What Firmware Does the Anet A8 Use?
Anet A8 is a cheap Prusa i3 3D printer Chinese clone that can be constitute on GearBest for about $160. It comes with a custom main lath, based onMelzi V2.0
lath, with integrated SD carte du jour reader and a LCD xx×4 with 5 keys controller.
If yous are looking for a cheap 3D printer for sporadic non-professional use, probably this is a good selection, but you may need to invest at least some extra fourth dimension and money if actually want a properly working 3D printer.
Indice
The hardware
You can’t wait height specifications hardware from a 160$ 3D printer. Everything in this printer is simply at red line, if you don’t ensure all cables contacts are fine and all screws are tight, it may catch burn. By the mode, mine has been working fine for some months without any issue. I’ll talk in deep virtually hardware soon, for now lets start for the part that volition no crave you to spent a single extra dollar.
The stock firmware
The printer comes with a completely functional firmware preinstalled, merely you will never know exactly how is that firmware working. One thing you lot volition notice is that it is non very polished. It uses a very aggressive algorithm for heating the bed, that volition make the hardware to work at its limit. Don’t have any security measure for preventing overheating of the extruder heater, and then if the heater or the temperature sensor comes out from its place, the main lath will continue sending current until some part catches fire…
On the other hand, looks like it is not implementing a proper communication protocol as I suffered many times suddenly stops of my printing jobs when using a Rasberry Pi as printer server. And then I decided to look for an alternative firmware.
Alternative firmwares
Marlin
Marlin is one of the mos used firmware in amateur 3D printers and, after a lot of fourth dimension is officially supporting the Anet A8.
I take never tried it, mostly considering, when I was looking a replacement firmware, there where no official back up for my printer. Skynet 3D, a Marlin derivative, had support for it, but I never got attracted by the code arrangement.
Equally soon equally I take before long complimentary time, I will update this commodity to include instructions for Marlin.
Repetier
You will non hands observe this firmware associated with the Anet printer, but taking a look at its supported boards, you will find that they talk almost Anet main board under a board called “Zonestar P802M“. Its source code is non wonderful but, in my stance, better organised than Marlin’s one.
Repository
I take created a
github repository
with all the needed files, so you should exist able to follow the following instructions on this post and have all needed files from the repository for configuring your arduino IDE for the Anet primary board and configure and compile any firmware., so start
downloading the files I have placed on github.
Arduino IDE hardware definition for Anet principal board V1.0
First thing y’all volition need to do is add back up to your ardunio IDE for the Anet main board, so later on downloading and installing arduino IDE, follow this instructions:
- Copy the Arduino binder content into your Arduino sketches folder, normally placed at your home directory.
- Open up arduino IDE
- Add the following url at “Additional Boards Manager URLs” on “preferences”:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Lauszus/Sanguino/master/package_lauszus_sanguino_index.json - Install last version of “Arduino AVR Boards” and “Sanguino” using the boards manager
Clearing EEPROM
Clearing EEPROM is very important if you lot are changing firmware family, for example from marlin based to repetier based. If you are non sure, I recommend you to clear the EEPROM before flashing the new firmware. For clearing the EEPROM follow the post-obit steps:
- Open Arduino IDE
- Go to File -> Examples -> EEPROM -> eeprom_clear
- Select lath “Anet V1.0” (Tools -> Lath ->Anet V1.0)
- Click upload push button
- Give, lets say, 10 secconds for your printer to reset and execute the sketch
Repetier firmware
If you want to test repetier firmware, only practise the following:
-
Go to
https://world wide web.repetier.com/firmware/v092/
-
Upload the
configuration file
from the repository - Click on “Download” tab
- Click “Download complete firmware incl. these settings” button
- Open downloaded “repetier.ino” file with arduino IDE
- Select board “Anet V1.0” (Tools -> Board ->Anet V1.0)
- Click upload push
Burning bootloader
You may brick your main board if yous do things similar selecting a wrong lath on the arduino IDE, forcing the arrangement to wink a wrong firmware or unplugging the USB while information technology is flashing. After that, you lot may not be able to flash your master board anymore and probably you will outset getting errors like this:
avrdude: stk500_cmd(): programmer is out of sync
If this happens, first discard that you don’t have a defective USB cable by replacing it. If you are still unable to flash your primary board, about probable you are confronting a boot loader corruption, and then your principal board is probably “bricked”.
You can endeavor to fire again the bootloader using an Arduino as Internet access provider programer connected to your lath post-obit this
diagram
and following this steps:
- Plug the USB cablevision to the arduino board
- Open arduino IDE
- Open up the ArduinoISP firmware (in Examples)
- Select the items in the Tools > Board and Tools > Serial Port menus that correspond to the arduino board you are using as the programmer (non the Anet main lath existence programmed)
- Upload the ArduinoISP sketch
- Disconnect the USB cable from the arduino board
- Disconnect everything from your printer mainboard, even the ability supply
- Wire your Arduino board to the board as shown in the
diagram - Check your wiring at to the lowest degree three times, as a wrong wiring may destroy your Arduino and fifty-fifty your chief lath
- Plug the USB cable to the arduino board
- Select the item “Anet V1.0” in the Tools > Board menu
- Select the Arduino as Isp in the Tools > Programmer bill of fare
- Use the Burn Bootloader command
- If the burning finish without errors, disconnect all wires between the arduino and the main board and connect again everything to the main lath (fans, motors, LCD, etc.)
Now you should exist able to connect your USB cablevision to the principal board, as usual, and flash whatsoever new firmware to information technology. I suggest y’all to start testing with the “Glimmer” example and bank check that the LED into the main lath start to blink.
This steps has been taken from
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ArduinoISP, consult it for extra information.
