An Arduino IDE program

Firmware is updated on most RepRap controller boards by using the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It's an open source software application that allows programs and data (such as the RepRap firmware) to be loaded and stored permanently in the microcontroller chip.

In order to access the firmware and make changes, you'll need to download the recent version at http://arduino.cc/. It's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux OS systems. Some recent versions of Marlin and older firmware will require the use of legacy versions such as v0.23. They can be found on the previous release page of the download site. If you're having problems uploading basic data changes, it's a good idea to check a previous version of the Arduino IDE that you are using. Sometimes, the firmware updates don't keep up with the recent Arduino versions.

For Windows users, you can place the unzipped Arduino folder in your Program Files folder. Create a desktop...