Good morning. Just getting started on trying to align the camera with the laser.
I have ran the pattern test and all the images are captured correctly. The problem is when I attempt to burn the test pattern. The two patterns on the bottom of the page burn correctly. When the Y axis tries to move there is a grinding noise and it barely moves an inch and continues to burn and the images are very off center.
The Y axis performs just fine when I run a FRAME before running the burn test pattern so I am very confused on why the Y axis would not properly move to burn the top two images.
I have used the laser to engrave photos on wood pieces for a few weeks now. A friend helped build a JIG to allow me to put a coaster always at 0,0 so i can get perfect start origin on everything that is placed there. Now I want to get a bit more freelance and engrave/write/design on other items placed within the laser workspace and I cannot get past this issue.
Frame runs at the speed set in the ‘Move’ window, where the Y axis jogging from one cut to another moves at the rapid speed set in the controller itself. Yours is too high (speed or acceleration), causing the steppers to skip.
Type $$ in the Console window and press enter, then copy & paste the values emitted by the controller back here.
So, thank you for pointing me in that direction. I adjusted the X acceleration and Y acceleration. The values you see are 6000 each. I adjusted to be 10… Very slow… then 500 - ok… and then 1000 - and it seems better and smooth. At least it is actually going to the quadrants and I am able to calibrate the camera. I will adjust to see if it can go a little faster or not. But it is now working. Thank you!
Yes, It is moving much better. However; I have a new challenge.
When I am following the guide to do the camera calibration, I place the piece of paper in all of the various quadrants and I am getting .3 or less on the images. Then, when I go to do the image burn and click the center of the 1, 2, 3, 4 items, Where should the laser head be placed to begin the Frame? The laser attempts to ‘home’ itself and if it is already there, well it will grind the motors and belt. I then run a Frame, and place the piece of paper correctly and burn the images. I click on the images, 1,2, 3, 4 and when I go to place an item on the bed, and use the Marker to move the laser to that location, it is consistenly 20mm (ish) away and any text that i try to put on the material placed is easily the 20mm away from where it should be.
I moved the laser using the arrow keys to 0,0 and it says X = 225 and Y = 155 when I say get position. and if i put in manually go to 0,0 - it will grind or i move it away from 0,0 and tell it to go to 0,0 and then wherever it stops, i then manually move the head to 0,0 and the same effect. it wants to grind to some location that i dont know where i should put it.
Does you laser have limit switches and homing? If it doesn’t have homing, your positioning will never be very accurate - The camera system sends the laser to specific spots, then measures where those ended up in the camera view. If your laser never moves to the same spot when we tell it “go to X200 Y200” then there’s no hope that the camera will be able to do that either.
You can manually home the machine by moving the laser head to the origin (front left) before you power up, or by jogging there and typing “G92 X0 Y0” in the console, which will reset the zero point to where the laser is. That will be better than no homing at all, but won’t be as accurate as having homing switches.