Hi everyone,
I’d like to share a method I successfully tested to connect wirelessly a USB camera to LightBurn through a Raspberry Pi 3B+, as if it were plugged directly into the PC. This allows LightBurn to recognize the camera and use it for positioning, monitoring, and more.
Why do this?
If your laser machine is far from your computer, or you want to avoid long, messy USB cables, this setup allows you to plug the camera into a Raspberry Pi inside the laser enclosure, and access it from your PC wirelessly or over Ethernet.
What you’ll need
- A Raspberry Pi 3B+ (or newer).
- A USB camera (LightBurn’s official one or any wide-angle USB camera like the common laptop-style ones on AliExpress).
- A local network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) shared between the Raspberry Pi and your PC.
- VirtualHere USB Server installed on the Raspberry Pi.
- VirtualHere USB Client installed on the PC.
Setup Instructions
1. Install VirtualHere USB Server on the Raspberry Pi
Open a terminal on your Raspberry Pi and run:
wget https://www.virtualhere.com/sites/default/files/usbserver/vhusbdarm
chmod +x vhusbdarm
This will download the server and make it executable. It will be placed in the current directory — usually your home folder (e.g., /home/pi or /home/admin).
How to check the exact path of the file
Once installed run this command to find it:
realpath ./vhusbdarm
How to know the actual username:
Open the terminal on your Raspberry Pi and type:
whoami
This will return the installation path and the username of the currently logged-in user. Take note of this path and name — you’ll need them in next steps if you want to auto-start this program in the Raspberry Pi.
2. Install VirtualHere USB Client on your Windows PC
Download it from:
VirtualHere USB Client | VirtualHere
Launch it, and it will automatically detect the Raspberry Pi on your network.
Double click the camera or Right-click it in the list and select “Use this device”. You’ll hear the classic windows sound when plugging USB devices. ( Note: A USB camera typically can only be used by one program at a time. If it’s already in use by another application, it won’t be available in LightBurn or any other software, until it’s released or the program restarted).
3. Set up LightBurn
Open LightBurn → Windows → Camera control, and select the camera you connected through VirtualHere.
Now you can calibrate it and use all the camera features as if it were physically connected to your computer.
Benefits
- Avoids long USB cables by placing the camera directly inside the laser machine.
- Great for network-based workspaces.
- Works with almost any compatible USB camera.
Safety Reminder
While this setup is great for positioning and monitoring, camera supervision is not a substitute for active operator presence.
Laser machines can catch fire if left unattended. Always ensure someone is monitoring the process.
ANNEXES
ANNEX 1: Make a Windows Application Start on Boot
- Press
Win + R, typeshell:startup, and press Enter. - This opens your user’s Startup folder.
- Paste a shortcut to the program you want to run at startup (such as VirtualHere Client).
That’s it! The application will launch automatically every time you start your computer.
ANNEX 2: Make the Raspberry Pi Start VirtualHere Server Automatically
- Open a terminal and create a service file:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/virtualhere.service
- Paste the following ( adjust the paths and user name where needed - Please, read Setup #1 ):
[Unit]
Description=VirtualHere USB Server
After=network.target
[Service]
ExecStart=/home/admin/vhusbdarm
WorkingDirectory=/home/admin
Restart=always
User=admin
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
- Save (
Ctrl + O, Enter, thenCtrl + X). - Enable the service:
sudo systemctl enable virtualhere.service
- (Optional) Start it right away:
sudo systemctl start virtualhere.service
Notes
- Depending on your Wi-Fi coverage, network congestion, computer performance, and camera quality, the video feed may not always be smooth.
However, the image is usually more than good enough for basic positioning tasks and monitoring inside LightBurn.
Special Thanks
Thanks to the LightBurn support team for their fast and helpful responses, and to the community for always sharing such great ideas.
I hope this guide helps others with similar needs.
Cheers,
Alex
Option 1: Use two Raspberry Pi boards
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