The successor of the popular iCube model has arrived. Many comments and feature requests of the earlier model have been put together into the new model.
There is an update for the problem of the laser’s lack of repeatability. See the firmware section.
Sculpfun has now introduced the iCube Ultras as the successor to the popular iCube series. Many of the improvements requested by the community from the first series have been incorporated and the device has been greatly improved overall. From my point of view, the key points are here:
- 12 W output at 450 nm and a new infrared module (1.2 W) has been added. This means that significantly more materials can be handled.
- Security features
- Fully enclosed design, supports immediate shutdown as soon as the door is opened.
- Safety elements: Emergency stop switch, temperature sensor, USB security key
- The fully enclosed acrylic protective cover is removable and has a small integrated door for easy access to the materials; no safety goggles are required during operation.
- The iCube Ultra also has an integrated smoke filter that prevents pungent smoke odors, making it safe to use in homes, offices or classrooms.
- Auto-focus makes focusing much more convenient
- Indicator light to show the operating status
Important: The Ultra Dual has a slightly smaller work area of 150 x 135 mm! The advertising sometimes suggests that the work surface is the same size.
Official pictures
Setup/use
Basically, not much needs to be assembled. Only the laser module and the adapter for the suction hose still need to be fitted. The official video is here:
Here is Marty’s unboxing video:
z-axis
Unfortunately, the iCube has no limit switches on the z-axis. Therefore, only probing can be carried out, but no homing. It will hit the end in both directions and spin. This should be avoided to protect the mechanics. However, you can control the z-axis normally using G-code commands and move the axis with them.
If you want to manually start a probing cycle (e.g. via a macro in LightBurn), the command is [esp212].
Camera
A camera module is also available for the iCube Ultra and can be purchased as an accessory.
Many users have problems with the setup, but these are usually only due to a lack of knowledge. I therefore strongly recommend reading this article on camera use first to learn the basics.
It is particularly important to note that
- The camera function is a LightBurn feature! Sculpfun has nothing to do with this functionality. Problems and error messages belong in the LightBurn forums, not Sculpfun.
- The camera ONLY works on the level for which it has been calibrated. You cannot use workpieces of a different height; you must recalibrate for this!
- The lighting must be sufficient; it may help to remove the cover during calibration.
- It is better to use the AprilTag pattern for calibration than the supplied dot pattern. The new method is much more stable. The pattern can be downloaded from the LightBurn documentation. (Scale it to 45-50% when printing.)
Care should also be taken to remove the protective film. It is difficult to see and naturally greatly deteriorates the image:
Here are a few more comments:
Here is an example workflow using the iCube and the camera:
Air Assist
You can also add an air assist system to the iCube, the procedure is explained here:
I quickly made a suitable bracket that can be screwed onto the back of the laser so that the pump doesn’t fly around all the time: Download (LightBurn file). Caution: The vibrations from the pump can interfere with the laser, so the bracket is only intended for transport. Otherwise, it should be mounted in such a way that the vibrations cannot be transmitted to the housing.
Rotary
Of course, you can also operate the iCube with a rotary. Sculpfun offers a specially designed rotary, but other rotaries can also be used normally. Instructions for connection can be found here:
Important because it is unusual: Here, the rotary is not connected instead of the Y-axis, but in parallel. To prevent the real Y-axis from moving, the command $45=1 must be entered in the console. After use, enter $45=0 again. The best way to do this is to create a macro for each case. Further instructions for rotaries in general can be found here: Rotary-Guide.
Mainboard
Ady posted pictures of the motherboard on Facebook:
The board now has an STM processor, not an Atmega or ESP32. It also has built-in memory, so the app can store a project in memory.
Firmware Update
The firmware update requires a different tool than the ones used previously, as it involves a different controller (STM32).
A first update is already available and can be downloaded here: Download. This update addresses the bug that causes the laser head to move back slightly after completing its movement through the cable. The download package includes the Flash software (currently only for Windows) and the .BIN-file that contains the firmware data.
After an update, it is generally recommended to reset the laser to factory settings once using the command $RST=* in the console.
Firmware settings
This table lists the settings that go beyond the normal settings of the grbl parameters:
| Parameter | Standard Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| $28 | 1000.000 | Laser Frequency |
| $41 | 1 | Buzzer switch |
| $43 | 0 | Fire alarm |
| $44 | 1 | Air Assist Switch |
| $45 | 0 | Rotary axis switch |
| $safe | 1 | Safety door Enable |
| $453 | 0 | Focus distance |
| $454 | 3 | Secondary focusing distance |
| $455 | 6 | Focusing completed, lifting height |
| $456 | 300.000 | Secondary focusing speed |
| $457 | 300.000 | Focus speed |
