TF350 UART / CAN User Manual

TF3 50 - UA RT / CAN

Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd

PREFACE

Dear users: Thank you for choosing Benewake products. For the purpose of offering better operation experience to you, we hereby write this manual for an easier and simpler operation of our product, hoping to better solve the common problems you may meet.

This user manual contains the relevant information on product introduction, usage and maintenance of Long-range single-point LiDAR: TF350-UART / CAN, covers the product operation introduction and common problem solutions. Please read this manual carefully before using the product. Remember the precautions to avoid hazards, and please follow the described steps in the manual when using it.

If you have any problems in the process of usage, you are welcome to contact Benewake at any time for help.

Contact details Official website: en.benewake.com TEL：+86-10-57456983 Technical questions，please contact：support@benewake.com Consult sale information or request brochure，please contact：bw@benewake.com

Headquarters Address Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

3rd Floor, Haiguo Jiaye Sci-Tech Park, Haidian District, Beijing, China

Copyright Statement This User Manual is copyright © Benewake. Please do not modify, delete or translate the description of this manual contents without the official written permission from Benewake.

Disclaimer As our products are constantly improving and updating, the specifications of Long- range single-point LiDAR: TF350-UART / CAN. are subject to change. Please refer to the official website for latest version

1 OVERVIEW

The Reference Manual is a complement to the Operating Instructions for TF350. The Operating Instructions for TF350 describes how to set up and configure the interfaces.

The Reference Manual contains detailed information about the interfaces including syntax and available functionality. It focuses on TF350 specific topics and does not describe the basic technology behind each interface.

The details of the result output formatting and the contents and syntax of the command channels are shared by several interfaces. They are described in an appendix valid for all relevant interfaces.

1.1 Failure scenarios

As a precision optical distance sensor, TF350 ’ s performance is greatly affected by environment. Certain scenarios will even damage TF350. Each of these failure scenarios have been tested in real field tests.

Table 1 Failure scenarios of TF350

• Do not cover the laser window.
• Avoid moving objects in the detection field.
• Avoid the presence of heavy smoke, fog and rain in the detection field.
• Avoid condensation.
• Avoid direct exposure to high pressure cleaning.
• Avoid exposure to strong light source with same wavelength.
• Do not expose to corrosive liquids.
• Avoid extreme vibrations.
• Do not use in extremely low temperature environments.
• Do not use in extremely high temperature environments.
• Avoid exposure to sudden and extreme temperature changes.
• Avoid direct exposure to another LiDAR with same wavelength.

1.2 Symbols and document conventions

The following symbols and conventions are used in this document:

WARNING

Indicates a situation presenting possible danger, which may lead to death or serious injuries if not prevented.

CAUTION

Indicates a situation presenting possible danger, which may lead to moderate or minor injuries if not prevented.

NOTICE

Indicates a situation presenting possible danger, which may lead to property damage if not prevented.

NOTE

Indicates useful tips and recommendations.

2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

2.1 Appearance overview

1 6 core cable (70cm), the connector is Molex SD-51021-007 1.25 W/B-7Pin also called MH1.25-7P-W/B.

2 Laser window (Receiving) 3 Laser window (Emitting) 4 3mm diameter hole (6mm deep) for mounting (6x)

2.2 Dimensional drawing

Figure 2 Dimensional drawing of TF350(①Front;②

2.3 Measuring principle

TF350 is a Pulse Time of Flight (PToF) sensor. TF350 emits a narrow pulse laser, which is

collimated by the transmitting lens, which enters the receiving system after being

reflected by the measured target and is focused on the APD detector by the receiving

lens. The time between the transmitted signal and the received signal is calculated

through the circuit amplification and filtering, and the distance between TF350 and the

measured target can be calculated through the speed of light.

Figure 3 Pulsed time of flight(PToF)

2.4 Technical specification

Table 2 Technical specifications of TF350

Parameters		Minimum	Typical	Maximum
Performance	Range (@90% reflectivity, 0klux)	0.2m		350m
	Range (@10% reflectivity, 0klux)	0.2m		110m
	Range (@90% reflectivity, 100klux)	0.2m		300m
	Range (@10% reflectivity, 100klux)	0.2m		100m
	Accuracy	±10cm (<10m), 1% ≥10m)

	Distance resolution		1cm
	Frame rate	1Hz	100Hz	1000Hz
	Repeatability		1σ: <3cm
	Light source		LD
	Central wavelength		905nm
	Photobiological safety	Class1(EN60825)
	FoV		0.35°
Environment	Ambient light immunity	100Klux
	Operation temperature	-25℃		60℃
	Enclosure rating		IP67
Connections	Supply voltage	5V DC		24V DC
	Average current	≤150mA @ 5V, ≤80mA @ 12V, ≤ 50mA @ 24V
	Power consumption		≤1W
	Communication interface level		LVTTL (3.3V)
	Communication interface	RS-485 / RS-232
Others	Dimension	78mm*67mm*40mm(L*W*H)
	Housing	Aluminum alloy
	Optical window	Infrared optical glass (HWB760)
	Storage temperature	-40℃		85℃
	Weight	222g ± 3g
	Cable length		70cm

NOTICE

The basic technical specifications, like accuracy and repeatability, are measured with white background board (90% reflectivity) at 0klux condition.

NOTICE

Only the frame rate satisfying the following formula is supported.

Frame rate = a × 10b, a ∈ {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}, b ∈ {0,1,2,3} If a value which does not satisfy this formula is set, TF350 will set its frame

rate to 100Hz. The normal frame rate is under 1kHz, but the maximum frame rate can reach as much as 7kHz. Please contact us if you need higher frame rate.

2.5 FoV

The field-of-view, FoV, is the angle covered by the LiDAR sensor. The horizontal FoV of TF350 is about 0.35° and the vertical FoV of TF350 is approx. 0.1°.

Figure 4 FoV of TF350.Horizontal divergence 0.35°,vertical divergence 0.1°

NOTICE

0.35° and 0.1° are theoretic values. Because the manufacturing error

and the installing error exist, there is divergence between each

TF350’s actual FoV and its theoretic values.

Figure 5 Spot size of TF350 at different ranges

3 ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION

3.1 Pin and wire color assignment

TF’s cable has six 26 AWG wires. The connector is Molex SD-51021-007 1.25 W/B-7Pin (MH1.25-7P-W/B).

Figure 6 Male connector,MolexSD-51021-0071.25W/B-7Pin

Table 3 Pin assignment on 7-pin male connector

Pin	Color	Signal	Function
1	Red	DC 5~24V	Supply Voltage
2	White	CAN_L	CAN-BUS Low
3	Green	CAN_H	CAN-BUS High
4	N/A	N/A	N/A
5	Blue	UART RxD	UART Receive
6	Brown	UART TxD	UART Transmit

3.2 Wire cross-sections

CAUTION

If you use flexible connecting cables with stranded wire, then you must not use ferrules when connecting the wires to the terminals on TF350.

Wire all connections with copper cables!

Use the following wire cross-sections: • supply voltage at least 0.13 mm ² (approx. 26 AWG), if local power supply in the immediate vicinity.

• supply voltage at least 0.21 mm ² (approx. 24 AWG) at maximum length of 2m (6.562 ft), if the connection is made to an existing 24 V DC supply.

• switching outputs minimum 0.13 mm ² (approx. 26 AWG), maximum cable length 2m (6.562 ft) with 0.21 mm² (approx. 24AWG).

• data interface minimum 0.21mm² (approx. 24 AWG).

3.3 Wiring UART interface

A screened cable is required for the wiring of the UART interface.

• Pay attention to max. cable length as per section Wire cross-sections.

Figure 7 Wiring of the UART interface

NOTICE

To connect two devices for UART serial communication, the transmitter ’ s TXD should connect to the receiver ’ s RXD and the receiver ’ s TXD should connect to the transmitter’s RXD.

3.4 Wiring CAN interface

To wire the CAN interface a screened “twisted-pair” cable is required.

Pay attention to max. cable length as per section Wire cross-sections.

Figure 8 Wiring of the CAN interface

3.5 CAN bus

Unlike a traditional network such as USB or Ethernet, CAN does not send large blocks of data point-to-point from one node to another under the supervision of a central bus master.

Once CAN basics such as message format, message identifiers, and bit-wise arbitration - a major benefit of the CAN signaling scheme are explained, a CAN bus implementation is examined, typical waveforms presented, and transceiver features examined.

The High-Speed ISO 11898 Standard specifications are given for a maximum signaling rate of 1 Mbps with a bus length of 40 m with a maximum of 30 nodes. It also recommends a maximum unterminated stub length of 0.3 m. The cable is specified to be a shielded or unshielded twisted-pair with a 120-Ω characteristic impedance (Zo).

For CAN bus connection, there are two resistances need to be removed from TF350. See Figure 10 Resistances needed to be removed from board for CAN Bus for the location of Resistance #2 and #3.

Figure 10 Resistances needed to be removed from board for CAN Bus

WARNING

Removing resistance R2 and R3 needs to disassemble TF350. To avoid irreversible damage to TF350, please contact our technical support engineers for detailed instructions.

4 PROTOCOLS

The standard version of TF350 supports two communication interfaces, UART and CAN.

The default interface is UART. These two interfaces cannot work simultaneously. The communication interface can be switched by certain command.

4.1 Communication protocol of UART

Table 4 Characteristics of UART

Character	Value	Configurability
Baud rate	115200	Configurable
Data bit	8	Non-configurable
Stop bit	1	Non-configurable
Parity	None	Non-configurable

NOTE

Baud rate of UART can be set to 9600, 14400, 19200, 38400, 56000, 57600, 115200, 128000, 230400, 256000, 460800, 512000, 750000, 921600, 1000000, 1500000 and 2000000. If other value were set, TF350 will automatically set it to 115200.

4.2 User protocol: UART

A standard data frame consists of 9 bytes of hexadecimal numbers, which contains distance and signal strength.

NOTE

Strength value is between 0 and 3500. Threshold of strength is 40, when strength is lower than 40, distance will output maximum value. When strength is between 40 and 1200, distance is more reliable. When detecting a high reflectivity object, signal strength will be over 1500.

Figure 11 Data communication:User protocol frame format of UART Each data frame consists of 9 bytes hexadecimal data which contains the distance and signal strength.

NOTE

Strength value is between 0 and 3500. Threshold of strength is 40, when strength is lower than 40, distance will output maximum value. When strength is between 40 and 1200, distance is more reliable. When detecting a high reflectivity object, signal strength will be over 1500.

4.3 Communication protocol of CAN

The CAN interface supports data transmissions between 10Bit/s and 1Mbit/s. The maximum cable length is 2m (6.562ft).

Table 5 Characteristics of CAN

Character	Value	Configurability
Baud rate	1MBit/s	Configurable
Receiving ID	0x3003	Configurable
Transmitting ID	0x03	Configurable
Message frames	Standard Frame Extended Frame	Configurable

NOTE

Baud rate of CAN can be set to 20000, 33330, 40000, 50000, 66660, 80000, 83330, 100000, 125000, 200000, 250000, 400000, 500000, 666000, 800000 and 1000000. If other value were set, TF350 will automatically set it to 1000000.

4.4 User Protocol: CAN

Figure 12 Data communication:User protocol frame format of CAN

5 CUSTOM CONFIGURATION

5.1 Protocol description

To meet the need of different customers, TF350 released several configuration parameters. These parameters, such as data format, frame rate, could be modified by certain command. All the parameters will be stored in flash after configured successfully and customers don’t need to configure again when restart.

Table 6 Description of TF350 command protocol

Byte	Definition	Description
Byte 0	Header	Fixed to 0x5A
Byte 1	Len	The length of the entire instruction frame (unit: Byte)
Byte 2	ID	Identifies the function of each instruction
Byte 3~Byte N-2	Payload	Different meanings and lengths in different ID instruction frames
Byte N-1	Check sum	The low 8 bits of the Len-1-byte data

5.2 Common commands

Table 7 List of TF350’s common commands

Description	Command	Response	Remark	Default setting
Obtain firmware version	5A 04 01 5F	5A 07 01 VA VB VC SU	The version number VC.B.A	/
System reset	5A 04 02 60	5A 05 02 00 61	/	/
Modify frame rate	5A 06 03 LL HH SU	Same as command	LL: lower 8 bits HH: higher 8 bits	100Hz
Output control	On: 5A 05 07 01 67 Off: 5A 05 07 00 66	Same as command	/	Enabled

Enable command triggering mode	5A 05 07 00 66	Same as command	/	Disabled
Trigger measurement	5A 04 04 62	Data frame	Only works in command triggering mode	/
Change baud rate	5A 08 06 H1 H2 H3 H4 SU	Same as command	See 5.3 Command editing	115200
Restore default settings	5A 04 10 6E	5A 05 10 00 6F	/	/
Save settings	5A 04 11 6F	5A 05 11 00 70	/	/
Over range threshold setting	5A 06 4F LL HH SU	5A 05 4F 00 AE	Unit: cm LL: lower 8 bits HH: higher 8 bits	35000
Switch communication interface	UART: 5A 05 45 01 A5 CAN: 5A 05 45 02 A6	5A 05 45 00 A4	/	UART
Modify CAN arbitration ID	5A 08 50 H1 H2 H3 H4 SU	5A 05 50 00 AF	ID = (H4<<24) +(H3<<16) +(H2<< 8) +H1	0x03
Modify CAN	5A 08 51 H1 H2 H3 H4 SU	5A 05 51 00 B0	ID=(H4<<24) +(H3<<16) +(H2<< 8) +H1	0x3003
Modify baud rate of CAN	5A 08 52 H1 H2 H3 H4 SU	5A 05 52 00 B1	Baud rate=(H4<<24) +(H3<<16) +(H2<<8) +H1	1Mbits/s
Set frame type of CAN	Standard frame: 5A 05 5D 00 BC Extension frame: 5A 05 5D 01 BD	5A 05 5D 00 BC	/	Standard frame
Enable UAVCAN	5A 05 77 MD SU	5A 05 77 00 D6	MD：filter switch 0x00：filter off 0x01：filter on	/

Offset setting	5A 06 69 LL HH SU	5A 05 69 00 C8	Unit: cm LL: lower 8 bits HH: higher 8 bits	0
Low-power consumption mode	On: 5A 05 83 01 E3 Off: 5A 05 83 00 E2	Same as command	/	Off

WARNING

Do not send the command that is not in the list above.

NOTE

Offset configuration can be used for secondary calibration of distance, for example, when distance is 195cm and you want LiDAR outputs 200cm, you can set offset value to 5cm.

5.3 Command editing

This section describes the Command Channel of TF350 which is used to read and set TF350’s working parameters. The command channel is available via all the interfaces.

A standard TF350 command consists of frame header, command length, command ID, parameters, and checksum. Follow these steps to generate a command: • Choose the right command ID and confirm its length • Convert parameter from the decimal value to hexadecimal value • Fill the hexadecimal parameter into the command • Calculate the checksum and fill its low 8-bits into the command For example, changing the baud rate to 460800. Firstly, choose the ID of changing frame rate, which is 0x06. Secondly, change 460800 (decimal number) to hexadecimal number, which is 0x00 07 08 00. Thirdly, fill the parameter into the command, like 5A 08 06 00 08 07 00 SUM. Finally calculate the sum of the first 7bytes and take its low 8bits, we will have the complete command, 5A 08 06 00 08 07 00 77.

Fixed:0x5 Lengthoft (Numbero IDofthec Hexadecim Little-endi Lower8bit previousb

Figure 13 Command syntax of TF350

6 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

NOTE

The following accessories are not standard accessories, please contact our sales or technical personnel for more information.

6.1 Extension cord

For testing purposes, we prepared an extension Dupont cord. See Figure 14 Extension cord for test for detailed information.

Figure 14 Extension cord for test

NOTE

This extension cord is free, but it’s not a standard accessory. Please contact us if needed.

7 QUICK START GUIDE

7.1 Connection and basic test

NOTE

The product package contains only TF350 and factory certificate. If you need USB converter, please contact our sales or technical support.

• Download the latest version BW_TFDS from http://en.benewake.com/support onto your PC or laptop.

Figure 15 Benewake testing GUI for TF series • See Figure 15 Benewake testing GUI for TF series of the GUI.

• Connect TF350 to the PC or laptop with a paired USB converter cable as shown in Figure 16 TF350 connecting to PC. The UART version TF350 needs a UART-USB converter, and the CAN version TF350 needs a CAN-USB converter.

Figure 16 TF350 connecting to PC

• Run BW_TFDS.exe, choose the right baud rate and communication port, and click CONNECT to start the test.

7.2 Troubleshooting guide for initial test

In the default working mode, TF350 will automatically output data when connected to the PC following 7.1 Connection and basic test. If you cannot read data from GUI properly, follow these steps to locate and solve problems.

S1. Check if there is red light inside TF350 through its window.

▪ No. Check power supply. If the power supply is normal, please contact Benewake service.

▪ Yes. Proceed to S2.

S2. Check whether the USB converter is paired with TF350. For example, TF350-100 CAN needs a USB-CAN converter.

▪ No. Change a paired USB converter then try again.

▪ Yes. Proceed to S3.

S3. Check signal wiring. See Figure 7 Wiring of the UART interface and Figure 8 Wiring of the CAN interface for detailed wiring information.

▪ Incorrect. Fix wiring.

▪ Correct. Proceed to S4.

S4. Some USB converters can generate more than one COM port. Try to connect through different COM port.

▪ If all the COM ports don’t have data output, proceed to S5.

S5. Send the command of reading firmware version, 5A 04 01 5F, through every COM ports. Try to read response.

▪ If all the COM ports have no response, please contact Benewake service.

▪ If one of the COM ports has correct response, send the command of restore default, 5A 04 10 6E, through this COM port. After sending this command, if the TF350 still doesn ’ t work, please contact Benewake service.

7.3 Working mode

TF350 has three different working modes.

• Automatic output mode. This is the default working mode. The default frame rate of this mode is 10Hz.

• Command triggering mode. In this mode, TF350 will not output data automatically.

TF350 output measuring data only when it receives the triggering command.

• Low power consumption mode. In this mode, TF350 still output measuring data automatically. But the maximum frame rate has been restricted to 5Hz. Meanwhile its power consumption is reduced to 350mW.

NOTE

Only the UART interface supports low power consumption mode.

7.4 Influences of object surfaces on the

measurement

The signal received from a perfectly diffuse reflecting white surface corresponds to the definition of a remission of 100%. As a result of this definition, the remissions for surfaces that reflect the light bundled (mirrored surfaces, reflectors), are more than 100%.

Figure 17 Reflection of the laser beam at the surface of an object The majority of surfaces reflect the laser beam diffusely in all directions.

The reflection of the laser beam will vary as a function of the surface structure and color. Light surfaces reflect the laser beam better than dark surfaces and can be detected by the TF350 over larger distances. Brilliant white plaster reflects approx.

100% of the incident light, black foam rubber approx. 2.4%. On very rough surfaces, part of the energy is lost due to shading. The detecting range of the TF350 will be

reduced as a result.

Figure 18 Reflection angle The reflection angle is the same as the angle of incidence. If the laser beam is incident perpendicularly on a surface, the energy is optimally reflected (Figure 18 Reflection angle). If the beam is incident at an angle, a corresponding energy and detecting range loss is incurred.

Figure 18 Degree of reflection If the reflected energy returned is over 100% (basis: Kodak standard) the incident beam is not reflected diffusely in all directions, but is reflected in a specific direction.

As a result, a large portion of the energy emitted can be received by the laser distance measurement device. Plastic reflectors (“cats’ eyes”), reflective tape and triple prisms have these properties.

Figure 19 Mirror surfaces At mirror surfaces the laser beam is almost entirely deflected (Figure 19 Mirror surfaces). Instead of the surface of the mirror, it is possible that the object on which the deflected laser beam is incident may be detected.

Figure 20 Object smaller than diameter of the laser beam Objects that are smaller than the diameter of the laser beam cannot reflect all the energy of the laser light (Figure 20 Object smaller than diameter of the laser beam).

The energy in the portion of the laser light that is not reflected is lost. This means that the detecting range is less than would be possible theoretically based on the surface of the object.

Dist = WightedAverage(D , D ) 1 2 Figure 21 Staircase object Staircase objects have two or more planes (Figure 21 Staircase object). The energy in the portion of the laser light that is reflected by different plane is different. TF350 will calculate a weighted averaging energy. The measured value will possible theoretically be the weighted average of distances from TF350 to different platform.

8 TROUBLESHOOTING

NOTICE

Claims under the warranty rendered void!

The housing screws of the TF350 are sealed. Claims under the warranty against Benewake will be rendered void if the seals are damaged or the device opened. The housing is only allowed to be opened by authorized service personnel.

This chapter describes how to identify and rectify errors and malfunctions during the

operation of TF350.

Table 9 Troubleshooting and rectification

Failure	Possible cause	Solution
Measurement exceeds the allowed error.	• Optical signal was blocked.	• Remove the obstacle or adjust the detecting direction.
	• The target is a low reflectivity object.	• Paste a reflector on target object.
Measurements in the near range with no measurement target.	• Protective film has not been removed.	• Remove the protective film.
	• Contaminated or scratched window.	• Carefully clean optics using soft, fluff-free cloth. If the optics are scratched, contact Benewake service.
	• Rain or fog	• Enable rain-fog filter
TF350 is not transmitting a measured result.	• Wiring fault in the data connection.	• Check wiring.
	• Wrong USB converter.	• Check USB converter.
Data transmitted is garbage.	• Baud rate mismatch.	• Check baud rate of the receiving device. Check TF350’s baud rate setting.
A certain target cannot be detected	• The target is too small.	• Replace it with a larger target. Please refer to 2.5

		above.
	• The target is a low reflectivity object.	• Sticking a high reflection sticker on the surface of the measured object.

Attachment 1: Reflectivity of Different

Materials

The reflectivity of different materials is listed below, ranging from low to high.

According to the test target and the corresponding reflectivity, we can measure whether the range of TF350 and other parameters meet the requirements.

No.	Materials	Reflectivity
1	black foam rubber	2.4%
2	black cloth	3%
3	black rubber	4%
4	Coal (varies from coal to coal)	4~8%
5	Black car paint	5%
6	Black paper	10%
7	opaque black plastic	14%
8	Clean rough board	20%
9	newspapers	55%
10	translucent plastic bottles	62%
11	packing case cardboard	68%
12	Clean pine	70%
13	opaque white plastic	87%
14	white card	90%
15	Kodak standard whiteboard	100%
16	Unpolished white metal surface	130%
17	Shiny light metal surface	150%
18	stainless steel	200%
19	Reflective board, reflective adhesive tape	>300%