4 position rotary

[KenWitucki]

I found a video youtube.com/watch?v=eMADCKuP5fE
Are they using the Y axis for the rotary, and the U axis for the Y move?
How do you do this in RDworks or Lightburn?

Oz wrote:

Ruida’s control of the U axis is very limited. They only allow scanning / cutting moves on X&Y, and there are no commands to move U or Z while X&Y moves are happening. The U axis is pre-set as a feeder, and I get to tell it how far to advance at the end of each job, nothing more.

Can I loop at the end?
I know how to do this in G-code?

[LightBurn (Oz)]

They must be - the U axis can be set to feed a fixed amount after a job (usually used for fabric cutting or large sheets of material) and you can set a job to repeat. This would only work if the distance between the items was the same, and the items to be engraved were identical. They set the work to repeat 4 times, and only have a single item in the software, then they’re manually jogging the U axis back to the start position at the end of the video.

[KenWitucki]

Can you do this in Lightburn?
like the output screen in RDworks.!
[Y_Uaxis%20output|303x474]
(upload://f5G3VFMVgqVTUsIANfh33u6clg3.png)
My first time with an upload on the forum, hope it works.

[LightBurn (Oz)]

LightBurn doesn’t have support for the U axis yet, though it’s pretty simplistic - you really only get on/off, distance, and repeat count.

Your image didn’t upload - Edit the post, re-paste it, and wait for it to show up before you click Save and that should work.

[KenWitucki]

This looks like I can use on a 2 head laser? (laser 2 offset)
Thanks
I need to purchase a license for more seats
How do I contact you?
My contact is kenwitucki@gmail.com

[Stroonzo (Jeff)]

see here (and I think she really meant special firmware and not “apelica”):

Ruida 6445G Supports Rotary with new Firmware

I wrote to Ruida expressing the interest and need for a dedicated rotary axis on the RDC6445G . According to the the work and effort the good folks at LightBurn have put into exploring the possibility, I remember reading that their conclusion was that the firmware does not allow for control of the U axis for a rotary. Commands to move this axis cannot be combined with commands to pulse the laser. Today I received the following from Cyan Liang Overseas sales manager, Shenzhen Ruida Science Tec…

[Stroonzo (Jeff)]

In an email to me, Shenzhen Ruida Science Technology Limited stated firmware upgrades are not possible by the end user. Therefore, the “rotary” firmware (which it was referred to) must be specified to Shenzhen Ruida Science Technology Limited upon ordering by the laser machine manufacturer.

[KenWitucki]

Thanks for all the great info!!
What about a switch to swap the U axis to Y axis and the Y axis to the rotary?
You will need to make sure that they both switch before you start?
The controller would need to be off?
the step and direction will need to be correct. Set the U axis to the same as the Y axis?

[KenWitucki]

I think that you change them with two 6 pole relays.
Normal: operation both off
Rotary: operation both on

One relay could be used to change the Y axis to the rotary? (no need to unplug and re-plug)

[LightBurn (Oz)]

You cannot use the U axis for the rotary unless you are manufacturing laser machines and get Ruida to make this change for you in a custom controller build. Thunder Laser does this.

The U is not a ‘general purpose’ axis that can just be controlled - there are very specific commands used for work table feeding and you can’t just insert an arbitrary move for an axis anywhere you like - Ruida controllers are extremely picky about how the job data is formatted.

The ‘Laser 2 offset’ is just a setting for the 2nd laser head - these settings are all independent of each other.

You can contact us through support@lightburnsoftware.com