Project: Adding a Laser to the 3018

In earlier chapters, we discussed the use of a laser toolhead on our 3018. However, a laser toolhead adds weight to our X-carriage. A heavier carriage means our speeds slow down and adds complexity. Earlier versions of CNC microcontrollers had to have the laser plugged into a Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) header on the board. There have been instances where hobbyists have attached a laser to the part cooling fan header of a 3D printer microcontroller, but for our machines, there should be a header specifically for the laser. Some boards have Transistor-to-Transistor Logic (TTL) headers/plugs that you can also use. One of my older machines has something like this. One of my laser cutters uses an older two-axis controller with a TTL port, which has two pins. A PWM port/plug has three pins. In any case, the microcontrollers we have been using have a PWM port for the laser already in place alongside the spindle motor header.

We have also discussed...