Smoothie Board Controller Installation
Here we go...
Here's the original controller:
Here is the Smoothie Board:
Advantages of the Smoothie Board:
LPC1769 microcontroller (ARM Cortex-M3 )
32-bit architecture
Digital configuration files
Robust MOSFETs for heaters
1/32 Micro stepping
120Mhz frequency
512kB ROM ( program space )
64kB RAM ( execution memory )
Extreme support network
Old controller has been removed, the Smoothie Board installed and a 5V power supply added to go with the 24V original power supply.
Breakout board for the Hot End has been added. This facilitates use of the original ribbon to the head. Display cables are routed to the front of the machine.
The original thermistors were of an unknown type and the temperature curve would not be easily determined. Looking through the Smoothie documentation I selected a single design that would work for both the bed and the extruder nozzle. A Semitec 104GT-2 sensor was selected. I only had to shorten the lead and attach the correct connector on the end. The picture at the left shows the modification. The difference between the Bed and Extruder thermistors is only on the length of the lead and the terminating connector. I removed the bed and drilled a 3mm diameter hole in which I inserted the thermistor. I felt this was a much better placement than merely taping the sensor to the underside of the heater with Kapton tape. In practice this method only added 4 minutes or so to the heat up from ambient time. Kapton tape was used to keep the lead in place. As far as the extruder thermistor installation, it was just a matter of swapping the sensors as the design of the bulb was the same.
The cooling fans for the Extruder and the Part were upgraded to Noctua NF-40x10 units. These are quite possibly the very best muffin fans that can be purchased.
I had previously 3D printed a housing that I found on Thingiverse and this was the perfect solution to mounting the GLCD panel on the front of the printer. The RepRap GLCD is much larger than the original display and the original uses a different communications protocol, so re-use was not possible. I also installed a Micro SD Card extension to allow access to the memory card without having to open up the bottom of the machine.