For LightBurn · Windows & Mac

Know what your laser is doing from across the shop.

Beacon reads LightBurn and turns its status into a real stack light on the machine, a floating pill on your screen and alerts on your phone. Running, paused, framing or free — at a glance.

Download for Windows Mac & other options

Free for noncommercial use · Windows 10/11 · macOS 12.3+

Beacon's main window showing Ready Beacon's main window showing Framing Beacon's main window showing Running, with the job's file name in the header Beacon's main window showing Paused

Green: the laser is free.

LightBurn shows its status in one panel, on one screen. But the laser is behind you, the lid is down, and you're at the bench sanding the last job.

Beacon puts that status where you can see it — and tells you the moment it changes.

Three ways to read LightBurn

Pick the one that fits your LightBurn version. Beacon handles the rest.

Screen

Any LightBurn version

Beacon reads LightBurn's Laser panel with on-device text recognition — Windows OCR, or Apple's Vision on a Mac. Nothing leaves your computer. LightBurn's window must stay open.

API

LightBurn 2.2 and newer

Beacon pairs with LightBurn's own REST API: exact state, exact progress and the open file's name, even while LightBurn is minimised. You approve it once in LightBurn.

Both

Fastest, most accurate

The screen and the API together. Every change is dated from whichever saw it first, so job times are as precise as they get. If one source drops out, the other carries on.

Every status, unmistakable

The app, the pill and the light all say the same thing — in colour, shape and motion.

  1. Ready

    Green means free.

    A steady green light and a calm, still outline. The last job's time is right under the status, and Beacon can tell you when the laser has been free for a while.

  2. Framing

    Framing moves, like the red dot.

    The dashed outline marches around the window and a ring turns around the orb — the same idea as LightBurn's framing line. The light can blink, so framing is never mistaken for idle.

  3. Running

    Red, with the job's name on top.

    The orb's glow breathes while the laser fires. The file being cut sits in the header, with the run time, percent done and time left beneath — read straight from LightBurn.

  4. Paused

    Paused is never "done".

    Amber on screen, red and green together on the light. Beacon can remind you when a job has sat paused too long, and a resumed job keeps its original timer.

  5. Compact pill

    Shrink it to a pill.

    One click turns the window into a small floating pill that stays on top of everything — status, timer and progress in a line. Double-click to bring the full window back.

A real light on the machine

An Arduino Uno over USB or an ESP32 over Wi-Fi drives a stack light, a buzzer and up to nine relays. Only the light is needed — add the rest as you go.

  1. 1
    Plug in an Arduino Uno. Genuine or CH340 clone — Beacon finds it on its own.
  2. 2
    Pick your wiring. Relays on LOW or HIGH, passive or active buzzer.
  3. 3
    Press Install on Arduino. About 20 seconds; every byte is read back and checked. No Arduino IDE.
Beacon's Arduino light settings with the Install on Arduino button

The kit

Approximate part prices

Arduino Uno R3 or clone$10–25
12/24 V LED stack light$15–30
Power supply for the light$8–15
ULN2003 driver board$2–4
5 V piezo buzzer$1
Basic light≈ $36–75
Relay board, 1–8 channels$5–12
Flame, temperature, lid & flow sensors$13–50
or ESP32 for Wi-Fi instead of USB$6–12
 
D10 red light    D9  green light
D8  buzzer       A1  button
A2  fire sensor  A3  temperature
A4  lid switch   A5  flow switch
D2 D3 D5–D7 D11–D13 A0  relays 1–9
Full parts list & wiring →

Wiring is an example, not a certified design. Mains-voltage work needs a qualified electrician — see the safety notice.

Everything it does

Beacon started as a status light. It grew into the control room for a small laser shop.

Detection

How Beacon knows.

  • Screen, API or both Any LightBurn version on screen; 2.2+ through its API, even minimised.
  • Precise job times Each change is dated from whichever reader saw it first, not from when it was confirmed.
  • Job names The open file's name from LightBurn's API or its title bar, kept for the whole job.
  • Galvo-aware framing Tells framing from a real job even when LightBurn's API reports both as "running".
  • Accuracy log Opt-in check: report a wrong status from the pill and see how often detection is right.
  • Helpful when stuck Says when LightBurn is minimised, covered or too old for its API — and which version is open.

Light & relays

The hardware side.

  • USB or Wi-Fi Arduino Uno on a cable, or an ESP32 on your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
  • Install on Arduino Beacon writes its own program to a new Uno. No IDE, no drivers to hunt.
  • Buzzer Beeps when a job finishes or pauses, with a switch to silence it.
  • Up to 9 relay buttons Fan, air assist, exhaust, lights — by hand or by rule, with delays, schedules and keep-on times.
  • Smart plugs Relay buttons can switch Shelly, Tasmota, TP-Link Kasa or Home Assistant devices too.
  • Right where you need them Relay buttons on the main screen; right-click to rename or remove.

Safety inputs

An extra pair of eyes.

  • Fire & smoke A flame sensor or smoke alarm contact — the board alarms on its own, even with the PC off.
  • Temperature TMP36 or LM35, with an alert when it runs hot.
  • Lid A reed switch tells Beacon when the lid is open.
  • Exhaust & coolant flow An air or water flow switch warns when the extraction or chiller stops.
  • Nobody at the PC A chirp when a job runs and nobody has touched the computer for a while.

Notifications

Wherever you are.

  • Desktop pop-ups Windows and macOS notifications for started, paused, finished and more.
  • Telegram bot Alerts plus commands: /status /today /week /relays /on fan /mute 2 /photo.
  • More channels Discord, Pushover, email and SMS, with webcam snapshots when a job finishes.
  • Quiet hours & mute Critical alerts still get through.
  • Reports Hourly, daily and weekly usage summaries, sent on schedule.

Statistics & shop

Know your numbers.

Beacon's statistics page with a month of run times
Sample data
  • Run time Per day and week, every job logged with its file, customer and material.
  • Cost per job And a quote calculator built on your real run times.
  • Maintenance reminders Lens, exhaust, belts and cooling — due by laser hours, with your own items too.
  • Monthly reports Export to PDF or Excel.
  • Unusual jobs Alerts when a job runs much longer than it usually does.

Desktop & phone

Built to stay out of the way.

  • Phone dashboard Live status and relay buttons on any phone on your Wi-Fi, with an optional PIN. No internet involved.
  • Floating pill Always on top, draggable, with status, timer and progress.
  • Tray & shortcut Icon by the clock or in the menu bar; show or hide from anywhere with Ctrl + Alt.
  • Starts with your computer Optional, per user, no admin rights needed.
  • Light & dark Follows your system, with animations you can switch off.
  • Windows & Mac One app, both platforms; universal on Apple Silicon and Intel.

Questions laser owners ask

About LightBurn versions, controllers, hardware and your data. Step-by-step setup is in the guides.

Which LightBurn versions does Beacon work with?

Every version, by reading LightBurn's screen. With LightBurn 2.2 or newer, Beacon can also use LightBurn's own API, which is exact and keeps working while LightBurn is minimised. In screen mode, LightBurn's window has to stay open (not minimised).

Does it work with Ruida controllers?

Yes — use Screen mode. A Ruida controller runs the job by itself once LightBurn sends it, so LightBurn's API reports it as idle the whole time; reading the screen still sees the job.

Does it work with galvo and fiber lasers?

Yes. Beacon was tuned on a JCZ fiber galvo: it tells red-dot framing apart from a real job even when LightBurn's API reports both as running.

Do I need an Arduino or a stack light?

No. The status window, floating pill, notifications and statistics all work on their own. The stack light is optional — an Arduino Uno, a 12/24 V tower light and a driver board cost roughly $36–75 in parts.

Can Beacon control my laser?

No. Beacon only reads LightBurn's status; it never sends commands to LightBurn or the laser. Its optional relays switch accessories you wire to them, such as an exhaust fan or air assist.

Can I get laser alerts on my phone?

Yes: a Telegram bot (with commands like /status and /mute), Discord, Pushover, email or SMS, plus a live dashboard any phone on your Wi-Fi can open.

Does Beacon work on a Mac?

Yes, on macOS 12.3 or newer, on Apple Silicon and Intel. Screen mode needs the Screen Recording permission; API mode doesn't.

Is Beacon free?

Yes, for personal, hobby and other noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License. Selling Beacon or using it commercially isn't permitted.

Does Beacon send my data anywhere?

No. Beacon has no telemetry and keeps its settings and job history on your computer. It only contacts the services you set up yourself, such as your Telegram bot.

Put a light on your laser

Free for noncommercial use. Everything Beacon needs is in the installer.

Windows

Beacon 2.1.2 · Windows 10/11, 64-bit

Download for Windows

The installer isn't signed yet. If Windows warns you, choose More info › Run anyway.

Mac

Beacon 2.1.0 · macOS 12.3+, Apple Silicon & Intel

Download for Mac .dmg

If macOS blocks it, open System Settings › Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway.

All releases & release notes →

Beacon is provided as is, without warranty. Please read the disclaimer and safety notice before you install it or wire any hardware.