Cheetah MX4 Mini: Compact 3D Printer Controller Review
▼ Summary
– A 17-year-old hacker named Kai designed and built his own compact 3D printer control motherboard called the Cheetah MX4 Mini.
– The board uses a powerful STM32H743 microcontroller and features four TMC stepper drivers for silent operation, along with multiple connectivity options.
– It supports essential 3D printer functions like sensorless homing, multiple display types, and can power components like fans and a heated bed.
– The controller is compatible with both Marlin and Klipper firmware, allowing it to leverage existing, well-developed software ecosystems.
– Kai thoroughly documented the 86-hour build process, creating a valuable learning resource for others interested in similar projects.
Upgrading a 3D printer often involves mechanical tweaks or printed add-ons, but one ambitious project tackled the very heart of the machine. A dedicated maker recently completed the design and construction of a custom, fully-featured control motherboard called the Cheetah MX4 Mini. This compact board represents a significant leap in DIY printer electronics, packing professional capabilities into a remarkably small footprint.
The project began with the selection of a powerful microcontroller unit to serve as the board’s brain. The designer chose the STM32H743, a high-performance chip known for its speed and extensive protocol support. This choice provided the flexibility needed to finalize the board’s exact feature set during development. For precise and quiet movement, the design incorporates four TMC stepstick slots for stepper motor drivers. The board supports both sensorless homing and traditional endstops, offering versatility for different printer configurations.
Connectivity is a strong point for the Cheetah MX4 Mini. It includes provisions for parallel and serial displays, a USB-C port, and a microSD card slot for loading G-code files. Power management is also well-considered, with the ability to drive up to three cooling fans and two separate high-amperage loads, such as those required for a printer’s heated bed. All these components are integrated onto a circuit board roughly the size of a standard drink coaster, demonstrating impressive engineering density.
A key advantage of using the STM32H743 MCU is firmware compatibility. The Cheetah MX4 Mini is designed to work with both the popular Marlin and Klipper firmware ecosystems. This smart design decision allows the builder to benefit from the vast amount of ongoing development and community support already established for these platforms, rather than starting from scratch.
Beyond the technical achievement, what makes this project particularly noteworthy is the comprehensive documentation provided by its creator. The builder meticulously logged the entire 86-hour development process in a day-by-day breakdown. This detailed chronicle serves as an invaluable educational resource for other electronics enthusiasts and makers looking to understand the complexities of designing a printer controller from the ground up. It exemplifies the spirit of open-source hardware, where sharing knowledge accelerates innovation for everyone.
(Source: Hackaday)
