Getting Started #
Welcome to the TH3D EZBoard Documentation!
Almost everything is plug-and-play. Make sure to unplug your printer from the wall before installing this or any other parts on your printer. We will cover the connections on the board and then go over adding things like filament sensors, EZABL, BL Touch, and the E3D PT100 high temp sensor, all optional accessories. If you are also installing an EZABL do the EZBoard installation first and then follow the EZABL installation guide to set up the EZABL.
Read before installing #
You MUST read the installation documentation. All connections are detailed along with warnings about what to do and not to do. Failure to follow the installation documentation may result in damage to the board and/or failure of the board to work properly.
Flashing Firmware #
All EZBoards ship with a test firmware that is for testing the boards. You must flash firmware for the machine you are installing it in for the board to work. Before flashing please read our article on MicroSD cards and how they should be formatted. Not using a MicroSD card in the format or size listed on the above article may result in your board being bricked. Be patient when flashing and do not cycle power for at least 30 seconds.
PIN 27/EZOut Boards #
Do NOT use a “Pin 27” or “EZOut” Board with the EZBoard. Use of these will damage the EZBoard and it is not tested to work with the EZBoard. Headers for a BL Touch (Servo) and filament sensor (Fil. Sensor) are directly available on the board so no adapters are needed. You can use our filament sensor (or the stock Creality filament sensor) AND a BL Touch at the same time.
Filament Sensors & Cables #
When using a filament sensor use the cable that is included with it. Do not use a Creality cable with our EZOut sensor as this will short the board due to differences in the sensor wiring and vice versa (Creality sensor with our EZOut cable).
Screw Tightening #
When installing the board do NOT overtighten the screws. You can damage the PCB if the screws are overtightened.
SD Extensions #
We do NOT recommend using SD extensions as these can damage the ejection mechanism onboard SD slots as they do not usually allow you to properly eject the SD card from the slot. We are able to repair damaged SD slots for a nominal fee, but this is not covered under warranty.
Wire Termination #
Any wires entering screw terminals must be bare wire or use ferrules. Many printer companies tin the wires, and it is incorrect. Make sure that screws on terminals are tight so they get good contact. Inserting wires that have tinned ends and/or failure to tighten the terminals all the way will eventually cause damage to the terminals that is not covered under warranty.
Connections & Wire Clippings #
Always double-check your connections and make sure there are no stray wire clippings on the board before powering on. Incorrect connections or stray wire clippings will damage the board and are not covered under the included warranty. If you are not sure about your wiring you can contact our support with pictures for verification or post them in one of our TH3D Communities.
Dual Z Motor Adapter #
If you are using the Dual Z Motor adapter here is a printable file to put over the adapter board to prevent shorting.
Technical Support #
Need help? You can contact us through the Contact Us link on our website. We also have sections in our communities to get help outside of business hours and they are linked below.
TH3D Community & Support Links:
- Help Center: https://Support.TH3DStudio.com
- Discord: http://Discord.TH3DStudio.com
- Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/th3dstudio/
Installation Video #
Board Connections #
Power Outputs #
All power outputs for your heaters and fans will output whatever your power supply input is. Meaning if you have a 24V printer it will output 24V.
5V Supply Jumper #
This should always be set to the “Reg” side of the jumper block. If it is not then the board will not work unless USB is connected. Our board will power off when set to “Reg” when the PSU for the printer is turned off. Unlike other boards ours does not back-feed power into the VIN and it will not stay on when connected to Octoprint if you cut the printer power off. This jumper provides full isolation of the 5V from the USB and the onboard 5V regulator on the board.
Power Supply Input Terminal (VIN) #
The terminal labeled VIN is where the power from your printer power supply is connected to. Make sure to get the positive (+) and negative (-) correct when connecting them.
Always on Power/Fan Terminal #
For your fans that are always on connect these to the Always On screw terminal labeled “Fan” on our board. If they have a connector snip them off and strip them before inserting them into the screw terminal.
- CR-10 Series – will need to have the always on fan (control box fans -40mm and 50mm- and hotend fan) 2 pin connectors removed and connected to the FAN terminal on our board.
- Ender 5 Plus – will need to have the always on hotend fan 2 pin connector removed and connected to the FAN terminal on our board.
Pay attention to the positive (+) and negative markings (-) on the connections. If connected the wrong way it will damage the fans and/or the board. This is for always on fans only, not your layer fan that cools the plastic when printing.
Heated Bed Terminal (Bed) #
This is where your heated bed heater wiring connects to. Polarity is not important unless you are running an external MOSFET. If running an external MOSFET make sure to get the polarity (+/-) correct
Hotend Terminal (H-End) #
This is where your hotend heater wiring connects to. Polarity is not important unless you are running an external MOSFET. If running an external MOSFET make sure to get the polarity (+/-) correct
Fan 1 (Layer Fan) #
This is used for your layer fan that cools the filament. Pay attention to the positive (+) and negative markings (-) on the connection. If connected the wrong way it will damage the fans and/or the board. On Creality machines this is usually a yellow/blue wire and yellow is positive. Our headers are set up to match the stock connectors. But it doesn’t hurt to double-check.
Fan 2 (Control Box Fan(s)) #
This is used for machines like the Ender3/Ender5 that have a 40mm fan directly over the board. This fan will turn on/off with your motors to keep the drivers cool. Pay attention to the positive (+) and negative markings (-) on the connection. If connected the wrong way it will damage the fans and/or the board. On Creality machines this is usually a red/black wire and red is positive. Our headers are set up to match the stock connectors. But it doesn’t hurt to double-check.
Endstops #
Connect your X and Y endstops to the corresponding endstop header on our EZBoard. They are labeled X-Stop and Y-Stop.
Z Endstop (Z-Stop) #
If connecting the stock endstop just plug it into the Z-Stop port. If connecting an EZABL or other ABL sensor you may need to reverse the Z wiring. Use M119 to verify if the sensor is reading triggered/open correctly. If there is no change then switch your Z endstop wires (or if you have the EZABL Pro flip the Z switch on the board) and test again.
Thermistors (Hotend and Bed) #
These connect to the E-Temp and B-Temp headers. E-Temp is for the hotend thermistor and B-Temp is for the bed thermistor. Make sure to inspect the thermistors for any damage to the wires or overtightening of the screw holding the hotend thermistor.
X Motor (X) #
Connect your X motor to the motor connection with the X next to it. Refer to the picture in this guide as they are highlighted as to what connector is for what motor in case the markings on the board are not clear enough.
Y Motor (Y) #
Connect your Y motor to the motor connection with the Y next to it. Refer to the picture in this guide as they are highlighted as to what connector is for what motor in case the markings on the board are not clear enough.
X Motor (E) #
Connect your E motor to the motor connection with the E next to it. Refer to the picture in this guide as they are highlighted as to what connector is for what motor in case the markings on the board are not clear enough.
Z Motor (Z) #
By default there is 1 Z motor connection. If you ordered with the Dual Z Motor adapter you will have the PCB and wire included in your order. This is to connect 2 Z steppers to the 1 Z header if your machine has 2 motors. Make sure to cover the rear of the adapter PCB with the STL we provide or electrical tape to prevent shorting.
When you do this enable the “DUAL_Z_MOTORS” option in the firmware to increase the Z stepper driver amperage to drive the 2 motors. When enabling the CR-10S or SV01 options this is enabled automatically in the latest firmware.
LCD Connection #
If you have a single cable LCD like what is on the Ender 3, Ender 5, or CR-10 just plug it into the LCD header on the board. If you have a dual cable LCD you will need to use the optional Creality Dual Cable LCD adapter board to connect your LCD to our board. This also is the same for the CR-20 LCD adapter PCB.
NOTE: If you have a dual cable LCD that has the EXP3 header on it then you can use that instead of the dual cable LCD adapter board. Just use one of the stock cables and the 2nd will be not used. Some have EXP3 silkscreened on the board but not physically installed. If you have one that has EXP3 physically installed you can use that instead of the dual cable connection.
Installing the Creality Dual Cable LCD Adapter board #
Make sure to align the adapter in the socket. It will cover ALL the pins. Mis-aligning the adapter can damage the board/LCD and make the LCD not work. The board will hang over the EZBoard PCB as shown in the below pictures.
There are no firmware changes needed when using the Creality Dual LCD Adapter as all pin changes are handled on our board.
If your board came with a pull-up board this is ONLY for the Ender3/5 machines with a single LCD cable. Do not use this on the dual cable versions.
The board edges will align with the edges of the LCD header socket. Once you have it installed you can connect the cable that goes to EXP1 on your LCD to the EXP1 plug on the board and same for EXP2. EXP1 is the one furthest from the LCD header connection.
Filament Sensor #
This is marked on the board as “Fil Sensor”. There are 2 sensors currently supported. Our EZOut sensor and the Creality/Sovol sensor. Depending on the sensor you are using enable the corresponding sensor in the firmware when you update it. Only use the wire that came with whatever sensor you have. Do not mix a Creality cable with our EZOut sensor or vice versa.
Only the EZOut sensor itself is needed, if you have an EZOut already you will NOT need the EZOut adapter board to use it with our board. We sell just the sensor in the shop.
Connecting the filament sensor cable backward, mixing cables from different sensors, and/or incorrectly WILL short out the board and is not covered under warranty.
E3D PT100 Temperature Sensor w/ Amplifier Board #
Picture from E3D Website: https://e3d-online.com/pt100-amplifier-board, annotations added by TH3D for pinouts
Only the specific E3D PT100 board shown above has been tested to work with our board. Any other amplifier boards from other vendors and/or variations of amplifier boards may not work and/or cause damage to the EZBoard. We recommend the E3D version.
SERVO (BL TOUCH) Header #
This is used for connecting a servo or an ABL sensor like the BL Touch. The Signal, 5V, and GND pins are marked on the PCB. Be sure to connect them to your servo/BLTouch in the correct color order.
Incorrectly connecting these can short out your sensor and/or the board. Below is the wiring for a genuine BL Touch sensor, your wire colors MUST match the picture. We strongly do NOT recommend using a BL Touch clone as they are of inferior quality and may damage your control board.
Wiring color notes: Some BL Touch 3rd party harnesses use non-standard colors. See our help center for some documented 3rd party harness color pinouts: BLTouch Wiring Harness Colors - Creality - TH3D Studio LLC BLTouch Wiring Harness Colors - BTT - TH3D Studio LLC
You can also use this header for connecting the EZABL if you have issues with it on the Z Endstop (some V3 Kits need to connect here).
Firmware Setup #
Other Upgrades & 3rd Party Printer Parts #
Make sure when setting up the firmware that you take into account any upgrades you have on the printer. Our firmware is set up for stock machines and there are options for changing settings like thermistors and steps in it.
If you changed your hotend and/or extruder there may be additional changes to the firmware settings to make sure those work correctly. Refer to the product documentation for your other upgrades to determine what settings would need to be changed (thermistor #, esteps, etc).
Easiest – Web-based Firmware Compiler #
We have an automated web compiler that is VERY easy to use and does not require any software installation on your computer. Head over to https://EZFirmware.TH3DStudio.com to get your firmware for your EZBoard.
You can still compile locally with VSCode but if you are having issues with your local PC compiling use the EZFirmware website.
Advanced – Local Compile #
For Creality printer models, click here and select your printer model from the left-hand toolbar. Then click the “Aftermarket Boards” category and select the “EZBoard Lite V1” firmware for your printer model.
For our generic “DIY” firmware package, click here to view the download page and installation instructions.
Ender 5/Ender 5 Pro Notes #
If you have an Ender 5 machine check that your Z-axis moves 10mm when you tell it to move 10mm. Some machines are shipping with new leadscrews that have different steps/mm. If yours only moves 5mm when told to move 10mm then you need to enable the ENDER5_NEW_LEADSCREW option in the firmware and update the board again.
You can also look at the steps/mm setting in the stock board by going to Control>Motion>Steps/mm and see if Z shows 400 or 800. If it shows 800 then you need to use the ENDER5_NEW_LEADSCREW option for your machine.
FAQ #
Please see our FAQ for the EZBoard in our Help Center here: EZBoard – FAQ
Legal #
Full terms available on https://www.TH3DStudio.com/terms/
Damage to the product that is a result of mishandling of the printer and its components and/or improper installation are NOT covered under warranty.
By purchasing and install these parts you agree to the below terms and the terms of service on: https://www.TH3DStudio.com/terms/
There are many things you can do to your printer installing this or any modification.
You are assuming all risk associated with this modification.
If a 3rd party product causes damage to our board this is not covered under warranty. This includes failed parts on the printer itself that can cause shorts into IO pins (like a hotend failure). It is recommended to regularly check your machine for defects in the wiring and mechanicals to prevent damage to your machine and our board.
You understand that this and/or any modifications to your printer can and/or may void your manufacturer warranty (if any).
TH3D Studio LLC is not to be held liable for any damage to your printer, home, person, or anything else due to issues that may arise from improper installation or failure of these parts.
