Extruder Controller v3.6
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Published on December 9, 2010
Description
The extruder controller is a compact little board based on the Arduino Diecimila. This board contains all the electronics required to drive one extruder, as well as extra electronics to drive a heated/automated build platform. It has built-in USB, so you can talk to it and program it with a normal USB cable. It has been redesigned with much higher power needs, so it has an ATX power header to provide the power. This means power is not coming over the RS485 cable which has the side effect of reducing noise.
Instructions
Full instructions here: wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:extruder-controller-3-6
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Key note that they just changed the parts list to match the shipping version of the boards with a 168 rather than the 328 specified-and still in the schematic.
LCD hacks that were running out of space on the 168 could have been fixed by the 328, but that's not what is shipping right now.
This means the key difference is that 3.6 only includes 1 H-bridge for motor control, the same 168 as before, the max 6675 thermocouple, better mosfets, and better powe
r system.
One word of caution-the power jack itself is the weak point now-the mosfets can conduct more current than a single molex is rated for. Don't be surprised when the HBP and the MK5 head melt your white molex plug on the power supply. Molex connectors are known to loosen over time and are o
ften made from cheap materiels (plated steel contacts). Over time, the single 12 volt rail contact will develop more resistance (remember the MK5 heater is only 2.5 Ohms) and start to heat up. Once it heats-it gains more resistance until thermal meltdown occurs rather rapidly. The old relay board is
subject to the same type of failure. A P4 or even the PCIe 6 pin graphics connector would have been a better choice spreading the current out over multiple pin contacts.