I have been very happily using the fantastic Lightburn for about five years with no issues, this week mid-job the power instantly dropped by about 50% and images being filled, especially text started to jump about on the x axis, I can burn, say, some text or filled image and it will jump at some poi…

Dump the usb connection and [image] Connect to a Ruida Laser via Ethernet - LightBurn Documentation Better software for laser cutters :smiley_cat:

[image] richblaker: jump at some point in a different place randomly at each send press start/pause on the Ruida controller to repeat the job it repeats the fault exactly That evidence says @jkwilborn has it: something has gone wrong with data transmission to the laser. Because it’s damaged …

Thanks for the reply Ednisley. Yes, USB Cable, had my suspicions and had ordered a new cable, so I will pop on a new one and try it out

Just tried a spare cable 4 metre usb type A to type B… with the same result

Not sure if this is another clue, but after several cuts, the final few centimeters cuts a reduced scale or curls in on itself, this happens most times… [CUTS]

[image] richblaker: the final few centimeters cuts a reduced scale or curls in on itself An intermittent communications problem will eventually show up, so a relatively short job will have relatively more problems near its end. Another report: [image] My Cherokee Beast Fini…

Right… Ethernet it is! time to hunt through several boxes for a cable long enough, Thankyou. Will report back.

[image] richblaker: for a cable long enough Keep the router’s DHCP range in mind when you set the laser IP address. A quick test will be to ping the laser’s IP address before you plug in the cable, because if anything responds, that address is already in use: [image] ping Refere…

Aah thanks for the advice, I have found an ethernet cable and unsuccessfully connected anything to anything, but after a few hours, well, a lot of hours, the fifteenth tutorial I watched for more clues eventually mentioned I needed a ‘crossover’ ethernet cable… hopefully that will arrive soon. Is P…

Apparently random glitches

LightBurn Software Questions OS Specific

ednisley (Ed Nisley) August 17, 2025, 11:45am 6

Very long cables tend to not work well, perhaps because typical USB cables from the usual sources aren’t the best quality.

Unless you’re using an active extender cable with power injected at the laser end, that’s the problem right there.

Some previous discussions cover what’s happening and maybe some solutions: