ScottW514
0a05b6b114
- kas/README.md: the real-time rationale rests on the feeder's bounded queue depth, not ring size; the ring is 16 MiB (~84 s at 200 kHz, ~28 min at the 10 kHz cloud tick), a capacity for cloud-mode preload. - BUILD.md, kas config, release checklist, cold-build workflow: only forgefirm and meta-openglow (branch scarthgap) are cloned as siblings; every ForgeFIRM source repo is fetched by pinned SRCREV. - UPDATE-SYSTEM.md reads as the present-state design: the cloud-mode compatibility baseline is the cloud client's configured firmware version, not release metadata; decisions and open items listed plainly. - README.md states what GRBL mode still needs the Glowforge service for (camera-referenced homing) and what runs without it. - BRINGUP.md: generic build-host and fwup-lab references, the retained reproductions of the no-fire drill, the System tab. - LIGHTBURN.md: the arm-window timeouts are machine settings. - forgefirm-image.bb describes forgectrl as the machine-services daemon and points at the right backlog entry. - American spelling throughout.
OpenGlow/ForgeFIRM Firmware for Glowforge
Open-source firmware for Glowforge brand CNC lasers. ForgeFIRM replaces the cloud-dependent factory software on the stock control board — no hardware modification — and gives the machine a local controller, a local web control panel, and a standard Grbl interface.
What it does
Two controller modes, selected in the web panel and switchable while the machine is idle:
- GRBL mode — grblHAL runs on the machine and speaks Grbl 1.1 over TCP port 23, so LightBurn, UGS, and cncjs drive the laser directly. Motion runs on the board's own hardware step engine (SDMA + EPIT), fed live by the planner. M3/M4 dynamic laser power, coolant-flow verification, over-temp holds, and an operator button press to arm the laser for each job.
- Cloud mode — the machine presents itself as a stock Glowforge to the Glowforge web service, so the phone and web apps work as they always did. Optional, and off by default. GRBL mode jogs and cuts without it; the one GRBL-mode function that still reaches the Glowforge service is camera-referenced homing (below), until limit-switch homing lands.
Around both modes:
- A web control panel on port 8080: machine status and position, coolant and fan telemetry, safety-switch states, camera view, machine settings, hardware diagnostics, firmware updates, and boot-slot management.
- Both cameras as MJPEG streams and full-resolution snapshots — the lid camera feeds LightBurn's camera overlay directly.
- Camera-referenced homing:
$Hfrom any sender runs the factory-style camera homing cycle through the Glowforge service (a Glowforge account and a live service session are required for$H; everything else in GRBL mode runs without them), and the machine records where it is. - Installs alongside the factory firmware in the unused A/B rootfs slot, archiving every factory version first, so the machine can be switched back to stock at any time without the Glowforge cloud.
Hardware
The control board is common to Glowforge Basic, Plus, and Pro. The 5 MP (OV5648) camera modules are fully supported; the 8 MP (OV8856) modules found in "HD" units bind but do not capture yet — see the camera note in kas/README.md.
Roadmap
- Limit-switch homing as an alternative to camera-referenced homing.
- Camera lens calibration and bed alignment for the LightBurn overlay.
- Capture support for the 8 MP (OV8856) camera modules.
- Cloud mode: stream jobs into the motion ring during the run, lifting the job-length cap that buffering the whole job imposes.
Safety
This machine contains a Class 4 CO₂ laser: it burns, blinds, and starts fires. Never defeat the lid switches or interlock, always vent the exhaust outdoors, and never cut PVC or other chlorinated plastics. Never leave a running job unattended — keep a fire extinguisher within reach. Read Before you cut — safety before your first job, and the Regulatory and legal section before installing.
A very important warning: this is experimental software. Use of this software could seriously maim or kill you or others, and voids your warranty. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Glowforge. Use it at your own risk.