The new Bigtreetech Manta series, which has four versions to adapt to any machine, as well as having some very interesting improvements and new features that we have been testing for weeks.
If you need more information or help, feel free to join the SKR Telegram group or our general 3DWork group.
The new Bigtreetech Manta series currently has four versions with different formats, in the following video you can see a brief introduction.
M8P v2.x | M8P v1.x | M5P | M4P | |
MCU | STM32H723ZET6 | STM32G0B1VET6 | STM32G0B1RET6 | STM32G0BORE |
Frequency | 550 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz | 64 MHz |
Driver Slots | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
eFuse | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Fan Ports | 2 PWM Fan x 5 4pins PWM Fan x 2 Always on Fan x 1 SoC Fan x 1 | 2 PWM Fan x 5 4pins PWM Fan x 2 Always on Fan x 1 SoC Fan x 1 | PWM Fan x 2SoC Fan x 1 Always on Fan x 1 | PWM Fan x 4SoC Fan x 1 |
Fan Voltage Selection | Yes, 24V/12V/5V | Yes, 24V/12V/5V | Yes, 24V/12V/5V | Yes, Vin/5V |
Voltage Drivers | 24V, HV (selectable) | 24V, HV (selectable) | 24V, HV (selectable) | 24V, HV (selectable) |
Electronic Voltage | VIN=DC12V or DC24V | VIN=DC12V or DC24V | VIN=DC12V or DC24V | VIN=DC12V or DC24V |
HotBed Voltage | VIN=DC12V or DC24V or BEDIN | VIN=DC12V or DC24V or BEDIN | VIN=DC12V or DC24V | VIN=DC12V or DC24V |
Heater Ports | Heated Bed (HB) 10A, Heater Catridge (HE0, HE1, HE2, HE3) 5.5A | Heated Bed (HB) 10A, Heater Catridge (HE0, HE1, HE2, HE3) 5.5A | Heated Bed (HB) 10A, Heater Catridge (HE) 6A | Heated Bed (HB) 10A, Heater Catridge (HE) 6A |
Ventilators | 2-pin controllable (FAN0, FAN1, FAN2, FAN3), 4-pin controllable (FAN4, FAN5, FAN6), all controllable with voltage selection 5-12-24Vfixed (24V FAN*2) up to 1A | 2-pin controllable (FAN0, FAN1, FAN2, FAN3), 4-pin controllable (FAN4, FAN5, FAN6), all controllable with voltage selection 5-12-24Vfixed (24V FAN*2) up to 1A | three controllable (24/5V adjustable), one for SoC (non-selectable voltage) Up to 1A | two controllable (24/5V adjustable), one for SoC (non-selectable voltage) Up to 1A |
Expansion Ports | BL Touch (Servos, Probe), PS-ON, Fil-DET, RGB*2, SPI | BL Touch (Servos, Probe), PS-ON, Fil-DET, RGB*2, SPI | BL Touch (Servos, Probe), Fil-DET, RGB*2 | BL Touch (Servos, Probe), Fil-DET, RGB*2 |
Supported Drivers | Support TMC5160, TMC2209, TMC2225, TMC2226, TMC2208, TMC2130, ST820, LV8729, DRV8825, A498 | Support TMC5160, TMC2209, TMC2225, TMC2226, TMC2208, TMC2130, ST820, LV8729, DRV8825, A498 | Support TMC5160, TMC2209, TMC2225, TMC2226, TMC2208, TMC2130, ST820, LV8729, DRV8825, A498 | Support TMC5160, TMC2209, TMC2225, TMC2226, TMC2208, TMC2130, ST820, LV8729, DRV8825, A498 |
Driver Modes | SPI, UART, STEP/DIR | SPI, UART, STEP/DIR | SPI, UART, STEP/DIR | SPI, UART, STEP/DIR |
Thermistors | 5*100K NTC, 4 of them 100K NTC and PT1000 selectable | 5*100K NTC, 4 of them 100K NTC and PT1000 selectable | 2*100K NTC | 2*100K NTC |
Supported Displays | SPI, DSI, HDMI, LCD Display (EXP1+EXP2) | SPI, DSI, HDMI, LCD Display (EXP1+EXP2) | SPI, DSI, HDMI, LCD Display (EXP1+EXP2) | SPI, DSI, HDMI, LCD Display (EXP1+EXP2) |
USB | Type-C | Type-C | Type-C | Type-C |
Other Interfaces | USB2.0*3, LAN, DSI, CSI, SPI, 40Pin-GPIO, HDMI0 and HDMI1, SOC_Card, MCU-Card | USB2.0*3, LAN, DSI, CSI, SPI, 40Pin-GPIO, HDMI0 and HDMI1, SOC_Card, MCU-Card | USB2.0*3, LAN, DSI, CSI, SPI, 40Pin-GPIO, HDMI, SOC_Card, MCU-Card | USB2.0*3, LAN, DSI, CSI, SPI, 40Pin-GPIO, HDMI, SOC_Card, MCU-Card |
Very rightly, considering the current price of the Raspberry Pi, along with the launch of the Manta series by Bigtreetech has released its CM4 module called CB1.
The CB1 is an electronic device that includes a CPU, RAM, Wifi module, and other components in the form of a “mini” PC.
With an Allwinner H616 CPU, used in other similar Orange Pi electronics, which internally has a 64b ARM Quad-core Cortex-A53 processor as well as 1GB of RAM and of course 100M network support both ethernet and WiFi.
Text | CB1/CB1 eMMC |
---|---|
CPU | ALLWINNER H616, Quad-core Cortex-A53 @1.5GHz |
GPU | Mali G31 MP2, Support OpenGL3.2 |
RAM | 512MB/1GB DDR3L SDRAM The eMMC version has only 1GB available |
Storage Capacity (for eMMC version only) | 16GB, 32GB |
WiFi | 2.4G/802.11 b/g/n |
Display | Compatible with HDMI2.0A Interface, Support 4K Displays |
Connectivity | USB2.0 Interface, supports 100M Ethernet+ 100M WiFi The CB1/CB1 eMMC does not support DSI/CSI output at this time |
With these features, we can run Klipper without much trouble.
The combination of the Manta series together with the CB1 module will allow us to have a complete, modular, and powerful solution as an example:
In addition, we also have the Pi4B module that together with the CB1 we are going to have a format and functions similar to a Raspberry Pi 4B.
As always in our guides we like to share the diagrams and diagrams, to be able to see in more detail both electronics and their connections.
Bigtreetech has always paid a lot of attention to expansion options as well as accessory compatibility, the Manta range could not be less and we have a good number of connections to offer support to leveling sensors, displays, cameras, CANbus extenders, accelerometers, LED lighting, etc…
Connection diagrams examples:
We attach the diagrams/diagrams of the Bigtreetech Manta series that will be of great help in the installation/configuration:
Let’s review the basic connections to keep in mind when we get our Bigtreetech Manta up and running.
We can power our Bigtreetech Manta in two ways, depending on what we want to do with it, either from an external power supply that will be the default way or by USB in those cases that we use it for basic electronics tests or firmware loading.
To select one shape or another, we will do it through a jumper on the VUSB pins of the electronics… with the post, we will tell the electronics that their power is by USB.
As we mentioned, one of the great functions of this electronic system is to integrate an internal host to perform the functions of Klipper, Octoprint, etc… To do this, we have a CM4 socket/connector which is a standardized type of connection for the connection of these modules.
The Manta series has different configurations to adapt to any machine on the market and one of the differences between the different models is the number of drivers supported.
If we pay attention to the name of the different models, we will quickly identify that through it we will be able to quickly know how many are supported… MxP where X is the number of supported drivers except for the E3EZ.
These electronics support almost any type of drivers (TMC5160, TMC2209, TMC2225, TMC2226, TMC2208, TMC2130, ST820, LV8729, DRV8825, A4988), as well as support for different modes to use them (SPI, UART, STEP/DIR). In the case of the E3EZ, it will use Bigtreetech’s EZ-formatted drivers, which is a format we love.
In case our drivers support it, the ideal is always to use the intelligent SPI/UART management mode, one or the other will depend on the model of drivers we use.
These driver management modes allow the firmware to dynamically manage the driver configuration according to needs, as well as being able to adjust, for example, the vref/current that will be supplied to our motors and other functions available in each driver model.
Finally, we have the traditional method or STEP/DIR (STANDALONE) that uses the default settings of the driver, we will have to adjust the view/current of the motors manually and specify the microsteps of it using the appropriate combination of the MS0/MS1/MS2 jumpers. Normally we will use this mode for older A4988, DRV8825, LV8729, ST820 drivers:
In case our drivers support it, the ideal is always to use the intelligent SPI/UART management mode, one or the other will depend on the model of drivers we use.
These driver management modes allow the firmware to dynamically manage the driver configuration according to needs, as well as being able to adjust, for example, the vref/current that will be supplied to our motors and other functions available in each driver model.
Finally, we have the traditional method or STEP/DIR (STANDALONE) that uses the default settings of the driver, we will have to adjust the vref/current of the motors manually and specify the microsteps of it using the appropriate combination of the MS0/MS1/MS2 jumpers. Normally we will use this mode for older A4988, DRV8825, LV8729, ST820 drivers:
In case our drivers support it, the ideal is always to use the intelligent SPI/UART management mode, one or the other will depend on the model of drivers we use.
These driver management modes allow the firmware to dynamically manage the driver configuration according to needs, as well as being able to adjust, for example, the vref/current that will be supplied to our motors and other functions available in each driver model.
Finally, we have the traditional method or STEP/DIR (STANDALONE) that uses the default settings of the driver, we will have to adjust the vref/current of the motors manually and specify the microsteps of it using the appropriate combination of the MS0/MS1/MS2 jumpers. Normally we will use this mode for older A4988, DRV8825, LV8729, ST820 drivers:
The case of the E3 EZ uses Bigtreetech’s EZ drivers, the E3 EZ supports SPI and UART drivers in parallel without the need for any type of pin adjustment.
Another option we have is, for those drivers that support it, the use of sensorless… With this functionality, we can simulate a limit switch/endstop and thus not need sensors or wiring for this function.
To activate this function at the level of the electronics, we will do it by connecting the jumpers in the drivers that we want to activate this functionality:
Also, depending on the model, we have a voltage selection to power our motors in those cases where we want to use HV (High Voltage):
For a connection of our drivers/motors to the general power supply (12/24V):
In the case of using HV drivers/motors, we remind you that these electronics support power up to 56V which we will connect to the HV-IN power connection:
For a connection of our drivers/motors to the general power supply (12/24V):
In the case of using HV drivers/motors, we remind you that these electronics support up to 56V:
For a connection of our drivers/motors to the general power supply (12/24V):
In the case of using HV drivers/motors, we remind you that these electronics support up to 56V:
For a connection of our drivers/motors to the general power supply (12/24V):
In the case of using HV drivers/motors, we remind you that these electronics support up to 56V:
The different models of Manta have different configurations and options for the connection of layer fans, hotend fans, electronics, or any other use.
We have already seen in the specifications of each model the number of fans supported, how many of these can be managed, and if we have options to define the voltage to be used in them:
In the case of the M8P model, we have:
We have a 5/12/24V power selection jumper:
Also for 4-pin fans you have the following connection diagram:
In the case of the M5P model, we have:
We have a 5/12/24V power selection jumper:
In the case of the M4P model, we have:
We have a jumper for the selection of 12/24V, depending on the power supply of our electronics, or 5V.
In the case of the E3EZ model, we have:
Nowadays the use of this type of sensor is a great help to improve the leveling of our printers. The Manta series has support for the two most popular types of sensors:
In the case that we use a mechanical sensor type Bltouch:
In the case that we use a proximity sensor, we have a jumper to select power and one to indicate if the sensor needs Pull-Up:
In the case that we use a mechanical sensor type Bltouch:
In the case that we use a proximity sensor, we have a jumper to select power and one to indicate if the sensor needs Pull-Up:
In the case that we use a mechanical sensor type Bltouch:
In the case that we use a mechanical sensor type Bltouch:
Filament sensors are a great addition to our printer as they will allow us to detect if we have a lack or problem with the filament and we will be able to stop and recover a print.
Normally, these filament sensors act as a simple switch that we can place on any pin that makes or can act as an enstop or limit switch. There are also more advanced filament sensors that require special configurations, which you can see in our filament sensor guides (Klipper/Marlin) for more information.
Installation is usually quite simple in the case of simple filament sensors:
Another type of sensor that has become hugely popular with the growth of Klipper is accelerometers.
These sensors allow a series of tests to detect vibration patterns that your printer’s firmware then uses to compensate for those vibrations, a function called Input Shaper.
You can install an accelerometer directly to your M8P as follows:
[adxl345]
cs_pin: PC4 # PB15 for V1.0
spi_bus: spi1
#spi_software_sclk_pin: PA5
#spi_software_mosi_pin: PA7
#spi_software_miso_pin: PA6
You can install an accelerometer directly to your M4P as follows:
[adxl345]
cs_pin: PD9
spi_bus: spi1
#spi_software_sclk_pin: PA5
#spi_software_mosi_pin: PA7
#spi_software_miso_pin: PA6
You can install an accelerometer directly to your E3 EZ as follows:
[adxl345]
cs_pin: PC15
spi_bus: spi1
#spi_software_sclk_pin: PC10
#spi_software_mosi_pin: PC12
#spi_software_miso_pin: PC11
The Manta series has also taken special care in this aspect, providing connectivity for different types of screens.
LCD Screens
LCD screens are those that usually use EXP connectors and are normally managed by the printer’s firmware, displaying text menus to manage the different options.
The M8P supports a wide range of LCD displays with two EXP connectors:
The M5P supports a wide range of LCD displays with two EXP connectors:
The M4P supports a wide range of LCD displays with two EXP connectors:
In the case of the E3EZ we have a single EXP connector, of the EXP3 type that is used in Creality printers, and that in a single connector has all the wiring for all the functions of this type of screen.
TFT Screens
In this type of display, they are normally connected using a serial connection using the TFT connector that all models incorporate. These screens, usually touchscreens, have their firmware that we can update to add improvements to the firmware.
In this aspect, Bigtreetech has one of the best dual TFT/LCD screens, so we advise you to use these in that firmware that supports both types of screen. In this regard, remember that Klipper does not support this type of serial screen connected to electronics currently, or at least not officially
DSI/SPI Displays
These screens normally interact with the host, CB1/CM4, displaying its interface… usually, KlipperScreen in the case of Klipper or Octodash in the case of Octoprint if we use Marlin. In both cases, the installation/configuration of these functionalities must be required in the system.
In this case, the M8P has a DSI connector for displays and a CSI connector for cameras of this type:
In the case of DSI, if we use CM4 as a host whose default interface is HDMI, we will need to unload the DSI1 driver using the following command from SSH:
sudo wget https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/cmio/dt-blob-disp1-cam1.bin -O /boot/dt-blob.bin
Once the change is applied we will restart our host and we should have an image on our DSI screen. If you want to use HDMI again, all you have to do is remove //boot/dt-blob.bin
from your system and the HDMI output will work as it did before.
In this case, the M5P has a DSI connector for displays and a CSI connector for cameras of this type:
In the case of DSI, if we use CM4 as a host whose default interface is HDMI, we will need to unload the DSI1 driver using the following command from SSH:
sudo wget https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/cmio/dt-blob-disp1-cam1.bin -O /boot/dt-blob.bin
Once the change is applied we will restart our host and we should have an image on our DSI screen. If you want to use HDMI again, all you have to do is remove //boot/dt-blob.bin
from your system and the HDMI output will work as it did before.
In this case, the M4P has a DSI connector for displays and a CSI connector for cameras of this type:
In the case of DSI, if we use CM4 as a host whose default interface is HDMI, we will need to unload the DSI1 driver using the following command from SSH:
sudo wget https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/cmio/dt-blob-disp1-cam1.bin -O /boot/dt-blob.bin
Once the change is applied we will restart our host and we should have an image on our DSI screen. If you want to use HDMI again, all you have to do is remove //boot/dt-blob.bin
from your system and the HDMI output will work as it did before.
We also have support for SPI displays:
In this case, the E3 EZ has a DSI connector for displays and a CSI connector for cameras of this type:
In the case of DSI, if we use CM4 as a host whose default interface is HDMI, we will need to unload the DSI1 driver using the following command from SSH:
sudo wget https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/cmio/dt-blob-disp1-cam1.bin -O /boot/dt-blob.bin
Once the change is applied we will restart our host and we should have an image on our DSI screen. If you want to use HDMI again, all you have to do is remove //boot/dt-blob.bin
from your system and the HDMI output will work as it did before.
Although they will not give us any advantage in print quality, LED strips allow us to add smart lighting functionalities either to illuminate the printing area, use them as a visual notification before events, or any other use that is useful to us.
The connection of an LED strip is very simple since Bigtreetech has direct support for them facilitating the task as you can see in the following diagrams, in any case, we advise you to check our neopixel guides for Klipper and Marlin:
On the M8P we have two connections dedicated to the management of neopixel LED strips:
On the M5P we have two connections dedicated to the management of neopixel LED strips:
On the M4P we have two connections dedicated to the management of neopixel LED strips:
On the E3 EZ we have a connection dedicated to the management of neopixel LED strips:
Bigtreetech has always been very attentive to users, which is why it is one of the few brands that support projects related to Klipper, which ensures a better experience in its use.
That is why, depending on the CM4 module we use, we will have different options for Klipper distributions to install:Next we will proceed to install the Klipper system in our CB1 module, we have two options:
We will then proceed to install the Klipper system in our CB1 module, we have two options:
Once we have our image:
console=display
– With this configuration the UART0
port of the CB1 will be used as the console port for the use of serial clients such as MobaXeterm for debugging. If we want to use UART0
to control our electronics from Klipper, we must set console=serial
and Klipper can use //dev/ttsyS0
as a serial ID to connect with our electronicsextraargs=video
: normally our CB1 will detect the resolution of a screen connected by HDMI, in the cases that this does not work correctly we can specify the resolution using: extraargs=video=HDMI-A-1:1024×600-24@60 example for a BTT-HDMI7 (1024×600) extraargs=video=HDMI-A-1:800x480-24@60
example for a BTT-HDMI5 (extraargs=video=HDMI-A-1:1024x600-24@60
)overlays=tft35_spi
: if you have a TFT35 SPI displayoverlays=mcp2515
: in case we want to enable support for CANbus over SPI
SPI1_CLK=PH6
SPI1_MISO=PH8
SPI1_MOSI=PH7
TFT35_SPI_CS=PC7
MCP2515_CS=PC11
MCP2515_IRQ=PC9
CM4 modules typically come in two storage formats, using traditional SD or using built-in eMMC storage. In the following image you have the different versions and how to identify them:
We will then proceed to install the Klipper system on our CM4 module with SD, we have two options:
Once you’ve downloaded the Klipper distribution you like the most…
In the case that we have a CM4 module with eMMC storage, it is slightly different since we will first have to “mount” this storage on our computer so that Raspberry Pi Imager or balenaEtcher have access to it to install the system image.
rpiboot
utility (available for Windows and Linux/MacOS)rpiboot
utility.The next step will be to access the web interface or install the components from Kiauh, we are not going to go into much detail since you have a guide of first steps with Klipper where you will find more information and details.
The next important step will be the creation and application of the Klipper firmware to our electronics:
To be able to use Klipper on our M8P v2.x we first need to create, apply the Klipper firmware to it and get the serial ID to include in our Klipper configuration (printer.cfg).
cd ~/klipper
make clean
make menuconfig
Q
key to exit the menu and Yes
to save the settings.To be able to use Klipper on our M8P v1.x we first need to create, apply the Klipper firmware to it and get the serial ID to include in our Klipper configuration (printer.cfg).
cd ~/klipper
make clean
make menuconfig
Q
key to exit the menu and Yes
to save the settings.To be able to use Klipper on our M5P we first need to create, apply the Klipper firmware to it and get the serial ID to include in our Klipper configuration (printer.cfg).
cd ~/klipper
make clean
make menuconfig
Q
key to exit the menu and Yes
to save the settings.To be able to use Klipper on our M4P we first need to create, apply the Klipper firmware to it and get the serial ID to include in our Klipper configuration (printer.cfg).
cd ~/klipper
make clean
make menuconfig
Q
key to exit the menu and Yes
to save the settings.To be able to use Klipper on our E3 EZ we first need to create, apply the Klipper firmware to it and get the serial ID to include in our Klipper configuration (printer.cfg).
cd ~/klipper
make clean
make menuconfig
Q
key to exit the menu and Yes
to save the settings.out/klipper.bin
folder which we advise you to transfer to your computer with the file transfer tools included in the SSH client programs themselves or an SFTP client.klipper.bin firmware.bin
and copy it to the root of an SD, ideally >2GB with FAT32/4096 format since the bootloader usually has limited compatibility. Once the firmware.bin
has been copied, we will safely remove the SD card and place it in our M8P (without power), we will power our M8P and in a few seconds, the firmware should have been applied. One of the ways to see if our firmware was applied correctly is to check the SD and check that the original firmware.bin
name changed to firmware.CUR
.[mcu]
section of our printer.cfg
Klipper configuration file
ls /dev/serial/by-id/
If everything has gone correctly our Klipper will be able to connect with our Manta and follow the Klipper first step guide to continue with the rest of the configurations, in case we have problems we advise you to review/reapply the process or go to our Klipper troubleshooting guide where you can see possible causes and solutions to the most generic Klipper problems.
Although these electronics are primarily intended for use with Klipper, they are supported by Marlin in their current versions.
As with Klipper, we are not going to go into detail describing how to compile our version of Marlin or how to configure its functionalities that we can find in our repository of guides for Marlin.
In the following table you will find the two most important values when compiling our Marlin, which is default_envs (in platformio.ini) and MOTHERBOARD (in /Marlin/Configuration.h):
MARLIN | default_envs | MOTHERBOARD |
---|---|---|
M8P v2.0 | STM32H723ZE_btt | BOARD_BTT_MANTA_M8P_V2_0 |
M8P v1.1 | STM32G0B1VE_btt | BOARD_BTT_MANTA_M8P_V1_1 |
M8P v1.0 | STM32G0B1VE_btt | BOARD_BTT_MANTA_M8P_V1_0 |
M5P v1.0 | STM32G0B1RE_manta_btt | BOARD_BTT_MANTA_M5P_V1_0 |
M4P v2.1 | STM32G0B1RE_manta_btt | BOARD_BTT_MANTA_M4P_V2_1 |
E3 EZ v1.0 | STM32G0B1RE_manta_btt | BOARD_BTT_MANTA_E3_EZ_V1_0 |
Here are some purchase links for the Bigtreetech Manta series:
Bigtreetech Manta M8P | ALIEXPRESS | |
Bigtreetech Manta M5P | ALIEXPRESS | |
Bigtreetech Manta M4P | ALIEXPRESS | |
Bigtreetech E3 EZ | ALIEXPRESS | |
Bigtreetech CB1 | ALIEXPRESS |
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