I’ve been using my laser for a year and everything has been working great until the last few days. I was cutting some material and the laser stopped mid way and I got a usb lost connection warning pop up. I assumed it was time to replace USB cable given it was the one that originally came with the laser. With the cable replaced, framing a project it would just sit there and grind. Maybe it would move an inch or two but that’s it. I’ve checked and cleaned the cables and connections. Everything is connected correctly. Just to try, I tried to run a small vertical line cut, the yellow and green light on the module would come on as if it was working correctly but no laser beam. I can turn laser beam on manually through the “fire” tab. Anybody have a clue what’s going on with it? I’ve also took the motherboard out of the casing and nothing seems to be burnt.
Here’s at least one of the problems: the controller does not know where you put the project. With homing disabled, it sets the coordinate origin at wherever it is when the power goes on. It assumes it can move the full distance of the platform along the axes from that point.
If you do not manually put the head at correct home position in the corner before turning the power on, the controller will most assuredly smash the head into the sides, because it does not know where the sides are.
That is entirely different. Stepper motors are constant-power devices: they do not draw more current when stalled, so the load on the power supply does not change.
Most likely, the power supply is failing, which will account for most of the other symptoms.
It is possible that the cable from the power supply to the controller or to the laser head has accumulated damage from all the flexing, so try wiggling the cable & connectors to see if that produces the same symptoms. If so, you can replace the failing cable.
Which is just enough time to be out of warranty, meaning you get to pay for replacing any failed parts, including the power supply.
Unfortunately, these machines are not made to any particularly high standard of reliability, so they do not last forever.
Good hunting …
You can also try to exchange the power supply, first. Those also do not last very long sometimes.
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