Files
forgefirm/README.md
T
ScottW514 0a05b6b114 docs: present-state build and update docs; fix the ring-size arithmetic
- 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.
2026-08-15 06:12:51 -04:00

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3.7 KiB
Markdown

# 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.
* [Latest Release](https://github.com/ScottW514/forgefirm/releases)
* [Installation Instructions](https://github.com/ScottW514/forgefirm/blob/master/INSTALL.md)
* [Build Instructions](https://github.com/ScottW514/forgefirm/blob/master/BUILD.md)
* [Connecting LightBurn](https://github.com/ScottW514/forgefirm/blob/master/docs/LIGHTBURN.md)
* [Community Support](https://community.openglow.org)
## What it does
**Two controller modes, selected in the web panel and switchable while the
machine is idle:**
* **GRBL mode** — [grblHAL](https://github.com/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**: `$H` from any sender runs the factory-style
camera homing cycle through the Glowforge service (a Glowforge account and a
live service session are required for `$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](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](docs/LIGHTBURN.md#before-you-cut--safety-read-this-first)
before your first job, and the
[Regulatory and legal](INSTALL.md#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.**