This article applies to:

xTool S1 with all laser modules.

Issue Description

When you connect the machine to the computer using the USB cable, sometimes the XCS software may not find it under the "Devices list". This will prevent you from operating the machine. Please read this guide for advice.

Video Guide

Install the driver per situation:

- For macOS, Windows 10, and above, the driver is already installed.
- For Windows 8, the driver is not supported at the moment.
- For Windows 7, the driver can be installed manually. Download it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d1Mi-6rEhkZkF4u-MEXgu8PAQSScrGij/view?usp=sharing

Text Guide

#1 Restore the firmware

If a firmware upgrade process gets interrupted, the firmware may get lost. Without the firmware, XCS will not be able to detect the machine. 

 

To determine if this is the case:

• Think back if you did a firmware upgrade recently, especially if it got interrupted halfway.
• Take a look at the ring indicator (physical process button) on the front panel of the machine, see if it blinks purple.

If the answer is positive, you may need to restore the firmware.

To restore the firmware:

1. Make sure the machine is connected to your computer with the USB cable.
2. Perform a forced upgrade in the developer mode of XCS. For details, please refer to this guide.

Note: The developer mode can access the machine and perform firmware upgrade even if the machine’s name doesn’t appear under the device list. If the forced upgrade fails, please try a few more times or use a different computer.

 

#2 Secure the USB connection

If the machine and the computer are not properly connected, XCS may not read the data needed to detect the machine. If your computer OS is Windows, you may see a system pop-up like below that says the USB device is not recognised.

To solve this issue:

• Make sure both ends of the USB cable (the computer’s end and the machine’s end) are properly connected to the USB ports. 
• You can unplug and replug them. Make sure to push all the way down so they are fully inserted to the ports.

Here are some other measures you can try:

• Try a different port on the computer’s end.
• Try a different USB cable.
• Try a different computer.

Note: If you use a USB-C to USB adapter for the connection cable. Make sure to check it as well. Try a different adapter and see if it works.

#3 Install the COM port driver

The operating system on your computer may need a specific driver program to support the USB connection of the machine. If it’s not installed or missing, XCS won’t be able to detect the machine.

Note: This solution is applicable if you are using a Windows 7 computer, as macOS and Windows 10 or above has native support for the driver, and Windows 8 doesn’t support this driver at the moment.

To determine if the driver is missing for Windows 7:

1. Go to Device Manager. You can access it through the search bar under the Start Menu.
2. Under the Ports (COM & LPT) dropdown list, You should find COM 6. 
3. If you don’t see it, please download the driver here and install it manually.

 

For Mac users:

Open Terminal and run the command system_profiler SPUSBDataType to view connected USB devices. If the output is as shown, the physical connection between the device and the computer is normal. 

Additionally, you can execute ls /dev/tty.* in Terminal. If you see listed serial devices (usually starting with "/dev/tty." like "/dev/tty.usbserial"), it indicates that the USB connection is normal.

 

#4 Check the antivirus and firewall

Antivirus and firewall softwares on your computer may block the connection.

To determine if they are preventing XCS from detecting the machine:

1. Disable the antivirus and firewall softwares on your computer.
2. Restart the XCS program and see if it detects the machine.

If it's the case, configure the whitelist or disable the antivirus and firewall softwares to avoid the issue.

#5 One operating software at a time

Laser operating software usually occupies the COM port. If you use multiple operating softwares at the same time, only one of them may get to connect the machine. For example: If you start Lightburn and then use XCS in parallel, the latter may fail to use the COM port as it’s already occupied. Hence the issue in detecting the machine.

To solve this: 

• Quit other operating softwares and keep XCS only.
• Restart the computer if necessary and try again.

#6 Check the computer requirements

If your computer doesn’t meet the minimal requirements for using XCS, the connection may not work as expected. Please make sure your computer meets the following requirements.

#7 Clear the cache in XCS PC

The XCS computer program uses cache to store temporary data and configurations. Clearing the cache can help refresh the program. It throws away potentially faulty information and forces it to rebuild its temporary files, which can often resolve certain issues.

The location of the cache files of XCS:

To clear the cache:

1. Make sure the XCS is not running. Close it if it is.
2. Go to the cache folder as mentioned above.
3. Delete all files under the Local Storage folder.
4. Relaunch XCS and see if it works.

Note: Remember to replace the "User Name" in the location path with your actual user name.

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