Not sure who else is toying with lasers and the TinyG, but here is a recent test using gcode originally generated with +Peter van der Walt 's LaserWeb. Sent to board via Coolterm.
Hey @Joe_Duva very awesome results do you have an image of you machine? And do you have any documentation of what all is needed to run the laser? Was there any additional driver boards needed or use of pwm? Sorry for all the questions I would really like to add laser functionality to my OX cnc
@Alex_Krause , I’m actually working on a way to do exactly that with some basic off-the-shelf boards and laser modules. Pretty sure @Riley_Porter_ril3y is working towards the same goal with the Ox. Documentation forthcoming, likely on the tinyg github wiki. But until then…
The machine is in disarray right now, but it’s basically a Eustathios 3D printer without the extruder+hot end and no Z axis. Just the acrylic table. I’d like to eventually build it out as a complete 3D printer + laser with quick-change carriages and tinyg setting scripts, since the motion hardware is the same.
The laser is a 9mm 3W 445nm laser diode running at 1.5 amps (~2W out). It’s pressed into a 12mm module with a G-2 glass lense (lots of carefully applied thermal compound), and the 12mm module is secured in this aixiz heat sink you see in the video.
Driving the laser is a constant current/constant voltage buck converter pulling from the 24V PSU and set to deliver 8.2V out and…I guess 1.5A out. This is the ‘laser power’ unit. It doesn’t do PWM, though, so there’s another TTL driver (Advertised as CC on eBay, but I suspect it’s actually CV, based on the output readings) that sits between the laser power module and the diode itself. This TTL board is also connected to the tinyg PWM output.
For testing only, I have a power transistor between the laser power board and the TTL board, just to verify functionality and observe behaviors for spindle on/off, though in practice, I’m just using S0 to turn the laser off.
TinyG PWM setting are currently:
$p1frq=10000
$p1csl=0
$p1csh=1000
$p1cpl=0
$p1cph=1
I’m leaving ccw settings as default and not using them. S0 turns the laser off, S1000 is full blast.
For reference, these are the boards that I am using:
CC/CV: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GZG7X9Y (check out the other offerings, though…looks like some new boards are coming out that expand the options)
TTL: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131648818164 (5A should be able to drive one of the new 6W diodes)
Hope that helps!
Any progress on the laser stuff? I have someone who wants to convert an old CNC.
+Peter van der Walt , Very cool, you got me really interested in the Smoothie stuff. Tooo many ways to skin these cats… I assume you are using it.
I can get a client to send a tinyg if it moves this forward. Is there some problem getting them there? I know nothing about shipping but I’m sure the company where I am consulting can do it . Ping me privately.
A TinyG group interested in LaserWeb2 nice :-). Realy like the TinyG have one running on my ported Roland PNC 3200.
I could start with the TinyG2, have a Due laying around somewhere. If someone could send me the settings of his machine (preferably a laser cutter). I can start with the communication layer.
+Peter van der Walt almost right about my location, I speak dutch but I’m a Belgian.