It took me about two days to get this recipe together by the bits and pieces found.
It explains how to get Lightburn on Linux Manjaro, to control my laser via USB.
That is the “generic” part which might be useful for any Manjaro/Arch Linux user with any laser machine.
For the “specific” part, my laser is the AtomStack X7 PRO; it has a GRBL controller having a CH340 chip.
((1)) What is detected on USB by Manjaro?
■ Plug the AtomStack X7 PRO into USB and turn it on.
■ Get the USB device list…
$ lsusb
…
Bus 005 Device 009: ID 1a86:7523 QinHeng Electronics CH340 serial converter
…
Notes:
● 0x1a86 is the vendor ID.
● 0x7523 is the product ID.
● The Atomstack X7 PRO uses the CH340 chip.
■ In USB tree view to see the driver used…
$ lsusb -t
…
|__ Port 3: Dev 9, If 0, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=, 12M
…
Notes:
● “Driver=???, 12M”; there is no driver loaded for that device;
should be something like ch340 or ch341.
((2)) Lightburn manual: LINUX INSTALLATION
■ Replace shell command…
$ sudo adduser $USER dialout && sudo adduser $USER tty
with…
$ sudo usermod -G uucp,tty -a $USER
and execute!
■ Logout and login to apply the user/group member changes.
Notes:
● Current $USER needs to be member of the USB port owners group,
to have access to USB.
((3)) Ensure driver for the Atomstack X7 PRO (CH34x) is present in kernel
■ Check current installed and running kernel for CH34x driver
$ ls /lib/modules/5.15.7-1-MANJARO/kernel/drivers/usb/serial
… (among others)
ch341.ko.xz
…
Notes:
● It is present and part of current kernel.
● Else an external CH34x driver need to be installed.
● Installed does not mean loaded (on demand).
((4)) Ensure driver for the Atomstack X7 PRO (CH34x) is loaded on boot.
■ Create file /etc/modprobe.d/atomstack.conf
$sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/atomstack.conf
…
options usbserial vendor=0x1a86 product=0x7523
…
Notes:
● You can name atomstack.conf into anything you want.
● The vendor and product IDs were discovered in ((1)).
■ Turn off the laser machine.
■ Reboot the PC.
((5)) Check for ttyUSB0
■ Get the tty file list…
$ ls /dev/tty*
Notes:
● There is NO ttyUSB0 in the list.
■ Turn on laser machine (boot till home screen)
■ Get the tty file list again…
$ ls /dev/tty*
Notes:
● There is ttyUSB0 in the list.
● ttyUSB0 can sometimes be ttyUSB1, 2, etc.
● Boot laser machine is needed for init signal to Manjaro to load ch341;
now you can unplug and replug USB cable and see ttyUSB0 fanish and reapear
without reboot laser machine.
● Try $ lsusb -t as explained in ((1)); ch341 is now visible.
■ Start Lightburn and connect laser through ttyUSB0.
While figuring this out I intended to publish this recipe in this forum.
Hope this helps anyone… and get him/her up n running in 30 minutes,
instead of two days!
