UPDATED 10/7/21: A new version is ready for release with feedback from the community. Links below are updated for FireControl v21.1.1. This release also includes a compatibility version for Windows users for which the latest Visualizer code is not compatible (older graphics). The standard version will trigger a pop up that will prompt you to download the compatibility version if necessary so we recommend starting with the standard version! We hope to synchronize these into a single release soon.
We excited to be releasing FireControl 21.1 to the LS Community! As more and more customers are using their CrossFire CNC Machines for production work, we want to release new versions of our FireControl software to a smaller group before a larger general release. We are confident this is the best FireControl yet. What follows are download links and the 21.1 Release Notes. Please provide feedback in this thread!
Whats NEW in 21.1
Langmuir Systems is pleased to release the next version of FireControl for all CrossFire CNC Plasma Machines. Our development team has been working on this update for almost an entire year and we are excited to finally get it on your machines. The performance, stability, connectivity, and overall improved functionality will make using your CrossFire CNC Machine more effortless and smooth.
Key Features
Vastly Improved Performance - FireControl 21.1 uses drastically less memory and CPU than previous versions. Run FireControl smoothly on even less powerful computers. We have worked to reduce CPU and memory usage by up to 70% in some situations.
Re-tooled Jogging - Jog your machine even smoother without any runaway motion.
Improved UI Scaling - Automatically scales for fitting all UI elements on smaller screens.
Consistent Style and Messaging - We have consolidated the warning, error, and alarm messaging in a consistent look and feel that is easier to read and understand.
Improved Touchscreen Performance with On Screen Keyboard - Use a touchscreen even easier with your CrossFire with the adjustable On-Screen Keyboard for numerical entry.
Support for Limit Switches - Add Limit Switches (when available from Langmuir Systems) to your machine to enable Machine Coordinates, Homing, Machine Visualizer View, and Hard/Soft Limits. Will also require CrossFire Gen2 Controller firmware update.
Live Voltage with THC Off - Make debugging your Arc Voltage easier by showing THC Live Voltage even when the THC is disabled.
High Priority Shortcut Generation - Ability to automatically generate a High Priority Shortcut to FireControl to increase the system resources dedicated to FireControl and improve performance even further.
Other Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements
Support For CrossFire XR
Default Support for Limit Switches - Stock Limit switches with the XR unlock new features like Machine Coordinates, Homing, Machine Visualizer View, and Hard/Soft Limits.
Wait State for Plasma Voltage - Along with LS-THCXR Firmware and the XR Control Board, FireControl for CrossFire XR now uses a Pierce Delay that starts when a good arc voltage is sensed not when the command to fire is sent. This will make Pierce Delay values more consistent between plasma cutters like Hypertherm and others.
Support for XR Speed - Support for 400IPM motion.
We will be monitoring this post so please post your feedback here!
We have also started a Tutorial Video Series using this new version of FireControl. Please check it out and let us know what you think! We are planning a few more tutorials for THC and Basic Cutting that should be out in a few weeks.
Hard to say but this feature is not currently on the roadmap for PRO.
Further electronics upgrades for CrossFire and PRO are also not currently planned but aren’t out of the question. The 300IPM limit for PRO and CrossFire is not a Motion Control Board issue.
Windows 10. Visualizer comes up blank when loading .nc file and set origin points do not come up. It does show XY location of the cursor in the upper left and when you run program a green bar goes across the top of the visualizer window. Everything else appears to be working.
Can you provide a little more information on your computer? We have reproduced this on a netbook with Intel Graphics HD 500 but not on machines with more recent graphics. These machines should work with the visualizer so we are looking into it presently.
I’m still running 20.5 since its been working great for me all this time.
Primeweld had sent me an “updated” Cut60 with updated circuitry to test out on the pro a few weeks back and has been running great using divided voltage from CNC port. i can’t make that thing fail. I will download the latest version of firecontrol to test it all together.
I loaded the new version on my laptop to test it and ran a few parts with it this morning. It ran the parts fine, but I noticed a problem with the “set program origin” function.
After rotating my part, I went to set the origin at the lower left corner and clicking inside the green box did nothing. After moving the cursor around a bit, i noticed the green box expanded when the cursor was about a 1/4" away from the box. Clicking there, while the box was expanded, did reset the origin. I tested the other locations and the upper left also had a similar issue with the cursor needing to be some distance away from the box to highlight it. The center box required the cursor to be off to the right of the box to highlight it. I was unable to get either of the boxes on the right side of the part to work, but that may have been because the part was taking up most of the preview window and there wasn’t enough space to move far enough away from the box to highlight it.
The only other thing that I noticed was the pierce delay and speed overrides get reset after you finish cutting a part. I’m pretty sure those values stayed where you set them until you loaded a new part or hit the orange reset button on the previous version.
There is definitely something wrong with the set program origin function. The mouse needs to be way off to the right and up from the green box. Need to zoom way out on the visualizer to be able to find the spot to click…
