Hello there!
I’ve just setup a Chinese Laser, model TL-410 and I’m trying to get LightBurn to work with it.
I’ve added the device as a Ruida, attached via USB and it shows as ‘Ready’ in the status.
However, when I go to sent a job I receive the following message, “There was a problem sending data to the laser. The machine may be busy or paused.”
I’m a total beginner and would really appreciate some advice to solve this issue.
Thank you 
Is the TL-410 definitely a Ruida controller? Looks a bit different to me, but that’s based on a quick scout around on aliexpress.
I don’t know, hence me asking for advice here.
OK, well setting it up as a Ruida controller is a bit of a shot in the dark, then. What software do you normally use to run it? That might give us a hint as to what hardware it’s based on.
It came with AutoLaser 2.3.5 which is functioning correctly after installing USB drivers.
Not gonna lie, I’ve never heard of autolaser. What are the filetypes that it exports? Are you able to open any of them in a text editor and read the contents, or are they incomprehensible binary files?
It exports .plt plotter files. They can be opened and understood as a list of settings in notepad.
So do the file contents correspond to gcodes? In which case, it may be possible to use one of the gcode settings in the machine setup part of lightburn to get it to work.
Sorry, by export, I didn’t mean what transferable drawing files can it produce, I meant what is the file type it sends to the laser controller itself?
Usually, there’ll be a download to laser or save to udisk option for actual work file export. That’s the file I’m asking about.
Sorry Gerry, as I said I’m a total beginner and do not know what a gcode is
OK, no worries. I’ve done a little more reading around, and it’s a dsp style controller, but it uses a named control board that I’m absolutely unfamiliar with. I’m going to step back in the hope that one of the guys from lightburn itself pick this up, because I don’t know for definite if this is just a rebrand of a supported board or something totally different.
Autolaser is the software that a TopWisdom controller uses. Unfortunately, it is not a LightBurn supported controller at this time.
Thanks for responding. That is disappointing news.
As Anthony mentions already, TL410 / AutoLaser is TopWisdom. I have started working on the protocol for it, but it takes a significant amount of time to support a new controller. It might be worthwhile looking at doing a controller swap with one that is supported.
Having swapped a controller in a K40 (cohesion3dmini) that was quite trivial with great docs provided, how “trivial” is it going to be to swap out a TL-410 with a supported Ruida? The TL-410 wiring though very neat, looks way more complex than the basic stepper connectors on the cohesion swap-out… How “cable for cable” compatible will it be?
I’m hating being stuck on a windows box, using autolaser (yuk) when my entire pipeline and network is Mac based, and having been spoilt with Lightburn for so long, not being able to use it sucks…
So the Q is, does it suck enough to cough up another $300-400 for a Ruida controller and face an un-documented swap-out and risk ruining a perfectly working laser?
Seon
@UnexpectedMaker
The laser itself boils down to the following sets of connections:
The wire connections to the TL-410 should all be labeled with something similar to the above. You’d label and connect those wires to the corresponding places on the Ruida board.
You’d also need to write down settings from the controller config, like steps per mm for each axis (or step length), acceleration, speeds, and axis lengths, and enter those values in the new controller. If you go into the settings on the controller you have and just take screen shots of everything, you’ll have what you need for the new one.
Given your level of technical ability, none of this should pose any real trouble for you. Getting the homing direction settings right was the part that tripped me up the most, but even that didn’t take terribly long - it was just fiddly.
Thanks Oz!
I think you may have more confidence in my abilities than I do… but I’ll start by having a thorough look around and try to capture all of that info ?
So is there a “best match Ruida” controller for the swap-out? I have seen that website that lists all of the controllers Lightburn is compatible with, and there seems to be a few Ruida controllers… Ideally I’d want one that is a “best fit” for swapout… one that doesn’t require hacking the laser case.
All of this said… swapping the controller really is my last resort to getting Lightburn back… I have way more important/pressing things to spend my limited $ on - but I miss Lightburn so much 
Seon
@UnexpectedMaker
Also, I totally get your support of the TL-4XX is a time juggling/priority thing, and not a lack of interest thing, but I’d honestly rather throw the cost of a new controller your way to help getting support quicker than spend it on a new controller that replaces a perfectly good one I have now.
No, I’m not trying to bribe/coerce you, hahaha… just saying that supporting Lightburn is a better use of my $ than swapping controllers… IMHO.
Seon
@UnexpectedMaker
I’d like to chime in on this and say I too would love to see support for this controller. Using the proprietary Autolaser software is painful.
If I were to swap out the controller, what would be the recommended controller to use? I assume the Ruida but what model? Has anyone here done this on their machine? I am curious to see what support you would get from Ruida.
I’ve never needed to contact the company that makes our Ruida controllers. There’s enough support elsewhere I’ve found.
Pretty much what Blake said - the only things I’ve ever really had to scratch around to find have been manufacturer passwords to unlock system settings on the controller. They’re otherwise very, very stable in my experience.
When I was working with Leetro hardware a few years back, I ran into regular problems, but so far nothing even remotely similar has manifested with the Ruida kit.