Air Assist turns on and off rapidly on Ruida 6442S

I’ve just installed a new Ruida RDC6442S-B (EC), replacing a Leetro.

The problem I encountered is that the air assist turns on and off rapidly - it is set to only blow while the laser is on, instead of blowing the entire time the laser is working on a layer with air enabled.

On designs with many small cuts the air assist turns on and off hundreds of times. Not great for the relay or little compressor!

Using information from forum posts below I had to download the RDWorks software and change a setting there (In the User settings on the right).

The “Blow Type” param must be set to “Processing Blow.”

Once I changed this the Air Assist stays on for the entire layer for which air has been enabled.

This setting gets written to the controller and persists, even when reading and writing settings from LightBurn.

I am making this post to

  1. Document the problem and solution on this specific controller version.
  2. Verify that this setting exists on the 6442S (All other posts reference the G)
  3. Request or suggest that this setting be added to @LightBurn

The third reference post below has a register location and value for this parameter. I can’t vouch for the correctness, but it could be a starting point.

References:

Sounds like you figured out how to adjust the Ruida. You didn’t mention how you are wired up to the Ruida.

Generally we use the Status sink to allow air into the machine and the Wind sink to switch to a higher pressure.

Status is active the whole time the machine is active and Wind is active when processing a layer with air assist enabled.

Mine is a G version, but lots of people have the S variant and I’ve heard no issues from them.

:smiley_cat:

My machine only has a simple little compressor controlled by a relay directly plumbed to the laser head. No solenoid. Controlling power to the compressor is the only way to control the air assist.

Therefore my only options with the default settings are to 1) use the Status pin - and then the air assist is always on, even for layers when it is turned off in LightBurn or 2) use the Wind pin, and then the compressor is turned on and off constantly and rapidly. On a layer with lots of text being cut in line mode we’re talking about hundreds of times, on and of more than once a second. It will damage something.

Changing the setting in RDWorks was absolutely required to make it work. I’d just love to be able to change it in LightBurn.

Oh also tho, that is a really great idea. I imagine you control power to the compressor with a the Status pin and have a solenoid with a low pressure bypass around it that you control with the Wind pin? For that setup the default settings are perfect.

Maybe I’ll try that eventually thanks.

(Or are you on shop air? Must be nice! :wink: )

I thought the blow type sets how the pin acts as far as on/off with the laser itself or by layer. I thought RDWorks fixed this?

You need constant air, it’s there to protect your lens, so if the laser is running, the air should be flowing.

I originally switched the air pump/fan with a ssr (from Amazon) using Status. What I use is basically from the Ultimate Air Assist document with some variations.

Actually, I now have a separate compressor, it’s got pressure all the time.

But as you surmised, I use both Status and Wind… Using this simple solenoid setup to do something similar to what you stated. – Low pressure any time the machine is in run mode (Status) and a bypass (Wind – high pressure) for layers with air assist enabled.

When status is active, the left solenoid opens allowing full pressure from the compressor into the machine. The other solenoid is off, so the only air flow is via the restriction valve.

When Air Assist is enabled, Wind goes active turning on the right hand solenoid, bypassing the restriction.

Make sense?

Maybe you can clarify what exactly is going on that it isn’t working like this? Is the blow type not holding or sticking in the controller?

With most solid state equipment, you should always use snub diodes anytime you are manipulating a coil as a load.

:smiley_cat:

1 Like

Thanks a lot for the great input.

For clarity, my problem is solved, by changing the setting in RDWorks. The setting sticks. All good.

I made the post because no other post mentions this problem or the solution with the 6442S, so I hope it helps someone in the future, and to suggest that life would be easier for everyone if LightBurn added this to the machine settings for the 6442S (and G).

The machine came assembled with this simple air assist setup - either no air, or air on for the entire layer - and set up in the Leetro controller, so right now I am just recreating that.

I think I will change it to be more like yours, and have an always on low flow of air, and have the air assist kick it in to high gear! Thanks for that idea :slight_smile:

I suspect if they knew how, they would.

:smiley_cat:

No doubt! But knowing it IS an option on this controller is the first step to finding out. Anyways thanks very much for sharing your more advanced assist setup!