We have a new Chinese 180w dual head with Ruida 6554S controller. Lightburn 1.2.01 software.
The machine came with the demo dual head cut file, which runs just fine. But for the life of me, I cannot get a file to cut with both lasers at the same time in Lightburn.
I have tried;
Ethernet and direct to USB connections.
I have enabled laser 2 controls in device settings
I have tried with and without laser 2 offsets in device settings, (I did get a frame slop issue with this one, but no cutting.
Laser 1 and 2 are enabled on the layer settings
I have tried the virtual array feature with a minimum of 100mm spacing (both heads cant operate within 100mm of each other)
Has anyone set one of these up before? What is the magic setting that I am missing.
Update: I just got it working in RDWorks LaserWork. Set up a virtual array in that software and it worked straight up.
The rest of the workshop is running on Lightburn, so it would be awesome to find out the correct way to replicate this in lightburn so we don’t have to run 2 different sets of software. So still open to suggestions if anyone has a setting I may have missed.
The 2nd laser just does not fire. I did get an error originally about frame slop, but if I remember rightly, I was playing with Laser 2 offsets at the time, and I could not work out how it was possible, but there is little documentation on this feature so I didn’t get to the bottom of it.
I started just trying to cut a 50mm x 50mm box, the heads are min 100mm apart. I tried offsets of 100mm, 150mm, 600mm (halfsheet and halfsheet cuts). I tried minus offsets, most triggered a frameslop warning. Origin was very close to top right corner, maybe y (10mm) and x (30mm) but a 50mm square box shouldn’t have any issues.
One peculiar thing is, I have not used RD works program before, we did originally start with the Corel Draw plug in before moving to Lightburn. But in RDWorks, the start position is opposite corner (top left) but the origin on the machine (I use, and machine is set for is top right), If I change that setting in RDWorks, the laser heads off in the wrong direction, also with frame slop.
I did test that in Lightborn, to see if there is some setting is wrong in the factory settings, but when replicating the start position in lightburn, the laser starts from the matching corner as lightburn. So I dont know about that one.
I’d like to confirm that the 6554S is a typo and your profile is the correct controller number 6445S. I couldn’t find anything on a 6554S controller.
It’s more machine than I’ve got.
We have a virtual Array Tool but I suspect it works differently.
If you’re willing to share the RD works file that worked for the two headed laser I’ll ask the dev team.
Sorry, I swear I’m dyslexic sometimes. Yes it is a 6445S controller.
Our first dabble in dual head, and there’s 2 of them waiting to start work We do a lot of high repetition work so dual head made sense to us, half the space, twice the output.
I have output the RD file and sent through to you.
Does the controller vary the physical space between the laser heads when you start a job?
if so, …
Is each head controlled by a different X axis motor?
Or is there a motor that just varies the distance between them?
This appears to be a file with a virtual array of 2 side-by-side copies of a sleigh, so I’m guessing the controller knows what the minimum spacing is between the two laser heads, and adjust the head distance somehow to match the file, then runs two items side by side, but I haven’t seen a machine set up like this before.
There is one X Axis motor that controls both heads, there is an additional motor on head 2 that varies the distance between the 2 heads.
When the machine starts the job, the heads adjust their spacing before it moves off its origin to commence the cut.
The supplier gave me RDWorksV8.01.60-20211201
I run 1220x810 sized sheets in a 1390 bed.
In RDWorks I load the cutting file, select all the pieces and set an array up X =2 with no spacing, then click on virtual array and it creates a ghost type image on my screen for the x axis copy, I am making the assumption that the array feature in RDWorks knows the bounds of the original copy and places it right next door, I have the option to adjust the spacing between the arrays if I wanted to add a little extra.
I am happy to send through screenshots if required, but the file itself is commercially sensitive, so I don’t wish to post the screenshots on an open forum, let me know if you want these screenshots emailed through to you so you can see what I am looking at in RD works.
Having a programming background, but never worked with code to do with this type of software, with what your saying is that you can see the array in the rd file? And it is presented differently to the Lightburn array feature?
Without the specifics of the code, I am just looking at the program logic that could be used here. I may be way off, but again it’s the way I would be thinking it through.
I also assume that the array is just an indicator to copy the main program line for line, rather than a whole fresh copy of the file. With that assumption, the file will also have the overall width of the cut object and also the spacing parameter that can be set in RD works.
If the machine can determine that such an array exists, and the machine configuration is set so the distance between the x axis origin of head 1 and 2 is known. When the file starts, X axis width + spacing variable - head origin distance = head 2 starting coordinates?
As I said in an earlier reply, I am happy to supply your team with screenshots of a video of the setup in RD works or the machine, but I just don’t want to post the screenshots of the file I sent your team via email earlier.
We do a lot of high repetition work so dual head made sense to us, half the space, twice the output.