Laser shot dot when going start to engrave
Hello.
Got my mimi gerbil yesterday and been trying to adjust everything properly.
I'm a bit disapointed that it don't work with optical ends.
But my main problem is that it's firing a small dot whem i click to start engraving or cutting something. I'm using lightburn.
I appreciate some help. Thanks
There is a "solution" for the optical end stops, try searching here in the forum.
I assume you have a K40, you can show your $$ here so we can "troubleshoot". You also say that you use LightBurn, do you have your problem also when using the laser in other programs?
Quote from bernd.dk on February 5, 2021, 7:34 pmThere is a "solution" for the optical end stops, try searching here in the forum.
I assume you have a K40, you can show your $$ here so we can "troubleshoot". You also say that you use LightBurn, do you have your problem also when using the laser in other programs?
Going try other software. Thanks
Hi Paulo,
Please can you describe the issue a bit more in detail? I read that opto end don't work.
Do you mean that your limit switches are not working? Optical/electronic limit switches do require a power line. The limit switch break out connector does have a 5V line available for that purpose. See attached diagram.
With regards the other issue "firing a small dot". Do you mean the power strength is not working? You can set the power to various strengths thru the g-code S parm e.g. S200 fires 2mA, S1000 = 20mA full strength.
Please let us know so we can help you further. Cheers Paul
Uploaded files:
That image look it's for mechanic switches to me. I have the optical ones. I changed the jumper to get the 5v from the usb wire.
About the other issue i'm going try to explain more detailed.
Lets imagine im going engrave a circle from the top left. I design de circle and i click to engrave. My power is working fine when i change it. Te problem is in the exact moment i click to engrave, the laser pulse a small dot and then start the engraving.
The engraving look fine except i have a small dot engraved that shouldn't be there.
As far as I can judge from my limited electrical experiences, my original optical end stops from my K40 work fine with my Mini-Gerbil, but the connection here is made through the ribbon cable.
Regarding your little hole at the beginning of a task. make some simple objects in LightBurn and upload the file here, then I will try and see if I can reproduce your problem.
What kind of laser do you have?
I have a k40. I had some helpfull suport in a Facebook group and now my optical end stops are working. Just changed $27=4.
The other issue only happen if i use the test fire button. It's just using it once and the issue i explained happen in all my next engravings after using it. If i open lightburn and never use the test fire button it doesn't happen.
Hi Paulo,
The diagram Paul provided above definitely shows the optical limit switch - although I appreciate knowledge of electronics is required to read the diagram. Are you saying you got the limit switches working now?
Re the dot and Lightburn, are you talking about using the physical test fire button on your K40? I recommended you use the Lightburn macro setup as detailed here https://awesome.tech/test-fire-button-in-lightburn/
Let us know if that works ok!
Cheers
Dan
In lightBurn, firebutton unfortunately does not work as (I would like) it should. When activated, the status is on and it is not a pulse! It is necessary to turn it off again. With CO2 laser it is easy to see and the consequences as well, with diode lasers it is not so easy to see because you usually drive at full speed. That is, you drive with 100% (or the value you have set the test shot to, all the time)
Thanks Bernd, but I am confused by your comment. Are you talking about the test-fire-button-with-macros blog that I linked to above, or some other feature? As the blog explains the duration of the pulse is completely customisable, it doesn't stay on. Let me know if you can't get it working and we'll sort it out!
No, no, sorry for the confusion, this is the built-in testfire feature of LightBurn I mean - not the macro solution, which I think is a very useful solution.
I think no one is understanding the issue. 😅
Lets imagine i never use the pulse test button.
I still get the pulse test in the engraved material. Even if i change it to 0% it still show a dot
Hi Paulo,
yes it is hard to understand, I have never heard of an issue like this. Lots of questions for you:
1 Can you attach a photo of the problem?
2 Is it a single dot, or thousands of dots?
3 Does it happen every time, or just sometimes? 3b Does it happen identically every time?
4 Do you have a standard K40 laser, or are there some customisations?
5 Please show a clear photo of your Mini Gerbil installation, and a clear photo of your K40 power supply.
6 One possible cause of the dot is that you have some other wires nearby the controller and its wires. They could influence the signal. Please check carefully other wires are not near the Mini Gerbil
7 Could you please record a simple video? Key video tips:
(a) have as much lighting as possible
(b) don't wave camera around or move quickly.
(c) speak clearly as you do operations to explain what you see
Thanks
Dan
Quote from Paulo Lopes on February 6, 2021, 12:35 pmI have a k40. I had some helpfull suport in a Facebook group and now my optical end stops are working. Just changed $27=4.
The other issue only happen if i use the test fire button. It's just using it once and the issue i explained happen in all my next engravings after using it. If i open lightburn and never use the test fire button it doesn't happen.
That's what you wrote I am referring to.
Regards Bernd
Hi All,
I understand perfectly what Paulo is saying as its happening on my K40 also yesterday.
Was engraving some leather. I use the centre laser on project to line my piece up to the centre.
soon as I press start the laser would fire one small dot at what look like a pretty high power, (happens so fast the needles doesn't have a chance to move.
Then it will move off and start the engraving. I presume if I started from the home position I would fire there before starting to engrave or cut.
But like I say I only noticed this yesterday. it could've been doing this for some time. other than that I not had a problem.
But one thing I did notice after I installed my mini gerbil was that the test fire button still activates to tube at full power, which is interesting as from what I heard after you take out the pwm wire to disconnect potentiometer. the test fire is supposed to NOT work.
I need to look more into it, now I know it fires a dot just before engraving or cutting.
This is with lightburn.