GCode-based firmware for cheap Chinese laser engravers
A PHP web interface for easier "slicing" and burning. Just give it an SVG, it'll hand it off to svg2gcode, let you sanity-check the results, then transmit the gcode to the engraver.
I run this on a Raspberry Pi connected to the arduino that drives the printer itself. Wireless laser engraving! The future.
This is the 'worker' for the web interface. It can be automatically started by the web interface.
A simple GCode console with local buffering. Think of it like a super bare bones Pronterface.
Parse and convert SVG to GCode for the printer. Currently, curves aren't supported; patches implementing biarc interpolation are welcome. Only paths are converted; make sure to convert any native objects to paths before attempting to GCodify.
Note: I've found it most effective to simply treat whatever my native unit in my SVG program as millimeters, and leave --dpmm at the default of 1. E.g., my Inkscape drawings are "53 pixels" by "53 pixels". By leaving --dpmm at 1, this equates to an engraving 53mm x 53mm.
svg2gcode.pl --file <file.svg> --dpmm <dots per MM>
--feedrate <movement while "active" lasing>
--travelrate <movement while "inactive">
--active <laser power while active lasing, max 255>
--inactive <laser power while inactive, max 255>
--debug --json
Note about inactive laser power: My laser takes a few fractions of a second to begin lasing properly if --inactive is too low, which would cause my lines to miss a few millimeters at the beginning. You should set --inactive as high as you can so that it doesn't mark the material, which will minimize any start-up time.
Arduino firmware for driving RAMPS. Expects X and Y stepper motors and mechanical endstops controlled through the appropriately labeled pins. Currently, Y endstop is a "min" endstop and X endstop is a "max" endstop.
Requires a special laser driver controlled via D9. I control power directly, but you could easily control TTL instead. Something like: http://www.aixiz.com/store/product_info.php/cPath/28/products_id/104
Happy to run a fan connected to D10. I use the fan to cool the laser itself while operating.
The firmware automatically disables the laser and motors any time there's no lasing command executing.