Laser questions

dc42

I have added this to my list of things to look at, however due to other development work at present I have a backlog of 6 items, so it will be a few days before I can look into this.

gnatman

Thanks I appreciate your help. You've got all my other issues squared away. I look forward to your reply

cgcafer

Hi gnatman,
Please can you check G code files that was produced from Inkscape. Especially you should check M05 S0 lines. If you see previous two line from "M05 S0" line exactly the same, your problem is same with me. I think there is a firmware problem. I have same problem and i removed one of repeated line and laser turned off normally.

Thanks
Cafer

gnatman

@cgcafer:

Hi gnatman,
Please can you check G code files that was produced from Inkscape. Especially you should check M05 S0 lines. If you see previous two line from "M05 S0" line exactly the same, your problem is same with me. I think there is a firmware problem. I have same problem and i removed one of repeated line and laser turned off normally.

Thanks
Cafer

My gcode is full of M106 and 7 commands. Like the lowest I see though is M106 S3 never an S0

dc42

It sounds like that gcode file expects the laser to be controlled by the Fan0 output then.

gnatman

@dc42:

It sounds like that gcode file expects the laser to be controlled by the Fan0 output then.

Correct, which it is.. I've the a 2pin plug in the TTL from the laser to the fan header and it's jumper set to 5v I can control the laser, I can see the plugin works up to a point.

gnatman

I still haven't been able to figure this out

dc42

Does the gcode file contain duplicated G1 command lines as cgcafer suggested it might?

gnatman

Here is just a tiny bit of the code

; Generated with:
; "Raster 2 Laser Gcode generator"
; by 305 Engineering
;
;
;
G21; Set units to millimeters
G90; Use absolute coordinates
G92; Coordinate Offset
G00 X0.0 Y0.0
M106 S0
G01 X43.5 Y0.0 F1000
M107
G00 X43.5 Y0.1
M106 S0
G01 X0.0 Y0.1 F1000
M107
G00 X0.0 Y0.2
M106 S0
G01 X43.5 Y0.2 F1000
M107
G00 X43.5 Y0.3
M106 S0
G01 X0.0 Y0.3 F1000
M107
G00 X0.0 Y0.4
M106 S0
G01 X43.5 Y0.4 F1000
M107

I have uploaded the gcode to my google drive if anyone would like to take a look at it.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1N1VRtA-BgVCqSdx-f-GF5k92AtwygxuN

Thanks for your help dc42, next thing to order after april will be my dual nimbles.

dc42

1. G92 with no parameters does nothing.

2. M106 S0 and M107 both turn the fan (or laser on your case) off. So in that snipped of code, the laser will never be on.

gnatman

Correct in that little bit of code, the laser is off, after playing with it more and using different images. I think it was doing what it did due to the image. I did some searching and found a guy using the same plugin with another board and was getting some really nice results.
Thanks for your help everyone.

dc42

So do you have it working now?

gnatman

something is still not right, I was running the laser last night, trying different images out via the plugin, noticed the laser wasn't turning off with M107, it's like its getting constant power from something. turned printer off and woke up today, powered the printer and still the laser is on regardless of any command I give it. I thought I was good but I spoke too soon

gnatman

Im trying to see where the issue is, if I have my fan like this, M106 P0 S0 I0 F500 H-1 Should that header show near 0v at 0% and 5v at 100% given that my jumper is on the 5v pins. because regardless of what I set the fan to, it's always pulling 5v on the header

dc42

That depends on how you are measuring the voltage. If you measure the voltage between the two fan header pins with nothing connected, you should get 0V at S0 and 5V at S1 or S255. However, what I think you are doing is using the Fan- pin from the fan header to feed an on/off control signal to the laser module. In which case, the voltage on that pin relative to ground will be 0V at s1 or S255, and at S0 it will be whatever voltage the laser control input pulls it up to. You may need to add a pullup resistor from that pin to +5V to get a reliable signal level.

gnatman

I was measuring the two fan header pins with nothing connected and was showing near 5v regardless of S0 or S255 this was on the first fan header P0 or whatever it is (not the always on fans) Then I tested the remaining two fan headers and they did work as expected showing near 5v. If I connect the 12v from psu to the laser, it turns on.(sweet) Now if I remove the 12v from psu and connect it to the fan header with 5v jumper set going to laser, I would expect to control it via S0-S255. Which I had working at one point. It worked this way for a little bit but now, no matter what I set the S value to, it doesn't change one bit. No on/off functions. I tried that on the other 2 headers and received the same results. Next if I have 12v going to psu. the fan header going to the TTL header on the module, it will turn the laser on. Though I will not have on/off controls through any of the S values.

not sure if the laser control module is toast or what at this point. Because it was working as I expected until I saw it while on, without the neg wire connected.. it came loose from the psu. Don't think that would have caused an issue as it wasn't like that for a long time but who knows

dc42

Without the negative wire connected, the laser may have drawn its power form the fan pin. Depending on how much current it needs, that may have damaged the Fan0 mosfet and/or the laser module.

gnatman

What other tests can I do to find out? Why do the other headers test with the same results? How hard would it be to replace the mofet. Hoping it's not my issue.

Man this totally sticks because I bought it from the UK and not filastruder here in the us. I'm sure it wouldn't be warrantied as I did the damage basically

dc42

I suggest you test the fan outputs by connecting a fan to each one in turn, and seeing whether you can control them.

Fan MOSFETs can be replaced.

gnatman

I have done that. No control on the fan. I know the fan works as it turns on with the always on header.
Does the MOSFET control the three headers? How comfortable do you have to be to replace the MOSFET? I'm not the best st soldering and don't have that ribbon thing to remove solder. I've got a cheap resolder iron though.
I'd need to see where it's placed on the board