# Form 2 idling stepper noise **URL:** \ **Category:** Form 2\ **Created:** [March 28, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580 "2016-03-28T01:37:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ante\_Vukorepa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/ante_vukorepa/32/18125_2.png) [@Ante\_Vukorepa](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ante_Vukorepa)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580/1 "2016-03-28T01:37:31Z")
My Form 2 appears to have steppers that are pretty noisy when idling. I’m familiar with the sound from various FDM printers i’ve dealt with and built over the years, but the difference here is - the stepper whine on Form 2 never goes away. Even when i put it to sleep, there’s still a noise. At first i’ve thought it’s a fan, then i’ve noticed that i can feel it through the tank and the wiper with my finger. The version of FW it came with was pretty bad, after an update it became quieter, but it still persists even in sleep. I don’t mind it while the printer is operating, but why do you keep pushing current through steppers (and possibly a fan) when it’s in sleep? It makes no sense. ---
**Author:** ![Ante\_Vukorepa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/ante_vukorepa/32/18125_2.png) [@Ante\_Vukorepa](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ante_Vukorepa)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 3:43am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580/2 "2016-03-28T03:43:40Z")
Little update - the idle stepper noise goes away after a print job. But if you’ve just turned on your Form 2, and haven’t printed anything yet, it keeps the current to the stepper(/s) going, regardless of whether it’s idling, sleeping or actually printing. ---
**Author:** ![Zachary\_Brackin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4da419/32.png) [@Zachary\_Brackin](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Zachary_Brackin)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580/3 "2016-03-28T16:12:06Z")
I unplug the printer after finishing since I can still hear it humming, It’d be nice if to be able to keep it in sleep without anything running. ---
**Author:** ![Ante\_Vukorepa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/ante_vukorepa/32/18125_2.png) [@Ante\_Vukorepa](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ante_Vukorepa)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580/4 "2016-03-28T16:26:38Z")
Check if you’re on the latest firmware. It seems that on latest FW, at least it cuts power to steppers AFTER a finished print. So at least it goes quiet after you’re done printing. If you unplug it, however, then plug it in again, it will be noisy when idling and sleeping again, until you do another print. ---
**Author:** ![annsidenblad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e99b99/32.png) [@annsidenblad](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/annsidenblad)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580/5 "2016-03-28T23:32:19Z")
I’ve noticed the sound as well. I’ve been unplugging it just because I didn’t trust that it was really off or sleeping. I have a print going right now, so I’ll check to see if the noise stops on mine after the print as well. (i have the latest FW) ---
**Author:** ![Ante\_Vukorepa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/ante_vukorepa/32/18125_2.png) [@Ante\_Vukorepa](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ante_Vukorepa)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 3:56am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580/6 "2016-03-29T03:56:52Z")
Same deal after a second print - it goes quiet _after_ a print, but not before a print, after a fresh boot. ---
**Author:** ![Ante\_Vukorepa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/ante_vukorepa/32/18125_2.png) [@Ante\_Vukorepa](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Ante_Vukorepa)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580/7 "2016-03-29T04:20:55Z")
Hey Formlabs, I see you’re using Trinamic’s stepper drivers. Any reason you’re not using the StealthChop mode? It’s ninja-silent, both in motion and when idling. Is it because it requires a higher current (and, thus, peoduces more heat)? ---
**Author:** ![James\_Kuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@James\_Kuo](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/James_Kuo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580/8 "2016-03-30T04:29:21Z")
I’ve also noticed that the printer will heat the resin to 22C while sleeping, so I guess sleep mode is not really turning the printer off. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/5/b/5bc2bdf993ff27c2e0eecab5010b25626fbb327a.png) [@system](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/form-2-idling-stepper-noise/7580/9 "2016-04-13T04:29:31Z")
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