Cartesian Arm Solution

The Cartesian arm solution is the most common type of machine configuration used in 3D printers and CNC machines.

In a Cartesian machine, each actuator (motor and linear rail) directly corresponds to an axis in Cartesian space:

  • Alpha actuator controls the X axis
  • Beta actuator controls the Y axis
  • Gamma actuator controls the Z axis

This is the simplest arm solution, as there is a direct 1:1 relationship between the motors and the movement in space - no mathematical conversion is needed.

Configuration

To configure your machine to use the Cartesian arm solution, add this to your configuration file:

arm_solution cartesian

This is the default setting in Smoothieware, so if you don’t specify an arm solution, Cartesian will be used automatically.

Common Cartesian Machines

Cartesian configurations are used in:

  • Most desktop 3D printers (like Prusa i3, Creality Ender, etc.)
  • CNC routers and mills
  • Laser cutters
  • Pick and place machines

Example: C-Beam Machine

Image reference: C-Beam Cartesian machine

(Original image path: images/cartesian/c-beam.jpg - file not found)

See Also