apr 2026 23:15:45 +0000 wpForo 60 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42402 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 22:38:02 +0000 It looks like the Replicate is a much better board. Like he says in the video, your going from a basic firmware to a operating system. Which means that it's difficult at best to get to the interrupts; something you can do easily with the Arduino IDE and is almost essential (totally essential with a 16MHz MCU) on a 3D printer.
I did contact prusa support, because I have a hunch the new utilmachine board uses a 32 bit processor. The Einsy is an old design, based around the ATMega 2560; same as the RAMBo 1.3 card. This really is a sideways movement. The Pi Zero is a definite downgrade.

Peter]]> Others (Archive) PJR https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42402 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42393 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 20:49:27 +0000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiHoCD9oeeE

It looks like the Replicate is a much better board. Like he says in the video, your going from a basic firmware to a operating system. In this case, linux. (Not very user-friendly.) And you have to work on all the tinkering to make it "go".

I don't know if I want to spend that much though.. between the Beaglebone, and the Replicate shield... $155, then more once you start adding other accessories, like the Manga Screen 2 ($99). Note: The pricing he mentions in the video has changed.

You can find replicape's page:
https://www.thing-printer.com/product/replicape/

I did contact prusa support, because I have a hunch the new utilmachine board uses a 32 bit processor.]]> Others (Archive) AverageWhiteGuy https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42393 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42384 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 18:59:08 +0000 Yeah, I would like to know the official line as well. Even the Arduino Due would have been just so much better, the porting of the firmware would not have been too difficult (a lot of it is already available).

I am guessing, here, but the Trinamic drivers can interpolate steps (but they only do this "accurately" above 16 Hz I believe). They are controlled via SPI so I would hope that the stepping will be controlled in real time (ie move to 256 steps when slow enough for the MCU and interpolated 1/16 or 1/8 stepping for the longer, fast movements).

Still, this controller card is an advertiser's dream; there are so many "good" bits to sell... Most of these "good" bits merely address faults in the Mk2 or address issues most of us don't have (power loss, Octoprint - on a Pi Zero??? etc).

Peter I would like to find more information on this board but the github has a technical drawing and not much else.

Octoprint on a Pi Zero is just asking for trouble. The WiFi is weak and the processing power of the Zero will barely be enough. I have a Pi2 that struggles at times with a better external wifi and a camera for monitoring.

I'm like you, most of what this addresses isn't a problem for me. I'll eventually buy an MK3 and donate my non-MM to the local library.]]> Others (Archive) richard.l https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42384 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42376 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 17:45:05 +0000 I'd like to know their thinking behind using this board instead of something like the Duet WiFi. There must be a reason. Yeah, I would like to know the official line as well. Even the Arduino Due would have been just so much better, the porting of the firmware would not have been too difficult (a lot of it is already available).

I am guessing, here, but the Trinamic drivers can interpolate steps (but they only do this "accurately" above 16 Hz I believe). They are controlled via SPI so I would hope that the stepping will be controlled in real time (ie move to 256 steps when slow enough for the MCU and interpolated 1/16 or 1/8 stepping for the longer, fast movements).

Still, this controller card is an advertiser's dream; there are so many "good" bits to sell... Most of these "good" bits merely address faults in the Mk2 or address issues most of us don't have (power loss, Octoprint - on a Pi Zero??? etc).

Peter]]> Others (Archive) PJR https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42376 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42373 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 17:06:03 +0000 The Mk3 Einsy RAMBo is no different in this respect (and many others) to the 1.3 RAMBo. Still a very cut-down controller with a total of 4 stepper drivers and hugely underpowered MCU. I'd like to know their thinking behind using this board instead of something like the Duet WiFi. There must be a reason.]]> Others (Archive) richard.l https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42373 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42355 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 13:44:51 +0000 The Mk3 Einsy RAMBo is no different in this respect (and many others) to the 1.3 RAMBo. Still a very cut-down controller with a total of 4 stepper drivers and hugely underpowered MCU.

Peter]]> Others (Archive) PJR https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42355 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42352 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 12:58:58 +0000
Even the new MK3 EINSI RAMBo?

That would call for another (custom) upgrade... :shock:

Kind regards! ;)]]> Others (Archive) WonderLabWoman https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42352 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42351 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 12:37:12 +0000 RAMBo only has a single E-Stepper driver

Peter]]> Others (Archive) PJR https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42351 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42350 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 12:12:04 +0000
That's a pity! Would you mind explaining why? Is it a hardware restriction or a software restriction?

Kind regards :)]]> Others (Archive) WonderLabWoman https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42350 https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42348 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 11:36:17 +0000 No. You can only drive 1 extruder motor at a time.

Peter]]> Others (Archive) PJR https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk2-s-multi-material-others-archive/can-the-multimaterial-upgrade-be-combined-with-a-diamond-hotend/#post-42348