Add a Galvo Laser
Consult Manufacturer Instructions
Always consult the documentation that came with your laser, or the manufacturer's online resources, before beginning the device setup process. Some manufacturers provide settings bundles, importable device profiles, or special setup instructions that are necessary to fully utilize their machines with LightBurn.
When adding a Galvo device, LightBurn will ask you to import the machine-specific configuration file from your EZCAD2 or SEACAD installation drive or an existing installation. If you don't have this file, you can also use manual entry to configure your laser with settings provided by the manufacturer.
It's a good idea to set up a new device profile for each lens you have, because changing lenses will affect many parameters. You can duplicate a device after setting it up by right-clicking on it in the Devices window and choosing Duplicate. This is the easiest way to add a new profile while keeping the settings, so you only have to update parameters that change with the lens.
See Changing a Galvo Laser Lens for more information.
Import Settings¶
Follow the directions in Find My Laser to begin the process of adding your Galvo laser. Your laser should be detected as JCZFiber (for EZCAD2 devices) or BSLFiber (for SeaCAD devices). Select the appropriate device and connection type – USB is currently the only supported type for Galvo devices – and continue with the process.
The New Device Wizard will ask you to import a configuration file. The name and expected location will vary depending on the type of Galvo laser you've selected:
- For JCZFiber devices based on EZCAD2, the file is typically
markcfg7. - For BSLFiber devices based on SeaCAD, the file is typically
BslCAD.cfgorLmcPar.cfg.
See the window in LightBurn for additional details on where to look for the file.
Select your configuration file – typically found on the USB drive you received from the manufacturer – and click Next. LightBurn will show you a preview of the settings to be imported.
If you don't have a configuration file, click Next without selecting a file and you'll be able to enter settings manually. If your laser's manufacturer didn't provide the necessary settings, please contact them for assistance.
Info
If your markcfg7 file includes information about Lens Correction, LightBurn will attempt to automatically import this for you. If your configuration file doesn't include this info, you'll need to manually enter it in Device Settings after finishing the New Device Wizard.
After entering the size of the work area and setting the name of the laser, you're ready to connect to your laser.
Manual Add a Galvo¶
If your laser did not come with the settings on a USB drive or if you don't have the USB drive available, you may need to contact the manufacturer for settings. Galvo settings can't be found through trial and error, due to the complexity and variety of machine configuration. Settings that work on one laser may destroy another.
If your settings were provided on a card, in an email, or in any other way that doesn't work with the automatic importer, click Next when asked to import the EZCAD config to skip this step, and enter your settings manually after adding the laser.
Go to Edit → Device Settings to open the Device Settings window. From here, you can manually enter the settings provided by the manufacturer in the Galvo and Basic Settings tab and the Ports and Laser Settings tab.
Please note that when entering these settings manually, the Additional Settings tab needs to be updated with the correct information for the simulation in Preview to function correctly.
For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.