Laser moves, laser does't fire

I have what I believe to be a “Laser Engraving Machine - 3000MW Blue CNC” It looks like the one I have.

Laser Engraving Machine - 3000MW Blue CNC – Joy General Store CA )




And no I’m not using it on the ottoman

Installed Lightburn, it wouldn’t auto find my laser, added it manually using grbl controller.(tried others
and they wouldn’t do anything)
Adjust com port (varies with startup(no auto selection)), load image, save gcode, run gcode or just hit start, head moves then appears to work but laser doesn’t fire. In move window fire button works. In move when I hit the direction buttons the head move in a square. Then I have to hit the reset button on the controller board.`
I read most of the threads mentioning no fire. No luck. I did find the fire button with one though.

Ok… I tried another software it works, but only for about 1/4 of the image then stops. That’s all the trial allows.

Thank you For Any help
Bill

Can you connect to the laser and enter this command into the Console Window. Then copy the output into a post here:

$I

Also, please provide a full screenshot of Lightburn with the laser connected.

Which software was this?

1 Like

Did you ‘enable’ the laser in ‘Edit → Device Settings’

Screenshot from 2022-01-25 10-07-06

:smile_cat:

1 Like

$I enter said ok That’s all@
Just to make sure it wasn’t a 1 or lower case i , same result
screenshot attached

T2laser trial< I don’t want to pay for anything till Know It’s what I need (Home projects lol)
The web page Says it uses Benbox, I’ jst having a hard time Figuring out which is the Right button with All the Advertising Around

Yes
Thank you

I was hoping to see GRBL version information with the $I so that we could determine how to configure your laser. It’s concerning that it’s not reporting anything.

Can you try this. Click “Show all” in Console. Then power cycle the laser. If LightBurn doesn’t reconnect then right click on Devices. Make sure the correct port is selected.

It should have shown you some bootup information for the laser.

Can you grab all that output and paste here?

Also, try running this command in Console:

$$
?

I’m finally certain that your machine is an Eleksmaker A3 Pro or clone.

It’s likely running an old version of GRBL. In which case you’d have to configure the device type in LightBurn to GRBL-M3.

Even better, you can update the firmware on the Nano to a newer version of GRBL and use the better “GRBL” device type. However, you may lose the ability to use Benbox if that’s a concern. I believe you can always change back if you want.

If you can provide the requested information in the previous post hopefully we can sort it out.

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This is what happened…

In the boot it says benbox, I ASSume that means it is benbox… Yet I don’t know lasers this is the 1st time for me lol

So I tried GRBL-M3 like you suggested…This time I restarted Lightburn Well it works sort of
now the laser won’t shut down, I hit the fire button twice or the reset.
Also it show 1 of 49 passes and when I run gcode it goes but after 6 mins it’s just burning a hole
in the wood, I believe it does 1 pass then repeats it … right ??? But it doesn’t look like that

I hope this is easier then the 1st problem :crazy_face: :crazy_face: :crazy_face:

This is before I changed to GRBL- M3

Hit the laser button it fired
Tried the $I again same response
$$ and then ? with the ? it just continued till I hit stop

Waiting for connection…

benbox laser 3.1(c) mul 2015.06.06

start

ok

ok

Waiting for connection…

Waiting for connection…

benbox laser 3.1(c) mul 2015.06.06

start

ok

ok

M3

G1 F100 S0.1

ok

ok

S0

G0

M5

ok

ok

ok

$I

$I

ok

$$

$$

ok

?

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

?

ok

…This last character is an arrow pointing up

This is the console when hitting start
Head moves as if working but no laser
Not sure if it might help

Starting stream
G00 G17 G40 G20 G54
G90
M4
M8
G0X12.2884Y6.6023
Layer C00 Pass 1 of 49
G91
G1X0.25F600S0
G1X0.122S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.0276Y0.004S0
G1X-0.25S0
unknow M4
unknow M8
G1X-0.1732S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0237Y0.0039S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.2323S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.0158Y0.0039S0
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.2559S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0237Y0.004S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.3032S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.0157Y0.0039S0
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.3346S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0158Y0.0039S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.3622S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.0119Y0.004S0
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.3859S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0118Y0.0039S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.4134S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.0079Y0.004S0
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.4292S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0118Y0.0039S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.4528S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.0079Y0.0039S0
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.4685S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0119Y0.004S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.4922S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.0039Y0.0039S0
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.5039S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0079Y0.0039S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.5197S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.0118Y0.004S0
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.5394S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0078Y0.0039S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.5551S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.0078Y0.004S0
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.5708S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0079Y0.0039S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.5866S1000
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.004Y0.0039S0
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.5985S1000
G1X-0.25S0
G1X-0.0039Y0.004S0
G1X0.25S0
G1X0.6102S1000
G1X0.25S0
Job halted
Stream completed in 0:02

M5
ok
ok
ok

How do I check the firmware and update it, If necessary.
I’m not worried about Benbox I don’t have it.

Is the version, probably compiled on 6/6/21015

Might have to go looking for a grbl upgrade.

In Lightburn can you go to ‘Edit → Machine Settings’ and see what you get?

You need to save your configuration before you change it out. You can do that with the ‘save’ button in the Machine Settings.

:smile_cat:

Well, you’ve already proven it’s a Benbox firmware.

There are a few ways you can update the firmware. The easiest is probably to use laserGRBL.

Some information is here:
Flashing Grbl Firmware – LaserGRBL

Essentially, open laserGRBL. Go to Tools->Flash GRBL Firmware.
Pick Arduino Nano as Target. And suggest you first try v1.1h custom firmware.
image

Keep in mind that this will require some post flashing setup. Minimally for work area if you want soft limits to work. Possibly also for homing direction.

Some things you’ll want to note before making this change:

  1. Does your laser go through a homing process when you power-on?
  2. If so, to where does it home?
  3. What are the coordinates when you are homed? Check this using Get Position in Move window.
  4. What are the overall dimensions of your frame? This might be in your documentation.

Other resources for you:
How I can upgrade grbl in lightburn? my $32 disapered - LightBurn Software Questions [OFFICIAL] - LightBurn Software Forum
Arduino Based cheap laser engraver help please - Getting Started [Archived] - LightBurn Software Forum
Firmware for Benbox. Changing firmware to LaserGRBL and vice versa. - YouTube

These describe different ways of flashing and provide other context.

1 Like

I didn’t notice the Benbox before. Sorry

This is what I found


There’s no Flash GRBL in tools

Doesn’t Home
Get Position brings up all 0.00

25.5 x19.5

I’ll check the resources you included

What part of the world are you in?

Not surprised that comes up blank. It uses the same mechanism as $$ to get the information and that didn’t work either.

laserGRBL is a different program entirely from LightBurn. It is also quite popular for laser burning and is free and open source. You can find it in the link I included.

Okay. That could make this simpler although you still want to get the configuration correct.

I’m in SE part of the US. You?

I thought the benbox firmware wasn’t supported. Seems I remembered reading this a while back…

I think they upgraded the firmware to grbl.

:smile_cat:

I’m outside Vancouver BC Canada
It’s just above freezing right Now

The link below shows how to use T2laser to load the firmware. Since T2laser worked I loaded its default 1.1e
I figured it Might work, It did

Of course now it won’t fire again, and I can’t remove it. lol I’ll reinstall Lightburn if need be.

I made some adjustments… Of course I forgot what they were now

But Now it Works :grin: :grin: :grin:
Except the Fire button doesn’t work :crazy_face: :crazy_face: :crazy_face:
And yes I made sure it was enabled. lol

One funny thing, before I installed the firmware the stepper motors would hum/vibrate, now they do just for a second then they’re quiet

How I can upgrade grbl in lightburn? my $32 disapered - LightBurn Software Questions [OFFICIAL] - LightBurn Software Forum

A little focus and (Fire button would help)

You really want to be on a firmware 1.1f or higher. From the T2Laser list not sure of all the options but your best best is the 1.1f High Freq PWM.

Once you do that, switch your device type to GRBL instead of GRBL-M3.

I have no idea
just what I heard in the video

That’s Good to know
Thank you

Ok… I loaded 1.1f High Freq PWM and changed to GRBL and still the same No fire with fire button. Yes I reenabled
Not sure where to go from here!

Can you take a full screenshot of LB?

Also, please run these commands in console:

$I
$$