Benewake TF03 User manual

TF03 Product Manual V0.4
Benewake(Beijing)Co., Ltd.
Page1
TF03 Single-Point Long-Distance LiDAR
Product Manual

TF03 Product Manual V0.4
Benewake(Beijing)Co., Ltd.
Page2
Specified Product
Product model: TF03
Product name: Single-Point Long-Distance LiDAR
Manufacturer
Company name: Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Address: No. 28, Xinxi Road, Haidian District, Beijing, PRC
Copyright
The Copyright of this document is protected.All the rights involved herein belong to
Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd. Any copy activity of this document, no matter in whole
or in part, should be in conformity of the Copyright Law. The actives of modification,
omission or translation of this document are not allowed unless a written
permission from Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
All rights reserved © Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Note: This product currently is a prototype for research and development, with
some parameters to be determined, and any change shall never be subject to any
prior notice.

TF03 Product Manual V0.4
Benewake(Beijing)Co., Ltd.
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Foreword
Dear users:
Thanks for choosing Benewake products, and it’s our pleasure to help you to solve
any technical question.
For the purpose of offering a 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 maybe meet. Please contact us if you have any
questions.( [e-mail])
This operation manual covers the product operation introduction and common
problem solutions, but it is really hard to cover all the problems you maybe meet.
So if you have any further questions or problems, please feel free to consult our
technical support service ([e-mail]). We will do our best to solve
any problem related to the product. If you have any other good advice or
suggestions, welcome to visit our official website and offer us your feedback there
(http://www.benewake.com/feedback.html), and we are looking forwards to your
participation.
We are Benewake who dedicated to making the best “Robotic Eyes” worldwide!

TF03 Product Manual V0.4
Benewake(Beijing)Co., Ltd.
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Content
1Attentions.......................................................................................................... 6
1.1 ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT ...............................................................................................................................................6
1.2 USAGE OF PRODUCT ....................................................................................................................................................6
1.3 CONDITIONS WITH POTENTIAL PRODUCT FAILURE ................................................................................................................6
2Physical Interface ............................................................................................. 7
2.1 DESCRIPTION ABOUT LINE SEQUENCE AND CONNECTION ........................................................................................................7
2.2 ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS ........................................................................................................................................7
3Installation Instructions..................................................................................... 8
3.1 PRODUCT OVERVIEW....................................................................................................................................................8
3.2 PRODUCTION STRUCTURE ..............................................................................................................................................8
4Communication Protocol and Data Format...................................................... 9
4.1 SERIAL PORT VERSION ..................................................................................................................................................9
4.2 CAN VERSION ..........................................................................................................................................................10
4.3 CUSTOM PARAMETER CONFIGURATIONS ..........................................................................................................................10
4.3.1 Obtaining version number ..........................................................................................................................11
4.3.2 System software reset ................................................................................................................................11
4.3.3 Setting operating frequency .......................................................................................................................12
4.3.4 Single trigger instruction ............................................................................................................................12
4.3.5 Setting output format................................................................................................................................. 12
4.3.6 Setting serial port baud rate.......................................................................................................................13
4.3.7 Output enabling switch ..............................................................................................................................13
4.3.8 Enabling checksum switch ..........................................................................................................................14
4.3.9 Restoring factory settings........................................................................................................................... 14
4.3.10 Saving current settings to FLASH ................................................................................................................14
4.3.11 Configuring over range threshold value.......................................................................................................15
4.3.12 Configuring CAN Send ID ............................................................................................................................15
4.3.13 Configuring CAN Receive ID ........................................................................................................................16
4.3.14 Configuring CAN baud rate.........................................................................................................................16
5Quick Test Procedures.................................................................................... 17
5.1 REQUIRED TOOLS OF PRODUCT TEST ..............................................................................................................................17
5.2 TEST PROCEDURES.....................................................................................................................................................17

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6TF03 setup software.......................................................................................19
7Failure reasons and troubleshooting..............................................................20
8Frequently asked questions............................................................................ 21
Attachment 1: Specifications of TF Series PC Display Software...........................22

TF03 Product Manual V0.4
Benewake(Beijing)Co., Ltd.
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1Attentions
1.1 About this Document
This Manual provides information necessary for the use of this product.
Please read this Manual carefully before using this product and make sure that
you have fully understood its contents.
1.2 Usage of Product
This product can only be maintained by qualified professionals and only the
original spare parts can be used to ensure its performance and safety.
The product itself has no polarity and overvoltage protection. Please complete
wiring and supply power correctly according to the contents of the Manual.
The working temperature of the product is -25℃~60℃; please do not use it
beyond this temperature range, so as to avoid risks.
The storage temperature of the product is -40℃~85℃; please do not store it
beyond this temperature range, so as to avoid risks.
Do not open its enclosure for assembly or maintenance beyond this Manual;
otherwise, it will affect the product performance.
1.3 Conditions with Potential Product Failure
When detecting objects with high reflectivity, such as mirrors and smooth tiles,
the product may have a high risk of failures.
When there is any transparent object between the product and the target, such
as glass and water, there will be a risk of failures.
When the product transmitter and receiver lens are covered by dirt, there will be
a risk of failures. Please keep the lens clean.

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2Physical Interface
2.1 Description about line sequence and connection
Wiring terminal model: GH1.25-7P.
Figure1 Line sequence
Table 1 Pin functions and connection instructions
No.
Color
Pin
Function
1
Red
VCC
Voltage input
2
White
CAN_L
CAN bus low
3
Green
CAN_H
CAN bus high
4
Blue
GPIO
IO output 1
5
Brown
TTL_RXD
UART receiver
6
Yellow
TTL_TXD
UART transmitter
7
Black
GND
GND
2.2 Electrical Characteristics
This product has no overvoltage or polarity protection. Please ensure that the
wiring and power supply are normal, and the supply voltage is allowed to fluctuate
by ±0.5V. Table 2 TF03 main electrical parameters
Parameter
Typical value
Power supply voltage
5V
Average current
≤180mA
Peak current
≤180mA
1
IO output function can be customized according to actual requirements.

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Average power
≤0.9W
3Installation Instructions
Figure 2 Exterior
3.1 Product Overview
3.2 Production Structure
The LiDAR mounting holes are applicable to M3 screws. Note that the length of the
screw entering the enclosure shall be no more than 3.5mm.
Figure 3 TF03 dimensions (Left 1: top view; Left 2: vertical view; Left 3: front view)

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4Communication Protocol and Data Format
TF03 supports serial port and CAN bus communication.
4.1 Serial Port Version
Here follow the TF03 serial communication protocol and data format, and the
output level (LVTTL) of the serial port is 0-3.3V.
Table 3 TF03 serial communication protocol
Parameter
Description
Communication protocol
UART
Baud rate
115200
Data bit
8
Stop bit
1
Checksum bit
None
1) Serial standard data format
The output data (hexadecimal numbers) of TF03 is shown in the table below. Each
data frame contains 9 bytes and the data contains the distance information, namely,
DIST; other bits are reserved; the frame tail acts as a data checksum bit.
Table 4 TF03 serial data frame format
Data bit
Definition
Description
Byte0
Frame header
0x59
Byte1
Frame header
0x59
Byte2
DIST_L
DIST low 8 bits
Byte3
DIST_H
DIST high 8 bits
Byte4
Reserved
/
Byte5
Reserved
/
Byte6
Reserved
/
Byte7
Reserved
/
Byte8
Checksum
Low 8 bits of Checksum, Checksum = Byte0 +
Byte2 +... + Byte7

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2) Serial Pixhawk data format
Output in the form of strings (unit: m), for example, range of 1.21m and it will output
the string 1.21; each distance value ends by line feed. The products of the serial
port version can support the output in the form of Pixhawk changed by instructions.
4.2 CAN version
The CAN communication protocol can be customized according to users’ needs;
the CAN baud rate, ID and frame format can be modified.
Table 5 TF03 CAN communication protocol
Parameter
Description
Communication protocol
CAN
Baud rate
1M
ID
0x0003
Frame format
Standard frame
The output data (hexadecimal numbers) of TF03 is shown in the table below. Each
data frame contains 8 bytes and the data contains the distance information, namely,
Dist; other bits are reserved.
Table 6 TF03 CAN data frame format
Data bit
Definition
Description
Byte0
DIST_L
DIST low 8 bits
Byte1
DIST_H
DIST high 8 bits
Byte2
Reserved
/
Byte3
Reserved
/
Byte4
Reserved
/
Byte5
Reserved
/
4.3Custom parameter configurations
In order to solve your problem more flexibly, TF03 has specially enabled the
function for customizing the product configuration parameters via its serial port.
Users can modify the product original parameters by sending relevant instructions,
such as output data format and output frame rate. After parameter configuration is
successful, input/write in configuration instructions, and the configuration

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parameters will be saved in Flash and no reconfiguration is needed in case of
power-off reboot.
Please modify the product configurations as needed. Never attempt unrelated
instructions frequently so as to avoid unnecessary loss caused by wrong
instructions; ensure that the product is configured according to the instructions
listed in this Manual. Do not send any undeclared instruction.
The instruction frame includes Head, Len, ID, parameters (optional) and Check
sum, where Head is fixed to 0x5A; Len is the length of the entire instruction frame
(unit: Byte); ID identifies the function of each instruction; parameters have different
meanings and lengths in different ID instruction frames; and Check sum is the
lower 8 bits of the Len-1 byte data.
4.3.1 Obtaining version number
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x01
Check_sum
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3~5
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x01
Version
Check_sum
Version: For example, the third, fourth and fifth bytes are 112, 50 and 9
respectively, indicating the version number 9.50.112.
4.3.2 System software reset
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x02
Check_sum
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x02
Status
Check_sum
Status: 0 (Successful); -1 (Failed).

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4.3.3 Setting operating frequency
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
3
4
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x03
Freq_low
Freq_high
Check_sum
Freq: Operating frequency, >0 (operating frequency set)
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
4
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x03
Freq_low
Freq_high
Check_sum
Freq: Operating frequency actually achieved in the TF03
This instruction takes effect immediately and the configurations are not saved
by default.
The serial port baud rate supports 1Hz and Hz x 10/100/1000, such as 10Hz,
20Hz…100Hz, 200Hz…1000Hz, 2000Hz…10000Hz.
Up to 1000Hz is supported when the baud rate is 115200; while up to 10000 Hz
is supported when the baud rate is 1M.
4.3.4 Single trigger instruction
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x04
Check_sum
TF03 returns:
Data frame. See in Figure 4.
4.3.5 Setting output format
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x05
Format
Check_sum
Format: 0x01 (standard data format output), 0x02（Pixhawk data format output）
TF03 returns:

TF03 Product Manual V0.4
Benewake(Beijing)Co., Ltd.
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Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x05
Format
Check_sum
Format: Output format configured in the TF03. 0x01 (standard data format
output), 0x02（Pixhawk data format output）. This instruction takes effect
immediately and configurations are not saved by default.
4.3.6 Setting serial port baud rate
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Len-1
Descripti
ons
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x06
baudrate_l
ow_0
baudrate_l
ow_8
baudrate_
high_16
baudrate_
high_24
Check_s
um
E.g:115200，byte3：0x00，byte4：0xC2，byte5：0x01，byte6：0x00
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Len-1
Descripti
ons
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x06
baudrate_l
ow_0
baudrate_l
ow_8
baudrate
_high_16
baudrate_
high_24
Check_s
um
Baudrate: serial port baud rate actually configured in the TF03
This instruction cannot take effect until it is executed and restarted with saved
configurations.
4.3.7 Output enabling switch
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x07
Enable
Check_sum
Enable: 0 (Output disabled), 1 (Output enabled)
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x07
Enable
Check_sum
Enable: 0 (Output disabled), 1 (Output enabled)
This instruction takes effect immediately and configurations are not saved by

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default.
4.3.8 Enabling checksum switch
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x08
Enable
Check_sum
Enable: 0 (Checksum disabled, Check_sum may be any value.), 1 (Checksum
enabled)
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x08
Enable
Check_sum
Enable: 0 (Checksum disabled), 1 (Checksum enabled)
This instruction takes effect immediately and configurations are not saved by
default.
4.3.9 Restoring factory settings
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x10
Check_sum
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x10
Status
Check_sum
Status: 0 (Successful); non-0 (Failed). This instruction takes effect immediately.
4.3.10 Saving current settings to FLASH
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x11
Check_sum
TF03 returns:

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Benewake(Beijing)Co., Ltd.
Page15
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x11
Status
Check_sum
Status: 0 (Successful); non-0（Failed）
After this instruction has been executed, all configuration information is still
effective upon reboot.
4.3.11 Configuring over range threshold value
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
3
4
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x4F
Value_low
Value_high
Check_sum
Value:over range threshold value, unsigned short type; 0 indicates no range
limit; in addition, it cannot be configured as 0xFFFF.
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x4F
Status
Check_sum
Status: 0 (Successful), non-0（Failed）。
This instruction takes effect immediately and configurations are not saved by
default.
4.3.12 Configuring CAN Send ID
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Len-1
Descriptio
ns
Head(0
x5A)
Len
0x50
ID_low_0
ID_low_8
ID_high_16
ID_high_24
Check_sum
ID: CAN Send ID
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x50
Status
Check_sum
Status: 0 (Successful); non-0（Failed）
This instruction can not take effect until it is executed and restarted with saved

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configurations.
4.3.13 Configuring CAN Receive ID
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Len-1
Descriptio
ns
Head(0
x5A)
Len
0x51
ID_low_0
ID_low_8
ID_high_16
ID_high_24
Check_su
m
ID: CAN Receive ID
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x51
Status
Check_sum
Status: 0 (Successful), non-0 (Failed).
This instruction can not take effect until it is executed and restarted with saved
configurations.
4.3.14 Configuring CAN baud rate
Send to TF03：
Byte
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Len-1
Descriptio
ns
Head(0
x5A)
Len
0x52
baudrate_l
ow_0
baudrate_l
ow_8
baudrate_
high_16
baudrate_
high_24
Check_s
um
baudrate: CAN communication baudrate, currently able to support 1M, 500K,
250K and 125K only.
TF03 returns:
Byte
0
1
2
3
Len-1
Descriptions
Head(0x5A)
Len
0x52
Status
Check_sum
Status: 0 (Successful); non-0 (Failed).
This instruction can not take effect until it is executed and restarted with saved
configurations.

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5Quick Test Procedures
5.1 Required Tools of Product Test
Note: the product package contains only TF03 products and factory certificate, and
other accessories are collected by yourself. For TTL-USB boards, please contact
sales or technical support.
Figure 4 Tools example
TF03
TTL - USB board
USB cable
Computer
TF display
program
5.2 Test Procedures
1) Download the TF display program
Please download the TF display program from http://benewake.com/en/down.html.
Note: Please close the anti-virus software before unpacking the TF display
program; otherwise, the files in the TF display program will be deleted as viruses;
The TF display program currently only supports running on the Windows system.
See Attachment 1: Instruction of TF Series PC Display Software.
Figure 5 How to connect TF03 to PC for test
2) Equipment connection
As figure 5 shown, connect『TF03』->『TTL- USB board』->『USB cable』, ensure
no looseness, and then connect the『USB cable』with the『computer』.

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3) TF display software connection and reading
Figure 6 The interface of TF display software
As shown in Figure 6, open the TF display program, selectⅠ『Benewake TF03』
and select the serial port for automatic identification (here is Ⅱ『COM9』).
Then, click『CONNECT』to connect to the TF display program.
After connected successfully, continuous output data images will occur in the right
Ⅳ『TIME LINE CHART』area and the Ⅴ『REAL TIME DATA』area below will
display the current test distance (Dist: 125cm), the output frame rate (Effective
Points: 100Hz).
Note: the Dist (Echo) and Strength are unmeaning in here.
4) Another note
If TF03 want to output in Pixhawk mode, check Ⅲ『Pix Mode』first and then the
data images will be normally output in the Ⅳ『 TIME LINE CHART』area. After the
Pix Mode is checked, the distance unit will change to m.

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6TF03 Setup software
Figure 7 TF03 Setup software display
Interface of the custom TF display software is shown in the figure above.
1) After TF03 is connected to the computer, select the correct port number and
baud rate in Zone C manually and click the 『Connect』button to realize
communication between the TF display software and TF03.
2) After connection is successfully established, Zone B will display the ranging
distance and the frequency of data obtained by the TF display software. When no
data is received after two seconds, the data and frequency display will disappear.
3) Zone D is dedicated to function configuration and its third column lists the
buttons for sending instructions. After clicking such buttons, the setup software will
send instructions and wait for reply from TF03. When no reply is received for a long
time,『No Response』will be displayed on the right side of the instruction-sending
buttons. Please note that in order to ensure that TF03 reply instructions can be
obtained normally, lower the『frame rate』or set the『output mode』as『instruction
trigger』before configuration. If the changed parameters need to be saved, click the
settings button corresponding to『Save Configuration』before power down TF03.

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4) Region E is dedicated to firmware upgrade, which enables the BootLoader
function to be used for upgrading the product firmware.
7Failure reasons and troubleshooting
1) Under normal operation, TF03 sometimes will output 0 values.
Reasons: In order to better identify the data validity of TF03, the 0 values are
specifically used as abnormal state values. TF03 will output a distance value of 0,
generally in two cases: first, the actual distance measured is within the blind zone
of TF03; and second, the actual distance measured is beyond the range of TF03.
For example, when measuring the distance to a wall, TF03 is 5cm away from the
wall but its blind zone is 10cm.As TF03 is unable to measure any valid data, it may
output the value 0.
Troubleshooting: Use the value 0 as a value representing abnormal data. In other
words, after the value 0 is received, the TF03 output data is not used, but when a
non-zero value is received, the TF03 output data will be used.
2) No data output after TF03 is connected.
Reasons: Any product before delivery will undergo strict inspection, so as to
ensure that it can be used normally. Therefore, product defects may have arisen
during transportation or use.
Troubleshooting: Check whether the power supply is working properly, and
whether the voltage level is kept within the range of the rated input voltage. If the
power supply is normal, the TF03 lens will display a faint red light.
Check whether data parsing is correct. Parse the data in accordance with the data
frame format as described above.
If the problem remains unsolved, contact the technical support team
([e-mail]). We will try our best to solve your problems.
3) No data output after TF03 is connected to the TF display software.
Reason 1: The computer uses an operating system other than Windows.
Troubleshooting: Currently, the TF display software can only support the Windows
operating system. Use a computer with the Windows operating system installed.
Reason 2: Poor connection between TF03 and computer.
Troubleshooting: Please confirm that TF03 is correctly and reliably connected to
the computer, and ensure that the cables and adapter board work properly.