I'm Having Laser Position Issues. Need Help!

[Lucas_Lab (Lucas)]

I desperately need help. I have searched all over and have found a flood of information but nothing that fits my specific situation or issue.
To begin, I have the latest version of LightBurn. I am using the Fox Alien Masuter Pro 4040XE.
My problem is that my laser is not recognizing where my workpiece is at on my workboard. I use text in LightBurn, set it to a specific location, and when I frame it, my laser reads the SIZE of it correctly, but not the location. It frames in the same spot repeatedly. When I start the burn, it burn in the same spot repeatedly.
It DOES adjust to the size though. So if I change the width or height of the text, it will frame accordingly, just in the one same spot over and over.
Any ideas?

To add, I have run about 50 projects successfully since I got my machine. I have never had this issue. About a week ago I switched to the spindle to do a router job and then back to the laser after that. On my first laser since I switched back I forgot to flip the switch from “spindle” back to “laser” (just including to be detailed).
After many failed attempts I deleted my machine from Lightburn and reconnected it.
Lightburn now reads my home position as X: -377.00 Y:-377.00 Z:-3.00
This is after homing, restarting LightBurn and attempting different projects.
I have no idea. Any help is greatly appreciated

[berainlb (PY)]

I suspect what you’re experiencing is similar to this thread. Please review:

Foxalien Masuter 20W; 5000MwH output

Hello All, so very new to this and have an issue I can’t quite figure out. My work area is 400 x 380 mm. However in my Lightburn my machine and work coordinates display as minuses. Therefore using absolute coordinates doesn’t work. I’ve tried using the G92 offset and it actually worked once. Where at home my X & Y were 0,0😊 A few days went by and when I returned to burn another project my coordinates were like X -752.441 Y5.71. I tried G92x0y0 but it’s a though I didn’t even hit the button. I’v…

[Lucas_Lab (Lucas)]

I have tried everything listed here but still no luck. I have reset GRBL settings, made sure my $10=0, ensured my offsets were correct for my board on the G10 L2 settings, I have zeroed my G92 settings, $32=1, I have removed my device from LightBurn and reinstalled, restarted, unplugged, physically moved the switch from “spindle” to “laser”…I am really at a loss. I can get the machine to understand what position it is in and react to everything, just not the location of my design. Again, the size it is reacting to, just not where I place it. I can even use the “move to” feature and my machine will travel to the coordinates that I input.

[berainlb (PY)]

Can you provide the following:

1. To what corner of the machine does the laser home?
2. Can you confirm that the jogging controls in Move window all work as you expect? Up goes up, down goes down, left goes left, right goes right?
3. Run these commands in Console one at a time and return all output:

$H
$I
$$
$#
?

Note that the first command will home the machine so be prepared for it.

[Lucas_Lab (Lucas)]

1. Machine homes to front left
2. Jogging controls do work as expected, all directions work as I would expect them to and as I have been using them

$H

ok

$I

[VER:1.1h.20201218:]

[OPT:V,35,254]

Target buffer size found

ok

$$

$0=10

$1=255

$2=0

$3=0

$4=0

$5=0

$6=0

$10=0

$11=0.010

$12=0.002

$13=0

$20=0

$21=1

$22=1

$23=3

$24=25.000

$25=1000.000

$26=250

$27=3.000

$30=10000

$31=0

$32=1

$100=80.000

$101=80.000

$102=400.000

$110=2000.000

$111=2000.000

$112=1200.000

$120=300.000

$121=300.000

$122=30.000

$130=400.000

$131=380.000

$132=55.000

ok

$#

[G54:-397.000,-377.000,0.000]

[G55:0.000,0.000,0.000]

[G56:0.000,0.000,0.000]

[G57:0.000,0.000,0.000]

[G58:0.000,0.000,0.000]

[G59:0.000,0.000,0.000]

[G28:0.000,0.000,0.000]

[G30:0.000,0.000,0.000]

[G92:0.000,0.000,0.000]

[TLO:0.000]

[PRB:0.000,0.000,0.000:0]

ok

?

<Idle|WPos:0.000,0.000,-3.000|FS:0,0|WCO:-397.000,-377.000,0.000>

ok

[berainlb (PY)]

I don’t see anything fundamentally wrong there.

One thing to note is that your value in $30 is slightly unusual at 10,000. This isn’t a problem in itself but make sure that S Value Max in Edit->Device Settings is set to 10000 otherwise power modulation will be off.

Can you take a full screenshot of LightBurn with the design loaded and ready to burn? Make sure to have Laser window showing in the screenshot.

Also, can you further elaborate on the problem you’re having? What are you trying to do, what’s happening instead and what’s the complication preventing it from doing what you expect?

[Lucas_Lab (Lucas)]

Absolutely, and thank you so much for your time. I just got a call and have to run out for a small emergency, I will be back asap and upload a screenshot and a more detailed explanation

[philc (phil clouse)]

please help us out with this post, as i am having the same problem with my Fox Alien 4040xe

[Lucas_Lab (Lucas)]

Ok so I updated my S Value Max to match my $30 value. Thank you for that.

I have attached my screenshot of the simplest project I have going. I am simply looking to engrave this name on a piece of leather. I have attempted to use the “cut selected graphics” and without it and I get the same result.

So what I am attempting to do is line up my piece with where the burn will begin. Traditionally I have done this by framing my design, and making sure my piece lines up with where I want it. Because of the size and shape of thing I engrave and cut, sometimes I need my workpiece in different areas on my workboard.

(After attempting to cut some metal with the spindle I went back to laser engraving. I did forget to switch from “spindle” back to "laser initially. I switched it back and came back to the machine a few days later with my issue.)

In my screenshot I have the design located at: X 89 Y 307. My design is sized at 87mmx17mm. When I frame my job, either from the home position or if I set a different origin, the laser will travel the correct distance that is the size of the piece, but it will only frame it from where I set the origin. In other words, I can’t home my machine, set my design half-way up my board exactly where I want it and start the job from current position. I have to manually move my laser to where I want it, set the origin, and then start. It has never done this before.

I hope I have explained this well enough. And again, thank you very much for your time and willingness to help me out. I really appreciate it

[berainlb (PY)]

I can’t quite tell from your description but it sounds like to me that you want to be using “Absolute Coords” as your “Start from” mode in Laser window instead of “Current Position”. That will correlate the location of the design in Workspace to the analogous position on your laser bed.

[Lucas_Lab (Lucas)]

I’m generally an intelligent person but I never feel more dumb than when someone figures something out for me. I have always used current “Current Position” but using “Absolute Coords” pretty much solves my problem. There is a reason why you are the best on here. Thank you again for taking the time and helping me on what surely seems to be elementary

[berainlb (PY)]

@Lucas_Lab

I never feel more dumb than when someone figures something out for me

I heard something many years ago that stuck with me and helped shape my philosophy around this. It’s better to feel foolish once and ask a question when unsure than to live a lifetime in ignorance. This isn’t helped by the pressure especially on men in western cultures to always be right and confident even when unsure.

@Lucas_Lab

Thank you again for taking the time and helping me on what surely seems to be elementary

Glad to help. And nothing is elementary when you have no frame of reference.

[Lucas_Lab (Lucas)]

Well said! Thank you very much