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Endurance Robots: How to connect a laser to a CNC machine

endurance robots diodes

George Fomitchev, CEO of Endurance Robots, explains how to connect lasers to CNC machines

Tutorial: Connection of the laser, 1 W and more (1000 mW) to a laser engraver, a CNC machine, a plotter (MakeBlock Plotter XY 2.0, DIY), and a 3D printer (WanHao, Reprap, Ultimaker)

Customers often ask us how to connect a powerful laser to this or that CNC machine or plotter, if the circuit board of the device does not have a separate power supply for a laser, and the current going through the control board is minimal and does not exceed, for example, 0.5 A.

The DIY и MakeBlock engraver board is powered with 12 v and 0.5-1 А current, not more.
1W diode lasers require 1-2 А и 12 v current; 5 W lasers and higher need more than 3 A.

To mount a more powerful laser on a plotter (such as a MakeBlock XY plotter 2.0 KIT) or on a small Neje engraver additional power supply is needed. It is possible to install a separate battery unit and a driver, for instance. 

Endurance circuit MO 1 schematics

 

laser-cnc-connect-diagram-1

Connect the laser control to the МК and GND1 pins. The supplied power must not exceed 24 v. Connect the laser «+» to «+12v», the laser «-» to the «Drain» of the field transistor.

The GND1 and GND2 contacts may not be necessarily located on the same line. It is possible to use the «+12V» and «GND2» contacts of the lead-acid battery.

It is enough to have a bread board of 20х20 mm to place all the elements.

This schematics furnishes

12 v lasers with the current up to 5 A.

Use the current powering the DIY or an additional battery unit.

The schematics connection

 

laser-cnc-connect-diagram-2

The laser «+» and «-» contacts are controlling and located at the top on the right-hand side of the circuit board picture of the NEJE engraver. Connect them to the «МК» and «GND1» contacts of the Endurance circuit MO 1.

laser-cnc-connect-diagram-3

You can place the Endurance circuit MO 1 board inside a telephone box. When choosing wires, take into account the current stregnth depending on the laser power. A 5.6 W laser draws up to 3.5 А.

Connection of the Endurance circuit MO 1 schematics to a mini engraver Neje

laser-cnc-connect-diagram-4

Endurance schematics on a MakeBlock plotter XY 2.0

laser-cnc-connect-diagram-5

Anyone can assemble it independently. It’s a fully open source solution. We are happy to share useful technologies with the community of laser enthusiasts and laser engraving fans.

But if you want to get a ready Endurance circuit MO 1 board, let us know, and we’ll send it to you.

This article was written by George Formitchev, CEO and a founder of Endurance Robots, and EnduranceLasers.com, who also prepared the materials. George can be contacted by email at gf@endurancerobots.com.

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