Find My 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.

Quickly add a new laser to your list of devices with the Find My Laser wizard.

Info

If you don't have a laser yet, go to Create Manually to be able to create a dummy laser as a placeholder until you get a laser.

Automatically Add a Laser to LightBurn

1. Make sure that your laser is powered on and connected by USB cable to a computer running LightBurn. Wait for the laser to complete any power-on moves, like homing, before continuing.

2. Click on the Devices button in the Laser Window, found in the lower right-hand corner of the program window by default, to open the Devices window.

   

3. Click the Find My Laser button to launch the Device Discovery Wizard.

   

4. Click the Next button to begin scanning for connected devices.

   

5. A new window will open showing the progress of scanning for USB-connected devices.

   

6. The Device Discover Wizard will display a list of recognized devices. Select your laser from the list and click Add Device.

   Ruida: Packet vs. Serial

   Some laser models will appear on the list twice, with two connection types, Packet/USB or Serial/USB. Serial/USB is the recommended option, while Packet/USB is an alternative option that does not work on all systems, but can sometimes improve file transfer problems.

   

   Warning

   If your laser wasn't found automatically, see Troubleshooting.

   If you don't have a laser available to connect, you'll need to manually create a device profile.

   Manually Create Profile

   Note

   Some lasers require additional information in order to complete the setup process. Continue below.

Additional Hardware-Specific Instructions

GCode Devices

GCode Devices

1. Set the machine origin. Nearly all GCode systems use the Front Left corner as the origin, regardless of where they home to. If you select the incorrect origin, your output will be flipped or mirrored — you can correct the origin later in Device Settings.

2. Enable Auto "home" your laser on startup if your machine has homing or limit switches, to automatically send your laser a homing command each time the device has been connected.

   Warning

   If your laser does not have homing switches, leave Auto-home off.

   If you see Error: 9 in the Console Window later, it means you've enabled this feature but your machine is not equipped or configured for homing. You can disable Auto-Home later in Device Settings.

3. Select Next to continue.

   

4. Click OK in the Devices window to exit and save the new device profile.

   Note for X-Carve and Shapeoko Users

   Some GCode controllers used on X-Carve or Shapeoko devices may need specific configuration settings. If your device is not listed, click Other, and refer to manufacturer documentation for machine-specific parameters.

Next: Connecting to the Laser

DSP Devices

DSP Devices

1. Set the machine origin. For DSP lasers, the machine's origin is the same as the location it homes to when it first starts up. If unsure, select the Rear Right corner, as most DSP controllers follow this convention. If you select the incorrect origin, your output will be flipped or mirrored — you can correct the origin later in Device Settings.

2. Select Next to continue.

3. Click OK in the Devices window to exit and save the new device profile.

Next: Connecting to the Laser

Galvo Devices

Galvo Devices

When adding a Galvo device, LightBurn will ask you to import the machine-specific configuration file from your EZCAD2 setup or installation drive. Navigate to the location it's saved and select the file to import crucial device settings. See Add a Galvo Laser for more information, including what to do if the configuration file is not available.

Video: Galvo Setup Guide

Next: Add a Galvo Laser

Troubleshooting

If LightBurn can't find your laser, it could be for a number of reasons:

• Missing drivers: Install your laser-specific drivers and software. Even if you don't plan to use their software, many device manufacturers include the necessary drivers that are not included with LightBurn.
  • Ruida controllers use an FTDI driver available as part of the LightBurn installation process. Re-install LightBurn and select the box for the FTDI driver at the end of the process to install the driver — no LightBurn settings will be lost in the re-installation process.
  • Galvo devices require a LightBurn-specific driver. Re-install LightBurn and select the box for the EZCAD2 driver at the end of the process to install the driver — no LightBurn settings will be lost in the re-installation process. See Galvo Driver Installation for more information.
  • Most diode lasers require the CH340 driver, available here.
  • See Troubleshooting: Drivers for more information.
• Can't connect: Only one application can talk to your laser at a time. If you run other software, like RDWorks, Easel, Carbide Create, AutoLaser, or LaserCAD, make sure that software is not running when running LightBurn.
• Networked device: Network-connected lasers cannot be automatically connected. Follow the steps in Create Manually to set up your device.
• Marlin controller: Marlin controllers have a variety of baud rates and configuration options. They take significantly longer to reset than most other controllers, making them incompatible with Find My Laser. Follow the steps in Create Manually to set up your device.

Previous: Install LightBurn

Didn't work?

Next: Connect to the Laser

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For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.

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