Testing with the Ray5 Emulator

Testing with the Ray5 Emulator

The Ray5 Emulator is useful for testing Ray5 Pilot behavior without connecting to the real laser.

The emulator is on GitHub here:

https://github.com/P0k3sm0t/ray5-emulator

What it is useful for

Use the emulator to test:

• UI behavior.
• Status parsing.
• Upload flow logic.
• SD file list behavior.
• Basic command flow.
• Release checks that should not require real hardware.

What it cannot prove

The emulator cannot fully prove:

• Real laser safety.
• Actual motion behavior.
• Real Ray5 firmware quirks.
• Camera alignment.
• Physical air assist/pump behavior.
• Electrical or network problems on the real machine.

Recommended test approach

1. Test UI and non-hardware workflows with the emulator.
2. Test connection and status against the real Ray5.
3. Test movement with laser off.
4. Test a small safe job.
5. Only then trust the workflow for real jobs.

Troubleshooting emulator tests

Problem	Fix
Ray5 Pilot cannot connect	Check emulator host/port settings
Upload result differs from real Ray5	Real firmware may behave differently
Status looks too clean	Emulator may not simulate every Ray5 state
Feature works in emulator but not hardware	Verify with the real Ray5 before release