Ender 3 Pro Firmware Install Guide - Update Firmware with MicroSD Card

You might be wondering if you need to update the firmware on the Ender 3/Ender 3 Pro.

Except for old printers where thermal runaway is a real fire risk, t's not absolutely necessary if you haven't made any hardware changes (e.g. motherboard, CR Touch, new motors). The Ender 3 Pro default firmware will let you get started right away.

That said, there are a few reasons to upgrade the firmware. The first is, you can unlock many options such as mesh bed leveling, that are turned off in the default firmware. If you have installed a CR touch, you also must install new firmware so the printer knows how to use the new hardware.

What Firmware Should I Install?

There are two major flavors of firmware:

Marlin, which most commonly used firmware is based on - including the stock Creality Firmware, which is a version of Marlin
Klipper, which is a performance based firmware but will require additional hardware (an additional micro-computer like a raspberry pi).

I would strongly suggest using some version of Marlin instead of Klipper initially. You can install Klipper at a later date, and all the hardware you need to use Klipper you can use initially for Marlin as well.

Shiny Upgrades Build of Marlin

So which version of Marlin? Look at the table below, to find the matching firmware version. There are other folks such as Jyers and Nic who focus on other Creality printer models, but at the time I couldn't find anyone focusing on the Ender 3 / Ender 3 Pro - so here we are. If you're curious about different versions of Marlin, I discuss them a bit on this page.

Note that the Ender 3 Pro comes with a 235x235 bed. I am including a 220x220 version as well, because some of the bed materials also come in 220x220 size.

All firmware includes bed tramming, PID tuning, and many additional configuration options compared to the base Creality Firmware.

Check Your CPU

Warning: This firmware was all built and tested on the 4.2.2 board with 512K. Going back to 2020, that is what all the 4.2.2 and 4.2.7 boards shipped with. In January 2022, there are reports of some boards that now have 256K. There is a potential risk of any number of things going wrong if you have that. You have to look at the black CPU on your board to see, if it reads STM32F103 RET6 you are ok. If it reads STM32F103 RCT6 then that is a potential risk. Notice the C instead of the E

More details are at:

I have a different CPU - GD32F303 RET6 512K

Marlin has noted issues with this CPU, see info here:
Ender 3 New GD32F303 RET6 512K chip Instead of 512k STM32F103 RET6 chips [BUG] (bug summary) #23806

It seems like some stepper drivers have issues as does Z offset. Unfortunately, if you install the firmware, you will have to live with any issues for now until a stable version of Marlin comes out for this CPU, and then I will try to build it. As I don't have that CPU, it's not something I can guarantee will work.

What if I Have an Issue?

If you do have any issues, I've started a page helping troubleshoot firmware installation issues. It's got a few common issues on there now, and I'll keep adding to it.

What If I Want Personal Help?

One of the best parts of being part of this hobby is there are many folks who are willing to help. I am one of them - but I can no longer reply to everyone 1:1 messaging me on this site. The good news is, this firmware and Ender 3/Pro are super popular - you can easily get help in the communities online =)

I have a collection of places to learn and connect with people here.

I Have a CR Touch or Use Manual Mesh

The mesh you will see is a 7x7. Whether manual or CR Touch/Bl Touch, this is a lot of points. My strategy is to build the mesh via the LCD, and then store settings. Then, I use this Cura Start GCode to load the mesh. Don't use other start codes which build the mesh each time, unless you don't mind that wait. For manual mesh leveling, or CR Touch leveling, the start code is the same because I tweaked it to work for both. You can also see the CR Touch Install Guide and the last section explains this process.

Can I Roll Back My Firmware if I Mess Something Up?

Your printer does not have any concept of your old firmware or going back. So one thing I strongly recommend, is think about your backup plan before you install any firmware. Try to find the current firmware you have and download it as a backup. It may be on the SD card that came with your printer, or you may need to ask for help in Facebook groups, etc.

If you install firmware and want to "go back" to what you had before, there is no undo button - what you need to do then is get another firmware that is "new" to your printer (even if it's the old firmware you previously had) and install that.

Firmware Downloads

Note: the 4.2.7 Board version is new, I had a handful of folks test it. I have the 4.2.2 board and modified the firmware to run on 4.2.7. They have reported success so far. Please let me know if you do encounter any issues.

If you do have any issues, I've started a page helping troubleshoot firmware installation issues. It's got a few common issues on there now, and I'll keep adding to it.

Motherboard Version: 4.2.2 with STM32F103 RET6

Motherboard Version	Bed Leveler	Mesh Size	Bed Size	Marlin Version	Firmware Download
4.2.2	CR Touch	7x7	235x235	2.0.9.3	CR Touch 7x7 with 235x235 Bed
4.2.2	Manual Mesh	7x7	235x235	2.0.9.3	Manual Mesh 7x7 with 235x235 Bed
4.2.2	No Bed leveling	N/A	235x235	2.0.9.3	2.0.9.3 With PID Tuning and Other Features Turned On - No Bed Leveling
4.2.2	CR Touch	7x7	220x220	2.0.9.3	CR Touch 7x7 with 220x220 Bed

Motherboard Version 4.2.7 with STM32F103 RET6

Motherboard Version

Bed Leveler

Mesh Size

Bed Size

Marlin Version

Firmware Download

4.2.7

Manual Mesh

7x7

235x235

2.0.9.3

4.2.7 Manual Mesh 7x7 with 235x235 bed

Experimental: Released 2/5/22

4.2.7

CR Touch

7x7

235x235

2.0.9.3

4.2.7 CR Touch 7x7 With 235x235 Bed

Not needed for this guide, but if you like, you can view the source code here -> Shiny Upgrades Firmware Github

How Do I Upgrade Ender 3 Pro Firmware?

Confirm the motherboard version. This should be 4.2.2 or 4.2.7 (depending on firmware choice). If you have a recent Ender 3 Pro, stock, it's most likely 4.2.2 but it's easy enough to check (I'll show you how below). Note also the CPU warning up above.
Prepare a MicroSD card. The card should be formatted as FAT32. If you have the card that came with your printer, and the MicroSD card adapter, that's all you need. Note that I do recommend you replace the MicroSD Card and adapter, as they are low quality and common points of failure. See recommended immediate upgrades, scroll down to the picture of SD Cards.
Find and download the firmware in the list above.
Copy the firmware (it should end in .bin and be different from the last firmware you may have installed) to the MicroSD card. Delete any other files on the SD card.
Make sure your 3D printer is turned off.
WARNING: Once you do the step below, there is no "undo" button. If you want to "go back" to an older version of firmware, make sure you have a copy of it saved. You can always reinstall an old version of firmware - but you must have a copy of it somewhere, your printer will not be able to "downgrade" or remember what it used to have installed.
Insert the MicroSD card into the Ender 3 Pro, it should be on the left side. Don't force it: on mine, the card should be inserted upside down.
Turn the printer on. Do not touch it while it's powering on.
It will take about 15 seconds (shouldn't take more than a minute) to install the new firmware.
Done

I'll go over some of the steps in detail below

Check Motherboard Version

These steps are based on the 4.2.2, or 4.2.7 motherboard. Unfortunately, if you have a 1.1.4 or similar motherboard, then these steps will not work. To check, remove the 4 screws as described in this video. Look for the creality logo, and the version is right below it. See this image as an example of the 4.2.7 Motherboard

Format MicroSD card as FAT32 and Copy Firmware to It

The microSD card that comes with the Ender 3 Pro should already be formatted as FAT32. You can connect it to your computer, and first copy all the files on it to somewhere on your computer. Then, delete everything that is on the card.

Finally, copy the firmware you want to install onto the MicroSD card. The name must be different than the last installed firmware, which shouldn't be an issue - but may be something to remember if you start building your own firmware.

NOTE: If you installed the CR Touch version, you will also want to see the CR Touch Install Guide

If you do have any issues, I've started a page helping troubleshoot firmware installation issues. It's got a few common issues on there now, and I'll keep adding to it.

Back to Ender 3 / Ender 3 Pro Starter Guide

Disclaimer:

Shiny Upgrades is not responsible for anything that happens to you, your printer or property after installing this version of Marlin firmware. We do not offer support for the firmware.

The good news is, this firmware and Ender 3/Pro are super popular - you can easily get help in the communities online =)

I have a collection of places to learn and connect with people here.

Our firmware is provided as a favor to the 3D Printing Community, free of charge. There is no warranty or support for them. If you're installing firmware, presumably you should also understand we are not liable for any damage to your printer, any property, or any injury that may be caused as a result of it.

If you do have any issues, I've started a page helping troubleshoot firmware installation issues. It's got a few common issues on there now, and I'll keep adding to it.