Skip to content

Find My Laser

Quickly add a new laser to your list of devices with the Find My Laser wizard.

Automatically Add A Laser to LightBurn

  1. Make sure that your laser is powered on and connected to the computer running LightBurn using a USB cable. Wait for the laser to complete any power-on moves, like homing before continuing.

  2. Click on the Devices button in the Laser window found in the lower right-hand corner of the program window by default to open the Devices window.

    Devices

  3. Click the Find My Laser button to launch the Device Discovery Wizard.

    FindMyLaser

  4. Click the Next button to begin scanning for connected devices.

    FindMyLaser

  5. A new window will open showing the progress of scanning for USB-connected devices.

    FindMyLaser

  6. The Device Discover Wizard will display a list of recognized devices. Select the desired laser and click Add Device.

    FindMyLaser

Note: Some lasers require additional information in order to complete the setup process. Continue below.

Additional Hardware-specific Instructions

GCode DSP Galvo

GCode devices

Some GCode controllers used on X-Carve or Shapeoko devices may need specific configuration settings. Refer to manufacturer documentation for machine-specific parameters. If your device is not listed, click Other.

  1. Set the machine origin or homing location. Nearly all GCode systems use the front left corner as the origin. Enable Home on Startup if your machine has homing or limit switches to send the automatically send a home laser command once the device has been connected. Select Next to continue. Note: Some GCode devices will require additional configuration of either LightBurn or the controller.

    FindMyLaser

    Warning

    If your laser does not have homing switches, leave this off.

Next: Laser Safety

DSP devices

If you have a DSP controller, you'll select the machine's origin and whether to home on startup on the next screen. This is the corner the machine moves to when homing after power up. If unsure, select the rear left corner as most DSP controllers follow this convention. If you get it wrong, the laser's movement may be flipped and can be changed in Device Settings.

Click OK on the Devices window to exit after your laser has been added.

Next: Laser Safety

Galvo devices

When adding a galvo device, LightBurn will attempt to import the machine-specific markcfg7 configuration file from your EZCAD2 setup or installation drive. You will need to select the file and then enter your workspace size. See the Galvo Setup page for more information, including what to do if the configuration file is not available.

Next: Add a Galvo Laser

Video: Galvo Setup Guide

Next: Laser Safety

Troubleshooting

FindMyLaser

If LightBurn can't find your laser, it could be for a number of reasons:

  • Missing drivers: Install your laser-specific drivers and software. Even if you don't plan to use their software, many device manufacturers include the necessary drivers that are not included with LightBurn.
  • Can't connect: Only one application can talk to your laser at a time. If you run other software, like RDWorks, Easel, Carbide Create, AutoLaser, or LaserCAD, make sure that software is not running when running LightBurn.
  • Networked device: Network-connected lasers cannot be automatically connected. Follow the steps in Add a Device Manually to continue.
  • Marlin controller - Marlin controllers have a variety of baud rates and configuration options. They take significantly longer to reset than most other controllers making auto-search impractical. Follow the steps in Add a Device Manually to continue.

If you see Error: 9 in the console later, it means you've enabled this feature and your machine may not be equipped or configured for homing. Homing and origin settings can be changed in Device Settings.

For more help using LightBurn, please visit our forum to talk with LightBurn staff and users, or email support.