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Thanks for the info and I figured as much but just thought I'd ask to make sure. I will definitely do as you suggest and incorporate the raspberry pi for any real time interactions with the lasershark.

I would like to use a separate microcontroller which would be running an interactive program and sending commands using the suggested format s=1,1,1,1,1,1. However I don't plan on having the lasershark plugged into a computer. Does the lasershark have to be plugged into usb or does the firmware automatically respond to input over Uart in this format. As an alternate would the debug port be a better option to send commands to the lasershark.

Yes, I can make a text file and pipe it in so the formatting is good. When I stream the proper commands to the lasershark via serial (string of commands) it doesn't enable but it doesn't give any errors either. The streaming commands show up in cmd as if I typed them and they look correct but since there is no \n in the formatting, or at least I am guessing that is the issue, it's as if the enter key is never pressed. I was wondering if you can help me add something such as this into your application serial.Write("abcd\r\n"). Then I can add abcd to the end of each command r=1000abcd  it adds a CR and LF. I am not so well versed in programming so I hope what I am asking you about makes sense. If this works I can assure you the results will be really cool since rhino/grasshopper will generate all the points needed in real time to make a nice 3d light show.

I am trying to work in a 3dsoftware package called rhino/grasshopper. I've made an interface that samples the onscreen geometry into points and formats the points for the laser shark into the proper string. I then send the formated strings via serial through a paired virtual com port. I use the following command to grab the streaming points COPY COM2 CON | lasershark_stdin.exe. This seems to work or at least the shark launches and in the cmd I see the strings but it doesn't move. I believe it has to do with not having an enter at the end of each line or some such formatting issue. We also tried the same process but with a udp sender and receiver but the same thing happens which is the shark launches and all the commands are sent to cmd but the shark doesn't move. There are no errors in the prompt and I can quit the command with cntrl-c as expected. Basically I need some means of realtime playback. Do you have any ideas or thoughts

I think I got it working. I rewired my power supply, amp/drivers, etc and it now moves just fine. Thanks for your help. I have another issues however. I am trying to work in a 3dsoftware package called rhino/grasshopper. I've made an interface that samples the onscreen geometry into points and formats the points for the laser shark into the proper string. I then send the formated strings via serial through a paired virtual com port. I use the following command to grab the streaming points COPY COM2 CON | lasershark_stdin.exe. This seems to work or at least the shark launches and in the cmd I see the strings but it doesn't move. We also tried the same process but with a udp sender and receiver but the same thing happens. There are no errors in the prompt and I can quit the command with cntrl-c as expected. Basically I need some means of realtime playback. Do you have any ideas or thoughts.

Ok the first 2 pins are reading 5 volts or 4.97 and it is consistent. I will try it on a different computer tomorrow. I am only getting a very small amount of voltage on the other 3 pins. I can feel the mirror vibrate on the circlemaker program but it is so weak and hardly moving. When the laser is projecting it just shows up as a point. When I run the showcard it plays the graphics as expected.

I tried to run the test and I got close to 5 volts sometimes. Sometimes I got a reading and other times nothing. I couldn't get the 12 volt to show much at all. I was testing from middle pin (ground) to left pin and then to right pin with the same settings on my voltmeter. I couldn't get it to show up as 12 ever. Hope I had it set correctly.

Could I have bricked it somehow. How can I test if it's outputting values to the galvos.

It does run until you stop it. I have some txt programs that I pipe in stdin and the all seem to run as expected except the galvos aren't moving. Circlemker runs until you stop it.

lasershark_stdin_circlemaker.exe | lasershark_stdin.exe is the command and I am using windows 7 x64. It worked fine earlier but now there is no movement. I tested the galvos and they work fine with showcard. thanks for the quick response. - jason

I had previous success getting the stdnin program and circlemaker working with the lasershark. The galvos moved and produced the image as expected. Now I am no longer getting any movement at the galvos. If I plug in the show card that came with the galvos I can make the galvos move just fine. How can I figure out the problem. It appears that I am able to connect just fine. Can you help me to figure this out. Perhaps the lights on the board can indicate something to pinpoint the issue.
iSerialNumber: 7040303000004335
Getting FW Major version: 2
Getting FW Minor version: 3
Clearing ringbuffer
Getting bulk packet sample count: 8
Getting max ilda rate: 64000 pps
Getting dac min: 0
getting dac max: 4095
Getting ringbuffer sample count: 768
Getting ringbuffer empty sample count: 768
Disable output worked
===Running===
Setting ILDA rate worked: 1000 pps
Setting output output worked: 1
===Ending===
Disable output worked