Since its GitHub release in 2011, Marlin firmware has powered the majority of desktop 3D printer boards. Until now, the open-source firmware has catered only to 8-bit control boards, which are the most popular for 3D printers. Now, with the release of Marlin 2.0.0, they have expanded their scope to include 32-bit boards.

The advantages of having a 32-bit 3D printer are numerous. By essentially having a bigger, more powerful brain, the printer is able to perform faster calculations, speeding up the print, increasing quality, and reducing stepper motor noise.

The Marlin 2.0 software has been in a beta state for some years. Some of the important new features of the now-stable release are:

  • 32-bit support with several boards added
  • Improved support for AVR boards
  • Power-Loss Recovery (for SD print jobs)
  • (Magnetic) Parking Extruder support
  • (Magnetic) Switching Toolhead and Toolchanger support
  • Gradient Mixing and Gradient Virtual Tools
  • Automatic power supply control
  • More Trinamic driver support, including TMC2208/9
  • Expanded probe support
  • More customizable Status Screen
  • LED control menu
  • EEPROM auto-init
  • Heated Chamber support
  • Support for up to 6 extruders
  • More temperature sensors supported

For a full feature list, you can check the GitHub release notes.

With the price of 32-bit controller boards falling, it’s high time Marlin provided a stable release of a compatible open-source firmware option. For the owners of 8-bit printers, Marlin 2.0.0 brings a number of improved support options for more advanced systems and upgrades, such as the power loss recovery, and improved options for multiple extruders.

You can download the latest firmware from the Marlin website.

(Source: Marlin)

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