{"id":6128,"date":"2017-02-09T09:27:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-09T09:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimakerstage.wpengine.com\/learn\/"},"modified":"2023-12-13T14:04:02","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T14:04:02","slug":"understanding-firmware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimaker.com\/it\/learn\/understanding-firmware\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding firmware"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Understanding-Ultimaker-firmware-1\"<\/div>\n

Understanding firmware<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

What is firmware? What does it do? In this article, we’ll clear things up and explain how firmware operates inside your Ultimaker printer and how to update it. Let’s get started!<\/p><\/div>\n

What is firmware?<\/h2>\n

To understand the difference between Ultimaker 2 and Ultimaker 3 firmware, you first need to understand what firmware actually is. Quite simply, it\u2019s a computer code \u2013 just like Cura. Or Windows, Android, Microsoft Word, Chrome, iTunes or Whatsapp, for that matter!<\/p>\n

However, unlike those examples, firmware is highly specialized, as it\u2019s a computer code designed to ensure specific machine functions \u2013 in this case, a 3D printer. Firmware is stored inside the machine (within a special computer) and it controls the motors, the screen, the brightness of the lights, even the hot-end temperatures \u2013 all while executing a print. Without firmware, Ultimaker\u2019s machines wouldn\u2019t be much more use than a piece of stone.<\/p>\n

Cura vs firmware<\/h2>\n

Cura and firmware are closely related but operate in very different ways. Cura takes input from the user in the form of a 3D model. It then converts this into a set of instructions for the machine. The firmware then uses these instructions to print the final 3D model.<\/p>\n

CAD \u2192 3D model \u2192 Cura \u2192 G-code \u2192 [transfer to machine] \u2192 Firmware \u2192 Actual object<\/p>\n

Ultimaker Original and Ultimaker 2<\/h2>\n

The Ultimaker Original and Ultimaker 2 are both similar, in that they have the same tiny computer \u2013 and they perform almost the same tasks. The Ultimaker 2\u2019s firmware is simply an improved version of the Ultimaker Original, with a better user flow.<\/p>\n

The tiny computer in the Ultimaker Original and Ultimaker 2 isn\u2019t actually that fast. It has about the same computer power as a 1st-generation Gameboy, which is quite limited. There\u2019s no room for advanced features like Wi-Fi, or for storing print jobs on the printer itself.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to know that it has:<\/p>\n