Hands-On Embedded Programming with C++17

Functional specification

To complete the product, we need to add a control system that uses sensors and actuators to monitor and control the state of the machine, ensuring that it is always in a safe state and shutting down the laser beam if necessary. This means protecting access to each of the following three sections:

The cutting beam is usually generated by a CO₂ laser, a type of gas laser that was invented in 1964. The application of a high voltage causes current flow and thereby excitement of the gas molecules in the bore that make up the gain medium, ultimately resulting in the formation of a coherent beam of long-wavelength infrared ...