Klipper Firmware Guide: Speed, Input Shaper & Pressure Advance

Klipper is an open-source 3D printer firmware that has fundamentally changed what hobbyist printers can do. If you've ever watched a Voron or modded Ender 3 print at speeds that seem impossible, Klipper is likely the reason. Here's everything you need to know about what Klipper is, what it does, and whether it's right for your printer.

What Is Klipper?

Traditional 3D printer firmware (Marlin, RepRapFirmware) runs entirely on the printer's microcontroller — the small, relatively slow chip on your mainboard. This limits computational power for complex calculations like motion planning and look-ahead.

Klipper splits the work: a Raspberry Pi (or similar single-board computer) handles all the complex math — motion planning, kinematics, input shaping — and sends precise step timing to the printer's microcontroller, which only needs to execute simple step pulses. The result is dramatically more computational power available for advanced features.

The Architecture

• Raspberry Pi: Runs the Klipper host software, processes G-code, calculates motion, serves the web interface
• Printer MCU: Receives precise step commands from the Pi and executes them. No heavy computation needed.
• Web interface (Mainsail/Fluidd): Browser-based printer control — start prints, monitor progress, change settings, view webcam — all from any device on your network

Speed Improvements

Klipper doesn't magically make your printer's motors faster. What it does is unlock speed that was previously limited by firmware capabilities:

Higher Acceleration

Marlin firmware on an 8-bit board struggles with high acceleration values because it can't calculate step timings fast enough. Klipper on a Raspberry Pi handles accelerations of 5,000-10,000mm/s² with ease. Higher acceleration means your printer reaches its target speed faster, which dramatically reduces print times — especially on models with many short moves (detailed surfaces, small features).

Better Motion Planning

Klipper's look-ahead algorithm plans many moves in advance, smoothing velocity changes between segments. This means the printer maintains higher average speeds throughout the print rather than constantly slowing down and speeding up at each direction change.

Input Shaper: The Game Changer

Input shaper is the feature that made Klipper famous. When a printer moves fast and changes direction, the frame and components vibrate — these vibrations show up as ringing or ghosting artifacts on print surfaces (ripples after sharp corners).

How It Works

Input shaper measures the resonant frequencies of your printer's frame and components using an accelerometer (ADXL345), then filters out those specific frequencies from the motion commands. The printer moves just as fast but without exciting the resonant frequencies that cause ringing.

Calibration Process

1. Mount an ADXL345 accelerometer on your print head
2. Run Klipper's built-in resonance test — the printer shakes the head at different frequencies while measuring the response
3. Klipper generates frequency response graphs and recommends the optimal shaper type and parameters
4. Add the recommended values to your config, and ringing artifacts disappear

The difference is dramatic. Printers that showed terrible ringing at 100mm/s can print cleanly at 200-300mm/s with input shaper properly tuned.

Pressure Advance

Pressure advance (similar to Marlin's linear advance) compensates for the delay between extruder movement and actual filament flow. When the extruder starts pushing, there's a brief lag before filament actually comes out of the nozzle (pressure needs to build in the melt zone). When the extruder stops, filament continues oozing due to residual pressure.

What It Fixes

• Corner bulging: Without pressure advance, corners get blobs where the head slows down but filament keeps flowing
• Line start blobs: Beginning of extrusion lines get extra material before flow stabilizes
• Stringing reduction: Proper pressure advance decompresses the melt zone during retracts, reducing oozing

Tuning Pressure Advance

Klipper includes a built-in tuning tower test. Print the test, measure which layer height gives the cleanest corners, and enter the corresponding value. Different filaments may need different values — PLA typically needs 0.03-0.06, PETG 0.05-0.10, TPU can be higher.

Which Printers Support Klipper?

Almost any FDM 3D printer with a supported mainboard can run Klipper. Here's the landscape:

Designed for Klipper

• Voron (all models): Built around Klipper — the reference implementation
• Ratrig V-Core: Ships with Klipper-ready configuration
• Many Chinese CoreXY kits: Sovol SV06/SV08, various Klipper-first designs

Great Klipper Conversions

• Creality Ender 3 / Ender 5: Huge community, extensive documentation, well-tested configs
• Creality CR-10 series: Popular conversion, benefits enormously from input shaper
• Anycubic printers: Good community support for most models

Not Recommended for Klipper

• Bambu Lab printers: Closed firmware, not compatible with Klipper
• Prusa printers: Technically possible but loses Prusa's excellent built-in features

Getting Started with Klipper

If you want to try Klipper, here's what you need:

1. A Raspberry Pi 3B+ or better (Pi 4 recommended)
2. A compatible mainboard (most modern boards work — check the Klipper docs)
3. An ADXL345 accelerometer for input shaper calibration
4. Patience and willingness to learn — Klipper is configured through text files, not menus

The installation process involves flashing the Klipper MCU firmware to your printer's mainboard and setting up the Klipper host software on the Pi. The Klipper documentation is excellent, and communities like the Klipper Discord are incredibly helpful.

We Can Help

At Forgely Roy, we carry Raspberry Pi boards, ADXL345 accelerometers, and other Klipper-related accessories. If you're converting your printer to Klipper and need help with configuration or troubleshooting, bring it in — our team has hands-on experience with Klipper setups. We also stock the high-quality filament you'll need to push those higher print speeds.

📍 Forgely Roy — 5519 S 1900 W, Roy, UT 84067
📞 385-449-2694
⏰ Mon–Fri 11–6 • Sat 11–3