Need Help! 15W chinese laser controller connectiosn


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Thread: 15W chinese laser controller connectiosn

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    Default 15W chinese laser controller connectiosn

    15W chinese laser controller connectiosn-20180408_200459-jpg

    Hi,

    I'm looking for some guidance on connecting a 15W laser controller to achieve PWM / TTL control.

    In the attached phot it can be seen that the board, apparently, supports modulated input but I cannot figure out how to connect it up. The Laser works fine when powered up from the 12v PSU but is on constantly (unless you switch to foucus mode). The lower socket has three pins and the lower pins are the 12v + & - supply lines. The 3rd pin is a loose trailing wire terminated in a socket. The upper socket is marked PWM/TTL (as is the 3rd pin on the lower socket) but I don't know how to connect this to modulate or start and stop the laser. I am familiar with PWM spindle speed control and I have read up about TTL but I still can't figure out these connections. The supplier has not been able to help so I'm hoping that someone here recognises the board and point me in the right direction.

    Thanks in advance.

    Ali

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    Motors are fueled by smoke - when the smoke's gone away, it's damned hard to get them going again!


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    Default Re: 15W chinese laser controller connectiosn

    If it is of any help, I have measured voltage across the upper socket witha digital meter and I can read 2.538v when it is powered up. I have also checked the singel wire from the lower socket and it appears to be common with the +ve pin on the upper socket.

    When reading the laser output pins I am reading 5.62v when it is in laser mode or in focus mode. I was expecting a lower voltage in the foucs mode but now i suspect that there is already some form of modulation happening. I don't have a scope so I am not able to check wave forms etc. (not that i would know what i was looking at!).

    Motors are fueled by smoke - when the smoke's gone away, it's damned hard to get them going again!


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    Default Re: 15W chinese laser controller connectiosn

    I can offer a clue. Sorry if you already know this. PWM is looking for a 0 to 5v signal that controls the intensity of the beam. Higher voltage higher power. PWM is a way to generate power from a digital signal. TTL is the switch for the laser. It goes low voltage to fire or it goes high to fire. So power supplies need a switch, power control, a ground and normally an interrupt for water or door sensor.


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    Default Re: 15W chinese laser controller connectiosn

    Solved !!!!!

    Well, I took the plunge and hooked up the pin marked PWM/TTL - to the CNC V3 board gnd and the pin marked PWM/TTL + to the spindle enable pin. I was aware that this had been remapped in GRBL 9.0 onwards but I was still not sure if I was doing the right thing. Anyway, it worked - M3 turns the laser on, M5 tunrns it off and S values change the intensity of the beam.

    For clarification, I am not using the single floating wire on the power input set of pins, I am using the two pins in the upper socket (in orifinal photo). Furthermore, I am using seperate 12v power supplies for the arduino Uno / CNC shield combo and the laser driver but with common grounds.

    My only problem now is the focus mode - normally you have to press a small pcb mounted switch to enable focus beam mode and i thought that I could use a low s value to acive the same, however, even at S1 the beam is a lot brighter than when using the conventional focus switch. Any ideas??


    Ali KAt

    Motors are fueled by smoke - when the smoke's gone away, it's damned hard to get them going again!


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    Default Re: 15W chinese laser controller connectiosn

    Do you have any general purpose outputs on your controller? If so maybe wire one to the focus switch input, drive the toggle from code?



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    Default Re: 15W chinese laser controller connectiosn

    Quote Originally Posted by dharmic View Post
    Do you have any general purpose outputs on your controller? If so maybe wire one to the focus switch input, drive the toggle from code?
    Hi, Yes I do have some other inputs that could be used for focus but I'm more of a welder thana solderer and you will see in the photos that the switch is a SMD type and I might end up being a bit heavy handed. I'll take a closer look and see what I can do though.

    Ali Kat15W chinese laser controller connectiosn-20180414_094458-jpg

    Motors are fueled by smoke - when the smoke's gone away, it's damned hard to get them going again!


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15W chinese laser controller connectiosn

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