5 Series Printer Firmware

These release notes are for 5 Series printers that were purchased after August 2021 or have received an electronics upgrade. For older printers, please visit 5 Series Printer Legacy Firmware Release Notes.

96.7.0

10/17/2024

Compatibility

  • After you install Firmware 96.7.0, if your printer currently has B9Captivate Plugin installed please download and install the new B9Captivate Plugin 3.1.0.
  • See the Troubleshooting section below for issues you may experience if you do not update to B9Captivate Plugin 3.1.0.

New Features

  • USB Transfer improvements
    • The new activity indicator appears green when it is safe to remove the flash drive. When the activity indicator shows yellow or red, the drive is in use and removing it may corrupt data on the drive.
    • When viewing the files on a drive, tapping the Back icon next to the device name to goes up a folder. Pressing and holding the Back returns to the list of drives.
    • On the list of drives, pressing and holding a drive name allows you to mount or unmount it.
    • Tapping the Help icon shows instructions for how to use the USB Transfer menu.
    • If you have not navigated into a flash drive, the tapping Transfer Support Package or attempting to transfer any prints onto the flash drive shows a popup saying you must first navigate into a flash drive.

Materials

  • Adds Precision Gray
    • B9 Core 5XL (385)
    • B9 Core Med 5XL (385)
    • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385)
    • B9 Core 5XL (405)
    • B9 Core Med 5XL (405)
  • Changes for existing settings
    • Robust - ABS/PC
      • B9 Core 550 - 50 µm
      • B9 Core Med 550 - 50 µm
      • B9 Core 5XL (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
    • Robust - ABS
      • B9 Core 5XL (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
    • ESD - Rigid
      • B9 Core 5XL (385) - 50 µm
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385) - 50 µm
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385) - 50 µm
      • B9 Core 5XL (405) - 50 µm
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (405) - 50 µm
    • Rugged - Nylon 6
      • B9 Core 5XL (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
    • Gray
      • B9 Core 5XL (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385) - 50 µm and 100 µm

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: The screen could fall asleep while the printer was printing even when the “Always on during print” setting was turned on. Now the screen always stays on while printing. On the Print Finished screen, the screen falls asleep after the normal timeout duration.
  • Fixed: Certain flash drives failed to mount.
  • Fixed: If your printer showed that an over-the-air update was available, updates could not be installed via flash drive.

Troubleshooting

I’m experiencing B9Captivate Plugin issues after updating to Firmware 96.7.0.

It is recommended that you use B9Captivate Plugin 3.1.0 when using Firmware 96.7.0. If you are experiencing any B9Captivate Plugin issues after updating to Firmware 96.7.0, please download and install the new B9Captivate Plugin 3.1.0. If you are using an incompatible version of B9Captivate Plugin, these issues may occur when you attempt to upload a material file:

  • B9Captivate Plugin disappears from the Settings > Plugins screen until you reboot your printer.
  • Your B9Captivate materials disappear from the printer’s list of materials until you reboot your printer.

96.6.1

6/12/2024

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: If an over-the-air firmware update was available and you waited one hour without tapping with the Settings > Update > Install update button, the firmware update would automatically install. If the printer was printing, this caused the print to fail when the printer rebooted after the firmware update finished. This bug only exists in Firmware 96.5.0 and Firmware 96.6.0.
  • Fixed: The “Update available” banner on the home screen was not visible when an update was available.
  • Fixed: After factory resetting, the language selection popup did not show immediately on reboot.
  • Fixed: In Print History, the “Print” button did not work if the print name contained at least one “.” character.
  • Fixed: Certain custom materials could not be deleted.

96.6.0

5/24/2024

New Features

  • When an over-the-air firmware update is ready to be installed, the firmware release notes appear in the Settings > Updates menu.
    • Release notes will be available starting in 5 Series Firmware 96.6.0 and moving forward. They will not appear if you are downgrading to a firmware older than 96.6.0.
    • Release notes will not appear when installing a firmware update via flash drive.

Materials

  • New for the B9 Elite Micro
    • Elite Micro Onyx
    • Elite Micro Transparent

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: When Firmware 96.5.0 was installed and you downgraded to a lower firmware via USB, the printer returned to Firmware 96.5.0 on the next reboot. This bug will always exist for Firmware 96.5.0, but it is fixed in Firmware 96.6.0 moving forward.
  • Fixed: B9 desktop applications showed all factory material names as available on the connected printer, even if the printer model did not have a setting for a given factory material.
  • Fixed: B9Create could show certain print history items out of order.
  • Fixed: When removing a B9Captivate material via B9Captivate Desktop, even though the material would be successfully removed from the printer, a “Failed to delete” popup was displayed and the material did not disappear from B9Captivate Desktop’s material list.

96.5.0

3/20/2024

New Features

  • Print History improvements
  • Print volume is displayed in the details pane.
    • There is no limit to the number of prints stored in Print History. Previously, only the 20 most recent prints were stored.
    • The Clear Print History button is always visible under the Print History list.
    • Dates are displayed in the standard format for the selected language.
  • Improvements when handling failed CPJx transfers
    • If there is not enough disk space to transfer the CPJx, a notification appears before the transfer begins.
    • If the transfer fails, partially transferred CPJx data is removed.
    • CPJx transfer no longer fails when there are 75 existing prints on the printer.
  • The Print Library's sorting method persists between opens.
  • In the USB Transfer menu, the Transfer Support Package button is always visible under the Print Library list.
  • In the Material and Quality menu, long-pressing on a quality shows a menu with its version number.
  • The printer's fan runs more often to keep the internal hardware cool. You may hear the fan running periodically even while the printer is idle.

Materials

  • Adds Open Grow® SureCast™
    • B9 Core 550 - 30 µm
    • B9 Core 5XL (405) - 30 µm
  • Standardizes Quality name format across all materials. This change only affects the display names and has no effect on printing.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: The estimated print time in the Material and Quality menu wouldn't update if you returned to the Print Library and selected a different print.
  • Fixed: User materials upload via B9Create could not be removed from the printer.
  • Fixed: If changing the Print Library's sorting method changed the selected print, the preview image would not update.
  • Fixed: In Print History's details pane, long text was cut off instead of wrapped.

Compatibility

If your printer had B9Captivate Plugin 3.0.0 installed before updating to Firmware 96.5.0, you must update to B9Captivate Plugin 3.0.1.

96.4.1

1/12/2024

New Features

  • All 5 Series printers now have significantly reduced "dark pixel debris", which would most commonly appear as a thin film of cured resin that could accumulate on the vat window. Prints that previously struggled with visible dark pixel debris will see a visible improvement on Firmware 96.4.1. 
    • The Ascent printer models already received this improvement in Firmware 96.3.4.
    • The B9 Elite Micro and B9 Core 530 printer models already received this improvement in Firmware 96.3.2.
  • USB Transfer improvements 
    • Flash drives with multiple partitions or without a partition table are supported. 
    • Supported formats: FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS
    • The Eject icon on the USB Transfer menu unmounts the flash drive for safe removal.
    • If you insert a flash drive while you are already on the USB Transfer menu, the menu will automatically update to show the files.
  • Compatible with B9Captivate Plugin 3.0.0.
  • The Sync operation on the Settings > Date and Time menu is significantly faster. 

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: On the following printer models, certain prints would abort with Error 10019 when using a material setting with a quick release cycle:
    • B9 Elite Micro
    • B9 Core 530
    • All Ascent models
  • Fixed: Adding or removing a B9Captivate material during a print would cause the print to fail. 
  • Fixed: B9 desktop applications showed all factory material names as available on the connected printer, even if the printer model did not have a setting for a given factory material.

96.3.4

6/22/2023

New Features

  • All Ascent printers now have significantly reduced "dark pixel debris", which would most commonly appear as a thin film of cured resin that could accumulate on the vat window. Prints that previously struggled with visible dark pixel debris will see a visible improvement on Firmware 96.3.4.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: Print files with at least one space character in their name could not be attached to support package. Occasionally this could cause the "Generating support package" popup to remain visible until the printer was rebooted.

96.3.3

5/23/2023

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: Once a print finished, the display would not go to sleep after the expected delay.
  • Fixed: Quality Tailoring values would not save correctly.

96.3.2

5/9/2023

New Features

  • Material changes
    • Robust - ABS/PC 50 µm updates for:
      • B9 Core 5XL (385)
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 205 (385)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385)
    • Removal of Robust - ABS/PC "mold" settings for:
      • B9 Core 5XL (405)
      • B9 Core 5XL (385)
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (405)
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 205 (405)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 205 (385)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (405)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385)
  • B9 Elite Micro and B9 Core 530 printers now have significantly reduced "dark pixel debris", which would most commonly appear as a thin film of cured resin that could accumulate on the vat window. Prints that previously struggled with visible dark pixel debris will see a visible improvement on Firmware 96.3.2.

96.3.1

3/24/2023

New Features

  • Material changes 
    • B9 Elite Micro updates for:
      • HD Slate 10 µm
      • HD Clear 20 µm
      • Robust - ABS/PC 20 µm
    • Robust - ABS/PC 50 µm updates for:
      • B9 Core 5XL (385)
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 205 (385)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385)
  • Compatible with B9Captivate Plugin 2.3.1
  • On the Settings > Network menu:
    • Device Discovery allows you to control whether your printer emits a UDP broadcast that lets it be discovered by external applications like B9Create. Device Discovery is enabled by default.
    • API Access is an add-on feature. Contact us for more information on enabling API Access for your printer.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed: The screen would freeze for several seconds if the back button was tapped less than 7 seconds after opening the USB Transfer menu.
  • Fixed: The print process could abort with Error 25011 when printing certain parts that tapered to a very small point. This bug was rare and was only observed on one B9 Elite Micro print.
  • Fixed: Firmware update would fail if the flash drive name, any folder in the path, or .mender filename contained a space character.

Troubleshooting

I'm experiencing B9Captivate Plugin issues after updating to Firmware 96.3.1.

The B9Captivate Plugin you had prior to updating your firmware is still on your printer, but it is incompatible with Firmware 96.3.1. Check the B9Captivate Plugin Printer Compatibility table to find the version of B9Captivate Plugin that's compatible with your current firmware version. Once you install the compatible version of B9Captivate Plugin, the plugin and all your settings will reappear.

Known issues when using an incompatible version of B9Captivate Plugin:

  • B9Captivate materials that were previously on the printer don’t appear in the printer’s list of materials, and they also aren’t visible when connected to the printer in B9Captivate Desktop. 
  • b9matd files on your flash drive do not appear on your printer’s USB Transfer menu. 
  • Clicking the Install button in B9Captivate Desktop to upload a material changes the button to “Installing...”, but it never finishes.

96.2.2

1/9/2023

New Features

  • Support for the B9 Elite Micro printer model
  • Material changes
    • B9 Elite Micro
      • HD Slate
      • HD Clear
      • Robust - ABS/PC

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed issue where sometimes the UI would freeze in the pre/during/post print screens

96.2.0

11/17/2022

New Features

  • Double clicking the front button navigates to the Home screen if navigating home is allowed.
  • In the Network menu, the effective netmask and gateway are shown when the IP method is Auto.
  • Updated German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Japanese translations
  • Material changes
    • FR - Rigid
      • B9 Core 530
      • B9 Core 550
      • B9 Core Med 550
      • B9 Core 550 Ascent
      • B9 Core 5XL (385)
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385)
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (385)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 205 (385)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385)
      • B9 Core 5XL (405)
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (405)
      • B9 Core Med 5XL (405)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 205 (405)
      • B9 5XL Ascent 320 (405)

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed issue where sometimes a printer would fail immediately (due to a light engine target current incompatibility)
  • Fixed issue where previous selected print parameters would not be maintained when navigating through the print selection screens.
  • Fixed issue where the printer would fail to update immediately upon selecting a .mender file in the USB menu located in a path which contained spaces.
  • UI tweaks to be more thematically consistent
  • Fixed issue where B9Captivate's Secondary Release Height Maxvalue wouldn't be respected for values greater than 10mm.
  • Fixed issue where sometimes the printer would not notify the user it was updating when an update was started in the USB transfer menu.
  • Fixed an issue where prints which took longer than 24 hours would consistently record the wrong real-print-time.
  • Fixed intermittent issues where the wrong real-print-time would be recorded after a print.
  • Wake display on display touch default behavior is now false. This can be changed within "Settings"->"Display"
  • Fixed issue where sometimes clicking a checkbox wouldn't check the box.
  • Fixed issue where "custom materials" provided by B9Create could not be removed.
  • Fix issue where prints with a comma character in their name could not be removed. They can now be removed if they are removed "singularly," i.e. the must be the only print selected when removing prints.
  • Fix issue where sometimes generating a support package would not have all pertinent information.

96.1.6

10/28/2022

Bug Fixes

  • Fixes a bug where the home screen icons were too small the first time the home screen was shown after performing a factory reset.

96.1.5

9/13/2022

Bug Fixes

  • Fixes a bug where B9 Core 530 printers would immediately abort CPJ prints on print start.

96.1.4

8/29/2022

Bug Fixes

  • Fixes a bug where custom materials could not be uploaded from B9Create.

96.1.3

8/23/2022

New Features

  • Compatible with B9Captivate Plugin 2.1.3.
  • You can add your own NTP source for the time sync on the Settings > Date and Time menu. For example, if your printer never connects to the Internet, you can add an NTP source for a time server on your local network.  
  • You can control screen brightness and other settings on the Settings > Display menu. 
  • Material changes
    • New 30μm quality settings for 5XL and Med 5XL printers (405 and 385)
    • New materials for B9 5XL Ascent 205 (385) and B9 5XL Ascent 320 (385) printers
      • Black 
      • Emerald 
      • Gray 
      • ESD - Rigid 
      • HD Clear 
      • HD Slate 
      • Resilient - Silicone 
      • Robust - ABS 
      • Robust - ABS - PC 
      • Rugged - Nylon 6 

Bug Fixes

  • Fixes a bug where the calculated print time in the Print History could be inaccurate. This bug most often happened when a print was started quickly after the printer was rebooted. 

How to Update Your Firmware 

Before updating, it is strongly recommended that you connect your printer to the Internet, and that you use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi.

  1. Plug your Ethernet cable into the back of your printer. 
  2. Use the printer’s menu to navigate to Settings > Network
  3. If the Ethernet checkbox is not already checked, tap to check the box. 

Then insert a USB drive with b9-core-5_96.1.3.mender and install the firmware update. You may also be able to update through the Settings > Updates menu on your printer, if Firmware 96.1.3 has been made available as an update to your printer. 

Troubleshooting

My printer had the B9Captivate Plugin installed. After updating to Firmware 96.1.3, I don’t see the B9Captivate Plugin in my list of plugins. 

The B9Captivate Plugin you had prior to updating your firmware is still on your printer, but it is incompatible with Firmware 96.1.3. Check the B9Captivate Plugin Printer Compatibility table to find the version of B9Captivate Plugin that's compatible with your current firmware version. Once you install the compatible version of B9Captivate Plugin, the plugin and all your settings will reappear.

96.0.0

7/11/2022

New Features

  • Added support for B9Captivate Plugin 2.0.0. 
  • Added Settings > Date and Time menu that shows the printer’s clock. If you are connected to the Internet, the Sync button allows you to reset your clock to the correct time. 
  • Material changes 
    • New ESD – Rigid material 

Bug Fixes

  • A “Not connected” message now appears in the bottom left corner of the home screen when the printer is not connected to the Internet.

How to Update Your Firmware 

Before updating, it is strongly recommended that you connect your printer to the Internet, and that you use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi.

  1. Plug your Ethernet cable into the back of your printer. 
  2. Use the printer’s menu to navigate to Settings > Network
  3. If the Ethernet checkbox is not already checked, tap to check the box. 

Then insert a USB drive with b9-core-5_96.0.0.mender and install the firmware update. You may also be able to update through the Settings > Updates menu on your printer, if Firmware 96.0.0 has been made available as an update to your printer.

Troubleshooting

My printer had B9Captivate Plugin installed. After updating to Firmware 96.0.0, I don’t see B9Captivate in my list of plugins. 

The B9Captivate Plugin you had prior to updating your firmware is still on your printer, but it is incompatible with Firmware 96.0.0. Check the B9Captivate Plugin Printer Compatibility table to find the version of B9Captivate Plugin that's compatible with your current firmware version. Once you install the compatible version of B9Captivate Plugin, the plugin and all your settings will reappear.

95.0.1

6/8/2022

Bug Fixes

  • Fixes a light engine temperature miscalculation that could abort prints for certain light engines that had been used heavily for a long time.

95.0.0

6/1/2022

New Features

  • Network connection settings have been significantly improved. 
    • Establishing a connection is faster. Previous firmware versions take a minute, on average, to establish an Ethernet connection. Firmware 95.0.0 establishes the connection in less than a second.
    • Ethernet and Wi-Fi can be active at the same time, so the printer can have both an Ethernet IP address and a Wi-Fi IP address.
    • The network settings page now shows a list of the available networks and tapping on an available network connects to it.
    • Disabling Wi-Fi completely turns off the Wi-Fi hardware.
  • Material changes 
    • New material settings available for Emerald, Rugged - Nylon 6, ABS - Blue, Robust - ABS/PC, and BioRes - Red. 

Bug Fixes 

  • The printer keeps its static IP address after reboot. 
  • The amount of remaining hard drive space is calculated correctly. 
  • Small vertical “scratches” that could occasionally appear on certain prints no longer appear. 
  • Certain prints that used to display the wrong layer count now display the correct layer count. 
  • Certain CPJ files that failed to print are now printable. 

How to Update Your Firmware 

Before updating, it is strongly recommended that you connect your printer to the Internet, and that you use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi.

  1. Plug your Ethernet cable into the back of your printer.
  2. Use the printer’s menu to navigate to Settings > Network
  3. If the Ethernet checkbox is not already checked, tap to check the box. 
  4. Tap the Ethernet cable icon in the lower left to confirm you are connected to the Internet. 

Next, navigate to Settings > Machine Info and determine what firmware version is currently on your printer. Use the table below to find your next steps.

Your Printer's Current Firmware Version How to Update to Firmware 95.0.0
Less than b9-core-5-92

Before updating to Firmware 95.0.0, please update to Firmware 94. 

  1. Download the installer for b9-core-5_94.mender.
  2. Put b9-core-5_94.mender on a USB drive and insert it into your printer.
  3. Tap the file in the USB Transfer menu to install the update.
  4. Once the update has finished, continue down to the next row in this table and follow the steps for b9-core-5-94.

b9-core-5-92,

b9-core-5-93,  

or 

b9-core-5-94

Option A 

  1. Navigate to Settings > Updates.
  2. Tap the button to download and install the update. 

Option B, if Option A isn’t available 

  1. Download the .mender installer.
  2. Put the .mender file on a USB drive and insert it into your printer. 
  3. Tap the file in the USB Transfer menu to install the update.

Firmware Update Troubleshooting 

How long does the update process take? 

The update is expected to take around 10 minutes. 

An “over-the-air" update is when your printer is downloading the update via an Internet connection instead of updating via a file on a USB drive. In some cases, over-the-air updates could take up to two hours. If an update dialog has been blocking your screen for over two hours, turn off the printer and try to update again. 

My printer displays “Finalizing update” for a long time and then the update fails. 

If you are updating via the button in the Settings > Updates menu, ensure that you are using Ethernet and have a good Internet connection. 

If the update continues to fail, please download the b9-core-5_95.0.0.mender installer and install the update from a USB drive. 

If the update still continues to fail, please contact support@b9c.com

The update installer file (.mender) does not show up on my USB drive, even though other files show up. 

Please contact support@b9c.com and inform us that you cannot see .mender files on your printer. 

After the update, my printer does not have an IP address. 

This is a rare side effect of updating to Firmware 95.0.0. Navigate to Settings > Network to reconnect to the correct network and set up a manual IP address if desired.

94

12/8/2021

New Features

  • Improved support package output

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed bug where .b9plugin files would be removed from the USB drive after installing them
  • Fixed bug where some material names were not being translated
  • Fixed bug where support packages could not be generated
  • Fixed bug where printer disk space would be filled and not cleaned up during USB Transfer
  • Fixed Microprecision and HD Slate med vs non-med mix-up

93

11/17/2022

New Features

  • Material changes
    • B9 Core 5XL (405)
      • Updates Emerald 30 μm
      • Updates Emerald 50 μm
      • Updates Emerald 100 μm
      • Adds Robust - ABS 100 μm
    • B9 Core Med 5XL (405)
      • Updates BioRes - White 50 μm
      • Adds BioRes - White 100 μm
      • Adds Robust - ABS 100 μm
    • B9 Core 5XL (385)
      • Adds HD Clear 30 μm
      • Adds HD Clear 100 μm
    • B9 Core Med 5XL (385)
      • Adds BioRes - White 100 μm
      • Adds HD Clear 30 μm
      • Adds HD Clear 100 μm

92

9/21/2021

New Features

  • OTA update capability - Printer will non-invasively notify user of an available update. Update can be initiated via the printer.

  • Material slice thickness filtering - Only materials and qualities which are multiples of the selected print thickness are shown in the user interface

  • Material changes
    • B9 Core 530
      • Add FastWax 30 μm
    • B9 Core 5XL (405)
      • Update HD Slate 30 μm
      • Add HD Slate Microscale
      • Add Rugged - Nylon 50 μm
    • B9 Core Med 5XL (405)
      • Update BioRes Micro Precision 30 μm
      • Add BioRes Micro Precision Microscale
      • Add Rugged - Nylon 50 μm
    • B9 Core 5XL (385)
      • Add Robust - ABS/PC 100 μm
      • Add Rugged - Nylon 50 μm
    • B9 Core Med 5XL (385)
      • Update Bio Red 50 μm
      • Add Bio Red 100 μm
      • Add Robust - ABS/PC 100 μm
      • Add Rugged - Nylon 50 μm

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a bug where certain printers could not print CPJ files.

91

9/16/2021

New Features

  • Improved general system stability
  • Material changes
    • B9 Core 5XL (385)
      • Update Rugged - Nylon 100 μm
      • Add Robust - ABS 50 μm
      • Add Robust - ABS/PC 50 μm
      • Add HD Clear 50 μm
      • Add Gray 100 μm
      • Add Emerald 30 μm
    • B9 Core Med 5XL (385)
      • Update Rugged - Nylon 100 μm
      • Add Robust - ABS 50 μm
      • Add Robust - ABS/PC 50 μm
      • Add HD Clear 50 μm
      • Add Gray 100 μm
      • Add Emerald 30 μm

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed incorrect version number in settings
  • Fixed new light engine issue