RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
Interesting. First I heard of such. Happy news!
Don’t trust forum advice.
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As mentioned previously, don't think of the 8 bit/32 bit board, but of features.. To me the weakness of the MK3+ is the lack of good network attachment and speed and some of the basic control features that OctoPrint provides. I think these are critical weaknesses when compared against newer manufacturers' offerings and because of the RPi shortages. The 8 bit board is fine, but some co-processor communication board better than the PiZero needs to augment the Mk3.
Since OctoPrint is not a Prusa product, things like power failure are *not* recoverable if using OctoPrint.. and OctoPrint is so valuable, it is now a deFacto standard for use, I would think. It would be easier to integrate if Prusa had something like that.. and I don't know enough about their recent update for the mini.. but I don't think it goes close to the most used features of octoprint.
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I agree.
I think a move to the 32-bit board is a good idea, even if 8-bit seems sufficient for now. I think it would be limiting to try to think of it as an "appliance" and limit the scope of what it can potentially do.
This reminds me of the early days of cell phones where I remember hearing a lot of people saying that cell phones taking pictures or playing games was just useless, and all they wanted to do is make calls.
RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
I see that in the 32-bit board issue for our MK3S+ nobody has addressed the advantage of having a quieter printer. Within my ignorance I do not understand how with the ENDER 3 we were able to change the board and have a quieter printer and Prusa couldn't handle it?
RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
I don't consider the Prusa to be exceptionally noisy, but I'm sure there could be some software tweaks to make it less so, most likely at the expense of printing speed. The so-called stealth mode does some of this, although I've never seen a need to use it.
I see that in the 32-bit board issue for our MK3S+ nobody has addressed the advantage of having a quieter printer. Within my ignorance I do not understand how with the ENDER 3 we were able to change the board and have a quieter printer and Prusa couldn't handle it?
RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
Switching to larger 0.9 degree high quality steppers (Moons) helps a lot with the “noise” and provides better print quality. 32 bit boards basically help you print faster at the same quality with roughly the same amount of noise. Having stealthchop enabled is a must for sound levels to be lower and picking the correct microstepping that the mcu sends to the stepper drivers also helps with sound levels (I find 16 microsteps works best for my MK3S and Ender S1 Pro)
RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
Quick introduction, I recently purchased a Mini+ to replace a FlashForge Adventure 3 that kind of worked, but was never completely sold on it. In fact I was ready to give up on the hobby because of how "meh" everything turned out. Stuff just never came out "right" for me. For the longest time I thought that's just 3D printing. But with the Mini and in just a few short weeks I'm back in love with the hobby and making all kinds of things, both for fun and functionality. I'm now at a point to where I need an enclosure for some of the projects I want to do, and there are some things that are just too big for the Mini. I have an XL on order, however I didn't put a deposit down until June of this year. I'm guessing it'll be at least a year before I see one.
I've been kicking the idea around of purchasing a MK3S+ but I keep getting hung up on the archaic 8-bit processor. Reading the recent issues Prusa is having sourcing 32-bit controllers for the XL, I think it's going to be a while before we see a "MK4" with a 32-bit controller. I just "discovered" Octoprint on the Mini and impressed with what information it provides and what you can do with it. I'm now starting to think who cares if it's only 8-bit?
I know there are probably hundreds of thousands of 8-bit Prusa's out there, however I don't want to make a purchase now on something that's probably reaching it's developmental end of life. You all know Prusa, and how things work better than me, should I be concerned about spending $1800 (after shipping to the US) on a printer with an 8-bit controller in 2022? Is there a 32-bit controller around the corner?
RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
I think the MK3S+ is an amazing printer and getting to be a better value. The 8bit processor is fine for 99% of my needs, however I have been reading about the capabilities of input shaping in the MK4 and the mini and see a 32bit board option as a very cheap and viable upgrade for the MK3S+. I would also love to see an official klipper release for the MK3S+ which Prusa's 8bit board could easily handle with the addition of a raspberry pi. I really like the architectural concept of klipper relocating all the heavy duty processing to an external CPU and using just a basic microcontroller in the printer. This architecture with a simple USB-C connector could improve the performance, make future upgrades simple and cheap and reduce the cost of maintenance.
Quick introduction, I recently purchased a Mini+ to replace a FlashForge Adventure 3 that kind of worked, but was never completely sold on it. In fact I was ready to give up on the hobby because of how "meh" everything turned out. Stuff just never came out "right" for me. For the longest time I thought that's just 3D printing. But with the Mini and in just a few short weeks I'm back in love with the hobby and making all kinds of things, both for fun and functionality. I'm now at a point to where I need an enclosure for some of the projects I want to do, and there are some things that are just too big for the Mini. I have an XL on order, however I didn't put a deposit down until June of this year. I'm guessing it'll be at least a year before I see one.
I've been kicking the idea around of purchasing a MK3S+ but I keep getting hung up on the archaic 8-bit processor. Reading the recent issues Prusa is having sourcing 32-bit controllers for the XL, I think it's going to be a while before we see a "MK4" with a 32-bit controller. I just "discovered" Octoprint on the Mini and impressed with what information it provides and what you can do with it. I'm now starting to think who cares if it's only 8-bit?
I know there are probably hundreds of thousands of 8-bit Prusa's out there, however I don't want to make a purchase now on something that's probably reaching it's developmental end of life. You all know Prusa, and how things work better than me, should I be concerned about spending $1800 (after shipping to the US) on a printer with an 8-bit controller in 2022? Is there a 32-bit controller around the corner?
RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
I do love my MK3S+ but I agree there are features I sorely miss that only are available with a 32bit board. I can't understand why Prusa doesn't offer a 32 bit board option for the MK3S+ maybe with an updated front control panel. I don't agree that a 3D printer is just an appliance, 3D printing is a rapidly evolving technology and advancements simply in firmware and software can make a very big difference in capabilities. A 32bit board is a trivial expense compared to replacing the entire printer.
RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
I can't understand why Prusa doesn't offer a 32 bit board option for the MK3S+ maybe with an updated front control panel
That's the Mk3.5 upgrade: https://www.prusa3d.com/product/original-prusa-i3-mk3-s-to-mk3-5-upgrade-kit-4/
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
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Right now, probably many people that initially thought purchasing this upgrade have gone instead for a MK3.9/MK4 kit or simply they decided to forget it. IMHO, the cost of a MK3.5, isn’t worthwhile considering that, for 279 euro, basically you only get a new 32bit board and color screen, Therefore, if Prusa has a relatively small number of preorders for this kit, it isn’t surprising that they’re rather reluctant to release it. My guess is that the MK3.5 will be delayed for a long, long time or even cancelled.
RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
Great thanks I missed that one.
RE: Thoughts on 32-Bit and MK3S+
Right now, probably many people that initially thought purchasing this upgrade have gone instead for a MK3.9/MK4 kit or simply they decided to forget it. IMHO, the cost of a MK3.5, isn’t worthwhile considering that, for 279 euro, basically you only get a new 32bit board and color screen, Therefore, if Prusa has a relatively small number of preorders for this kit, it isn’t surprising that they’re rather reluctant to release it. My guess is that the MK3.5 will be delayed for a long, long time or even cancelled.
Exactly, when for another $550 you can have an entire printer.
Mini+MK3S+XL 5 Tool
RE:
Right now, probably many people that initially thought purchasing this upgrade have gone instead for a MK3.9/MK4 kit or simply they decided to forget it. IMHO, the cost of a MK3.5, isn’t worthwhile considering that, for 279 euro, basically you only get a new 32bit board and color screen, Therefore, if Prusa has a relatively small number of preorders for this kit, it isn’t surprising that they’re rather reluctant to release it. My guess is that the MK3.5 will be delayed for a long, long time or even cancelled.
Exactly, when for another $550 you can have an entire printer.
And that's what happened to me. I had 2 x MK3S+ as a hobby, and one of the reasons I went with Prusa at the time was because of the available and reasonably priced upgrade paths it had to keep it completely up to date.
This last release wasn't what I had expected. Considering the cost of all upgrade paths, I went and sold my 2 MK3s+ and moved on to another company that has 32bit printers (and enclosure, camera, light)
It was disappointing since I was totally invested, but I guess I've moved on.