Layer Settings for Diode

Diode layer settings overlap heavily with CO2's, with two big differences: speed in mm/min (not mm/s) and no Q-Pulse. Here are the parameters you'll actually use.

Shared settings

Field	Unit	What it does
Speed	mm/min (default) or mm/s (toggle in Settings)	Maximum head velocity. Most-tuned parameter.
Max Power	%	PWM duty cycle. 100% = full diode output.
Min Power	%	Lower bound for ramped cuts and Grayscale image mode. Often 5-10%.
Number of Passes	integer	Repeat the layer N times. Used for thick cuts.
Output	toggle	If off, layer ignored on Run / Preview / Save.

Line mode (cuts and scores)

Kerf Offset	Beam width compensation. Positive = path expands outward. Diode beam is wider than CO2/fiber, so kerfs are typically 0.15-0.3mm.
Tabs / Bridges	Leave small uncut sections so parts stay attached to scrap.
Perforation Mode	Cut a dashed line. Useful for paper craft fold lines.
Overcut (Advanced)	Extends cut past the closing point. 0.1-0.3mm typical for clean closing seams.
Z Step per Pass (Advanced)	For Z-axis-equipped diodes, drops Z each pass to maintain focus on thick stock.

Fill mode (engraving / rastering)

Line Interval	Distance between hatch lines. Typical: 0.08-0.15mm. Diode spot is ~0.08-0.15mm; below 0.08 just causes overlap.
Scan Angle	Direction of hatch lines. 0° = horizontal.
Cross-Hatch	Doubles density. Used for solid blacks or deep engrave on diodes.
Bi-directional	Default ON. Engraves both directions.
Overscanning	Extends scan past edges. 5-10% on diodes (more than CO2 because diode acceleration is slower).
Constant Power Mode	For diodes that support it. Disables power ramping; runs at Max Power throughout.

Image mode (photos and grayscale)

All standard image modes work on diode (Threshold / Dither variants / Grayscale / Pass-Through). The galvo-only "3D Sliced" is NOT available on diode, diodes can't do depth-modulated metal relief.

What's MISSING vs other lasers

• No Q-Pulse Width: diodes don't pulse like fiber MOPA. Pulse is determined by PWM frequency, set globally not per-layer.
• No Air Assist toggle on most stock diodes, air assist either runs always or never. Aftermarket air-assist kits often add a layer-specific solenoid that Lightburn can control.
• No Wobble / Dot Mode galvo settings: gantry-only.
• No TC delays: galvo-specific timing settings.

Power / speed sweet spots

Reference values for a typical 20W marketing-watt (~5W optical) diode:

Operation	Speed	Power
Wood engrave (raster)	3000-5000 mm/min	25-45%
Wood cut 3mm (multi-pass)	200-300 mm/min	100%
Leather engrave	3500 mm/min	15-25%
Leather cut 2.5mm	300 mm/min	100%
Slate engrave	2500 mm/min	35%
Cardstock cut	800 mm/min	35%

For a 40W (~13W optical) diode: roughly 2× the speed at the same power, OR same speed at 50-60% power.

Verified against LightBurn 2.x. UI specifics may shift in future versions; verify against your installed version.