GRBL
Full support. Auto-detect at 115200 baud, M4 dynamic power, character-counting streaming, and $30/$31 power scaling.
Controllers
Light Lane Controller Support: GRBL, Marlin, Smoothieware, and Ruida
Four controller pages, one for each protocol Light Lane speaks. Find yours and see exactly what is supported, what is not, and how to connect.
Find Your Controller
Each page covers connection steps, supported features, limitations, and firmware details.
Supported controllers
Marlin
Shipping. Auto-detect, M3 constant power, send-and-wait streaming. Works with machines like the Ender 3 running Marlin 2.x.
Smoothieware
Shipping. Auto-detect, M3 constant power, G2/G3 arc support. G-code tested against real Smoothieware firmware code.
Ruida
Beta. SVG-based pipeline via external helper binary. USB and Ethernet delivery. Generates .rd files for Ruida CO2 lasers.
Controller Support at a Glance
What each controller supports in Light Lane. See individual pages for full details.
| Feature | GRBL | Marlin | Smoothieware | Ruida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Shipping (primary) | Shipping | Shipping | Beta |
| Connection | USB serial, 115200 baud | USB serial | USB serial | USB or Ethernet (via helper) |
| Auto-detect | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A (separate mode) |
| Dynamic power (M4) | Yes | No (M3 only) | No (M3 only) | N/A |
| Arc support (G2/G3) | Yes | No | Yes | N/A |
| Streaming mode | Character-counting (128B buffer) | Send-and-wait | Send-and-wait | File-based (.rd) |
| Real-time jog | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Controller FAQ
How does Light Lane detect my controller?
Plug in over USB. Light Lane sends a wake-up sequence and listens for a response. It checks for GRBL first, then Marlin, then Smoothieware, then falls back to a generic protocol. The whole process takes about a second.
My laser uses a GRBL board I have never heard of. Will it work?
If it runs GRBL 1.1+ over USB serial, it should work. Light Lane recognizes common USB chips including CH340, CH341, PL2303, CP210x, and FTDI/FT232. It reads your $30 and $31 registers to scale power correctly.
Can I connect over WiFi or Bluetooth?
No. G-code streaming is USB serial only. Bluetooth ports are filtered out automatically. Ruida mode supports Ethernet in addition to USB, but that runs through the external helper binary.
What if my controller is not listed here?
Light Lane has a Generic fallback mode that sends basic G-code line by line. It works for simple jobs but does not support auto-detect, status polling, jog controls, or alarm recovery.
Does Light Lane work with CO2 lasers?
Yes, through Ruida controller support (beta). You need a Ruida-based CO2 laser and the free lightlane-ruida helper binary, downloaded separately from the Light Lane website.
Plug in your laser and see if Light Lane connects
14-day free trial with full Pro access. Download the app, plug in over USB, and Light Lane auto-detects your controller.
Next steps
Validate one real workflow in Light Lane, then move to the most relevant guide or feature page.
Last updated February 21, 2026