LONGER Research: Lightburn WiFi Bridge - Longer Ray5

Lightburn WiFi Bridge - Longer Ray5

Longer Ray5 adopts an MKS DLC32 mainboard, characterized by USB connectivity, wireless technology, microSD card reading, touchscreen display with graphic interface and total interaction with your smartphone through the MKSLaser application.

The most common method of using Longer Ray5 is to connect the machine to your Laptop via a USB connection, or by exporting a gcode file to be run via the Longer Ray5 microSD. However, there is also an intermediate mode of operation, based on WiFi connectivity, which allows you to use Lightburn and Longer Ray5 without a USB cable.

Connecting the Laptop and Longer Ray5 with a USB cable requires them to be within a short distance of each other, as the maximum extension of a USB cable is about 3 - 5 meters. On the other hand, connecting the Laptop with Lightburn and Longer Ray5 wirelessly allows you to position yourself at a greater distance, so as to obtain good greater security during the engraving process. For this reason, using Lightburn in WiFi mode offers numerous advantages in terms of security and efficiency, thus expanding the user's comfort and versatility of Longer Ray5.

In order to connect Longer Ray5 and Lightburn wirelessly, you first need to complete the WiFi setup process on your Longer Ray5. To do this, proceed as follows.

1.Tap the tool icon on the touchscreen's home page

Tap Wi-Fi icon on the top right corner of tool page

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3.Select Wi-Fi name on Wi-Fi list page and enter password and waiting for connect to the WiFi Router/AccessPoint you selected

4.Check the current connected Wi-Fi status and take note of the IP address provided on the touchscreen

Once the Longer Ray5 has been successfully connected to the WiFi Router/AccessPoint and the IP address has been successfully provided and noted, proceed to open Lightburn on your Laptop. At this point, proceed as follows.

1.Connect your Laptop to the same WiFi Router/AccessPoint to which you have connected Longer Ray5

2.Click on "Devices", then click on "Create Manually" to add a new device

3.Select GRBL form the list, then click "Next" button

4.Select Ethernet/TCP and press "Next" button

5.Enter the IP address you obtained earlier on the Longer Ray5 touchscreen (for example, 192.168.1.161)

6.Enter the following data - Name: RAY5 WiFi / X = 400 / Y = 400

7.Select "Front Left" as your Origin and activate "Auto Home", then click "Next" button

8.In the next window, press "Finish" to complete the setup, then select "RAY5 WiFi" and press "Make Default". Confirm with “OK”

9.After successfully creating "RAY5 WiFi" you need to set up the correct Network Port. On the main screen, press "Edit" and then "Device Settings", then set "Network Port 8080" and confirm with "OK"

10.At this point, your RAY5 is ready to be used in LightBurn software in WiFi mode. Close Lightburn and restart it, and if everything has been done correctly, the connection status will change from "Disconnected" to "Ready", and it will be possible to move the laser module through the appropriate menu and start a laser engraving using the "Start" button, all without having to use any USB cable, but simply using the WiFi connection of your Router/AccessPoint

Please note that in order for the WiFi Bridge to work properly, both the Laptop and the Longer Ray5 must be connected to the same WiFi Router/AccessPoint.