Documentation-Laser cutter-K40

insLaserK40.txt - Nov. 1, 2019 Instructions for the K40 laser cutter (cheap Chinese laser cutter): 1. Make sure the laser cutter POWER switch (top panel) is in the OFF position (bottom side down) 2. Make sure the SAFETIES switch on the laser cutter is in the ON position 3. Make sure the float switch with 2 ping-pong balls in it is in the bucket in the cabinet under the laser cutter 4. Make sure the pump is in the bucket 5. Make sure the end of the 2nd plastic tube (drain line from laser tube) is in the bucket 6. If water in the bucket does not push the ping-pong balls up so they close the switch at the top of the float switch add water until they do (note that the switch is finicky & it may later be necessary to jiggle the ping-pong balls to get the switch to close) 7. Make sure the pump is plugged into the power strip at the top right in the cabinet 8. Make sure the exhaust fan is plugged into the power strip 9. Make sure the computer is plugged into the power strip 10. Make sure the power cord for the laser cutter (coming down into the right rear of the cabinet) is plugged into the power strip 11. Make sure the other end of the power cord is plugged into the back (right side) of the laser cutter 12. Plug (an extension cord is needed) the white power cord coming out of the top of the cabinet under the laser cutter into the long power strip to right of the KILL SWITCH ULTIMAKER WORKBENCH LASER CUTTER sign 13. Switch on the power strip to right of the KILL SWITCH sign 14. Switch on the power strip in the cabinet under the laser cutter 15. Make sure the exhaust fan is running 16. Lift the 2nd plastic tube slightly out of the bucket, make sure water is flowing out of it, & replace it 17. Place the material to be cut in the laser cutter 18. Switch the laser cutter POWER switch ON 19. For manual operation set the CONTROL switch to MANUAL 20. Turn the LASER CURRENT knob all the way counterclockwise (off) 21. Push the LASER switch to the FIRE position (it will only fire as long as it is held there) 22. Turn the LASER CURRENT knob clockwise until the LASER CURRENT meter reaches the correct level (maximum is about 15mA) 23. When finished turn the LASER CURRENT knob all the way counterclockwise 24. Turn the POWER switch OFF 25. Turn off the power strip under the laser cutter 26. Unplug the extension cord from the power strip to right of the KILL SWITCH sign insLaserK40maint To adjust the stationary mirrors - Oct. 8, 2019 1. If moving part of the mirror forward loosen the nuts on the bolts on the back of the mount 2. Loosen the bolt on the side of the mount that part of the mirror is to be moved towards 3. Turn the bolt on the opposite side clockwise to move part of the mirror in the desired direction 4. Repeat steps 1-3 if needed 5. Tighten the bolts on the side the mirror was moved towards 6. Tighten the other bolts 7. Tighten the nuts on the bolts on the back To control the Smoothieboard directly from a tabletop computer using screen - Dec. 12, 2019 1. Unplug the laser cutter computer USB cable from the back of the Smoothieboard 2. Connect another USB cable from the tabletop computer to the connector in the back of the Smoothieboard 3. Turn on the computer & wait for it to start up 4. Login: hacdc 5. At Password: enter standard password 6. Click on Applications at top left 7. Move cursor down to System Tools 8. Click on MATE Terminal in window that just appeared 9. If the computer already has the program named screen loaded skip steps 10-11 10. sudo apt install screen 11. At [sudo] password for hacdc: enter standard password 12. screen /dev/ttyACM0 13. Ctrl a? (hold down Ctrl & press a, then release both before typing ? (note that characters entered after Ctrl a will not appear on the display) - this gives instructions for using screen) 14. help (this displays instructions for controlling the Smoothieboard) 15. When finished disconnect the Smoothieboard from the tabletop computer USB cable 16. Reconnect the USB cable from the laser cutter computer to the Smoothieboard To control the Smoothieboard directly from a tabletop computer using minicom - Dec. 12, 2019 1. Unplug the laser cutter computer USB cable from the back of the Smoothieboard 2. Connect another USB cable from the tabletop computer to the connector in the back of the Smoothieboard 3. Turn on the computer & wait for it to start up 4. Login: hacdc 5. At password: enter standard password 6. Click on Applications at top left 7. Move cursor down to System Tools 8. Click on MATE Terminal in window that just appeared 9. If the computer already has the program minicom loaded skip steps 10-33 10. sudo apt install minicom 11. At [sudo] password for hacdc: enter standard password 12. If the display asks Do you want to continue? [Y/n]: y 13. sudo minicom -s 14. Press down arrow twice to move highlighted line down to: Serial port setup 15. Enter (for steps 16-27 do not press Enter unless stated) 16. Change which setting? a 17. Use the Backspace key to change /dev/modem to /dev/ttyACM0 18. Enter 19. Enter 20. Press down arrow twice to move highlighted line down to: Screen and keyboard 21. Enter 22. Change which setting? (Esc to exit) q 23. Change which setting? (Esc to exit) t 24. Enter 25. Press down arrow to move highlighted line to: Save setup as dfl 26. Enter (Configuration saved should appear) 27. Press down arrow 3 times to move highlighted line to: Exit from Minicom 28. Enter 29. sudo usermod -G dialout hacdc 30. Click on System at top towards left 31. Click on Log Out hacdc... 32. Click on Log Out at lower right of new window 33. Repeat steps 4-8 34. minicom (this has instructions) 35. help (this displays instructions for controlling the Smoothieboard) 36. When finished disconnect the tabletop computer USB cable from the Smoothieboard 37. Reconnect the USB cable from the laser cutter computer to the Smoothieboard Specifications - K40 power supply - Oct. 8, 2019 The power supply for the K40 (cheap Chinese laser cutter) is a "4-6-4" type with a 6-terminal connector in the center with a 4-terminal connector on both sides. L1=G - ground (typically connected to negative terminal of laser tube, in this case thru a current meter (laser current on front panel)) L2=G L3=AC - one side of 120VAC power L4=AC - other side of 120VAC power C1=G C2=P - enable - ground to allow laser to fire C3=L - laser - ground to fire laser C4=G C5=IN - intensity - analog laser power control (i.e., in manual mode) C6=5V R1=24V R2=G R3=5V R4=L - laser - ground to fire laser Note that C3 & R4 are connected on the power supply PC board as are C6 & R3. The laser power can be controlled using L by PWM. Note: Diode D15 has been disconnected because it was leaky; it was only used for an on-board TEST button which is never used so there is no particular reason to replace it.