Hi.
I am very happy with my 130W CO2 laser, although on reflection I would have gotten a 100w.
My main issue is that its rather difficult to do more delicate engraving.
I was wondering if I was to mount one of the LAD Laser blocks onto the gantry - how would I use it with lightburn. Can Lightburn work with both a CO2 and LED laser, or does it assume both lasers are CO2..
Many thanks
Dave
I’d set it up as two different machines, because support for dual-laser machines seems fraught with assumptions about how the hardware is built and behaves.
Depending on the diode laser interface, you may need some circuitry to disable the laser when the controller’s L-ON = Enable signal is inactive. GRBL controllers turn off the PWM output when the laser is inactive, but (most) DSP controllers leave the PWM running and use L-ON to disable the tube current.
Also, remember to adjust the axis travel limits to accommodate the diode laser head. It’ll surely be larger than the CO₂ optics and smash into the rails when you’re not paying attention. 
Hi and thanks for the information. I did check size and positioning for my setup and have worked out where to safely mount the LED laser.
You have given me something to look up re the DSP. I am prettily electronically minded so I was planning a switch for one laser or another.
Again thanks.
Dave
The Ruida will drive an led laser…
Go into the Machine settings and change it from Glass Tube to RF and it will only generate the pwm when needed. RF lasers use the same connections, power, ground and pwm.
L-On is usually referred to as laser enable, not laser disable… however, the end product is the same … 
If there is an increase in mass to that axes, it could affect your acceleration rate on both axes.
I put a NEJE40630 laser module on mine … just to see how much trouble it was going to be.
Some led modules have a pwm frequency limit. Most Ruida controllers run a 50uS period (20kHz) for the pwm.
Ah! That simplifies things!
Because that setting applies to both tubes, it means the controller can’t simultaneously run a glass tube and a diode laser.
Which is sort of what I expected …
Yes, L-On is undetermined when it’s set to RF type.
I looked at this when I did it and I think that L-On just floated and stayed high.
Hi.
I checked my Lightburn, and I have for the tube {Glass Tube, RF1 Laser, RF2 Laser}
Sadly my CO2 laser will only fire with Glass, which is an Analogue output.
I believe I can run my Diode Laser by converting the 0-5v to a PWM signal. As people often use ESP32’s (Nice for speed) to control the cheaper K40’s I could program one to do the following.
0.5v = 10%, 2.5v = 50%, 5v = 100% PWM with the frequency running at about 20khz.
Can you see any issue with this?
Many thanks
Dave
Sorry.. No.. That was on my old laser. I purchased a 130w Co2 1300x900 Chinese laser with a Ruida 6445 on it.
It can handle 2 lasers.. but 2 of the same type it seems.
Many thanks
Dave
If you’re trying to run an led with a glass tube, the machine can’t handle that.. Sorry.
You must use the L-ON signal to enable / disable the diode, because the Ruida controller keeps the PWM signal running pretty much continuously during the job for glass-tube lasers.
Yes.. I will code the ESP32 to use this to turn the Analogue to PWM program on and off.
However I will still set the a Doide Laser to just work so I have a pointer to where the work is.
You can do this with a simple logic gate, no reason to waste a esp32…
The Ruida asserts L-On, drives a gate that allows a pwm to pass if it’s low To make things more easy, the L-On can be inverted within the Ruida. If you invert it, a simple and gate would work.
Sadly I still need to do a Analogue to PWM as my Co2 power supply will not accept PWM. 
What kind of supply do you have that’s analog only?
The common supplies we use can take analog or pwm ttl voltages as inputs. If you use ttl it gets converted to an analog signal anyway.
Hi.
I have a HY TA150 power supply. It seems to be very common. However when I did try and use PWM (RF) on it the tube did not fire. I am unsire of what other settings change to make it work.
Diode Lasers are cheap when compared to my tube and power supply so naturally I am a little nervous.
The Hight Voltage does not worry me as much.
Many thanks for any insight you can provide me.
I really appreciate your help 
Dave
That’s a standard lps, so you can run the PWM to the IN terminal.
If you have glass tubes, then changing the mode to RF will disable the L-On output, so it won’t lase. A glass tube takes an IN current control voltage (or pwm) and L causes the lps to lase.
Ok.. So it looks like it is best to keep the CO2 as Glass, and then use a voltage to PWM for the LED laser.
Already order the parts..
Nice little project to program it up.
Many thanks for all of your valuable help. It has been greatly appreciated.
Dave
I originally had figured on using it normally and somewhere I have the circuit that uses is a single logic gate with L-On to just enable the pwm to reach the diode laser..
Of course I was only dealing with one laser.
When you get it working, please post.. most people here love diy projects.
Hi.
I am well into the experimentation part, and taking pictures.
Battling with frequency of PWM vs how things look. I got a V to PWM from Aliexpress that works well and is based on a NE555.. but am still considering a programmed solution that adjusts the frequency of the PWM depending on requirements.
