Roadmap for raster clustering

rabbit

Hi,
Are there any plans when raster clustering will be implemented?
I have a fairly big CO2 laser with duet3 (sbc). Now I have the issue that greyscale engraving is overloading the raspberry pi.
Best,

T3P3Tony

@rabbit Its on our list to consider (and has been for a while) I can't put a target release on it yet.

o_lampe

@rabbit
I'm using a Raspberry 400 with 4GB Ram on my CO2 laser. I'm using Meerk40t software which is capable of writing a gcode file. I guess, it's much easier to send only gcode lines instead of calculating everything on the fly and send it over?

It also has an option to run from PC and send life data to a remote server on the Pi. That's probably the smartest way.

droftarts

@o_lampe raster clustering is described here https://forum.cohesion3d.com/t/improved-raster-speed-firmware-update-for-cohesion3d-boards/850/8
It's calculated in the laser GCode generation software, and sent to the laser controller in a longer form of G1 command. This allows the controller firmware to use more of it's GCode buffer for look ahead, rather than a lot of individual G1 commands. It's most useful for laser engraving/rastering, rather than cutting.

From this post, later in the thread https://forum.cohesion3d.com/t/improved-raster-speed-firmware-update-for-cohesion3d-boards/850/13:

The simple explanation is that you send one G1 move and send one or more S values, separated by colons, to be evenly distributed along the G1 move, like this:
G1 X0.5 S1:0:0.5:0.75:0:0.2

From what I understand, it's implemented in Lightburn (software developer @LightBurn is also on the forum here), not sure about other laser control/gcode generation software.

Ian

dc42

@o_lampe I've added this to the work list for RRF 3.5.

dc42

@o_lampe this feature may make it into RRF 3.5 experimentally because it can use some of the code I am adding to support another feature. Will you be able to beta test it? Which Duet do you have in your laser machine?

o_lampe

@dc42 It wasn't me who started the thread. But to answer the question, I still have the original controller in my K40.
Does the new feature require a Duet3 compatible MCU? Buying a Mini5+ and a Lightburn license is out off the scope for me...

dc42

@o_lampe it does not require a Duet 3, it should work also on Duet 2.

dc42

@rabbit this facility will be implemented in RRF3.5beta3 which we hope to release later this week.

rabbit

Hi,
That are great news.
I have to build an air filtration system first, but then I can beta test it.
I use the duet 3 board without SBC.
Best,
Vincent