On this page you will find all the information and instructions for the X4 Pro diode laser from Mecpow. It is a 22W laser with all the latest features and some beautifully thought-out subtleties. Of course, there are also a few disadvantages, which are mentioned in the relevant sections. The following features are the highlights of this laser for me:
Highlights:
- Enclosed laser
- Device class 1 according to manufacturer
- Integrated camera for LightBurn
- Automatic Air Assist (but see note below)
- Drawer with which workpieces and remnants can be conveniently placed and removed
- WLAN / offline function (always use with caution, see safety instructions)
There are many other features that can be found in the official description and the pictures below. The laser makes an optimal mechanical impression, is very stable, and the plastic housing is solid. Assembly is easy, and connection and setup are quick and simple. The next sections take a closer look at the individual aspects and describe my experiences.
Shopping-Links:
Mecpow X4 Pro
Mecpow Honeycomb H44
Attention! At the time of writing this article, the firmware still has a major bug. Air Assist and exhaust air are connected in parallel and have a run-on time of 60 seconds. They are switched on with the automatic Air Assist (command M8) and switch off again 60 seconds after M9 is sent. This is problematic insofar as there is no exhaust air in pure engraving projects or the 60s delay when switching between AA and non-AA levels. You can control the pump manually and switch it off, but then the automatic function makes no sense. Until this is resolved, the device should generally be operated using Air Assist, which also protects the laser lens.
Downloads
When I receive new firmware versions, I will make them available here. All other downloads such as manuals etc. can be found in the Mecpow Download Center.
| Firmware | Version 1.1.9 20240605 Beta |
Official pictures
Here are a few official (promotional) pictures of the device.
Detail pictures
A few pictures of details, unboxing and assembly:
Assembly / Setup
The official assembly video shows all the steps you need to pay attention to:
There is also a lot of advice on set-up and setup in the videos by Jeroen, see the bottom of this page.
Honeycomb
The base of the X4 drawer is magnetic. You can therefore attach workpieces directly to the baseplate. However, the base is not particularly stable and bends. I therefore recommend buying a honeycomb bed as well, which not only makes the workpieces look less burnt from the underside, but also allows you to attach the workpieces better and see more quickly when the laser beam has cut through the material (although the latter is quite difficult due to the closed design of the laser, so you can’t see very much). The bed from Mecpow fits perfectly in the drawer. Unlike many others, the Honeycomb is unfortunately not magnetic, but suitable plastic pins are supplied to hold the workpiece.
Tuning the mechanics
Even if the mechanics are largely pre-assembled, you should check the mechanics carefully before commissioning. The rollers for the slides can be correctly adjusted using the eccentric nuts. This can be done from below on the laser module and through the slot in the side guide on the y-axis. Further measures are described in the manual and on the following page: Adjustment & maintenance of the mechanics.
Focusing
The focusing of the module seems to be a little too deep. If you focus with the small focusing gauge, the laser tends to be a little too deep. This not only causes difficulties if the material is not completely flat, but also leads to slightly poorer results, especially when engraving. I would therefore recommend leaving a little air under the gauge, about 1 mm should be enough.
Software / LightBurn
The settings in LightBurn can be made in the same way as in the software setup guide. Here is a brief overview of my selected settings (I set the workspace to 400×400 instead of 420×400 since I didn’t need the extra millimeters yet and like a square workspace. 🙂 ):
LightBurn camera
The camera can be set up as usual at LightBurn. In this article, you will find a lot of background information and tips: Setting up a camera.
After lens calibration, the camera can be aligned.
Wi-Fi
You can also connect to the laser via Wi-Fi. To do this, search for the Wi-Fi network that the laser creates when the laser is switched on. It should start with “Mecpow_”. The password is “12345678”. Once you are connected to the laser, you can reach it via the IP address 192.168.4.1. The grbESP32 web interface opens in the browser, with which you can control the basic functions. You can also use it to transfer files to the SD card to start them from there.
LightBurn can then also control the laser wirelessly, it is important here to change the port from 23 to 8080 in the device settings:
Mainboard
The mainboard is an in-house development, based on a classic ESP32. Therefore, most of the functions are analogous to other lasers, the web interface is from grblESP32 etc. It is located in the front frame and all the essential connections and sensors are housed there.
Firmware
The supplied SD card contains the firmware version that is also installed on the board. As described above, I am still waiting for an update to make Air Assist properly usable. As soon as it is available, I will announce it here. Otherwise, the firmware can be updated as usual via the ESP32 upload tools, see Firmware Update. Here is a list of the firmware settings from the delivery state:
Standard Firmware-Settings
| Number | Value |
|---|---|
| $0 | 10 |
| $1 | 25 |
| $2 | 0 |
| $3 | 2 |
| $4 | 0 |
| $5 | 1 |
| $6 | 0 |
| $10 | 1 |
| $11 | 0.010 |
| $12 | 0.002 |
| $13 | 0 |
| $20 | 0 |
| $21 | 1 |
| $22 | 1 |
| $23 | 3 |
| $24 | 2000.000 |
| $25 | 3000.000 |
| $26 | 250.000 |
| $27 | 3.000 |
| $28 | 1000.000 |
| $30 | 1000.000 |
| $31 | 0.000 |
| $32 | 1 |
| $40 | 1 |
| $41 | 1 |
| $42 | 1 |
| $43 | 1 |
| $44 | 1 |
| $45 | 0 |
| $46 | 1 |
| $47 | 0 |
| $50 | 1 |
| $51 | Mecpow_ |
| $52 | 12345678 |
| $53 | Mecpow_ |
| $54 | 12345678 |
| $100 | 80.000 |
| $101 | 80.000 |
| $102 | 100.000 |
| $103 | 100.000 |
| $104 | 100.000 |
| $105 | 100.000 |
| $110 | 1200.000 |
| $111 | 1200.000 |
| $112 | 1200.000 |
| $113 | 1000.000 |
| $114 | 1000.000 |
| $115 | 1000.000 |
| $120 | 650.000 |
| $121 | 650.000 |
| $122 | 500.000 |
| $123 | 200.000 |
| $124 | 200.000 |
| $125 | 200.000 |
| $130 | 420.000 |
| $131 | 400.000 |
| $132 | 50.000 |
| $133 | 300.000 |
| $134 | 300.000 |
| $135 | 300.000 |
Results
Here is a small selection of results and tests with the X4.
