The SKR PICO - Small yet mighty controller for your 3d printer
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ค. 2024
- BTT new SKR PICO is their new small form factor controller for 3d printers, powered by the RP2040, is this board the right fit for an upcoming printer build or controller swap? Lets take a look
Want one of your own?
www.biqu.equipment/products/b...
INFO
Link to the BTT PICO Github for manual and klipper install instructions
github.com/bigtreetech/SKR-Pico
Klipper installation instructions
www.klipper3d.org/Installatio...
Mainsail OS
docs.mainsail.xyz/
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I like that they could have made the Pico's box smaller, but they decided not to so they could squeeze the duck in there.
"And I am happy to see you."
10/10 Intro Execution
Introduction was next level
You’ve really stepped up your production quality Nero! Great vid!
It's satisfying to see increase in content quality, well done!
I’ve been curious about this for awhile. Thank you!
"...but the project is stalled while we scratch our heads and read datasheets." That gave me a good chuckle. It also will calm anxious folks because they are giving a reason for the delay AND solid evidence that they are working on it.
threw one of these on my V0.1 recently, seems like a really nice board for tiny printers
Dat intro, doe. Perfect! Am so proud of how far everything about your channel has come, in such a short amount of time.
Thanks 😊
I'm happy you posted!
well done on the production quality!
I really appreciate your videos. They are a great fun and also very informative.
Good video, looking forward to the Ratrig build!
Awesome video and great advice! Thank you so much!
Good review. I was just considering this board for a laser/cnc build upgrade. I would probably just use smaller stand offs and mount the boards back to back to get full access to all the GPIOs and connectors. It's not the size of the board, it's how you use it...
Most excellent Nero!
Great review!
Poor ducky 😅👍🏻 Nice Review!
woohoo i'm early haha. REALLY cool board especially with the pi zero
I just ordered one of these. Then I'm going to use in my Tevo tarantula Pro that I'm upgrading to linear rails.
Thanks Nero. Would love to see how the Minion stacks up to the Prusa Mini when it's done 👌
Looks good! I might pick one up for my V0….. or a future V0 build ;-)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the RP2040! I'm so glad these made their way into the 3D printer community. I'm finally ready to build my first printer.
Man you doing great buddy!! More and more pro everytime. Wish I had your talent hehe. But im just too shy 🤭
The Intro made me subscribe. 😂
I ran Klipper for a while and for some reason I can’t recall switched back to a stock Marlin fw for an MKS Robin E3 but recently bought btt’s smart filament sensor and ran into constant problems trying to compile a new Marlin firmware for it. Put Klipper back on it and was up and running in an evening. It’s just so much easier to configure. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Marlin ever again at this point.
Ah, have wondered with the RP2040 would be used as a printer controller.
Lack of independent dual Z motor controllers is a deal breaker for many of us with i3's though.
Support and promote quality!
You could put some toggle switches wired to the jumpers for when you need to flash the firmware in the future. It's still kinda a pain tho
Just installing one on my new switchwire. Pi is in a case with a 3.5inch Touchscreen running klipperscreen and Fluidd, mounnted in place of the 12864 screen.
Do you still need the BAT85 inline for your probe? It seems like it shouldn't with the correct setting, given it is a 12/24v powered pin, but I want to check before I burn anything out.
I connected my Pico to the RasPi 3B via USB and not the UART controller, and not stacked but separated as if you were using other boards like the SKR mini. That way you can SSH into the Pi, put the Pico into Mass Storage device mode via jumper/reset button, then mount it as any other mass storage device in Linux and just cp the uf2 file over. It'll unmount, pull the jumper off the board and you're up and running
lol, I didn't event think about this option.. i have the same setup.
Really looking forward to seeing your v minion build. It's like the kingroon kp3s on steroids and I love my kp3s lol.
Nice little simple board. I can see this being used on my bed slinger that has an older slower board that just had its drivers die or my custom corexy build. I don't need all the fancy bells and whistles like gantry tramming. I'm fine just using mesh bed leveling or if a probe is supported like a bltouch. I'm just curious what makes this tiny printer preferred?
Thanks
Yessss perfect,
noice!
You got a "like and comment" from me just for that intro. Lol
I'm about to attempt to install one of these in a kp3s. Simple machines so aught to be good
Is there a decent enclosure out there for this yet? Ideally with the Pi mounted underneath.
If I was starting a V0 today, I think I would probably go with this instead of the SKR mini. The additional fan controllers would have made hooking up a Nevermore a lot less effort, and losing the buck, etc. would be great.
It should be possible to flash it by copying the file over USB directly from the Pi instead of having to bring it over to your computer. It just acts like a USB flash drive, and the Pi can mount a USB flash drive just as much as your computer can. You wouldn't be using the "make flash" command; you'd just be copying the file in fewer steps..
(instructions not tested; please check the documentation with respect to how the jumpers work)
You'll want to have the SKR connected via USB to your Pi (you can leave it connected permanently.) The first time you do it, you'll have to set up your pi to automount usb drives:
sudo apt install usbmount
Shut down and turn off the printer, then install the boot jumper as described; I don't think you'll want the USB power jumper because it should be powered from your printer's power supply. It might not even be necessary to turn off the printer (you might be able to just install the jumper and press reset). I'm not 100% sure if the jumper is safe to install when powered on, so please check the documentation. When you power it back up, the drive should show up as /media/usb[0-7], probably usb0. Find out which with:
ls -l /media/usb0
Go through them until you find the one that has the expected files.
Then go through the usual "make" commands and just copy the file:
cp klipper/out/klipper.uf2 /media/usb0
Then remove the boot loader jumper and press reset. I think it should be good to go at that point.
You can do almost the same setup using the skr mini if you go UART and Raspi Zero. I had that for a long while until input shaper came along which at the time with the much slower first gen zero just wouldnt work. Now with the second gen this should be totally manageable.
Nice
Hmm interesting little board. May throw one in my next aliexpress order for an experimental small printer I am wanting to prototype soon.
I don't see why not but do you think it would workout fine for a delta? Figured it's best to ask someone who has had his hands on it.
Where would you get the 5V power for the V0 hotend cooling fan? I see that you are using the Pico's 5V power to power the Pi, so can you then just hook the +5V for the fan into the +5V on the Pi?
I live in the states so where does biqu ship from if you place an order with them? Their site says the address is in Hong Kong but do they ship from there?
Hello. Would the PICO be able to run and Eder 5 plus with a Sonic pad? Thank you.
Any insights as to how much current can the heater terminal handle?
when you powered it on and were pointing with the screw driver.. my heart just stoped xD
Somehow i would suggest not pointing with something metal xD
The main thing I did not get is how do I hook up LCD and SD card reader to this board?
Any clue?
Hey Nero I'm trying to do independent z-homing (4 z stepper) on a custom Voron2.4-like machine to print on slope surface, I use an SKR Octopus running Marlin with TMC2209, I tried everything, search every forum, can't seem to do 4 Z-axis sensorless homing. It will only use Z1 to home, once that one reach the gantry's end all z stopped (even some other Zs didn't), pls teach us some on this subject if possible, Thanks
Looks like Marlin support is coming :)
What’s the benefits of this board over an E3 RRF v1.1?
I have a Printrbot metal plus and sometimes wonder if I could upgrade from the printrboard it came with to one of these newer models and get quieter/better printing. Anyone done this?
That was an excellent video.
When you say it's compatible with other printers, is there any reason this wouldn't work with an Ender 3?
This
Nice one, cheers guys. It seems perfect with it having the laser port on board too, can finally give it a go.
What type of connector is that on the power supply?
Is this a new camera? Picture lookin crisp
Thanks, Using an Sony a6400 a few weeks back, paired with a Tamron 24mm lens, also uploading h.265 4k master render of the final cut
So a few things going on for the better quality
After the initial flash of klipper, is it possible to use Make Flash and update from the Pi, so you don't have to jumper the board to DFU mode?
Atm no. Usb flash only...this may change though
@@CanuckCreator The other question. Aside the jumper necessity, why not "flash" it directly from RPi? I mean mount it over USB (as any other USB flash drive) on RPi and copy there?
(for the automation, the jumper is quite an issue. Otherwise it seems to be a way to me).
You should be able to flash it by copying the file over USB directly from the Pi instead of two steps, copying it to your computer, and then to the SKR. But all the other steps with the jumpers and such would be the same. The Pi can mount a USB flash drive just as much as your computer can.
Even though you have to mess with the jumpers, it would still be a lot more convenient though because you could just leave it plugged into your Pi's USB port instead of having to bring it over to your computer or vice versa.
@@fwiffo Yeah, the issue is that doing anything that requires placing jumpers every time klipper is updated (and requires firmware reflash, which seems to happen frequently) is not ideal, especially if this is designed for the Voron 0. Most users will have the back panel on so it's quite an inconvenience to have to remove it and fiddle with jumpers and usb cables. Hopefully this is something that can be remedied in the future (I imagine it will require a change to the bootloader possibly).
@@GregsMakerCorner Unfortunately, other things that need flashing usually need the same jumper dance (Klipper expander, various displays, etc.) I just avoid it by upgrading Klipper as infrequently as possible; it almost never actually *needs* to be updated. New releases are pulled from github at HEAD, so are broken pretty often anyway. And mainsail/fluidd, moonraker and system packages can be updated with minimal effort still.
Compared to the SKR mini, Recompiling Klipper, copying it to your computer, then using the microSD card is almost as much work as using the jumpers.
This milkshake will bring all the subscribers to the yard. nice one
I really don't need a V0, I already have a small-format printer that I never use, but I really want to build one just to have an excuse to play with one of these.
Would this work on an Ender 3 Pro and a CR-10 printers?
Yes
I've been somewhat confused about Klipper, is a RPi required for Klipper or just a good/recommended configuration?
Required. The processing work is done on the pi leaving the controller board just doing the motion itself
@@gazeddy Brilliant thanks! Is it possible to connect more than 1 controller board to a RPi if you need extra stepper drivers?
@@WhiteG60 Is it a daisy-chain connection or does each board require a seperate Serial/USB line from the RPi to it?
@@WhiteG60 Awesome! thanks for the detailed replies, much appreciated :)
To clarify, an rpi is not required for klipper, it can be any computer running Linux, yes?
I'm running my new built Voron 0.1 with the orange is zero and I'm pretty happy about it. It is much cheaper than RPI here where I live. I see the board is running at about 55 C. Should i put a small fan on it, or is that a normal temperature?
I know RPI`s will throw warnings starting at 60c, but still run fine until about 80+
Ok thanks i noticed today if printing abs with bed at 110 it will go up to 65, but it seems fine overall
My only concern with SKR Pico is why I have to connect it with additional Ras Pi for LCD? Why can't the existing Pi processor on SKR Pico itself be used for LCD?
It's designed to run Klipper. You need a phone/tablet/pc/rpi for an interface
Does the pico still need a bat85 for the inductive probe?
nope, long as your use the dedicated probe input on the board, make sure to reference the manual to ensure you have it setup correctly
Problem with SKR Pico: I have successfully flashed the Pico with Klipper firmware but find that my RPI V4 does not enumerate the Pico USB interface unless I manually press the reset button on the Pico. This prevents the Pico from being used to control the Voron unless I manually press the reset button each time it is powered up. Does anyone know how to fix this problem?
I will resubscribe and like your videos when you decide to get a cat and feature said cat on stream.
Half the board is a buck/boost circuit haha its a cool little board. The Pico is getting a cpu update soon I think. You're from Canada, where do you get a pi at? I can find one for under 150 after tax.
I grabbed a few pi4/pi3`s awhile back during a BoGo deal, pre-shortage
Ive got a couple rpizero/zero2s as well
Check canakit/buyapi.ca
@@CanuckCreator cool, that's where I check. Element14 is selling them for over 200 for just the board p4 4gb. I've got a pi400 a youtuber friend gave me because it was a review unit. I'm doing a switchwire and I think I'm just going to print a case for it after I see how big it is haha
Get an orange pi zero 2. $25 or so and works great in a killer set up.
Even if the HB Out is rated to 9A, I believe it could handle an external DC mosfet just fine. So technically, it could drive bigger printers.
That is correct, or use a SSR for a mains bed as an example.
I wired my bed SSR to a unused Endstop/DIAG connector, works great
Can I connect the klipper via USB?
The funny thing is, it was only this week that the availability of the RP2040 chips for businesses to integrate in to their own boards was announced. BTT seems to be ahead of the game.
SparkFun, Adafruit, Pimoroni, and Seeed must have all discovered time travel.
@@RichardBronosky those are different. They are Raspberry Pi partners who are building their own versions of the Pico board for people to use for projects. The new announcement was for companies building products requiring an embedded microcontroller.
@@JonS Nope, the announcment says that you can buy MCUs directly from RPi foundation with no middle man, which means lower price in bulk orders. These RP2040s are available for a while for any project whatever you want.
@@MartinWolker were they available in high volumes before (10k, 100k, etc.)?
@@JonS Sure, but with double price.
I just bought this board for my Anycubic Mega Zero a few days ago and I didn't realize that there might be a wattage limit on heated bed. There documentation doesn't mention this as you mentioned. Ugh... BTT really needs to do better documentation on their products. There are similar issues with their other boards and wrong pin out labels.
@@WhiteG60 oo that's good to know. I'm actually running a 12V power supply. I have the Mega Zero v1 and the hotbed is a mod. I'll grab an external MOSFET. Thank you!
I would *always* use external MOSFETs, both because I can pick overkill ones that support a *LOT* of power and later I can switch out the mainboard without worrying about how much the new onboard MOSFETs can handle.
So a smol pi hooked up to a big pi? A pi flavored pi you say?
I’m building a V0.1 this would be perfect for that?
Would work just fine, you really wont see any print quality difference, with klipper, performance is pretty much the same with any 32 bit MCU with tmc2209s, it all comes down to formfactor, availability and what features the board supports
@@CanuckCreator thank you. Is it available? What board would you recommend today that’s available? I’m thinking about doing Duet 3 mini because it’s available at least. But I would like suggestions.
@@thelightspeed3d712 The BTT in the link has em in stock, and i believe a few resellers have them as well, If you want to run RRF i the duet mini ive seen used. The vzero is a pretty simple printer in terms of what your controller needs to be able to support, xyze motors, xyz endstops, fans and heaters, no tramming, bed probe etc. so really it comes down to firmware choices/budget/availability/ features and room availability
Is there a way to hook up a 3rd thermistor? I need it for my chamber thermistor.
This shows the RP2040`s lack of available pins coming into play, is what it is
@@CanuckCreator could you also comment on the heatsink placement? Is it attached to the top of drivers using a plastic package (no value) or to PCB pads soldered to the underside of the drivers (potentially useful)?
@@WhiteG60 Thanks.
@@mghumphrey There are thermal pads between the drivers and heatsink
@@CanuckCreator That's not my question. The TMC chips I've seen are using plastic packages, which are not good conductors of heat. Instead, they have a large pad underneath that gets soldered to the PCB which then helps sink heat through the PCB copper. If they've placed a heatsink on top of the chip, thermal pad or not, it's not going to do much.
Minion looks cool but why not just buy a Kingroon and upgrade it?
I mean, you could... But where’s the fun in that?
They really should start to add the rasp itself to the board.. as a all in one solution. No stacked rasp anymore would be nice
Cm4 ports would be amazing
what do you actually do with nice graphics on the box? I can pretty much see people bitching about the connectors being that way.
They went with the 90 degree connectors i assume so you can stack a rpi on top and still have acess. Im not the biggest fan but is what it is
A nice looking box shows a lot - that they actually care about the design of such, and (more importantly) they want to differentiate themselves from every other 3D printer board manufacturer that ships products in plain cardboard boxes.
What’s more is that it doesn’t just stop at the box - look at (partially cosmetic because the majority of the heat comes from the bottom of the stepper driver packages, but I digress) the heat sink on top of the stepper drivers. They could’ve just had stick-on heatsinks like every other manufacturer. Instead, someone took the time and effort to design that heatsink. (And claimed double overtime for the SKR Pico Armoured.) Wonderfully excessive, but also amazing - and a great indication of things to come. 😄
I've been hovering over the but button on one of these...
Do it. It’s a great little board.
If not for the 2209s that wouldn't even need a fan
No way to use an LCD with no EXP connections. Otherwise it would be perfect for my switchwire.
Correct. But there are alternatives such as the vzero display or using klipperscreen
The intention is to use the RPi to run klipperscreen on a screen attached to the pi.
looks like a micro gaming pc motherboard xD
Yup. I love the direction BTT has been going with their design recently. First the Octopus and that awesome box, then the SKR mini E3 v3, and now the SKR Pico.
It's a perfect fit to Ender 3, Ender 2 and any other Prusas. My only concern is it has no interface to the standard 12864 display. 😭
P.S. I like programming RP2040, but the problem is it has no hardware support for floating point operations. Hopefully, all the math will run on RPI instead and SKR PICO( so the PICO will just drive steppers and listen to End-stops) most of the time.
8bit board like Ultimachine Einsy (MK3) does not have floating point HW support either.
I have my conserns more about the wrong usage of heatsink for these stepper drivers. It should be done via PCB, not via drivers package as Trinamics recommandation from its datasheet.
I thought that this basically had a pi on board so you didn't need the second one. Shame.
So it has dual Z motor support, but only has a single Z endstop connector? Any way to connect a second Z endstop?
I'm surprised they didn't skip the RP2040 and go straight to having no microcontroller and requiring a Raspberry Pi 4 Computer Module.
MCU separate from the Pi is important, tho. It’s why the Beagle Bone and that line of hats with co-processors exists for 3D printers. ARM SoC is great at (in comparison to MCU) large computational loads, but hopeless at real-time operations, like sending accurate time-critical commands to stepper drivers.
...I mean, there’d be nothing stopping you from taking a custom motherboard, Pi4 Compute Module, TMC2209s, RP2040 co-processor, bundling it all up, and introducing it as the Taco raVico. 😉
That is what I am working right now. But the availability of RPi 4 Compute Module is not so good these days.
The firmware update workflow is a total showstopper for me. Klipper often makes it necessary to re-flash firmware and having to open up the printer to do so is a massive backward step in today's marketplace. What was BTT thinking?
Updating the firmware on the MCU firmware isnt a commonly required thing, usually its just the interface/klipper/moonraker (on the rpi) that needs to be updated when something new gets pushed, only when theres a MAJOR revision to the underlying FW with the MCU controller is an update require, which from what ive seen, is like once year lately. There is work on being able to update the the rp2040 within klipper remote so that may be available in the future as well.
Also the rp2040 is being used because its an MCU thats actually available in quantity currently due to the global chip supply issues.
So thats what BTT is thinking
Look at what Adafruit has done with CircuitPython. Once flashed, a bootloader remains between updates. The bootloader makes the board show up as a USB drive. All future updates are just file copies. It's glorious. This community will catch up.
One thing I forgot, in the near future, you'll never plug the controller board into your computer. You will connect it to an RPi USB port.
I don't think all this effort is necessary, as the Pi is also just a computer and can mount USB drives. You still have to dancing around with jumpers, but you don't need to bring it over to your computer and all that.
I posted approximate instructions in a top-level comment; there might be some details, but there's no reason the idea shouldn't work.
Such a shame that it can only be flashed over USB with jumpers connected. This means that it has to be disassembled, everytime a new Klipper version comes out for the Pi, that isn't compatible with the version running on the board.
Luckily that isnt a super common occurrence, once or twice a year
Thing is skr first version board always some issues...
Worst instruction I have seen yet... Fairly common among YT creators and software.
does anybody know what to do when i cant edit the printer.cfg file op upload new files into the "config files" 🤷♂️