The Cheetah MX4 Mini Is an Ultra-Compact 3D Printer Controller

A 3D printer needs something to tell it which way to zig and how to zag — the amount each stepper motor should rotate at any given moment — and that is the job of the controller. As 3D printers have grown more complex and sophisticated over the years, controllers have had to evolve to support new features. That has resulted in many controllers becoming quite large, which can be a problem for compact builds. That’s why Kai Pereira designed the ultra-compact and open source Cheetah MX4 Mini 3D printer controller.

This is a new design and it isn’t even clear if Pereira has built a prototype yet, but the Cheetah MX4 Mini already looks promising. On its custom four-layer PCB is an STM32H7 microcontroller, four TMC stepper driver headers, three thermistor inputs, a probe input, three fan outputs, and two high-current heater outputs. It has support for an LCD screen, an SD card, and USB-C input. Power can come in through the USB-C port or an external power supply (12V or 24V).

The Cheetah MX4 Mini should work just like any other 3D printer controller and should be compatible with all of the popular firmware options. That includes Klipper, which has quickly become the go-to choice for so many of us.

Those features aren’t particularly groundbreaking and a lot of other controllers offer similar benefits. But the Cheetah MX4 Mini’s big selling point is its size. Its footprint measures just 90×80mm (3.54×3.15 inches), which is very compact. For comparison, the Duet 3 Mini 5+ is 123×100mm. There are smaller controllers out there, but the Cheetah MX4 Mini has a lot of features for its small size.

If you’re interested in trying a Cheetah MX4 Mini yourself, the open source files are already on GitHub. Pereira has the board setup with JLCPCB for easy ordering or you can use the files with any other PCB fabrication service.