Importing Objects/Engrave over size

[chakata]

Done all this with anti virus turned off......no difference ...at 100 speed lasers file at top left (even though it was centred on page) and finishes after 34secs

[Tech_Marco]

Send me the a picture of the job.Or, take a video for reivew.
If you're using 2M415, select 0.6A (should be Off Off On), and 1/6 (should be On On Off). When you change the resolution, the machine will act differently (travelling distance change). So, you need use Distance calculator to find a 'magic number' to adapt for the new change.

The "Distance per pulse (um)" should be 6.75 or around. You can find out the exact number by drawing a squre box and compare the value to the real job the machne worked out. Assming the box you draw on the LaserCad is 100mm x 100mm and the work is 135mm x 135mm ,what you need to do click on the button next to the Distance per unit(um) to find out the magic number:

Expected: 100mm
Actual length: 135mm

The calculator will give out a number "Distance per pulse (um)" say 6.75 (example only!)
Ue this number for Y also as Y should be very closed to the X. You can fine tune again later.

Use the LCD control unit to set the Origin mode to "Key". Enter to save it. Then ESC to exit the menu.
Use the keypad to move the laser head to the center of the page, then press "Origin" one time on the LCD front panel lo 'lock' the orign
On LaserCad, make sure that the "Position relative" is set to "Top Left" as your home is Top Left as well.

Since you're using "Key Origin", therefore, the image location on the LasserCad is don't care. Set the speed to 200mm/s, power: 10~12% (whatever you want), then click "Download" to send the job to the mainboard. You should hear "Beep" when it completed.

Then hit Start see if it goes OK




Marco

[chakata]

Thanks for your patience Marco, this long distance trouble shooting must be difficult for you.

Anyway done as you asked. At least there has been a change of sorts . The file was burned at a different point but 12 power barely marked the paper at that speed. I enclose a pic of what it done. I stopped the job this time as I couldn't see where it was burning and thought it was going out of the page area

[Tech_Marco]

It look like that it's focus issue, not the controller.
Draw cut a square box of with 250 x 180mm. Use 15% or whateer good to see but not strong enough to burn though.
Pay attention to the line from top left to the bottom right. If you find that line fade out. It means that the focus point is in the 'suspect'
Usually, the top left is more clear and the bottom right fade out.

Marco

[chakata]

Now , as I,ve centred the laser in the middle of the work area this box is returning a beyond size error

[Tech_Marco]

Then make the box smaller, say 200mm x 100mm. Also, check the "Postition relative" and the Work space. Make sure all in TOP LEFT (assuming your HOME is Top Left).

I'm sure it's setting issue. You must have something set it wrong.

Marco

[chakata]

I really cant understand WHAT I'm doing wrong!!!! I can only draw this size box again if I actually move the origin back to 0,0 Do you think it possible if you could post pics of all your params so I can copy them in verbatim. Just treat me like a dummy please! My Distance (um) pulse is 6.337500 and 6.305000

[chakata]

Actually just to prove that I'm not a complete 'dummy' here's a few pics of a model weaponized wheelchair (with minigun and rear rack for m82 , m1/m203 and shottie) and also with a at4 , that I designed as a present for a good friend that we play wargames with and who is actually in a wheelchair. I designed this model in 3dsMax and have built it using an Ultimaker 3d printer

[Tech_Marco]

I really cant understand WHAT I'm doing wrong!!!! I can only draw this size box again if I actually move the origin back to 0,0 Do you think it possible if you could post pics of all your params so I can copy them in verbatim. Just treat me like a dummy please! My Distance (um) pulse is 6.337500 and 6.305000

That make sense! You're right about it. The laser head must be moved closer to (0,0) in order to engave the box that the size I suggested. If you move it to the center, possible you can do 130mm x 100mm box!

Now, is all four lines looks good? Or is it having some faded out?

[chakata]

all four lines look good

[Tech_Marco]

Your Pulse unit seems getting closed to mine. If you draw a 100mm x 100m box, what is the dimension of the the work out? Exactly 100mm x 100mm?

Now, Use LCD panel keypad to move the laser head to all four corners. Tell me what is the max X,Y you can go

Then, import the image and put it 2" away from the (0,0), then start to engrave it. Use 15% at 300mm/s

By the way, try simple graphic first like just draw a circle of 50mm x 50mm see how it goes.

[Tech_Marco]

I'll post my setting tomorrow as now is 11:30pm at night. No time and energy to run into office to try it
Been busy for all day, so tired

[chakata]

ok, sorry for this hassle Marco, my workmate came over and we've went through and reinstalled everything again , recalibrated etc. (no change AFAIC see)

re previous post.. Travelling the x-y gives (0,0) ,(300,0) , (300,220) , (0,220)

I,ve done the little exercise above. The attached files show how the job was set out but #2 file depicts how the laser printed on my work area. Seems the only way I can place an object is too draw a virtual box around the object and uncheck it in the Layer Options. Then it prints with a correct relationship to (0,0) As for this exercise the circle engraved properly and took 00.03.22 The LCD screen displayed the correct info when the job was printing

[Tech_Marco]

Did you install other version LaserCad before V6.27? It seems that you're running other before it as the 'icon' looks difference.
You may want to uninstall the the softare, then remove the the folder from the hard driver before re-install newer version.
Plus, it seems that you're not running XP but Win7. You may also want to turn off "recovery" feature when doing uninstall, just to make sure that you have a 'clean' intall.
By the way, try it on XP system if you can. Win7 seems having stronger security policy that may prevent LaserCad from operating properly in some case.

Today I was too busy to make system screen capture for you as a customer stop by for testing the DSP (and bought one). I used the small laser machine (K40) for the demo and he as amazed by the user friendly LaserCad when compare to his Leetro MC4315 controller. I need to find another time to send you my setup.

One question: did you ground your machine well? Make sure you ground everything: laser power supply, chasis, DC power supply, DSP mainboard... make sure that you have 'sold' and 'firm' ground. Check your wire again and make sure the high voltage cable is firmly connected to the laser tube. Then, check the cable from the mainbaord to the laser power supply, 3 wires: GND, PWM, TTL. The TTL must connected to the "TL" to the power supply, not to the "TH".

If you could freely move the laser head around and capable to engrave/cut any drawing. The chance of having faulty DSP controller is very low. Most likely it is Windows OS or connection. By the way, do one more thing: format the memory on the DSP mainboard to clean up all stored files. Just in case not corruped file causing the problem

Have a great weekend

Marco

[chakata]

Yes Marco, I think we may be moving towards pointing the finger at the software rather than any DSP problem . I,ve uninstalled and reinstalled newest versions of Lasercad and the firmware ,being very careful how everything is eventually installed. From your post Marco it appears that the main difference between our systems is you are running Win XP . My laptop is a HP630 Intel I5_2450M with 8gb ram and 64bit o/s. It came with Windows 7 Ultimate OEM. So far I,ve not had a pleasant experience with the conversion of the K40 as we tried to use the original power supply which eventually proved a wrong decision and then after getting everything put together the original chinese laser tube exploded in a heap of sparks. As we are just about as far away from Sacremento as you can be without going into outer space the tryanny of distance meant very long wait times between indentifying a problem, ordering and receiving a new part and then doing an installation. Now I,ve again spent a frustrating few days trying to get it up and running properly......

.........but readers you can put away the violins. I think , perhaps accidentally moreso than anything else the machine appears to be doing exactly as I want. And the solution guys, is so bloody simple that I can't believe that nobody in this forum has been able to supply it as an answer to this forum thread and also as an answer to other posts relating to "engrave over size" error, jobs stopping midway and ruining materials, not printing where the job is positioned in LaserCad and similar other problems.

My solution is just to draw a box in LaserCad at your max. work area dimensions , tell it to cut with zero power. Can even uncheck it . My machine is now able to whizz along at 500 speed and engrave just about all I can throw at it. I don't know if my exact circumstances are the same as others in this forum but I'm interested if this helps anyone else. The problem may arise from having Windows 7. Good ol' Bill Gates has a lot to answer for with his revisions of 'his' operating system and incompatibility problems. But as the warcry is onward ever onward and Win 8 is not far away as the new supplied o/s on new computers I think your software designer , Marco , should be looking at how Lasercad interacts with newest o/s. Bearing in mind also that Win 8 has not been getting much good press and its likely it could be another Vista , with Windows 9 already being designed to its saviour.

Now my mate and I are looking forward to learning the capabilities of the machine and the next build we do , well, forewarned is forearmed , as they say!


Charlie