From the installation to the first job. If your CNC already works with another program (e.g. Grbl Controller or UGS), skip steps 2 and 3.
Download the installer from the CNC program page and run it. It installs without an administrator in a few seconds and puts a "The Mahala Workshop - CNC Controller" shortcut on the desktop.
The program isn't signed with a paid certificate, so the first time Windows shows "Windows protected your PC". Click "More info", then "Run anyway".
On the first start the program shows the terms of use and a laser safety warning. Read them and accept.
The computer sees the Arduino as a COM port. Original boards and Windows 10/11 usually work right away; most cheaper clones have a CH340 chip.
If nothing appears, try another cable: some USB cables only charge.
The Arduino must run Grbl, the firmware that turns G-code into motor steps. If your CNC came assembled or worked with another program, Grbl is already there.
For a new board we recommend Grbl 1.1:
Uploading Grbl erases the program that was on the Arduino and resets the settings to the defaults. Set them afterwards (step 5).
In the CNC card choose the COM port from step 2 and the port speed: 115200 for Grbl 1.1 and 0.9, 9600 for Grbl 0.8. Click "Connect".
The bar at the top should say e.g. "Grbl 1.1h", and the state "IDLE". If it says "WAITING FOR GRBL", the port speed is wrong or the Arduino doesn't have Grbl.
If the state is "ALARM" (Grbl with homing starts like that), check that the CNC can move freely and click "Unlock ($X)".
No CNC yet? Choose the port "Simulator" or "Simulator 1.1" and try everything without a machine.
Click "Grbl settings" in the Log and commands card. The program reads all the settings and explains each one. The most important for Grbl 1.1:
Change a value and click "Save changes to Grbl". Grbl keeps it after power off too. Grbl 0.8 numbers its settings differently, and the program shows the descriptions for its version.
In the Manual control card choose a step (0.1, 1, 10 or 100 mm) and move with the X and Y arrows. Try a small step first to see that the axes move the right way.
Bring the laser over the lower left corner of the material and click "Set zero". That spot becomes X0 Y0, and Grbl keeps it after a reset too. Below the large work position, the absolute position, which Grbl counts from power on, is shown small.
In the Job card click "Open file..." and choose a G-code file (.nc, .gcode, .tap). The drawing and the time estimate appear. An original ArtCAM file is first converted for the laser, and the program asks for the speed of each toolpath.
Before starting, click "Frame": with the laser off it traces the drawing's edges, so you see whether it fits on the material. For Grbl 1.1, enter the laser power in the "Laser power (S)" field.
Put on safety glasses and click "Start". "Pause" stops the movement, but the laser stays on. "Emergency stop" (or the Esc key) stops everything and switches the laser off. An interrupted job continues with "Resume from...": the program suggests the line where the laser stopped.
At the bottom of the window click "Local network" and turn the access on. The window shows the address, a 6-digit code and a QR code.
On the phone everything works as on the computer: state, drawing, start, pause, emergency stop, jogging and uploading a file. The phone doesn't replace an emergency stop switch, because a Wi-Fi connection can lag or drop.
The EN / BS button at the top right changes the language of the whole program, on the computer and the phone.
If the Arduino restarts in the middle of a job (power glitches), the program asks whether to restore the remembered position. With "Resume by itself after a restart" on, it restores it and continues by itself, up to 10 times per job.
The bottom of the window shows the program's version. When a new one comes out, "New version: update" appears there; a click downloads and starts it. The settings and the log stay.