How to Connect the Machine to LightBurn via USB

To use the Ray5 miniS laser engraver with LightBurn, you need to correctly install the device configuration, USB driver, and establish a stable USB connection between the machine and the software.

This guide explains how to connect the Ray5 miniS to LightBurn via USB, including device setup, CH340 driver installation, port selection, and troubleshooting connection issues on both Windows and macOS.

After completing this setup, you will be able to control your laser engraver directly from LightBurn for engraving and cutting tasks.

1. Import Configuration File

Before using LightBurn with Ray5 miniS for the first time, you need to import the Ray5 miniS.lbdev configuration file. Download it from the following link:

https://www.longer3d.com/pages/download-firmware

When launching LightBurn for the first time, the 'New Device Wizard' will appear. If not, click Devices in the Laser control module to manually import the engraver. Click Import, select the Ray5 miniS.lbdev file, and click OK to add the configuration to LightBurn. Once successfully imported, the macro commands will appear in the Console window, and Ray5 miniS will be listed under Devices in the Laser window.

After adding the device, it is recommended to set the speed unit to mm/min. To do this, go to Edit in the taskbar, select Settings, choose mm/min as the unit, and click OK.

2. Connect the RAY5 miniS to LightBurn

To use LightBurn, the engraver must be connected to the software first.

For Windows, right-click This PC and select Manage, then click Device Manager. Expand Ports (COM & LPT), find the port corresponding to the CH340 driver, and manually select it in LightBurn by clicking (Choose) in the Laser window.

For MacOS, go to About This Mac > Overview > System Report, then select USB under Hardware. If the driver is installed automatically, USB Serial will appear. In LightBurn, select cu.wchusbserial by clicking (Choose) in the Laser window.

If no ports are listed in the drop-down, it means no engraver was found, which could indicate that the device is not plugged in correctly, is not powered on, or the driver is missing. In that case, download the CH340 driver from the following link and install it:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Sc-TKuez-mz--38Vp6DeL-pGmQcQdHW4.

For MacOS Sequoia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX-XsjLFei0

For MacOS System:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBd1uEA9QUw

Conclusion

Once the Ray5 miniS is successfully connected to LightBurn via USB, you can fully control the machine for laser engraving and cutting.

Key steps include:

• Importing the correct device configuration file
• Installing the CH340 USB driver if needed
• Selecting the correct COM port in LightBurn
• Ensuring stable USB communication

After setup, LightBurn will recognize your Ray5 miniS and allow smooth control for all engraving tasks on both Windows and macOS.