Re: [LUG] Lasercutters

On 9 August 2014 22:16:29 GMT+01:00, Gordon Henderson <gordon+lug@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

So since 2 on the list and one off-list have asked ...

I have an HPC LS-3020

http://hpclaser.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=40&zenid=uirvn88bl64udi2tjism28vr05

Support from HPC was OK initially, but they didn't answer a few questions
I asked (twice), and appear to now be ignoring me. The assembly and setup
manual they sent was for a different model.

Also, the supplied software is utterly shite and runs under Windows XP
only, and requires a security dongle. It's copyright date is 2004...

I knew this before I bought it, so bought it with the intention of
throwing away their controller board and replacing it...

... with a LaOS board. See:

http://redmine.laoslaser.org/projects/laos/wiki

LaOS is an open source project of both hardware and software.

I ordered a kit of parts from .nl, it came and I soldered it up. They sent
the wrong type of microSD socket, so I had to unsolder that and buy a
full-size one (to go with the full-size SD card they sent).

The LaOS board is now installed in the cutter and it has an Ethernet port
(the original is USB only) and I can make & cut stuff using Inkscape with
a plugin which calls a bit of software (VisiDraw) that lets you tune the
laser power and cutting speeds, and sends the file to the laser cutter
(via tftp). I then use the control panel on the cutter to make it 'go'.

There is virtually no support from the LaOS people mostly because the
"community" as such is somewhat sparse...

So here I am with over a grands worth of laser
cutter with little
confidence in any support from HPC or the LaOS community...

Fortunately all is now working well.

My suspicion is that the LaOS folks have sold a relatively small number of
them (now on LaOS rev 5!) and there just isn't the volume of people to
chip-in and help. e.g. my LS-3020 has a type of power supply and stepper
motor connectors that does not appear on their wiki, and no-one bothered
to ask me to post photos or update their wiki, although I might do that at
some point.

The software in the LaOS controller board (mbed controller) is usable, but
... There is also a small display module with buttons and a joystick -
again it's usable, but ... The VisiCut software that runs on my desktop
(in Java) is again usable, but could be better (although the author did
reply to an email I sent him a while back)

If I were buying it again, I'd probably buy a cheap one off ebay,
do my
own post-purchase re-fit (basically add interlock switches, air-jet and
red dot facilities) and go for a LaOS board. I'd probably save about Â400.
However I got more or less a fully working system from a UK company (who'd
gone to the bother of doing the import, testing, etc.) for me.

So I might re-write the LaOS software, if I can be bothered, however plan
B is to make my own controller board - because the next thing on my
personal hackspace shopping list is a small CNC router/mill, and the cheap
ones have a PC parallel port control input - which is bit-banged from the
PC to drive the steppers, so my plan is a universal controller board to
drive small laser cutters, XY plotters, CNC router/mills/lathes and 3D
printers....

But not this year.

Gordon

Ps. do not look into laser with remaining good eye.

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