To help our customers achieve better results and have a smoother experience using LightBurn and their laser, we have developed a set of criteria to rate a laser's compatibility with LightBurn. It is important to note that this system is not intended to rate a laser's quality.
The creation of a Vendor Bundle is a requirement for a rating.
Below is an explanation of the criteria used in our rating system. Each table has columns for Rating Lock, Field, Options, Device Type, and Description.
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Rating Lock: in some instances, selecting a given Option will lock the overall rating of a machine to a maximum tier. The maximum tier linked to an option will be shown in the same row as that option, in the Rating Lock column. For instance, the "No" option for "Provides Bundle" locks the machine to Uncertified (unrated), and "No" for "Provides Material Library" locks the rating to Medium.
- In addition to Uncertified, our hardware compatibility matrix has four classification levels:
- High: Fully compatible with LightBurn. All features of the machine are accessible through LightBurn.
- Medium: Mostly compatible. Some features like cameras or extended axis support may not work.
- Low: You can send jobs, or can send them with some sort of intermediate step. Many features are unsupported, hindering the user experience.
- Incompatible: No aspect of the machine will work with LightBurn.
- In addition to Uncertified, our hardware compatibility matrix has four classification levels:
- Field: this column shows the specific criterion that the options in the adjacent column apply to.
- Options: this column lists all possible choices for a given Field. For instance, the available Options for the Device Type field are GCode, DSP, or Galvo.
- Device Type: this column indicates whether a given Field or Option is applicable to machines of that type. Fields or Options that apply to given Device Types are indicated with by an ✅ mark in that Device Type's column. Most Fields and Options apply to all Device Types, but some are limited. For instance, the Outputs - Air Assist field does not apply to Galvo devices, and the GRBL firmware Option applies only to GCode devices.
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Description: in some cases, this column provides additional information on the content in the Field or Options columns. In cases where the meaning of the Field or Option is plain, the Description column is left blank.
Provides Bundle
To be rated in this list, we require you to submit a Vendor Bundle. Documentation on creating a Vendor Bundle is available here: https://docs.lightburnsoftware.com/latest/Reference/Hidden/VendorBundles/
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Provides Bundle | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Provides Vendor Bundle - Required for a rating | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| Uncertified | No |
Device Type
What type of device is the laser you are entering?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Device type | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||
| DSP | ||||||
| Galvo | ||||||
| GCode |
Laser Source
What is the type of laser on this machine?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Laser Source | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||
| CO2 | ||||||
| Diode | ||||||
| Fiber | ||||||
| RF | ||||||
| UV | ||||||
| Multi |
Machine Communication
How does LightBurn connect to your machine? If you have multiple options, enter your primary method, then the next most reliable method, etc. We have 3 fields available for controls with multiple connection methods.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Machine Communication | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||
| USB Serial | Standard Serial comms | |||||
| USB FTDI | FTDI-based drivers, such as is used by Ruida controllers | |||||
| USB RAW | ||||||
| Wi-Fi | ||||||
| Ethernet | Ethernet direct or Network. Ruida and Trocen are good examples | |||||
| Bluetooth | ||||||
| Proprietary | Encrypted or proprietary comms, such as is found in BSL or EZCad3 | |||||
| None | No direct communication. LinuxCNC is an example of this. |
Controller
What Controller does your machine use? This is a text entry box. Please enter the Brand and Model of the controller in this machine. If the controller is custom, just type: Custom.
Examples:
- A Ruida controller RDC-6442
- MKS DLC-32
- Custom
Firmware
What firmware does the controller use?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Firmware | What firmware is on the machine | |||||
| EzCAD2 | ✅ | |||||
| EzCAD3 | ✅ | |||||
| BSL | ✅ | |||||
| GRBL | ✅ | |||||
| GRBL-ESP32 | ✅ | |||||
| GRBL-HAL | ✅ | |||||
| GRBL-LPC | ✅ | |||||
| GRBL-M3 (1.1e or earlier) | ✅ | |||||
| Marlin | ✅ | |||||
| Smoothie | ✅ | |||||
| LinuxCNC | ✅ | |||||
| Reprap | ✅ | |||||
| Ruida | ✅ | |||||
| Trocen | ✅ | |||||
| Topwisdom | ✅ | |||||
| Puhan | ✅ | |||||
| Proprietary(custom) | ✅ | ✅ | ||||
| Uncertified | Unsupported | ✅ | ✅ |
Firmware Custom
Does your controller use a custom version of an existing firmware?
Examples:
- A Ruida controller set up for a U-axis rotary
- A GRBL controller that gives specialized Error messages
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Firmware Custom | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Your firmware is customized and makes that known. And LightBurn supports it currently | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| No |
Firmware Standard Breaking
Does your controller use a custom version of an existing firmware that breaks convention? For example, a GRBL controller that needs a binary command to activate a homing sequence.
Example: Your machine reports as GRBL but does not allow for standard GRBL communication or operation
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Firmware Breaking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Your firmware is a custom version of an existing protocol and breaks standards in a consequential way. | ||
| Low | Yes | |||||
| No |
Camera
Is there a camera on this machine?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Camera | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Does your laser have a camera | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| No |
Camera Communication
How does the camera connect to the computer? N/A if there is no camera on the machine.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Camera Communication | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | What type of communication does your camera use? N/A if no Camera | ||
| USB | USB Serial | |||||
| Network | ||||||
| Network: FFMPEG | ||||||
| Proprietary | A proprietary connection that LightBurn supports and is confirmed to work | |||||
| Low | Proprietary Unsupported | Unsupported connection. The camera does not work. | ||||
| N/A | No Camera |
Camera Compatibility
Is the camera accessible or compatible with LightBurn? Most UVC-compatible cameras are plug-and-play with our software.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Camera Compatible | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Whether or not your camera is supported in LightBurn | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| Low | No | |||||
| N/A |
Control Level
The control level rating describes how well LightBurn can control the features of a laser. While we would like to fully control all machines, we recognize that some vendors will include features that we can not control. This critical rating feature will lock a rating to an Uncertified level if it is below “Limited” for any control type.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Control Level | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Level of control from LightBurn | ||
| Full | Full control. All features available | |||||
| Partial | Most features work. Extended axes or advanced features may not be available | |||||
| Uncertified | Limited | Only basic features work. Can send a job but manual entry or settings may need to be done | ||||
| Uncertified | None | LightBurn cannot control this machine | ||||
| Uncertified | Unknown | The control level is currently untested |
Has Endstops
Does your machine have end stops, home switches, or sensorless homing to home the gantry? Being able to home the machine is imperative for many features in LightBurn. We consider these a requirement for a well-functioning and supported machine. The absence of homing switches will result in an uncertified machine.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Has Endstops | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Your machine has endstops or sensorless homing if gantry based | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| Uncertified | No |
Has Flame Sensor
These are a common feature on diode machines and becoming more common on others. We like to know if a machine has them both for safety and because they can sometimes create false triggers and be problematic on machines.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Has Flame Sensor | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Has a Flame sensor that puts the machine into an Alarm State | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| No |
Has Tilt Sensor
These are a common feature on diode machines and becoming more common on others. We like to know if a machine has them both for safety and because they can sometimes create false triggers and be problematic on machines
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Has Tilt Sensor | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Has a Tilt sensor that puts the machine into an Alarm State | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| No |
Job Transfer
How are jobs sent to the machine? If your machine has options for this, there are three fields. Start with the most reliable method and go on from there.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Job Transfer | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||
| Stream | ||||||
| Onboard | ||||||
| SD Card | ||||||
| USB Flash Drive |
Outputs - Air Assist
Can your machine turn the air assist on automatically through the control?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Output - Air | ✅ | ✅ | Air assist Relay control | |||
| Yes | ||||||
| Medium | No |
Outputs - Exhaust Enable
Can your machine turn the exhaust on automatically through the control?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Output - Exhaust | ✅ | ✅ | Exhaust Relay Control | |||
| Yes | ||||||
| No |
Provides Camera Calibration
Do you provide a camera calibration in your vendor bundle or on your support website?
Choose N/A if you do you not provide a camera.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Provide Camera Calibration | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Provides a calibration file for the onboard camera if available | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| No | ||||||
| N/A |
Provides Drivers
Do you provide the drivers needed to communicate with your control with the machine and on your support website?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Provides Driver | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Drivers to communicate with the laser are easily available from the supplier | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| Medium | No |
Provides Firmware
Do you provide firmware on your website that users can use to recover their controls easily?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Provides Firmware | ✅ | Provides firmware to reflash controller if needed | ||||
| Yes | ||||||
| Low | No |
Provides Material Library
Do you provide a Material Library file in your vendor bundle? We would like to see starter libraries for our users when they get a new machine. Having a webpage with materials and speed/power settings is good. We prefer to also have a Material Library users can directly import without having to refer elsewhere.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Provides Material Library | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Provides a material Library in the vendor bundle | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| Medium | No |
Provides Scan Offsets
Scan offsets are a critical feature for DSP machines, and having them tuned from the factory makes for a great user experience. Do you include scan offsets for your machines in your Vendor Bundle?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Provides Scan offsets | ✅ | ✅ | Provides scan offsets file in vendor bundle if needed | |||
| Yes | ||||||
| No |
Rotary Compatible
Is your rotary axis control available in LightBurn?
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Rotary Compatible | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | The rotary axis works and is supported by LightBurn | ||
| Yes | ||||||
| No |
Provides Galvo Config file
Most Galvo machines require a control configuration file to set up in LightBurn. EzCAD2, for example, requires a Markcfg.7 file.
| Rating Lock | Field | Options | GCode | DSP | Galvo | Description |
| Galvo Config File available | ✅ | MarkCfg.7 or other Galvo Configuration files available for download from the vendor | ||||
| Yes | ||||||
| Medium | No |