# Chasing gremlins during burn - design gets shifted **URL:** \ **Category:** LightBurn Software Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2025, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/chasing-gremlins-during-burn-design-gets-shifted/180096 "2025-09-16T21:28:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 3
**Author:** ![ednisley](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/user_avatar/forum.lightburnsoftware.com/ednisley/32/40455_2.png) [@ednisley](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/u/ednisley)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/chasing-gremlins-during-burn-design-gets-shifted/180096/3 "2025-09-16T22:33:16Z")
> [@JoaoGalt](#): > > shifted 5mm to one side and continued like nothing was wrong That is typically caused by USB communication problems: a few commands get lost and the remainder come through OK, but at the wrong position due to the missing commands. A USB cable with ferrite cores seems to cure most of the problems, probably because spending enough to get a cable with cores fetches one with better overall QC. Getting a cable from a reputable brand seems to work better than one from a randomly named Amazon seller also offering beach toys and beauty products. šŸ˜ If the machine is at the end of an absurdly long USB cable, thatā€™s a _real_ problem, because the USB circuitry on the laser end tends to be unqualified for longer cables. An active extender with power injected at the laser end seems to resolve those problems. Any or all of the USB connectors on the cable / PC / laser may be fatigued from far too many plug / unplug cycles, so if a better cable doesnā€™t help, the next steps can be expensive. Some background reading on the subject: > [@USB Cable Issue](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/usb-cable-issue/171611/): > > I have just purchased a Gweike Cloud RF laser, using with Lightburn. The supplied USB cable works fine but itā€™s very short. So I bought a nice long one, 5 metres length. USB C to USB A, I use Macs. Itā€™s a good quality cable, but I donā€™t seem to be able to make a connection when I plug in to the laser and to my Mac? Any suggestions/fixes most welcomed. I came across a really useful post by @BillieRuben who seems to have knowledge of these machines and setting up, any idea Billie ? tia blush > [@Light Burn will not run the layered drawing I have Created in LightBurn - HELP](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/light-burn-will-not-run-the-layered-drawing-i-have-created-in-lightburn-help/126196/): > > Hello, Iā€™m a nub to lasers and LightBurn but I have been a CAD operator for 40+ years so I the LightBurn program is not a foreign software to me. I have created a LightBurn drawing that i want to use to test my new laser and figure out power and speed for my laser. When i test my drawing by starting the PREVIEW command, the preview runs perfectly. But, when i send the send the START command to the laser, the laser starts by moving to the first object (a 1/2" diameter circle) to engrave/cut (liā€¦ > [@My Cherokee Beast](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/topic/107347/149): > > WOO HOO !!! I got everything working right , FINELY !!! What was the problem? It turns out to be the USB to Controller board cable was faulty. That was the only thing I failed to check and that was it. I have a bad habit of buying one to use and one to loose. When I thought about the cable being bad, I got the cable out the spare controller kit and that one worked. I feel really stupid sitting here thinking how I spent 4 to 6 weeks crying and trying to fix this thing and never thoughā€¦ --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.lightburnsoftware.com/t/chasing-gremlins-during-burn-design-gets-shifted/180096)._