Creality’s new Ender 3 V2 is an updated version of their successful Ender 3. The V2 has a few new features like attached belt tensioners, an extruder knob, a full-color touchscreen display, and more. An upgraded 32-bit mainboard is another distinctive feature, and the printer comes with either the Creality V4.2.2 or V4.2.7 (silent) mainboard.

Most boards for the V2 now come with a version of Marlin 2.0 firmware installed, which the older, 8-bit boards were incapable of handling. If you’re unfamiliar with the word firmware, it’s a program that connects a printer’s software (slicer and printable models) to its hardware (motors, sensors). It can be considered a lifeline for your printer and is saved to the mainboard’s on-board memory.

Known for its reliability and frequent updates, Marlin is one of the most popular firmware options. The firmware runs in C++, works with many 3D printer upgrades, and has safety features like thermal runaway protection.

In this article, we’ll explain how to install Marlin firmware onto your Ender 3 V2. This guide can also be used for original Ender 3 printers that have either a V4.2.2 or V4.2.7 mainboard installed. The steps for updating the LCD firmware, however, won’t be needed for the original Ender 3.

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Creality Ender 3

In the past, Creality’s mainboards haven’t been very stable and tended to malfunction. As they were 8-bit boards with less storage, Creality’s first-generation (V1.X and Melzi) mainboards couldn’t handle Marlin 2.0 with all of its features activated. Installing new firmware on those boards was also a bit more complicated: The process required a bootloader (an Arduino Uno, for example), Cura, or an ISP to USB cable.

The new V4.2.2 and V4.2.7 mainboards, however, have more space, a 32-bit processor for faster operation, and a pre-installed bootloader, so the installation process is simpler. With these new features, you can upload new firmware by using the Micro SD card slots, and the V2 has two: one on the mainboard and one on the LCD.

The boards are fairly new so there aren’t many firmware options specifically for them yet, but more will come with time. The V2 comes with stock Creality firmware, which is an altered version of Marlin. In the meantime, Marlin has already released configurations for the V2 and older Ender 3s that have been upgraded with the V4.2.2 or V4.2.7 mainboards.

The new process for updating your Ender 3’s firmware involves using a BIN file on a Micro SD card and flashing the new firmware to both the board and the LCD. In this article, we’ll focus only on the process for uploading Marlin firmware, which might not work for other flavors of firmware like RepRap or Repetier.

Although Creality’s stock firmware might be more stable than the newer firmware options, the newer versions of Marlin have more printing features. The stock firmware also has some Marlin 2.0 features deactivated. An example is linear advance, which predicts the build-up of pressure in the hot end to achieve higher-quality prints with less under- and over-extrusion.

You also may want to change the stock firmware if you want to use upgrades on your Ender 3 like a BLTouch, filament runout sensor, a geared extruder, among others. That’s because some upgrades like a BLTouch or filament runout sensor require certain features to be activated in the firmware.

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3D Printer Firmware

Thanks to the new mainboard on the Ender 3 V2, you won’t need much to update its firmware:

• 2x Micro SD cards (only one is provided with Ender 3 V2)
• Ender 3 V2-compatible firmware
• A device, laptop, or computer with a couple programs, including a file archiver program such as 7-Zip and Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Note that the entire process can be achieved with just a single SD card, but it may be simpler and more convenient with two.

The file archiver program is only necessary if you use a pre-configured firmware file that downloads as a RAR file. 7-Zip is a free, open-source, file archiver program that can unzip RAR files.

You’ll only need VS Code if you plan to manually edit the firmware’s code. If you plan to do so, make sure you also download the PlatformIO and Auto Build Marlin plug-ins on VS Code.

Now that you have everything you need, let’s get started!

First, we need to prep the machine for the update by downloading either a pre-configured or self-configured firmware, and organize your folders:

1. Turn the printer’s power switch off, unplug the power cable, and remove the mainboard’s Micro SD card.
2. On your device, create a folder labeled “Ender 3 V2 Firmware” or another easily recognizable name.
3. Download a firmware option for your Ender 3 V2.

Now, you have two options: You can download Creality’s pre-configured firmware on their website, or you can download the self-configured firmware (source code) from the Marlin GitHub or Marlin homepage.

Creality’s Pre-configured Firmware

If you don’t need to tweak your firmware, we recommend using Creality’s. They occasionally change the file types offered on their website, so you’ll either have a BIN file or a RAR file with the BIN file compressed inside. If you’ve downloaded the BIN file, make sure you also download a folder labeled “DWIN_SET”.

With pre-configured firmware, you won’t need to configure the source code files, so you can skip ahead to step 4.

Self-configured Firmware

If you need to alter your firmware for upgrades, bug fixing, adjusting offsets, or other reasons, you should go with the self-configured firmware. Make sure to download the entire “Marlin-2.0.x” and “Configurations-release-2.0.x.x” zip folders. After you’ve done that, proceed as follows:

1. Unzip and extract both the “Marlin-2.0.x” and “Configurations-release-2.0.x.x” zip folders.
2. In both of the extracted folders, locate the second-degree folder with the same name as its origin folder.
3. Copy each of the second-degree folders (not the origin folders!) one at a time and paste them into your newly created “Ender 3 V2 Firmware” folder.

For the sake of conciseness, we’ll refer to the “Configurations-release-2.0.x.x” folder as the configurations folder in the following steps.

Next, we need to configure the base Marlin firmware for the Ender 3 V2.

1. Open the configurations folder and then open the “config” folder.
2. Open the “examples” folder, scroll down, and then open the “Creality” folder.
3. Locate and open the “Ender-3 V2” folder and copy all the files in it.
4. Open the “Marlin-2.0.x” folder, then locate and open the “Marlin” folder containing the “Configuration” file.
5. Paste the copied files into the “Marlin” folder.
6. When prompted, click to replace the files that have the same name.

Now, we need to compile the firmware in VS Code, where you’ll also have the option to make any firmware changes.

1. In Microsoft VS Code, open the PlatformIO plug-in and click “Open Project”.
2. Open the “Marlin-2.0.x” folder containing the “PlatformIO” INI file.

If you want to make tweaks to your firmware, here is the place to do it. Most alterations require changes in the “Configuration.h” or “Configuration_adv.h” files.

1. Once all your editing (or no editing) is done, click the checkmark on the bottom terminal in VS Code to build the firmware as a BIN file using the Auto Build Marlin plug-in. If you don’t see the checkmark, go to the Auto Build Marlin plug-in and compile the firmware from there.
2. Wait until a green line appears at the bottom of the terminal, stating that the build was successful.

Now you need to find the BIN firmware file so you can upload it; no other file type will work for your mainboard’s firmware. This process differs depending on whether you used Creality’s pre-configured firmware or self-configured firmware.

Creality’s Pre-configured Firmware

In Step 1, you should have been able to download either a BIN or RAR file from Creality’s website. If you have the BIN file, simply proceed as follows:

1. Copy the BIN file.
2. Plug in your mainboard’s Micro SD card into your device.
3. Clear (delete or move) everything on it.
4. Paste the BIN file onto the Micro SD card.

If you have a RAR, you’ll need to use a file archiver program that can unzip RAR files. Before getting started, make sure you have downloaded 7-Zip or another file archiver program capable of unzipping RAR files. If you use another program, it should work similarly. In this tutorial, our instructions are based on the process with 7-Zip.

1. Locate the RAR file and right-click on the file name.
2. Move your cursor over the 7-Zip option and click “Extract Here”. A new folder with the exact same name as the RAR file should appear.
3. Open the extracted folder and then open the folder labeled “Mainboard” and copy the BIN file.
4. Plug your mainboard’s Micro SD card into your device.
5. Clear (delete or move) everything on it.
6. Paste the BIN file onto the Micro SD card.

Self-configured Firmware

Make sure you’ve successfully compiled your firmware in VS Code then proceed as follows:

1. Go to your “Marlin-2.0.x” folder, find and open the “.pio” folder.
2. Open the build folder and then open the folder with a name beginning with “STM32” (names might vary depending on the mainboard).
3. Find and copy the most recent (by time) BIN file. Make sure not to change the firmware’s name, as it won’t work if the name is changed.
4. Plug in your mainboard’s Micro SD card into your device.
5. Clear (delete or move) everything on it.
6. Save the BIN firmware file to the Micro SD card.

For this step, you’ll need to prepare another Micro SD card (not the one with the mainboard firmware), which will be used to upload the new firmware for the LCD display. The Micro SD card will need to be formatted:

1. Insert your Micro SD card into your device and delete or move every file currently on your card.
2. Right-click the Micro SD card drive icon and click “Format”.
3. Format your Micro SD card to the “FAT32” file system and the “4096 byte” allocation size.

Since the other Micro SD card slot is in the display of your Ender 3 V2, you’ll need to disassemble the LCD:

1. Remove the LCD cable and detach the screen from the mount.
2. Unscrew the four bolts holding the casing together and locate the Micro SD card slot on the LCD’s circuit board.

Now you need to find and upload the new firmware specifically for your Ender 3 V2’s display screen. The initial steps for this process differ slightly depending on whether you used pre-configured or self-configured firmware. Make sure to read the instructions that apply to you.

Creality’s Pre-configured Firmware

If you downloaded just a BIN file from Creality’s website, make sure you’ve also downloaded the “DWIN_SET” folder from the Creality website.

If you downloaded a RAR file from Creality’s website, the “DWIN_SET” folder is included in the extracted contents of the RAR file. Open the “screen” folder in the extracted RAR file, and you’ll see the “DWIN_SET” folder.

Self-configured Firmware

If you used a self-configured firmware, the “DWIN_SET” folder should have been one of the files copied into the “Marlin” folder inside the “Marlin-2.0.x” folder.

Upload LCD Firmware

Once you have the “DWIN_SET” folder, follow the proceeding steps to upload the LCD firmware:

1. Copy the folder labeled “DWIN_SET”.
2. Paste the folder onto your second Micro SD card (the one for the LCD firmware).
3. Eject the card from your device and insert it into your LCD circuit board.
4. Reconnect the LCD cable and power on your printer, but don’t reassemble it until you know your firmware works.
5. Power on your printer. Your LCD should be displaying an orange-colored blank screen.
6. Wait until your LCD shows your printer’s home menu, which is a sign that the LCD firmware update is complete.
7. Shut off the printer again.
8. Remove the Micro SD card from the LCD circuit board, as you won’t need it anymore.
9. Reassemble your LCD screen and remount it on your printer.

Next, we need to upload your new firmware to your Ender 3 V2’s mainboard.

1. Insert the first Micro SD card (the one with the entire Marlin firmware file) into the mainboard’s Micro SD card slot.
2. Make sure all cables and electrical configurations are connected and secured properly.
3. Make sure your Micro SD card is securely plugged in and oriented the right way.
4. Power on the printer by plugging the power cable back into your printer and turning the power switch back on.
5. Wait until you see the home screen on the LCD, then navigate the user interface to find and click the “Restore Defaults” button.

That’s it! You successfully installed new Marlin firmware on your Ender 3 V2.

Below, we’ve listed some tips and tricks for installing new Marlin firmware on your Ender 3 V2:

• Use the most recent Marlin firmware: Sometimes, errors can occur if you use out-of-date firmware, so it’s best to use the most recent firmware version. We recommend using the official Marlin firmware if you can. You can also use the official bug-fix firmware versions, which can be found on the Marlin GitHub.
• Save the firmware: Although the firmware should automatically save to the board when installed, it’s always a good idea to double-check. To do this, use the LCD menu and click “Store Settings”. If you can, use a G-code terminal or sender and send the command “M502” and then send “M500” to save the firmware to EEPROM.
• Locate errors in the source code using VS Code: When building your Marlin firmware, the Auto Build Marlin plug-in will alert you if any error occurs in building the firmware. Errors will appear in yellow or red text in the VS Code terminal. They’re pretty self-explanatory, so you can easily locate and solve any issues. If you’re unfamiliar with an error, you can always use the internet to help solve it.
• Always have stable firmware on hand: Although having the latest and greatest firmware can be fun, it’s always a good idea to have a safe firmware on hand. You should try finding or building a firmware that you know works and save it somewhere, just in case you need it.

As we’ve mentioned, not many firmware options exist right now for the Ender 3 V2 because the printer is still fairly new. More firmware, however, will come as the printer gains popularity. For now, Marlin as well as the default firmware are probably the easiest to install.

Happy printing!