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Writer's pictureMalte Brodersen

Lightburn GRBL over ethernet/tcp

Updated: Jun 20


DISCLAIMER: Buckle up, fellow nerds! This guide dives into a modified setup that's a wild ride and entirely at your own risk. I don't endorse following these instructions, as an interrupted connection or misuse (hello, no authentication) might unleash uncontrolled havoc, potentially causing fires or other damage. Safety first, folks!

TL; DR

  • Close lightburn

  • Open the config (prefs.ini)

  • Add in the "settings" of the profile the "NetworkPort" as follow.




For a while now, I've been on a mission to set up Lightburn for remote networking access of by Ortur Lasermaster Pro S2. It's been quite the adventure!

I explored using Octoprint with "better grbl support" (link), which excels at repetitive tasks but falls short for any interactive usage. The workflow feels like a marathon: save as gcode, upload, then laser.

However, today, I took another shot at it and voilà! With a little help from NorthernStrong

in the Lightburn forum, I finally cracked the code!


Here's the secret sauce: Lightburn supports, starting from version 1.1.00, a splendid grbl setup via Ethernet/TCP. But hold on tight; this feature hasn't been playing nice with many folks, and the documentation? Well, it's either non-existent or super high-level.

But fear not, brave souls! I've managed to make it work, and here's how:

  • Set Up the Endpoint with Raw TCP/Telnet: I used an old Android Smartphone with "USB Serial Telnet Server" (Play Store / GitHub) installed in my case. It exposes the Serial Port via Telnet on Port 2323. Of course, any Raspberry Pi, etc., should be more adept at this task.

  • Copy and Tweak Your Laser's Existing Config for Ethernet/TCP: Open the Config Directory (File -> Open prefs folder), shut down Lightburn, and edit "prefs.ini." Find your Laser and add the following option:

"NetworkPort":"YOURPORT",
Lightburn GRBL TCP setup
Lightburn GRBL TCP setup
  • Save, Restart Lightburn, and Let the Laser Adventures Begin! 🚀


Remember, safety goggles on, fellow explorers! Now, bask in the glory of remote Lightburn control and have a blast!

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