Probes & Bed Scanners
Eddy-current scanners, nozzle-contact probes, inductive sensors, and deployable-pin probes for Z homing and bed meshing.
Choosing a probe: Eddy-current scanners (Cartographer, Beacon) mesh the whole bed in seconds and act as the Z endstop, but need a metal bed. Nozzle-contact probes (Voron Tap) give a perfect Z offset on any surface. Inductive sensors are the simple, proven budget option, and deployable-pin probes (BLTouch) work on literally any bed including glass. All options below are configurable in the .
Cartographer V4 AIO
The 2026 all-in-one revision of the Cartographer eddy-current scanner. V4 switches between USB and CAN in firmware (no re-soldering), uses a faster MCU rated to 125°C, and refines the coil for higher accuracy. Scans a full bed mesh in seconds without touching the plate, and supports Survey Touch contact probing for true nozzle-referenced Z offset. Fully supported in Klipper via the Cartographer plugin ([scanner] section) and in this site's Klipper Configurator.
Beacon
The original high-speed eddy-current bed scanner for Klipper. Scans the entire bed contactlessly at print speed, homes Z without an endstop, and — on current RevH hardware — supports contact probing for automatic Z offset directly off the nozzle. Excellent documentation and mature, actively maintained Klipper module.
BTT Eddy
BigTreeTech's budget eddy-current probe family using the LDC1612 sensor, supported natively by Klipper's [probe_eddy_current] section — no third-party plugin required. The most affordable way into contactless bed scanning, at the cost of the refinement and contact-probing features of Beacon/Cartographer.
Voron Tap
Voron's official nozzle-contact probe: the whole toolhead is mounted on a short MGN9 rail, and probing pushes the nozzle into the bed until an optical interrupter triggers. Because the nozzle itself is the probe, Z offset is inherently correct for any bed surface, any temperature. CNC metal versions (Vitalii3D, Chaotic Labs, etc.) improve stiffness over printed kits.
Klicky / Unklicky
A magnetically-attached detachable probe: the toolhead picks up a microswitch probe body from a dock before probing and returns it afterward, so nothing hangs off the toolhead during printing. Dirt cheap, extremely repeatable for a switch-based design, and endlessly adapted by the community (Unklicky, Klicky PCB, Euclid are cousins). The go-to before eddy scanners existed — still great on a budget.
Omron TL-Q5MC2 (Inductive)
The classic inductive proximity sensor specified in the original Voron BOMs. Senses the metal bed through the build surface — reliable and dumb-simple, but sensitive to temperature drift and only usable over the conductive area of the bed. Requires a BAT85 diode (or divider) to protect 3.3V MCU inputs from its 10-30V output. Still a perfectly good budget choice, and what most stock Voron kits ship.
Prusa SuperPINDA
Prusa's temperature-compensated inductive probe, standard on the MK3S+ family. The 'Super' revision uses a higher-quality sensor that eliminates the thermistor-based compensation of the older PINDA V2. Purpose-built for Prusa's bed and firmware — the reference option for Prusa printers and Prusa-style bedslingers (Switchwire conversions from MK-series parts, etc.).
BLTouch / CRTouch
The most widespread deployable-pin probe: a servo-driven plastic pin drops down, touches the bed, and retracts. Works on any bed surface (glass, PEI, garolite) since it physically touches. Klipper has first-class [bltouch] support. Genuine Antclabs units are reliable; clones vary wildly. CRTouch is Creality's metal-pin take on the same concept.
BIQU MicroProbe V2
BIQU's compact answer to the BLTouch: a smaller, lighter (~10g) deployable-pin probe with faster deploy/retract and a metal pin. Drop-in for most BLTouch mounts and wiring, at half the price of a genuine BLTouch. Popular on V0-class and lightweight toolheads where the BLTouch is too bulky.