To get the most out of your laser cutter, it's best to connect it directly to the computer via USB using the Lightburn laser software. This is usually automatic, but there are a couple of errors that occasionally stop Lightburn or the machine from connecting to one another.
Here we'll go over the steps you can take to solve this problem and connect your laser to Lightburn.
Like most tech problems, it’s a good idea to power-cycle the laser (off at least 5 seconds before back on) and reboot the computer before trying any difficult troubleshooting steps.
After the reboot, there are three main reasons why a laser still won't connect to LightBurn: Thedrivers, thecable, and thesoftware.
1. The Drivers
If you are using a new installation of LightBurn (or have recently reinstalled), ensure that at the end of the setup you select “Install FTDI serial driver (used by DSPs)” before selecting 'Finish', and follow the driver setup prompts.
These drivers are necessary to allow Windows to communicate with the laser controller via USB.
You can run the Lightburn-V1(etc).exe setup file again to access this option without reinstalling LightBurn or losing any settings.
If this driver has already been installed, our next step is to check the cable.
2.The Cable:
Certain cable arrangements can cause problems with the serial communication between the computer and the laser. For best results, follow these steps:
- Ensure you are using the cable that originally came with your machine, or a cable you know to have working data connection.
- On the laser side, ensure your USB cable is plugged into thelowerof the two USB ports. (the upper port is only for flash drives)
- On the computer's end, ensure the cable is plugged directly into a USB port, and not using a USB hub or USB-C conversion adapter, as these can interfere with the serial connection. (Especiallyadapters/hubs that include an HDMI port or SD card reader)
- If the computer you’re using has multiple ports, try another port. If your PC has both blue/red and black USB ports, try switching to a black (USB2.0) port – if you have only blue (USB 3.0) and red (USB 3.2) ports available, use a blue port.
If the cable is setup correctly and LightBurn still won’t automatically connect to your laser, our next step is to try adding it manually in the software.
3.The Software:
Usually, LightBurn will be able to find your device automatically. To start this process, click Devices in the lower half of the Laser panel, and selectFind My Laseron the devices screen
If LightBurn doesn't automatically recognize your device, you may need to add it manually.
In the same Devices window, selectCreate Manually, and scroll down to select the Ruida controller option. Under 'how to connect', select Serial/USB, and continue.
Dimensions of the work area vary by machine. When prompted, enter the X and Y length corresponding to your Mako below.
40W- X Length = 500mm, Y Length = 300mm
60W- X Length = 500mm, Y Length = 300mm
80W- X Length = 700mm, Y Length = 450mm
100W- X Length = 900mm, Y Length = 600mm
When asked for the origin of your laser, select Rear Right.
Your new profile should now be in the Devices list. Click to highlight it and press OK to continue.
Returning to your main LightBurn window, if your laser status still readsDisconnected,yourDevice Profile (blue)should now be visible on the right, along with either(Auto)or something likeCOMxx(Numbers vary by machine)in the middle(green). Try all of the COM port options under the middle drop-downand see if Lightburn is able to connect to any of them.
If no COM port options are in the dropdown under “(auto)” we can determine if the computer and the laser are visible to eachother at all with the following steps:
- From your computer’s start menu, type “Device manager” and click the first option. You should see a screen like this one:
Keeping an eye on the screen, unplug the USB cable from your computer. You should see a brief flash in the device manager as the list goes away and returns, indicating a device has connected or disconnected. If the list does not flash, it means your computer is not ‘seeing’ the laser at all, which may indicate a faulty USB cable or port.
If problems persist:
If you’ve tried everything on this list and Lightburn still can’t connect to your laser, you may need to escalate your issue to tech support athttps://www.inksmith.ca/pages/tech-support
Before submitting a ticket, there’s some data you can gather to help get to the bottom of things more quickly.
- The model of your laser (e.g. Mako 60W)
- The serial number of the laser, located on a barcoded sticker on the back of the machine.
- Any additional information, error codes, screenshots or photos you may have of the problem.
This info helps us to best locate the problem and get you back up and running as soon as possible.
