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Topic: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

I bought my SD2 second hand off ebay and I did not realize at the time that there were multiple generations of motherboards out there.  I'm not sure if I have the most recent or not.  I searched around and I was not able to find a list of the different generations (I think solidoodle calls it "revisions").  Does anyone know the history of this?  I'm interested in knowing what was improved with each generation and how to identify which one I have.

Thanks for any info you guys can provide.

SD4 w/ RUMBA, E3D Volcano, all bearings, glass bed

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Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

Mainly, there are two versions of motherboards which solidoodle has used.  There is the Sanguinololu and the "new solidoodle motherboard" which is really just a printrboard with the solidoodle logo.  The Sanguinololu had revisions made to it, however I haven't encountered any mods which require one revision over another, and have no idea what the differences between each revision are.

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Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

The sanguinololu board has separate stepper driver modules... they are removable, the newer printrboard's do NOT have removable stepper driver's, they are just one circuit board with no extra modules.

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Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

The sanguinololu board has separate stepper driver modules... they are removable, the newer printrboard's do NOT have removable stepper driver's, they are just one circuit board with no extra modules.

would installing a fan from lawsy's fan installation guide be any different if it is a "new solidoodle motherboard" vs the sanguinololu

5 (edited by COASTER19 2014-01-05 04:18:23)

Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

The new Solidoodle motherboard has a place for a fan built in.  All that needs to be done is a little bit of soldering pins, then its as simple as plugging in the fan and changing a line in the firmware.  The Sanguinololu requires a Mosfet and a bit more work.

Once the two 12v headers are added, you basically have one of these http://reprap.org/wiki/Printrboard

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Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

O wow that is great for the simplicity, but bad because I bought a mosfet driver a few days ago sad

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Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

I noticed that my machine has the USB cord coming off the side of the motherboard and you have to screw in the power cord.  On the solidoodle website, you can see the new solidoodle motherboard, which has the USB coming out the bottom and a nice power cord connection.  So I guess I have the older version, too bad.

SD4 w/ RUMBA, E3D Volcano, all bearings, glass bed

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Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

Honestly, I like the older sanguinololu better.  It seems much easier to repair if something goes wrong, and easier to do some upgrades.

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Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

Each board has pluses and minuses smile  the sanguinololu does have separate driver modules for the steppers which is a big plus if you happen to fry them or if you want to upgrade an axis to a finer microstepping smile

The printrboard isn't finicky when it comes to comm port baud, anything works smile easier to add a controlled fan to the printrboard also.

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Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

new board also has micro SD slot for any makerbot types ;^P I too prefer the older board and using PC for controler. dont see the point of micro SD built in

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

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Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

also no price break for upgrading if you bought even a couple months b4 new brd came out

Solidoodle 2 with Deluxe kit cover & glass bed with heater. and 2nd board SD2 used not 3rd and alum platform not installed yet still wood. also need cooling fan installed to board. use Repetier Host couple vers. Slic3r also have all free ware STL programs

12 (edited by adrian 2014-01-06 14:44:23)

Re: Can we get an overview of different generations of SD2 motherboards?

n2ri wrote:

also no price break for upgrading if you bought even a couple months b4 new brd came out

Because its not really an upgrade.... it was more a change that reduced the BoM cost for Solidoodle (and you could argue the swap to a 5.25mm barrel plug as the Sang couldn't support the depth of the socket... but this really was also to reduced the BoM Construction cost for SD (its quicker to plug in a jack at the QA stations than lug around a screwed in powerpack...). The MCU change is because that's what a printrboard ran and overall SMD is far cheaper to construct than through-hole as you can just pick-and-place then wave solder (what SD do) or Reflow 10's of boards at once vs hand soldering the through hole components (or DIP carrier...)

The SD card as shipped on the Printrboard is useless and probably will stay that way as they went and shared the hardware CS lines with the Y-End-Stops... meaning to even begin to use the SD you need to move the y-end stop to the e-end stop. Then theres the whole Marlin issue which remains largely unresolved due to coding snafu's... not to mention the 'dependency hell' that has started to creep into it...

Incidentally - you can add an SD card to the Sanguinololu using 4 measly pins that do actually work in firmware...
Or just plugin most LCD solutions, which all include an SD and solve the root reason most people want an SD card - unattended printing which is largely useless without an LCD which the printrboard wont supply you unless you use an i2c LCD which has its own issues again....

Which means the only substantive difference is the printrboard offers a PWM fan (that is both plugged up as a result of the wave soldering and also unpopulated but otherwise functional) header - via a pokey MOSFET anyway - which you need to do using an external MOSFET on the sang (but will ultimately use a superior MOSFET of a better rating anyway).

Anyway, There is no additional performance or otherwise benefit to the printrboard (not counting the "measly to fix for $5" issue of the PWM fan header that is present on a printrboard but not on the Sang) so wouldn't be worried they dont offer an 'upgrade' (since it isnt) - not even the SerialComms element as Marlin will choke on its 10KHz movement planner limits long before comms becomes an issue at 250,000bps (or even 115200 ....).. as thats a LOT of G-Code and Marlin already has a buffer....

There is the argument that 'as shipped', the SD Sang's were limited by their 644p processor vs the 1284p... but even thats a $5 DIY fix with no soldering and only an issue if you DO go ahead with any LCD mods and the like...

Functionally - both are ultimately identical in performance. The pros and cons of both boards from a hardware perspective pretty much also weigh up the same, with the caveat there is a lot more known's about sangs and their mods and capabilities than compared to a printrboard; which despite a long 'feature list' doesn't actually provide much more than a PWM fan header...


TL;DR : To tell which board you have... its pretty easy:

If your power connects with a Barrel Plug and the A4988 chips are mounted straight to the PCB - you have a printrboard. Rejoice or cry. You are in a minority when it comes to the modding world sad.

If your power is screwed in to a screw terminal block, and the A4988 chips are on little 'carrier boards'... then you have a Sanguinololu. Rejoice. Mods and solutions abound, both here in Solidoodle land and just about every other printer forum.