Use same smoothieware config for CNC and Laser?

Hello!
I have a small 3 axis CNC router I'm using to cut wood. I have used the cnc smoothie firmware and mks board to set it up. Now I was thinking if I can just attach a diode laser on it and call it a day I have a laser engraver. I certanly could, but the laser needs some extra wires I did not configure in the config file. So how this could possibly work? Is there any way I can configure smoothie to be a laser cutter and a cnc router at the same time or do i need to swap config files before every power up? I would prefer not to obviously, let's keep it as a last resort.

there's no reason you'd need to do anything special, just configure the laser module as per the documentation, and use your machine normally, as either a laser cutter or a cnc mill (or both at the same time),

it's all supported

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2022 07:28AM by arthurwolf.

... in past (some 30+ years ago) I've extracted the STEP-signals from the X and Y axis, .OR. combined them to get a speed-independant pulse signal and used an I/O-pin to set the laser mode to "ON" (laser pulses with every X or Y step) or "OFF" (not pulsing while moving XY).

Nowadays I'm using firmwares made for the RepRap-controllers by simply using the extruder-STEP-signal for the laser pulse and the E-rate to define the pulse-per-mm ratio. Then it's as simply as moving with "G0" without laser and "G1" with laser pulses

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Quote
VDX
Nowadays I'm using firmwares made for the RepRap-controllers by simply using the extruder-STEP-signal for the laser pulse and the E-rate to define the pulse-per-mm ratio.

He's using Smoothie firmware, so there is no need to do any of that.

He just has to configure the laser module in his config, and he'll get full laser control, including pwm control via gcode, and laser/speed proportionality so acceleration/deceleration doesn't impact laser quality.

[smoothieware.org]

[smoothieware.org]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2022 08:22AM by arthurwolf.

... my "solution" was made many years ago around the Arduino4Due firmware and then actual Pronterface -- here I've slightly modified the firmware (added some "laser and maintenance specific" M-codes) and much more modified/reprogrammed Pronterface (called it "gieCAPS") ... but this was for my company then, so not full Open-Source, and specified for our hardware too ...

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]