MOPA Laser Driver Switcher (JCZ / DLC1)

A utility and automated background task framework for Windows allowing seamless switching between EZCad3 and LightBurn on JCZ DLC1 galvo laser marking controllers (USB\VID_9588&PID_9979), specifically designed for shared workshop and makerspace environments where non-admin users operate the machine.

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The Problem

1. Driver Conflict & Ranking:

   • EZCad3 requires the proprietary BeiJing JCZ kernel driver DLC1.sys (JCZDTC1.inf, dated 04/22/2016).
   • LightBurn requires the generic Windows WinUSB driver (ezcad3.inf, dated 09/29/2026).
   • Because Windows Plug and Play (PnP) driver ranking gives strict priority to newer driver timestamps, standard pnputil commands refuse to install or switch to the older 2016 EZCad3 driver once the 2026 LightBurn driver has been staged in the driver store.

2. Standard User Privilege Restrictions:

   • In a makerspace, users log in using standard (non-administrator) accounts (e.g., MakeIt Labs).
   • Installing device drivers requires Administrator privileges (SeLoadDriverPrivilege). Standard elevation prompts (Start-Process -Verb RunAs) trigger a Windows UAC credential dialog requiring an administrator password that members do not have.

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The Solution

This tool resolves both issues:

1. SetupAPI Driver Force: Uses the Windows Setup API UpdateDriverForPlugAndPlayDevices from newdev.dll with flag INSTALLFLAG_FORCE (0x00000001). This forces Windows to bind the designated driver immediately regardless of driver store date rankings and without requiring a system reboot.

2. Zero-Prompt Elevation via Scheduled Tasks:

   • Two Windows Scheduled Tasks (SwitchLaser-EZCad3 and SwitchLaser-LightBurn) are registered to run as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM with highest privileges.
   • Read and Execute permissions on the task definition files are granted to BUILTIN\Users.
   • When a standard user runs the interactive menu or double-clicks a desktop shortcut, it triggers the background scheduled task via schtasks.exe /run. The driver switches instantly with zero UAC prompts and zero passwords.

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File Structure

File	Description
switch.ps1	Main PowerShell script. Supports interactive text menu or parameter switches (-Mode EZCad3, -Mode LightBurn, -Mode Status). Handles both admin and non-admin invocation automatically.
switch.cmd	Batch file wrapper allowing quick command-prompt execution (switch -Mode Status).
install.ps1	Administrator installer script that sets execution policies, creates scheduled tasks, sets user permissions, and deploys desktop shortcuts.
install.cmd	Batch launcher to run install.ps1 with execution policy bypass.
setup_shortcuts.ps1	Standalone helper script to generate/regenerate desktop shortcuts across user profiles.

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Driver Identification Reference

Attribute	EZCad3 Mode	LightBurn Mode
Device Friendly Name	Laser Mark Control Board : DLC Version 1	LightBurn/BJJCZ EZCad3 Controller
Device Class	JczProduct / BJJCZ Device	USBDevice
Driver INF File	JCZDTC1.inf	ezcad3.inf
Driver Service	DLC1 (DLC1.sys)	WINUSB
DLC1 Service Status	Running	Stopped

To check from PowerShell:

.\switch.ps1 -Mode Status

Or via Windows command prompt:

driverquery.exe /v /fo csv | findstr.exe DLC

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Installation

Run from an elevated Administrator PowerShell or Command Prompt:

install.cmd

Or via PowerShell:

powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\install.ps1

The installer will:

1. Enable RemoteSigned execution policy on LocalMachine and CurrentUser.
2. Copy switch.ps1 and switch.cmd to C:\Users\Administrator\ and C:\Users\MakeIt Labs\Documents\.
3. Register elevated scheduled tasks SwitchLaser-EZCad3 and SwitchLaser-LightBurn under NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.
4. Grant standard users permissions to trigger the tasks.
5. Create desktop shortcuts on Public\Desktop, MakeIt Labs\Desktop, and Administrator\Desktop.

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Usage

1. Desktop Shortcuts

• Driver Switch: Opens an interactive menu displaying current hardware status and provides options to switch or refresh.
• Switch to EZCad3: 1-click shortcut to switch directly to EZCad3.
• Switch to LightBurn: 1-click shortcut to switch directly to LightBurn.

2. Command Line

# Check current hardware & driver status
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File switch.ps1 -Mode Status

# Switch to EZCad3
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File switch.ps1 -Mode EZCad3

# Switch to LightBurn
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File switch.ps1 -Mode LightBurn

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Notes & Troubleshooting

• Laser Hardware Must Be Connected: The laser must be powered ON and connected via USB when running the switch command so Windows can detect the device instance (USB\VID_9588&PID_9979) and rebind the driver stack.
• Default File Paths:
  • EZCad3 Driver: C:\EZCad\3D-driver\64BIT_SIGNED_3D\JCZDTC1.inf
  • LightBurn Driver: C:\Program Files\LightBurn\EzCadDriver\EZCad3\ezcad3.inf