Yes, it's happening
It's no secret that we've been wanting to add support for galvo marking (aka fiber) lasers for quite a while. We've been actively working on this since November 2021.
We haven't decided on pricing yet, but we expect this will be slightly higher than DSP pricing, because of the scope of work involved.
Please do not ask us when it will be ready - we honestly don't know yet, and there is still a good amount of work to do before we release this. We have a modest group of testers working with it already, and we will be looking to expand that as we approach the release. If you are interested, please keep an eye out here and on our user forum for an announcement. Our current release estimate is the end of Q2 of 2022.
FAQ:
Which platforms are supported?
The same ones you're used to - Windows (64 and 32 bit), MacOS, and Linux.
Can I beta test it?
Most people think “beta testing” means “using it normally”. It really means hammering on it in weird ways and reporting back to us how you got it to break with a painful level of detail so we can fix it. It’s really not fun. Be careful what you wish for.
Will I need a new license?
If you already have a license you will need to upgrade it to add galvo devices to it, similar to the way you add DSP controllers to a GCode license. Pricing hasn’t been decided yet.
Which boards are supported?
USB-based EZCad2 boards (LMC4 and USB-Lite) are now working on Windows, MacOS, and Linux. We have partial support for BSL boards, and we're hoping to expand to support others in time. PCI cards found in “all in one” units are not supported.
Will EzCad3 boards work?
EzCad3 boards will not work yet. I cannot give an estimate for when that will happen.
Which laser sources are working?
We support Raycus, JPT, and IPG / IPG-YLP laser sources, with control of frequency and Q-pulse. CO2 sources are working as well.
Does it support rotary marking?
Rotary marking is supported - split size is arbitrary, and you can run the rotary as either X or Y, and it supports running individual objects up to a max size before splitting.
Other details
We currently support foot pedal triggering of jobs, and a configurable red-light port. We don't support arbitrary I/O or on-the-fly marking yet. We also do not support job splitting or multi-marking with a conveyor, flat rotary platform, or X/Y table. These are all planned additions, but will likely happen after the initial release.