Hello
I was curious if lightburn can run scripts to control an XY stage with my galvo laser above?
Example: can it use a grbl controller to move to a specific location then engrave.
I know lightburn galvo with EZCad board can control a single axis but I am hoping to use grbl board for stage movement then activate engraving.
Thanks
Mike <><
Following along.
Question: Are you talking about moving an X-Y table, engraving, moving the table to position 2, engraving some more, etc?
Currently there is no support for XY stage for galvo. I do know that the Switzerland team has in their possession a flying galvo. I’m sure support is a long ways off but there is a machine in the shop for them to poke at. @Aaron.F maybe you can let us know how that is going once you guys get to play with the new machine.
What Mike is describing is what I call a Flying Galvo.
Combining the big workarea of gantry machines with the precision of galvo-based lasers. It’s exciting!
The devs are working with the preproduction device we have in the Werkstatt. It’s not yet ready for me to play with it.
Decisions still need to be made regarding how path planning should function.
For example, when to use the gantry while the galvo remains static (for long lines that exceed the field size of the galvo)
Or how the individual sections of the galvo are stitched together.
As I said, I am not involved in the implementation, but I see the challenges there.
As far as I know, EZCad boards can’t control the galvo and its external axes simultaneously.
I had this thought aswell. Are you suggesting to add your XY stage as a GRBL device (with a separate controller), and connect both devices in LightBurn?
In my mind, this could circumvent the limitations of the EZCad boards, but it’s likely not as easy as I imagine 
I can’t imagine the logistics of this one. Getting even your slices figured out on a Rotary for Galvo are hard enough…
Now you have to think about stitching tiles, It just sounds impossible.
Plus your gantry has to be super accurate.
@Aaron.F Do you know if the gantry is ball screw or lead screw driven or is it belt drive on the flying galvo machine?
I just can’t imagine the amount of precision you’ll need to actually tile with any amount of accuracy.
Yeah, there are so many variables in this!
I feel like, that’s a smaller problem here. The mechanical accuracy can be reached with either of these gantry drive systems. (Though, maybe not with a lead screw).
Ball screws are heavy, so I’d likely chose a solid belt setup on linear rails.
I forwarded this thread to the devs involved in the topic.
As we know, it’s not possible to connect to two devices at the same time. Implementing the UI to manage them and coordinate the axes would be a huge lift. Making it flexible enough to be useful with a wide range of random Galvo- and GRBL controllers and firmwares seems nearly impossible.
That said, we do love the idea, and our devs are wizards!
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