CO2 Laser Tickle Settings

Introduced in the Epilog Mini and Helix engravers, laser tickle settings allow the user to customize certain CO2 laser characteristics by modifying the radio frequency (RF) signals sent to the laser tube. The role of the RF signal is to excite and energize the gas mixture within the CO2 laser tube, which in turn produces and discharges the laser beam. By modifying certain characteristics of the RF signal we can also modify certain characteristics of the laser beam. CO2 laser tickle settings can be adjusted to increase laser responsiveness or to decrease the time needed for the laser tube to warm up after periods of inactivity. Since the tickle settings rely on signal reaching the laser to be effective, all interlocked doors and panels must be in closed.

Tickle settings will generally be seen as two different settings in older engravers, TM and TI. TM, or tickle mode, represents the length of time the tickle setting is active with 0 being off and 3 being always active. TI, or tickle intensity, is the frequency of the tickle setting with 0 being off and 3 being the highest frequency. When adjusting the laser tickle settings, begin by raising the chosen value by 1 and observing the engraver's behavior. If the laser tickle settings are set too high, this can result in unwanted emission from the laser tube, even when the engraver is at idle.