(Left) RA 3D dev board with speaker (Right) Stepper driver 3 pack for only $33 (via Elefu & Kickstarter)
Planning on building your own 3D printer, or customizing one you already have? You might want to check out the RA 3D printing controller board currently on Kickstarter. Richard Thomson, Tim Anderson, and Devin Hales have created this board by Elefu to easily customize any 3D printer and have packed it full of features.
Some of the many features of the board include: lighting control options, MP3 add-on available, ATMega25260 built in, and ATX power supply input. (Why live in the 8bit past RA3D team?) The LED lighting and audio control option can provide a custom visual look and can be programmed to synchronize with the time it takes to complete the build. The ATMega25260 allows computer-free printing through an SD card and small LCD screen. In addition, the board can also support 3 extruders making it an even greater option when building a printer. Also, the board possesses many additional features such as screw terminals to eliminate soldering. The team is also releasing a rather inexpensive stepper driver that can do up to 1/16th microstepping for only $33 per 3 pack! Those make it even more worth while.
The project was launched on Kickstarter July 9th and ends August 12th. They have already more than doubled their original goal of $4000. Help them out and they are offering a wide variety of supplies for your support such as PLA or component parts. A pledge of $149 will get you the controller kit while $189 will get you a complete assembled unit. If you have been thinking about that 3D printer you have been waiting to build, this is the reason you have been waiting.
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