Howto connect a Laser

[Gazza]

Hi all

well i have been playing in me workshop a few yrs now and cutting out model planes ...boats etc I was looking at the new LASER cutters and thought hmmm so bit the bullet and got a Chinky one of good ole ebay its a 5.5mw blue laser tried it on the free software that came with it BenBox and its well ...shite

So looking around I was wondering if its possible to connect it to me UCCNC ?
Im looking at two wires that feed it ...12v pos and neg that was plugged into the usb controller board that goes into a power plug ?




so where would I connect it on the break out board

https://cnc4you.co.uk/resources/KK01.pdf

I was thinking its simple ...NOT

any help advice appreciated

Gazza

[cncdrive]

It would be more important to see the datasheet of the laser controller, because the connection depends on what input the laser controller accepts.
Usually Chinese controllers call the laser on/off input signal as "TTL input" confusing it with the name transistor transistor logic (TTL).
So, usually the so called TTL input on the controller which is a standard high impedance TTL level input and if your controller has the same type of input then you could connect any axis signals of the linked breakout board, e.g. the A axis step or the A axis dir signal in case you not using the A axis signals to control a machine axis and then configure the associated pin number for the laser output pin in the UCCNC, so the UCCNC will output the laser PWM to that pin.

[Gazza]

Data sheet ?

Sorry mate your in same boat as me absolutely no idea and a data sheet ... dont be daft this is China ...LOL

but yea your right on and off thats it
and every thing else you just said means totally nothing to me sorry

[cncdrive]

The issue is that if we don't know what device to connect to the controller then I can't give you any advices,
without any information of the board I can't tell you if it can even be used for laser engraving.
Chinese also make boards which are not even have a modulation input, you can only switch the power on and off and those boards can't be used for laser engraving or CNC cutting.
So, the info we need to help you is what inputs does the laser controller have. Electric equivalent schematics of the inputs would be the best to see,
but if something is printed onto the board or enclosure next to the connectors might be also some help.

And unfortunately if what I wrote in my previous post means nothing to you, I mean if you don't understand a word of it then there will be little chance that we could help you, because what I wrote exactly tells what you could do, but in addition you also have to know the pinout of the laser controller otherwise if that is unknown then what I wrote is really not useful.

[Gazza]

yea its just as i thought its way over my head is all this ill need to study the stuff more and get my self clued up as you say

well thanks for the time and effort you gave.... ill keep playing and let you know how it goes

Regards Gary

[Gazza]

just found this original board lay out 12v out and its like you say on /off






is this what you need to know

[dezsoe]

Gary,

The 3 pictures show 3 different devices! Which do you own? Could you make a photo of your device?

[Gazza]

Sorry guys..... The chinky boards are all the same that's to say they switch on / off the laser.... The above post is just the only data sheet I can supply showing all the connections and the 2 pin plug for the laser....
I want to connect my laser to my break out board which is this

https://cnc4you.co.uk/resources/KK01.pdf

[Robertspark]

The three pictures appear to actually be the same motion controller board.

The interesting bit is that it states 12V, GND and PWM for the laser.

Hence it's likley you can feed it 12V and a PWM TTL signal from one of the output pins and control the laser via M10PX and M11 where M10

[dezsoe]

The three pictures appear to actually be the same motion controller board.

No, they are different. On the 1st picture the FET for the laser output is standing, the laser has 2 pins. On the 2nd the FET is laying, 2 pins output. On the 3rd the FET is laying, but the whole card is different and it has 3 pin output with PWM. And we can't see the schematics...