This article applies to:

Issue description

When processing materials with the machine, sometimes you may find no laser coming out of the laser module. Please follow the instructions below for troubleshooting.

#1 Check the processing power

• Increase the processing power if it is set too low.
• If the power is already set correctly, move on to the next steps.

#2 Check the connection cable

• Power off the machine. Unplug and replug the laser module cable for a secured connection.
• Check for any sign of damage to the cable or deformation of the pins on the laser module.

Note: If the cable is loose or the pins are deformed, you may see a pop-up error message that says "Communication exceptions between the laser module and the main controller", as shown below:

#3 Check the image type

• For bitmap images, the laser moves line by line. It will skip fire if a certain area of the design is blank. If yours happens to be blank at the starting area of the job, it may look like the laser is not working.
• To confirm if this is the case, insert a vector shape on the canvas in XCS. See if the laser fires this time.

#4 Check the lenses

Inspect for stains:

• If the protective lens or inner lens is stained, refer to the video tutorial below, and get cotton cloths moistened with alcohol to clean it.

Examine for abnormalities:

• If the protective lens is cracked, replace it.
• If the anomaly in the inner lens can not be confirmed, get in touch with the xTool support team for further advice.

 

#5 Check the distance

• If a wrong value is manually input in "Distance" by mistake, the focus will fail to fall on the material properly.
• Please click the icon in Pic 2 to automatically measure the distance, and try processing again after getting the correct value.

 

#6 Check the laser module

1. Set the multimeter to buzzer mode.
2. Put one probe on the GND pin and the other on a non-GND pin.
3. If the multimeter buzzes, the laser module is short-circuited.

Note: A GND and non-GND pair must be tested for accurate results.

Refer to the diagrams and examples below for details.

• For example, the following pin pairs can be tested for a short circuit.
  11 - 12 / 11 - 9 / 11 - 8 / 11 - 5 / 11 - 3 / 11 - 4 / 11 - 1 / 11 - 2
• In contrast, the following pairs won't do, as they are all GND pins:
  11 - 10 / 11 - 7 / 11 - 6

The buzzer mode on the meter	The layout of the pins	The pins marked with numbers in accordance with the layout

#8 Check the main control board

The main control board serves as the bridge and control center between components. If it malfunctions, the laser module may not fire.

Follow the steps below to check the readings on the board.

1. Connect the adapter and the emergency stop switch to the main control board as in Pic 3.
2. Connect S1 to XCS with a USB cable. Laser something and set the power to 100% as shown in Pic 4.

3. When processing, get a multimeter and switch it to the DC voltage mode. Test the following readings on the main control board.

• The voltage readings (1) -- pulse signal test:

1. Place one probe on any GND pin and the other on the PWM pin as demonstrated in Pic 5.
2. Test the two pins for readings: 3.2V~3.3V.
3. If there's a discrepancy between the expected and tested readings, the board may be faulty and need replacement.

• The voltage readings (2) -- output voltage test:

1. Place one probe on any GND pin and the other on the 24V pin as shown in Pic 5.
2. Check if the readings are around 24V.
3. If there's a discrepancy between the expected and tested readings, the board may be faulty and need replacement.

 

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