instructables

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4

by Core3D

I've had some requests about how to wire a 3D Printer
and more speci cally, how I wired my Laminated
Prusa I3 printer.
In this instructable I will walk through all the
components and steps required to setup a 3D Printer
using the most commonly used RAMPS 1.4 controller
board.
Please note that although most components on the
3D printer run 12Volts and less. You do need to
connect your power brick to 110 Volts. BE CAREFULL,
YOU ARE DEALING WITH LIVE POWER.
Also some of the Parts of a printer can get very hot
(speci cally the Extruder Hot-end and Heated Bed).
There are many other boards on the market and I've
personally had good luck with the KFB2.0 board with
acts almost identical to the RAMPS 1.4 but uses
slightly di erent connectors.
All parts mentioned in this instructable are sourced
from Amazon.com. If you are patient, you could order
them from AliExpress.com and pay a lot less
(sometimes less than half ).

Step 1: Parts Required

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 1
In the Laminated Prusa I3 printer the only electronic
parts I added were the Nema 17 Stepper motors and
the MK8 Extruder.
The Type of extruder you purchase is up to you. You
can choose from Direct Extrusion (motor on the
Extruder) or a Bowden type of extrusion (motor feeds
lamant through a tube to Hot-end) but it won't
make a di erence in hooking them up.
For this setup I purchased a RAMP 1.4 Kit which has all
components needed to setup the controller board
RAMPS 1.4 kit $38.99 http://amzn.to/2E3gvYc
Nema 17 1.7A (5 pack) http://amzn.to/2Fyz y9I
Mk8 Extruder $36.99 http://amzn.to/2Gzd4H6
For end stop control you can go with two options (I
will discuss wiring for both):
The fully wired Limit switch (with cables): $7.98
http://amzn.to/2DSkvHS
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 2
The simple Micro Switch: $8.99
http://amzn.to/2Ev4YPi
Stepper Cables: $9.49 http://amzn.to/2GAPdXo (these
are speci c to RAMPS)
12V/30Amp Power supply 19.98:
http://amzn.to/2FwxIGt
Power Cable $9.99 http://amzn.to/2DYZ0Zd
Heated Bed $31.99 (optional but will describe wiring)
http://amzn.to/2GEibpk
it was pointed out, some of the pictures show wires
directly screwed into components. It best to use fork
connectors and ferrules for better connectivity:
Ferules kit (comes with proper crimping tool): Amazon
$25.89 https://amzn.to/2Jy3oSB
Fork terminals: Amazon $6.69
https://amzn.to/2JqRcmi
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 3
Step 2: Assembling the RAMPS 1.4
The RAMPS 1.4 kit comes with the following
components:
Arduino Board Mega 2560 (generally a cheap
knocko ) which is the blue board you see above
RAMPS 1.4 Shield which will sit on top of the Arduino
which is the red board above (yes the yellow fuses
come bent like that don't worry)
Jumpers (the little black thingies above)
A4988 Stepper Drivers with heat sinks
an LCD with cables, which nowadays tends to be the
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 4
bigger 12864 Graphic Smart Display Controller
a USB cable, that is never long enough to reach your
computer (be prepared)
Assembly is as follows:
The Shield should t right on top of the Arduino
board. The USB port on the Arduino should be on the
same side as the Green power connector on the
Shield. Make sure that all the pins from the bottom of
the shield line up with the connectors on the Arduino.
Push both boards snuggly together (this may sting a
little)
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 5
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 6
Step 3: Add Stepper Drivers
Before adding the Stepper Drivers you need to decide
what type of micro stepping is needed by the 3D
Printer. I'm not going explain what exactly it means
(there is plenty of articles on that). in general, when
you buy a 1.8 deg. step angle (200 steps/revolution),
the micro stepping becomes a multiplier. What's
important is that for the RAMPS 1.4 most precise
stepping is 1/16th micro stepping (16 x 200 = 3200
steps/rotation).
In order to instruct the hardware to use 1/16th micro
stepping, jumpers are added between the banks in
which the stepper drivers will t. For 1/16th stepping
you need to add three jumpers under each driver.
Make sure they are on straight, it's easy to plunge one
of these past the actual pin.
At this point you can insert the Stepper drivers
(assume adding all 5 X, Y, Z Extruder 1 and potentially
Extruder 2)
VERY IM PO RTANT !! No t e ho w t he driv e rs
A4 9 8 8 St e ppe r driv e rs a bo v e ha v e a lit t le
po t e nt io m e t e r o n t o p (t his lit t le phillips
s cre w ). W he n ins e rt ing y o ur s t e ppe r D riv e r
M AKE S URE T HE PO T ENT IO M E T ER PO INT S
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 7
AWAY FROM THE BOARDS POWER END (GREEN
CONNECTOR).
If y o u us e o t he r driv e rs like t he DRV8 8 o r
t he T M C2xxx t he y w ill be di e re nt . f e llo w
ins t ruct a ble m e m be r reschchrissi added a useful
image in the comments (Thank you!).
If you are still unsure: Find a labeled pin on one or
more corners of the stepper driver board (DIR, GND,
ENABLE, VMOT) and match it up to the RAMPS
pinouts.
I hate to say this but, sometimes you'll nd that the
bays for these stepper drivers are too close, or the
edges of your stepper driver are a bit too wide. In the
image above you can see a gap between the top two
drivers, whereas the bottom ones barely t. It might
make for a very tight t and in cases where it doesn't
t, you may have to le some of the edges from the
stepper driver.
Once the drivers are in you can remove the 3M
stickers from the heat sinks and place them on top of
the chip on each driver.
1. Jumpers Added
Step 4: Adding the LCD

The LCD part of the kit consists of 4 components

1. The LCD itself

2. 2 at cables
3. LCD Smart Adapter that connects to the Shield

The Adapter will t on top of the the RAMPS 1.4 Shield as seen in the images above.

It's a bit hard to see on the smart Adapter I have here, but but you can kind of make out that the left connector (10
pins) says EXP2 and the right connector says EXP1. These correspond with the EXP1 and EXP2 connectors on the LCD
board

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 8

 2 1

1. EXP1
2. EXP2

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 9

 1 2
1. EXP1
2. EXP2
Step 5: Adding Power Source
As you can see in the image above (from
http://reprap.org/mediawiki/images/6/6d/Rampswire
1...)
power comes in on two tracks into the Ramps 1.4
shield. One track is 12V 5A which powers the board
and motors, the second track is 12V 11A which powers
the heated elements like the extruder and heated
bed.
Connect the wires as seen in the images. Be careful, as
you can see, the 110V live wire is exposed. Unplug
your power source prior to lifting the lid accessing the
screws.
Since we're dealing with potentially 20Amp here,
make sure you use a strong enough wire gauge. I
believe 14 to 16 will do.
Also, note that when you plug in the RAMPS 1.4 with a
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 10
USB cable to your computer the LCD will come one
and you can program the Arduino that way. There is
no power to run any motors or heating elements
though. For that, you do need the external power
source.
Earlier image here showed wires plugged in without
ferrules and the power strip remains somewhat
exposed without further action. One of the rst thing
I recommend you print is the power unit cover from
thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3347689 that I've
used in one form or another on several of my other
designs. it covers up (and fuses) all mains wires and
allows for on/o state which currently is missing from
this printer.
Assembly of this power unit can be found in step 14
of https://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Printer-the-
C3...
Step 6: Connecting the Stepper Motors

A 3D printer will use stepper motors for the following functions:

X motion (left/right)
Y motion (front/back)
Z motion (up/down) (common to have two stepper motors)
Extruder 1
Possibly Extruder 2

Remember in a previous step we added 5 stepper drivers. Technically we only need 4 as most printers do not have a
second extruder (one can always plan, although dual extruders are fraught with issues).

Stepper motors come in many varieties and with di erent power speci cations. The printer built in the previous
instructable uses Nema 17 0.4Amp Stepper motors. These aren't the strongest steppers but they do just ne. My
CoreXY printer that can handle more speed/torque runs 2.0Amp stepper motors.

When I purchase Steppers motors I do tend to buy the ones that have a cable plug in them. That way I don't have to
deal with crimping wires myself.

Generally the Nema 17 Stepper motors and associated cables are con gured correctly, so when you plug them in,
they'll run at rst try. If your stepper motor is making funky jumps or just shakes, it generally means the wires from
the motor don't line up with the 2B 2A 1A 1B pins on the board.

If that happens you'll need to closely look at the data sheet that generally is shown when you purchase the
steppers (or it will say something like Black(A+), Green(A-), Red(B+), Blue(B-)). Granted when the wires don't line up it can
be a bit of a puzzle trying to gure out the proper combination.

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 11

In the video embedded here you can see how an o the shelf stepper and o the shelf cable properly operate the
Nema 17. (btw, don't disconnect wires like I do in the video, I have plenty of spares in case it goes wrong).

ht t ps://www.yout ube.com/embed/_t 4 XFQY6dBQ

If you're building a Prusa/RepRap type printer, you'll employ 2 stepper motors for the Z-Axis. The RAMPS 1.4 shield
has accounted for this and o ers two rows of connection pins for the Z-Axis.

2 1

1. Two rows of 4 pins for double Z-axis Stepper motors

2. Single rows of 4 pins for both X and Y

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 12

Step 7: Connecting End Stops
Nowadays you can buy really fancy stepper drivers
that feel resistance. Along with Marlin software
changes you can do without end stops. In most
printers though, you'll need end stops to make sure
your X/Y and Z axis don't run o the rail (or worse; tear
something of your printer apart).
The RAMPS 1.4 comes with 6 end stop connections (X
Min, X Max, Y Min, Y Max, Z Min, Z Max). Rarely do you
use all six. What you're really interested in is either the
Max or Min. If you know one, you can limit movement
based on it's location (0) via the software (if I can
detect Min and know my bed is only 200mm wide
then I can tell the software to not move beyond
min+200)
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 13
The most common types of end stops are mechanical
swithes, optical switches and proximity sensors.
Proximity Sensors tend to only be used for the Z-Axis
in conjunction with Auto Bed Leveling. I won't cover
inductive sensor wiring here but if you're interested, I
did write something on the wiring in this article
Proximity-Sensor-Detection LJ12A3-4-Z-BX vs LJ12A3-
4-Z/BY wiring
I've never used Optical sensors before but it is my
understanding it's wiring is identical to that of the
mechanical switches.
Step 8: Connecting End Stops: Makerbot Design End Stops

If you are using the most commonly used end stops
"Makerbot Designed Mechanical Endstop Kit", it
comes with little circuit board and wiring. It will light
up an LED when triggered.
RED/BLACK/GREEN IMPORTANT: make sure the wires
correspond with the image above. If you turn around
the connector on the RAMPS board and accidentally
put the RED wire on the Signal (as opposed to +) YOU
WILL SMELL SMOKE real fast.

There are 3 wires coming from the end stop:

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 14

Step 9: Connecting End Stops: Micro Switch

If you forego the fancy Makerbot Switch (don't do it
for the price, it's generally more about the size of the
sensor) and instead go with a micro switch it's my
experience wiring is a bit easier. You really only need
two wires. solder the wire to the two outside pins of
the Micro switch and connect them to the -(minus)
and s (signal) pin on the ramps.
software to reverse the signal.
You can test the micro switches and their behavior by
opening an application like Pronterface or Octo Print
and sending the g-code m119. It will show the state of
all end stops. As seen in the video below.

ht t ps://www.yout ube.com/embed/qc96NYYDOg8
Since in this con guration the connection is open you
will have to ip the con guration in the Marlin

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 15

Step 10: Connecting the Extruder

The Extruder (the hot-end that spits out the plastic)
generally has 6 wires associated and possibly more if
you you use auto bed leveling and an additional Hot-
end Cooling fan (Unlike the Heat sink fan, it cools the
last layer of deposited plastic).
In this step we'll focus on the Basic wires:
fuses and the X Stepper Driver (see image above). On
the image the left pin is + s o m a ke s ure t he re d
w ire f ro m t he f a n co nne ct s t o t ha t o ne . O h,
a nd f o r s o m e re a s o n a ll w ire s o n 3D print e rs
s e e m t o co m e a t 1 m e t e r but t he co o ling f a n
w ire s g e ne ra lly ne v e r do. B e pre pa re d t o
e xt e nd t he m .

2 Wires for the Heating Cartridge (generally thicker In t he s a m e im a g e y o u s e e t he Blue

wires) co nne ct o rs (bo t t o m le f t ). D10 is f o r t he ho t
e nd. Po la rit y do e s no t m a t t e r he re .
2 Wires for the thermistor
T he RAM PS B o a rd ha s 3 T he rm is t o r ho o kups
2 wires for the Heat sink fan (2 e xt rude rs , 1 he a t e d be d). T he T he rm is t o r
w ire f o r t he e xt rude r ( T he w hit e s kinny
The normal wiring setup generally means we hook the w ire s ) g o o n T 0 . Po la rit y do e s no t m a t t e r.
heat sink cooling fan to the 12V fan connector on the
RAMPS 1.4. These fan pins can be found between the

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 16

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 17
Step 11: Connecting Heated Bed
Most heated bed you buy will come with wires and
thermistor but are often not yet connected. The most
common heated bed is the one seen in the image (the
MK 2B by Joseph Prusa, or most likely some clone of
it).
Since there will be a lot of current running through,
make sure you use proper gauge wiring (12-16 gauge
should do).
At the bottom of the bed you'll generally see either
two or three metal connectors to which to solder the
power. If your printer is 12V follow the instructions
and solder one wire to both 2 and 3 and the second
wire to 1. Don't bother with the LED connection, There
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 18
really is no point to those.
The glass bead head of the thermistor goes right into
the tiny hole at the center of the bed (this so it will
close up to the material on top (like a glass plate).
I used Brush-on Electrical tape to keep the thermistor
in place. It can handle up to 204°C which is more than
the bed will get.
The heat wires go into the RAMPS at D8 and the
thermistor is attached to T1 (both polarity doesn't
matter).
Step 12: Conclusion

There you have it. All the wiring that was done for the
Laminated 3D printer. These instructions are pretty
much the same of any other RAMPS 1.4 installation.
There are additional options such as Hotend Cooling
fan and Auto Bed Leveling (both of which can be
done with the standard RAMPS 1.4) but I'll save those
for another instructable.
Hope this was useful and if you feel I left something
out or royally screwed up (after 5 years the printer
hasn't caught re yet, but who knows) let me know
and I'll make changes where warranted.
If you liked this check out my other instructables or
visit my website at https://core3d.tech

You should use fork terminals on the power supply for a safer connection. No live wires expoosed ;
)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B1DL4OA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?
ie=UTF8&psc=1
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 19
The power source in this printer actually uses (ring connectors) and the power unit is covered but,
you are correct. This was the very first printer I built (over 5 years ago) when forks and ferrules
were barely on the radar. All my subsequent printer designs here use forks and ferrules.

I can't wait for your KFB 2.0 instructable! my steppers are in, the drivers, endstops, power supply
and brackets are on their way as well. I also ordered a DVD drive stepper motor with a mounting
bracket for my Z axis. I'm gonna need some guidance so I dont blow up my new toys! I enjoy
reading your stuff, it keeps me motivated to see my project through.
As if on demand: https://www.instructables.com/id/Wiring-the-KFB20-3D-Printer-Controller/

you rock!

I just wanted to thank you for putting up with me, im a smart guy but this is my first foray into
steppers, drivers and all that.
very welcome.

Are you looking for instructions on all the wiring for the KFB or for the TMC2130 on the KFB2.0?

well i only have the KFB 2.0 board at the moment. the drivers, power supply and endstops are on
their way. yeah i kinda need my hand held because if i blow up my project, my wife will kill my
funding lol. so im being EXTRA careful with everything so i dont screw anything up. good news
tho, I just picked up an honest to goodness pen plotter today and after opening it up, i found that i
can swap out the rotary encoded DC motors for Nema 17 steppers with very little modification to
the mounts. the geared pulleys on the DC motors were pressed on and were exactly the same i.d.
as the 17s, so they were able to be used with the current belt drives. im excited!
I will try to put something out today on the KFB2.0.

Hi Core3D, useful instructable thanks. I have made my own printer from an instructables and it has
been working fine for a few months. Then I decided to go for a heated bed. The first heated bed
(red type like yours) had a higher resistance ( 1.8 - 2.0 instead of 1.2) and had trouble reaching the
temperature. The second one was better (a thin kapton type) but the green connector on the ramps
board lasted only a couple of prints! I had previously made sure all connections were tight and the
amps were only 6.0 Amp. Now I have connected the heater directly to the power supply and just
read the temperature via ramps. Max temp. Reached is 105°C on the heater and 95°C on the
glass surface.
Not the best solution but OK till I make an external controller or something with a mofset and avoid
damage to the ramps. I also put a fuse between the heated bed and the power supply. Overall I am
not very happy after fitting the hot bed but see, from other forums on internet, that it does cause a
few other people some grief too. Nothing to do with your useful instructable but just sharing an
experience that I went through.
Thx, On my main 3D printer I use a silicon heating pad 110V 600W that is managed by an SSR
Solid state Relay. It heats to 110C in less than a minute. Loving it. Now I have to wait for the
hotend to heat up.
Wow great. Is it controlled via the output from Ramps? I see you did not make an instructble right?
Well that is what I have in mind too. I am starting to print in ABS these days. A bit of a disaster but
today (after 4 days at it) I got my first good part but after a bit of nail biting!
Yes it is. The regular output for the bed is connected to the SSR (the 12V will open the 110V). The
thermistor also remains the same and goes back into ramps (normal spot). So from a Software and
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 20
Hardware point of view, nothing changes.

Personally, I think I'm going to phase out ABS. I just started with PETG and it seems to have the
same qualities and none of the bad ABS things (warping and stank).

PETG is a bit pricier.

I would like to learn how to print ABS, but ordered half a real of PETG too. Will let you know how I
get on. Hope it arrives next week.
I get good results with ABS by mixing ABS into acetone till I get a milky juice. I use a mosquito
spray bottle (can handle the chemicals) and spray it on top of a layer of kapton on my bed. It gives
really good bed adhesion. My printer is enclosed and I have a chamber heater that gets the entire
chamber up to 50 Celcius.
I don't have problems of it sticking to the bed (I use hair sparay) I had problems with the first layers
separating. I am getting constant good results now with small pieces. I put a lamp each side and
get approx 30°C around the print area. However, I will also make an enclosure as you suggested.
One thing small "problem" I have and can't see that any one else has on the web is that, if I print
from and SD card it gets to 98 or 99% and finishes as normal. However, the final layer is not
complete. It is OK but missing the smooth last layer. If I print via computer it is perfect and reaches
100%. Have not tried to change SD card but just curious if you have seen such a thing.
huh, I've not seen that before. I remember seeing a video on how Printing from a computer affected
print quality due to the fairly "slow" serial baud rate. I've personally have printed a few times from
the computer (or from Octoprint) to find my print fail due to Computer crash and Octo print failure. If
you read the g-code on the SD card do you see something wrong (like missing the last layer)
Changed SD card and used a faster type too. . Perhaps a coincidence but seems OK now.

Huh, well fingers crossed

forgot the picture

G1 F1800 X106.527 Y106.169 E756.96438

;TIME_ELAPSED:632.986912
G1 F1500 E753.96438
M107
M104 S0
M140 S0
;Retract the filament
G92 E1
G1 E-1 F300
G28 X0 Y0
M84
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
M104 S0
;End of Gcode
seems not to be missing anything. After this line is the settings. This is the square cube for testing I
will investigate further Thanks for your help!
Did you check the last G1 Z.... Prior to dropping the last layer? That one should be top layer (I
know it's far fetched)
Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 21
Thanks for replying again. I did not want to take up so much of your time. However, here is the last
z and the few lines before and after. I am not an expert but seems OK to me:
G1 X106.099 Y122.504
G0 F7200 X106.169 Y123.14
G1 F1500 X106.858 Y123.829 E839.09346
G1 X106.928 Y123.899
G0 F7200 X106.292 Y123.829
G1 F1500 X106.169 Y123.706 E839.09925
G0 F7200 X124.33 Y124.33
G0 X124.4 Y124.4
;TIME_ELAPSED:771.570708
;LAYER:49
G0 X124.4 Y124.4 Z10.1
;TYPE:WALL-INNER
G1 F3000 X105.6 Y124.4 E839.72454
G1 X105.6 Y105.6 E840.34983
G1 X124.4 Y105.6 E840.97512
G1 X124.4 Y124.4 E841.60041
G0 F7200 X124.8 Y124.8
;TYPE:WALL-OUTER
G1 F1500 X105.2 Y124.8 E842.25231
G1 X105.2 Y105.2 E842.9042
G1 X124.8 Y105.2 E843.5561
G1 X124.8 Y124.8 E844.208
G0 F7200 X124.6 Y124.8
G0 X124.33 Y124.33
G0 X124.01 Y124.01
;TYPE:SKIN
G1 F1500 X105.99 Y124.01 E844.80735
G1 X105.99 Y105.99 E845.4067
G1 X124.01 Y105.99 E846.00604
G1 X124.01 Y124.01 E846.60539
G0 F7200 X123.829 Y123.375
G1 F1500 X123.374 Y123.829 E846.62677
G0 F7200 X122.808 Y123.829
I might do an instructable on this upgrade but in the meantime, I did write it up on my blog
https://core3d.tech/2017/06/06/upgrading-the-mk2a-bed-from-12-volt-to-110-volt/
Thanks will check it !

Good tutorial! Just as a note, if you're using other stepper drivers than the A4988, the
potentiometer may not point away from the power connector, like the DRV8825 and TMC2100!
https://3deshnik.ru/wiki/images/4/42/Правильное_подключение_драйверов_ШД_к_RAMPS.jpg
Thank you for pointing this out. I did update the instruction to reflect this. I personally have not used
other steppers although I'm looking forward to trying out the new TMC2130 (or maybe TMC2260).
Bit pricey though.

Wiring 3D Printer RAMPS 1.4: Page 22