Supported Hardware

Supported hardware

The short answer

NebulaOS supports the Creality Ender-3 V3 KE. That is the only printer it supports.

Check you have the right printer

The Ender-3 V3 KE is easy to confuse with its siblings. They are different machines and NebulaOS is not for them:

Printer	Supported?
Ender-3 V3 KE	Yes
Ender-3 V3	No
Ender-3 V3 SE	No
Ender-3 V3 Plus	No
Ender-3 S1 / S1 Pro / V2 / Neo	No
K1, K1C, K1 Max, K2	No
Anything not a Creality Ender-3 V3 KE	No

The model name is printed on the box and usually on a label on the machine. If your printer's stock screen says anything other than "Ender-3 V3 KE", stop here.

Do not try to install it on another printer. The image is built for this machine's specific processor, display and mainboard. It will not simply refuse politely.

What is inside the KE

Useful to know, because it explains some things elsewhere in this manual:

Processor	Ingenic X2000, a MIPS chip. Not ARM, not x86
Touchscreen	480 x 272 pixels, resistive touch
Mainboard	Creality's own, with a separate microcontroller driving the motors
Storage	Internal eMMC with two system slots, plus a shared data area
Network	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi

The 480 x 272 screen is small, which is why NebulaScreen's layout is dense - and why every screenshot in this manual is that size.

2.4 GHz only. If your router publishes separate names for its 2.4 and 5 GHz networks, use the 2.4 GHz one. See Connecting to Wi-Fi.

Two system slots

The printer has room for two complete systems, and this is the single most reassuring fact in this manual. NebulaOS installs into the slot you are not using, so:

• Your existing system stays installed.
• Going back is a menu item, not a reinstall.
• A system update goes into the other slot and is undone automatically if it fails.

Your print files, configuration and calibration live in a third, shared area and survive switching between systems.

Accessories

• Camera: any USB webcam works for watching prints. Creality's Nebula Camera also gets its own settings - night mode, anti-flicker and picture controls. See Camera.
• USB storage: FAT32-formatted sticks, for print files and for installing system images.
• A screen mount: the KE's display is not positioned for comfortable use. Community mounts exist on Thingiverse and Printables.

What you need besides the printer

To install:

• A FAT32 USB stick, if you are coming from stock Creality firmware.
• A computer with SSH, if you are coming from OpenKE.

To calibrate:

• A sheet of paper.
• A ruler or caliper.
• For skew correction only, a printed test part.

Next

• Safety first
• Installing NebulaOS