Replicape Is a Feature-Packed, BeagleBone Black-Powered 3D Printer Controller

If you’ve only worked with fully assembled 3D printers, it’s entirely possible you’ve never even thought about what kind of control boards were running them. But, those control boards are actually pretty important to a printer’s functionality. It’s the responsibility of the controller to interpret G-code and drive the steppers, hot end, and heated bed, and substandard controllers can definitely have a detrimental effect.

For that reason, it’s important to make sure you use a high-quality controller in your 3D printer, and the Replicape from Thing looks like a great option. As the name suggests, it’s a BeagleBoard Cape, and it’s designed to be used with the BeagleBone Black. The Replicape itself is $99, and a BeagleBone Black is about $55—so the total package is quite a bit more expensive than something like a RAMPS controller.

But, that extra money is well spent considering what you’re getting. Because it runs on a BeagleBone Black, a Replicape setup has a 1 GHz primary CPU, plus two additional 200 MHz PRUs (programmable realtime units). Compare that to the minuscule 16 MHz of the Arduino Mega 2560 that powers a standard RAMPS controller. That processing power allows for better printer control, such as acceleration and path planning. It also means that utilities like OctoPrint and extras like a live webcam can be used without a separate computer.

The Replicape has high-quality hardware all around. The stepper drivers are nice Trinamic TMC 2100 units that are far quieter than the usual DRV8825-based stepper drivers. The board also includes all of the connections for the entire printer setup—including regulated power outputs—so a Replicape setup should be nice and tidy.