So the DPD fairy has finally delivered my 4, 10w opt laser units!
And now I have them and my etherdream PCBs, I realise I have no experience with actually installing them.
I started off my career as a Deputy LX, so I have experience maintaining and building moving lights, projectors etc, so I have adjacent knowledge, but if anyone has tips or advice, that would be fab.
The opt units I went for are the “fb4 ready” version as I hear they are useful for having ethernet ports and space for the fb4 you can use for the etherdreams.
Hopefully I can do this without messing up the output of the lasers!
Assuming you have all the parts, tools, a well-lit, large desk / work table, you are probably good to go. When I do it, I’d likely setup my camera to film the endeavour. Use a piece of cardboard to store your removed screws in an orderly way. If you have not been to Seb’s YouTube channel, there are a ton of tips there too.
My questions regarding this process are : Has anyone done irreversible damage to their laser trying to install / post install?
How long does it take to do a single install when you are proficient? 10 minutes? 60 minutes?
Thanks for digging up this thread @Eyes2theSkies ! Hopefully this is all the information you need @Solexious but let me know if you have any trouble.
In terms of how long it takes, the longest part is probably figuring out how to do it! Can probably take a few hours. Once you figure it out though it should take less than an hour to do each one.
oh and @Eyes2theSkies I never broke a laser but I have destroyed at least 2 ether dreams. It’s usually either plugging the wrong voltage in, or plugging the right voltage into the wrong place lol
I think damaging my lasers is my biggest worry, going to need to banish my cats while I have the lids open!
EtherDreams have been fab to use, and I don’t mean to be mean, but they do seem to be hugely lacking in documentation? Stanwax link to here: Ether Dream 3 - Hardware from the ed4 listing, the ed website doesn’t seem to have a similar page stating its for the ed4 (or a note on the ed3 page saying it works for the ed4 too). It doesn’t mention the pcb socket for soldering a voltage converter that I have gleaned from Sebs video and other places. I also can’t find specs on the ed website, such as can it use the x/y and colour connectors to control a laser it is inside, and also output ilda out either connector to chain it to another ilda laser?
Maybe I’m missing more details, but it feels like it needs a better set of documentation to go with it.
(I will acknowledge that in my own projects, documentation is the most boring bit to me, and something I leave off. So, I do understand)
I just finished this process (literally 5 minutes ago) on 4x17W TMAX lasers. What I ended up doing to make things easier was pull the DB25 connections out from the back, plug a 6" ribbon cable from that into the Etherdream and then I swapped out the RJ45ILDA connectors per Seb’s suggestion with passthroughs and then uses a 6" patch cable to a POE splitter with a USB-C output. I had begun to build a PCB with step down converters but I decided theres literally no reason because I will always use a POE switch. Came out well, and worked like a charm in Liberation
Hi, I made some external boxes with ether dream. I would have liked not to power them with usb C. I noticed on the card a + / - place for a jst connector. I have soldered and tested, the card does not light and yet I have 5V. Soldering OK too. Do I need to do anything else to supply power via this connector?
Yes, @mrfloppy88 is exactly right, there’s a footprint for a voltage regulator, although I would want to closely monitor it, I’ve had 7805s overheat from a single ether dream in the past. The TO220 package may dissipate enough heat but probably worth adding a heat sink.
I generally prefer to use a buck converter and put power directly into the expansion connector. You can use Dupont connectors. There’s a voltage in on pin 2 and GND on pin 4 :
It goes without saying that you need to be VERY careful with this. I have destroyed 2 Ether Dreams because I got the pins wrong (lol, but to be fair, I have fitted around 80 of them so it’s not a bad hit rate )
Oh it may be worth trying something like this that converts the 12v power line into 5V usb-c but I’ve never used one (and it seems like over kill - can you get any that are less than 5A?)
So finally getting back around to my lasers to install these ethdreams, trying to identify the loom left in there for an fb4. Does this look right to folks?
This cable is connected to what looks like the laser module’s controller, to a socket labeled “IN R G B GND” So I think that makes it the “JP4 Color” socket on the eth?
Next up is this cable, that seems to go to what I assume is the galvo controller as it has a long row of trim pots. (I can’t get an angle to see what the label is on the socket) So that would go to “JP3 X/Y”?
This cable goes to the board on the back of the ethercon sockets, so I assume that’s network. (I think it looks like a mini network switch, but I want to do the combined network and estop, so will be switching this out fully)
If you find connectors like this in your laser, the mini JST connectors - 1mm pitch I think? - then you can plug them into your Ether Dream wherever they fit, at least for the RGB and X/Y connectors.
I did actually make a convertor PCB for the network cable to change from the JST to a standard RJ45 socket. If you are interested let me know, I can share the PCB files, and I even probably have a few spare ones around here if you just need a handful.
Regarding power, as you’re at 24V you should definitely use a buck convertor rather than the 7805 voltage regulator to avoid heat dissipation challenges. (Widely available and cheap on Amazon ) They’re so light you can probably install them in-line, and add a Dupont connector to connect directly to the pin header. Wrap them in big heat shrink and try to cable tie them to something to stop them wiggling around.
FYI The Ether Dream draws less than 500mA, I think the power supplies that come with the pre USB-C ones were only 250mA.
Great, it did seem that those connectors were for there, good to confirm though.
Thanks for the offer, I think I’m going to go with installing the modification to run estop and network with the ethernet on the laser. So will be taking out both the interlock ethercon sockets and network ones and replacing them. I already have the mini switches ready to go in them to allow for chaining.
Fab on the power, that’s what I was thinking as well. Easier to tuck away an in line buck converter too.
Does anyone know if on the etherdream if you can use both the ilda out, and the jst connectors for RGB/X/Y at the same time?
It looks like from the pcb traces that the jst connectors are just connected to the relevant lines on the ilda connectors. So I think it should work the same as if you had ilda controlled lasers chained together?
I’m asking about this as the back panel on these lasers have a cut out for ilda connectors, so it seems worth it to add an ilda socket, so if I ever want to, I can chain ilda only lasers from one etherdream controlled laser to clone their control.
Although it’s designed to accommodate an external ILDA in, a separate internal controller AND and Ether Dream internally, it can also be used just as a switch between an external ILDA input and the internal Etherdream. And it handles the ILDA out as well.
)
