Aurora Installing Lightburn (non-Pro)

Aurora Installing Lightburn (non-Pro)

Preface: This article covers installing Lightburn for your Thunder Laser Aurora Galvo laser


Lightburn Software for Galvo is a powerful design and communication tool for your Thunder Galvo Laser.  Following this guide will help you install Lightburn, install important drivers and configure Lightburn to work with your Aurora.  Check out Lightburn's Galvo Documentation HERE

QUICKSTART VIDEO:




Complete Guide:


Preparing Yourself and the Laser:

You will need these items to successfully install and setup.
  1. Thunder Laser USB Thumb Drive ( This contains important configuration files you will need to load into Lightburn. )
  2. Thunder supplied USB Printer cable
  3. Computer used to to connect your Thunder Aurora
  4. Internet Access to Download Lightburn Software.
  5. Laser MUST be on and plugged in (please push in and twist to reset your E-Stop button to verify the E-Stop is not active. Lights and the red auto focus beam spot will work even when an E-Stop is active) 


Download Lightburn:


Pick Your Version for your OS
Lightburn Website

Whether you have a Lightburn key or you want to start of with the trial you will be going to https://lightburnsoftware.com/pages/trial-version-try-before-you-buy
Scroll down a bit on the Lightburn Download page and you will have 4 options to choose from:

Pick based off your OS
  1. Windows 64bit
  2. Windows 32bit
  3. Mac OS
  4. Linux 64

*Note that you do not download a specific "Galvo" version, Lightburn is one software that can work with Galvo and Gantry lasers





Installing Lightburn and Galvo Control Board Driver:


Notes on the install
Galvo Driver Install
In most situations downloaded applications will be downloaded to your Downloads folder. Find this executable file and double clicking it will start the installation process. Follow the prompts and give the application proper permissions will be the first part of the installation.

Once the Lightburn installation is completed, the application install you will be asked to install the supporting drivers. This is a MUST to be able to communicate to the laser. 

If you encounter issues while installing the Lihgtburn Ezcad2 driver, please see this article.





Importing the the EZCad  Config File (Device Profile Creation)

For this part of the install you will need to have the Thunder Laser Thumb Drive inserted into your computer. The Config file and Lens Lens Cor.(correction) files are machine specific and are necessary for proper machine function. 


Step 1 Create a New Device In Lightburn



Laser Window In Lightburn
Device List Prompt in Lightburn


If you already have devices set up because you had Lightburn before, then click the Devices button in the laser window to get started. Otherwise, Lightburn will open to the Device List Prompt Automatically


If you used "Find My Laser"
If you used "Create Manually"



Step 2 Loading EZCad Config

Info
Note that Lightburn reference the markcfg7 file but we recommend the markcfg0. Lightburn will pull data automatically from the Param Library folder as well for default timing values

Click "Import EZcad Config"
Navigate in Thunder USB to markcfg0 file




                                                

Step 3 Verify Settings Imported from markcfg0 to Lightburn

Confirm EZCad config file has loaded along with the lens cor. file.  The lens correction file is lens specific to the lens size installed on the machine. The stock lens will vary by which Aurora model you purchased, be sure to refer to the Aurora Manual for more information.

Info
TIP: Naming the Laser and associating it with the lens will make it easier to differentiate between lens profiles. See Images below.  It is recommended to have a unique Device setup in Lightburn for each lens that you plan to use on the machine.
Cor File Confirmation
Device Naming



Verify That the Door Sensor Setup is Correct

Even though the markcfg# file had the Door Sensor information correct, it does not appear to import correctly. The correct door setting is IO Port 15 and Low. To access the IO port settings, goto edit>device settings in Lightburn. Depending on your version of Lightburn, the Device settings window may have tabs. This is a bug in Lightburn that is scheduled to be fixed in version 1.7

Warning
Failure to input the correct setting in this section for Doors will allow the machine to run with the lid open. You must complete this step before operation.


Incorrect Dorr Setting
Correct Door Setting



Step 4 Loading Various COR Files (lens correction)


Creating multiple devices with different COR files is fairly simple. Follow all the steps above in addition to this final step.  You will need your Thunder Laser Thumb Drive again. 



Step 5 Laser is READY 

Confirm that laser is ready and now it's time to start testing. See videos below to start your first projects. 



Reference Videos:

These videos are from 3rd parties and may contain duplicate or conflicting information, you will need to "read between the lines" at times.






Reference Articles:

    If you are a Thunder Laser USA client and still need Technical Support after exhausting the resources in the Knowledge Base, simply email support@thunderlaserusa.com and the Technical Support Team will promptly assist you!