Confirm Your Controller Is Supported

LightBurn speaks to the DSP controllers found in nearly every CO2 machine - Ruida and TopWisdom are the common ones, plus M2 Nano-style boards on hobby units. If your machine runs a DSP board, the full LightBurn feature set is available. Note that the license tier matters: DSP controllers need the DSP-tier license, not the Basic GRBL one.

Install, Connect and Run the Device Wizard

Connect by USB or Ethernet - Ruida boards on Ethernet are the most stable for long jobs. In the device wizard, enter your exact bed dimensions, choose the origin corner (front-left is typical) and set the correct mirror orientation. Jog the head to each corner and confirm the software pointer matches physical reality before any cutting.

Set Origin and Safety Limits

Decide where your origin lives and stick with it in every job. Run a low-power frame test over scrap to verify the job fits the material and the coordinates behave. Ten seconds of framing prevents the classic destroyed-material-and-broken-focus moment.

Run Your First Material Test Grid

Cut a test grid varying speed and power in small steps on your actual material. Label the rows, keep the results in a notebook or photo, and build your material library from evidence instead of forum lore. After a week of testing, you will out-cut operators who have run machines for years on guesswork.

Layers Are the Workflow

Assign every operation - cut, score, engrave - to a colored layer with its own settings. Save projects as templates per product type, and future jobs become load-and-go instead of re-tuning from zero.

FAQ

Do I still need the vendor's own software?

For daily work, no - LightBurn replaces it fully on supported controllers. Keep the vendor tool installed for firmware updates and controller resets.

Which LightBurn license do I need?

For Ruida and TopWisdom DSP boards, the DSP tier. The Basic tier covers GRBL-style hobby controllers only.

Machines That Play Nicely With LightBurn

Our laser engraver range and desktop models ship with supported DSP controllers - connect LightBurn and cut the same afternoon.

Still comparing suppliers? HF Laser maintains a detailed catalog of CO2 laser cutters, engravers and auto-feeding machines that makes side-by-side comparison easy.