Helios Laser DAC is an USB to ILDA (ISP-DB25) adapter, used for connecting an ILDA laser to computer software. It is compatible with every laser projector with a standard ILDA port, and connects to any computer using USB.
Getting started
Connect the Helios to your computer using a USB cable (included), and then to your laser show projector’s ILDA-port using a male to female DB25 cable (“ILDA cable”). The “Power” light should turn on. The DAC should now be detectable in compatible software. When the DAC is outputting signals to the laser projector, the “Output” light will be lit.
When using lasers, it is important to practice safety and familiarize yourself with local regulations.
Compatible software
The Helios DAC works with many apps. Try LaserShowGen, a basic laser show suite for both pre-programmed and live performances. It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. You can download a free version of LaserShowGen on bitlasers.com/lasershowgen-sw
Full list of compatible software:
- LaserShowGen (Windows, Mac, Linux, freemium)
- MadMapper / MadLaser (Windows, Mac)
- Liberation (Mac, Windows)
- Derivative TouchDesigner (Windows, Mac, freemium)
- Spaghetti Laser Show (Windows)
- Modulaser (Windows, Mac)
- Millumin (Mac)
- ILD Render (Windows)
- Lasershow Xpress (LSX) (Windows)
- vvvv gamma, via VL.Devices.Helios node (Windows, freemium)
- CloudLase (Windows, Mac, Linux, freemium)
- LASERfIRE (Windows, free)
- BeamCommander (Mac, free and open source)
- LaserFromSound VST (Windows, Mac)
- vvvv beta, via HeliosLaserDac node (Windows, freemium)
- openFrameworks, via ofxLaser or ofxHelios (Mac, Linux, Windows*, free and open source)
- Pure Data, via pd_helios (Mac, Linux*, Windows*, free and open source)
- OsciStudio (Windows, Mac)
- Maxwell (Windows, Mac)
- Laser Juice (Mac, Windows, freemium)
- LFI Player (Windows, free and open source)
- osc2laser (Mac, Windows*, Linux*, free and open source)
- Lasercam (Windows)
- HE-Laserscan (Windows, freemium)
*Helios customers can get the first month of Liberation free, please contact us https://bitlasers.com/about/ to request your voucher.
Support
The Helios DAC has a warranty of two years against defects.
If you experience problems with the DAC, you can contact us on https://bitlasers.com/about/.
“USB device not recognized“
NB: In the most recent firmware version, there is a known issue that can cause the DAC to fail to be recognized by the computer on certain setups. If you plug the DAC into your computer, the power LED lights up, but the operating system gives you an error that the device was not recognized properly, you may need to downgrade the firmware of the Helios. You can do this yourself following the steps below, or you can contact us for assistance/returns.
- Download and unzip this folder with the firmware: https://github.com/Grix/helios_dac/raw/refs/heads/master/utility/FirmwareUpdater/cli/firmwareupdater_script.zip
- Unscrew the DAC’s front panel to expose the circuit board.
- While the DAC connected via USB, touch the two metal circles marked “ERASE” using a metal object (e.g., a wire, a large screwdriver, etc.). The LEDs on the device should turn almost off to a weak state. Remove the metal object once you see this.
- Run the “flash.bat” file in the downloaded folder, and press Enter through the instructions until it is completed.
- Unplug the USB cable and plug it back in. The DAC should now be working.
The guide above assumes you are using Windows. If you are using macOS or Linux, you can download the flashing tool bossa manually from here, and run the following command in the terminal in the folder you downloaded: bossac -u -w -v -b lasdac_mainfirmware.bin
You can also try visiting the main Helios DAC website on https://bitlasers.com/helios-laser-dac/, as it contains more detailed information about usage, as well as tools for developers to interface with the Helios DAC in custom software.
Electronics such as the Helios should be disposed of through an e-waste recycling center, not thrown in the trash.