Setting the GRBL PWM to 5 kHz for a Synrad Series 48 laser
Why does it matter? Two excerpts from the Synrad manual:
Tickle frequencies [a ‘keep-awake’ signal at zero power] lower than 4.5 kHz may compromise laser performance, …, and stress the RF [radio frequency] electronics thereby reducing long term reliability while tickle frequencies greater than 5 kHz may cause unintended lasing.
Because laser output follows PWM input with a rise and fall time constant of ~100 µs, the laser cannot precisely follow Command signal frequencies over t kHz with duty cycles greater than 50%.
It seems that my options in cpu_map.h are 62.5 kHz, 7.8 kHz, 1.96 kHz or 0.98 kHz.
Can anyone see a workaround for this within the constraints of the GRBL configuration?
Failing this I may have to build and external PWM to analog low-pass filter and feed this into a 5 kHz PWM generator.
I’ve also asked on How close to 5 kHz can I set the PWM frequency on an UNO pin 11? - Arduino Stack Exchange where more details are supplied.
Many thanks.