Hello everyone!, first I ask forgiveness for my bad english, ok, I have been looking for information on setting up the pins to use with Mach3 to control a CO2 laser, could anyone help me to set up mach3 and with the wiring diagram? I have the manual of the power supply, but I do not understand, anyone could tell me as an Mach3 configure to use the output PWM?

this is the diagram to come with the power supply

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/tessen/LASER/esquemalaser.jpg

thanks a lot

I have the manual of the power supply, but I do not understand, anyone could tell me as an Mach3 configure to use the output PWM?


Hi Tessen,

Your English is fine. What kind of signal is your laser expecting? Is it 0 to 10V, 0 to 5v or a PWM signal.

If it is 0 - 10v or 0 - 5v then you will need a DigiSpeed controller from here...

www.homanndesigns.com/

If the laser requires direct PWM, what voltage and what frequency does it operate at?

If it requires a direct PWM then you may in a bit of trouble as the PWM output from Mach3 is probably going to too slow to be useful.

Dave

Hi DaveDoesIT

the signal is 0-5v or PWM , the power supply use TTL (high/low level) and PWM, in the next picture show the feature of power supply:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/tessen/LASER/laser1.jpg

i try to ask to the seller but they can´t help me because they don´t know the program mach3

yesterday i use this wiring to test the laser
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/tessen/LASER/laser2.jpg

and work fine, with potenciometer control the power output and with the push- button the trigger

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v219/tessen/LASER/?action=view&current=100_7482.flv

in the power supply manual appears other diagram to work with low level signal (i suppouse if i want to use high signal i have to connect the signal to the terminal "H")

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/tessen/LASER/laser3.jpg

i don´t understand how does mach3 to control it, and how i have to do to assign pins and configure mach3 to can work

thank a lot for your help

the signal is 0-5v


Hi Tessen,

You are in luck it seems. Follow that link I gave you to Homann Designs and ask Peter to advise which DigiSpeed you need. He is very familiar with Mach3.

Let's know how it turns out.

Dave

thanks a lot, but in the first place i´m trying to control the trigger of the laser, i´m read that mach3 can´t engrave because it have slow signal response i would ask if someone can help me about PWM signal or how to do to control the laser like a "Z" axis
thanks

The standard M3, M5 spindle relay setup could control the trigger. If you are wanting to control the laser power like a "Z" axis ( The more power the deeper the cut.) you could use a small "Z" axis stepper to sweep a 5 or 10 turn potentiometer through its travel.

If you just need to control the power for different material thickness. Use the digi-speed and S code in mach.

Darek

thanks a lot, but in the first place i´m trying to control the trigger of the laser, i´m read that mach3 can´t engrave because it have slow signal response i would ask if someone can help me about PWM signal or how to do to control the laser like a "Z" axis
thanks

Hi,

From the images you posted, the laser can be controlled by a 0-5V dc signal or a 0-5V PWM signal. THis means that the laser control input circuitry has a low pass filter in it and a PWM signal as low as 50Hz should be fine.

MAch3 can generate this PWM signal, but the question to be asked is whether the control voltage to the laser needs to be isolated from the Mach3 signals. If it does and you connect the laser input to the parallel port, you may destroy your computer.

So unless you know, it is better to opto-isolate the control signal.

The DigiSpeed DC-03 will convert the Mach3 PWM signal to an isolated 0-5Vdc voltage suitable for controlling the laser.

http://homanndesigns.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=21

The manual on the page above shows how to set up Mach for it. If you are specifing the laser powe as a %, say 0-100%, then set up the max spindle speed in Mach to 100rpm. That way id you want 60% power you can use the spindle speed code of: S60


Cheers,

Peter.

Cheers,

Peter.

Hello to everybody!
and excuse me, i though there are no post after mine, and cnczone don´t advise me for a new reply, excuses again

at the end i try directly with the computer signal, i know that i can destroy the computer if the signal from the power supply are no isolated (for safety´s sake i do a copy from my HDD :) )

now i can control the laser with M3-M5 commands and with the "S" command but i have a dude with the frecuency of the PWM pulses, the manufacturer tell me that the pulse frecuency must be in 10-50KHz interval... i try with the maximun frecuency i can,(16666Hz) but it don´t sound well..

and another question, you tell me set up 100 in max spindle speed, but what happen with acceleration and step per?

thanks to everyboy and excuse my english
Adolfo