# Marlin — Open-Source 3D Printer Firmware

> Configure and build Marlin firmware for FDM and resin 3D printers with support for auto bed leveling, linear advance, and thermal runaway protection.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Marlin — Open-Source 3D Printer Firmware

## Quick Use
```bash
# Clone Marlin
git clone https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin.git
cd Marlin
# Edit Configuration.h for your printer
# Build with PlatformIO:
pio run -e mega2560
# Or for 32-bit boards:
pio run -e STM32F103RE_creality
```

## Introduction
Marlin is the most widely used open-source firmware for FDM 3D printers and CNC machines. It runs on 8-bit AVR and 32-bit ARM boards, providing precise stepper motor control, thermal management, and G-code interpretation with extensive configuration options for virtually any RepRap-style machine.

## What Marlin Does
- Interprets G-code commands to coordinate stepper motors, heaters, and fans
- Supports auto bed leveling with BLTouch, inductive, and capacitive probes
- Implements thermal runaway protection and safety features for unattended printing
- Provides an LCD/touchscreen UI for on-printer control and SD card printing
- Handles kinematics for Cartesian, Delta, CoreXY, SCARA, and polar machines

## Architecture Overview
Marlin runs as a single firmware image on the printer control board. The motion planner converts G-code moves into a look-ahead buffer of trapezoidal velocity segments. Stepper ISRs generate precise step pulses using hardware timers. The temperature manager runs a PID loop for hotend and heated bed control. On 32-bit boards, Marlin uses a HAL layer to abstract hardware differences across STM32, LPC, and ESP32 platforms.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Clone the repository and copy the example configuration for your printer model
- Edit Configuration.h for board type, stepper drivers, bed size, and probe settings
- Edit Configuration_adv.h for linear advance, junction deviation, and input shaping
- Build with PlatformIO CLI or VS Code with the PlatformIO extension
- Flash via SD card, USB-DFU, or serial bootloader depending on the board

## Key Features
- Linear Advance for pressure compensation and cleaner corners
- Input Shaping to reduce ringing artifacts at higher print speeds
- Unified Bed Leveling with mesh-based compensation across the build surface
- Multi-extruder support including mixing, switching, and IDEX configurations
- Host action commands for OctoPrint and Klipper integration

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Klipper** — Offloads computation to a host Raspberry Pi for higher step rates; Marlin runs entirely on the printer MCU with no external dependency
- **RepRapFirmware** — Feature-rich with web interface and runtime configuration; Marlin has broader board support and a larger configuration database
- **Smoothieware** — Optimized for 32-bit LPC boards; Marlin supports both 8-bit and 32-bit with wider hardware coverage
- **grbl** — Focused on CNC milling; Marlin adds 3D printing features like temperature control, bed leveling, and filament sensors

## FAQ
**Q: Should I use Marlin or Klipper?**
A: Marlin works entirely on the printer board with no extra hardware needed. Klipper requires a Raspberry Pi but offers faster kinematics and runtime configuration changes. Both produce excellent print quality.

**Q: How do I find the right configuration for my printer?**
A: Check the Configurations repository on GitHub, which contains pre-made configs for hundreds of printer models. Start from the closest match and adjust.

**Q: Can Marlin run on 8-bit boards?**
A: Yes, though some features (input shaping, S-curve acceleration) require 32-bit boards due to processing constraints.

**Q: How do I enable auto bed leveling?**
A: Define your probe type and pin in Configuration.h, set probe offsets, enable one of the leveling systems (bilinear, UBL, or mesh), and run G29 before printing.

## Sources
- https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin
- https://marlinfw.org/docs/

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-901e4041
Author: Script Depot