Having trouble with template settings keeping origin when reused

My template doesn’t work after making and using and saving it in a work session.
I created a 3 x 3 array of 4 inch circles and burned them onto a test board, including 90 deg pattern/jig alignment spots. I ran the burn 3 times to confirm it went to the same places and burned over the same lines. Then I exited LightBurn and turned off my Ortur LM2 and started them up again to confirm the work was repeatable. LOL, not even close. I used Absolute Coordinates in all of this. The top left alignment spot was 4 inches down and 2 inches right of where it should have been.
I had lightburn’s location tool take the laser to the bottom right circle and it banged against the bottom rail until I stopped it. The whole pattern had shifted down.
I am going to do a full clean of the Ortur LM2 and retry.
Yes, I may have done something to a setting, quite possible. Any ideas?

By the way, should Lightburn be finding my Ortur as Ortur, because it doesn’t and I just accept the GRBL but edit the name to Ortur – GRBL.
Warren

No. It will not find the laser by brand name, only controller type. GRBL is correct for that. And note that what you’re seeing there is just an arbitrary device name.

That’s not a small shift. At any point are you manually moving the laser head by hand? If so, refrain from doing so as you’re losing steps there.

If not that you’re either missing steps some other way or you have a configuration issue.

Can you run these commands in Console after homing and return the output?

$I
$$
$#
?

I thought I sent this to you early monday morning. But I found it in my drafts.
Here are the results:

Waiting for connection…

Project loaded in 2 milliseconds

Project file saved as 4 inch template circles alignment holes.

Waiting for connection…

ok

[AUTHOR: ORTUR]

[MODEL: Ortur Laser Master 2]

[OLF: 140]

[DATE:13:36:28 - Dec 31 2020]

[VER:1.1h.20190903:]

[OPT:VNZHI,99,254]

Target buffer size found

ok

Homing

ok

$1

error:3

Grbl ‘$’ system command was not recognized or supported.

$$

$0=2.000

$1=25

$2=0

$3=0

$4=0

$5=0

$6=0

$10=3

$11=0.050

$12=0.002

$13=0

$20=1

$21=1

$22=1

$23=7

$24=600.000

$25=3000.000

$26=100

$27=3.000

$30=1000

$31=0

$32=1

$33=250.000

$50=0

$100=80.000

$101=80.000

$102=80.000

$110=9000.000

$111=9000.000

$112=1200.000

$120=2200.000

$121=1800.000

$122=2500.000

$130=400.000

$131=430.000

$132=1.000

ok

?

<Idle|MPos:0.000,0.000,0.000|Bf:99,254|FS:0,0|WCO:0.000,0.000,0.000>

ok

I don’t see a fundamental problem there.

Are you absolutely certain of these conditions:

  1. The machine was homed when you started
  2. You never moved the machine without using jogging controls
  3. You were in Absolute Coords mode

berainlb,

I think I got it! I replied on Monday the 12th to the system’s email and today found today in the Forum that it wasn’t here. Sorry. Learning curve on replies, I guess.
1- no, not homed when I started the machine. but it automatically homes once it comes on.
2- Yes, I sometimes do move the laser by hand.
3- Yes I verified I was in Absolute Coords mode.

HOWEVER… I cleaned and retightened ALL the belts and took off the laser, cleaned the lens, and put it back on. The laser framing attaching parts were kinda, almost loose, so I made sure they were snugged up when I reassemble it to the frame’s carrier. I retried it and,Voila, it was much better.

I used the “Set Laser Position” button in lightburn at the template’s alignment top left spot, Then went to the bottom right to adjust the template as needed. Then I went back up to the top left spot to verify it had not moved while adjusting the bottom right. I then moved it 2 more times to both alignment spots. They were, lol, spot on.

Then I turned off the laser and lightburn and took the template off, just like I had finished a session. Then I tried it again. Same results. I am so sorry to have given you something to help with that was user-maintenance error all along. At least I am more hopeful for several runs of coaster engraving. Thank you for encouraging me by staying with me on this. If it doesn’t work, I’ll just come back in to the forum about it. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Warren

Thanks for the followup and glad you’re up and running.

Do keep in mind that if you move the laser head manually that positions from that point forward will not be repeatable with previous runs as the controller will no longer know the position of the laser.