There’s a guy on YouTube who has an exposed chassis fiber laser (similar to the design of this Laseoko Pro) but I don’t think he wears goggles much at all.
I have no idea how you could take such a risk, especially with reflective materials.
We’re wrapping up the logic level wiring/DSP controls and then finish terminating the aviation connectors going to the steppers and endstops on the Laseoko. So far, everything is on track to finish the build before February.
All the wiring in the drag chains was upgraded to 18 gauge shielded cable with drain wire going back to physical earth at the cabinet side only. Steppers will be getting 48 volts and probably will start off with 1.7A current setting with 1/16th microstepping.
The gas solenoid solid state relays got fitted with flyback diodes, and the ground of the solenoid valve body goes to physical earth to dissipate any static charges, should they occur.
That’s good and thank you! Ugh, this Chinese controller manual is a bear figuring out. I have a feeling setting up the origin limits with the height sensing is going to be a hassle. Attached manual below for anyone who wants to join the fun pain and what I’m up against.
Need a little help figuring out the distance per pulse for the Shapeoko Pro axes. I believe the DSP controller is using µM for the distance per pulse setting.
Our initial settings on the driver will be:
3200 pulses per rev (1/16th microstepping) on X, Y, and Z axes.
Knowing this, but not knowing the belt and pulley specs for X and Y, in addition to the leadscrew pitch/lead on the Z axis is the reason for this question.
I’d like to get it as close as possible before wiring up the motors.
Would I be right to assume that the distance per pulse for my X and Y axes would be 12.5 µM? If so, I just need to figure out the Z axis, which I’m guessing would be 2.5 µM.
Arrival at assumptions: X and Y axes are 40 steps per mm on normal Shapeoko 3’s with 1/8 microstepping. Z plus axis is 200 steps per mm normally. So, to find the distance per pulse, multiply the original steps by two to get 80 and 400 steps per mm respectively for 1/16th microstepping and then do some division, as follows.
Formulas: (1000 / (40 x 2)) and (1000 / (200 x 2)) = 12.5, and 2.5.
Interesting, in the ‘manual’ it says that it recommends a pulse value of greater than or equal to 5 µM, so I guess I will need to set the Z axis driver back to 1/8th microstepping to achieve 5 µM again.
Technically the controller will let you go down to 1 µM, plus the Z axis doesn’t need to move that fast so I’m not sure if it’s worth trying 1/16th microstepping on the Z.
Unfortunately nowhere in the manual does it mention the maximum amount of pulses that can be generated, which would help me to figure out theoretical max speeds.
Now to figure out good speed, accel, and jerk settings. Anyone know a good ballpark to start off with? Running 48V to the steppers.
I don’t happen to know the total mass of the gantry system, but I’d assume it would be close enough to the Carbide3D compact router or maybe a slightly heavier spindle (no cutting forces however). Perhaps someone who designed the Shapeoko Pro could weigh in (ha).
Help is appreciated. Bonus if you have laser experience as well!
Could someone verify this hypothesis of ensuring the two Y motors are ‘synced’?
Assumption: since the Shapeoko Pro’s extrusions are precision machined to length, could I clamp the X gantry on one end while having the set screws on the Y axis motor pulleys loosened, then proceed to turn on the motor drivers so the motors lock in to a full step position, and then re-tighten the set screws?
Reason I ask is, the circles being cut are kind-of odd looking with bumps 180º apart basically. Might be totally unrelated, but I’d still like to verify the hypothesis previously mentioned! Thank you for the help!
I don’t think it’s even necessary to loosen the set screws, just pull they gantry tight against the front plates, then power up.
The odd bumps are more likely the G-Code toolpaths not overcutting the circle — what CAM tool was used? If it wasn’t one optimized for lasers (and which you have configured for how your laser cuts) try re-drawing the circle as an open path where the endpoint continues past the origin by the size of the discontinuity.
Ideally you’d get it done using a CAM tool which generates G2/G3 arcs (or hand code them?)
What a sigh of relief after planning this machine for nearly a year.