Benewake TF350-RS-485 User manual

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Introduction
Page1 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
TF350 RS-485 / RS-232
Long-distance Single-point LiDAR
User Manual

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Introduction
Page2 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Described Product
Long-range single-point LiDAR: TF350-RS-485/RS-232.
Manufacturer
Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Room 3030, Building ZiZhuChuangXin,
No.6 Chuangye Road,
Haidian District,
Beijing, PRC
Legal information
This work is protected by copyright. Any rights derived from the copyright shall be reserved for
Benewake (Beijing). Reproduction of this document or parts of this document is only permissible
within the limits of the legal determination of Copyright Law. Any modification, abridgment or
translation of this document is prohibited without the express written permission of Benewake
(Beijing).
The trademarks stated in this document are the property of their respective owner.
© Benewake (Beijing). All rights reserved.
Original document
This document is an original document of Benewake (Beijing).

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Introduction
Page3 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................... 4
FAILURE SCENARIOS ................................................................................................................................. 4
SYMBOLS AND DOCUMENT CONVENTIONS .................................................................................................... 5
2PRODUCT DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................................................... 6
APPEARANCE OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................... 6
DIMENSIONAL DRAWING........................................................................................................................... 6
MEASURING PRINCIPLE ............................................................................................................................. 7
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION ......................................................................................................................... 7
FOV...................................................................................................................................................... 9
3ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION ................................................................................................................... 10
PIN AND WIRE COLOR ASSIGNMENT........................................................................................................... 10
CONNECTOR ......................................................................................................................................... 11
WIRE CROSS-SECTIONS ........................................................................................................................... 11
GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR DATA INTERFACE................................................................................................ 12
WIRING THE RS-232 INTERFACE............................................................................................................... 13
WIRING THE RS-485 INTERFACE............................................................................................................... 13
4COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS............................................................................................................ 13
COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL................................................................................................................... 14
DATA FRAME......................................................................................................................................... 14
MODBUS ............................................................................................................................................. 14
4.3.1 PROTOCOL DESCRIPTION ....................................................................................................................... 14
4.3.2 FUNCTION CODE ................................................................................................................................. 15
4.3.3 ACCESSIBLE REGISTER ADDRESS............................................................................................................... 15
4.3.4 COMMON COMMANDS FOR MODBUS...................................................................................................... 16
5CUSTOM CONFIGURATION ................................................................................................................... 18
COMMAND PROTOCOL............................................................................................................................ 18
COMMON COMMANDS........................................................................................................................... 18
COMMAND EDITING............................................................................................................................... 19
6OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES ...................................................................................................................... 20
SELF-CLEANING MODULE ......................................................................................................................... 20
AIMING BEAM MODULE .......................................................................................................................... 22
EXTENSION CORD................................................................................................................................... 23
7QUICK START GUIDE ............................................................................................................................. 24
CONNECTION AND BASIC TEST .................................................................................................................. 24
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE FOR INITIAL TEST................................................................................................ 25
WORKING MODE ................................................................................................................................... 26
INFLUENCES OF OBJECT SURFACES ON THE MEASUREMENT.............................................................................. 26
8TROUBLESHOOTING ............................................................................................................................. 29
ATTACHMENT 1: REFLECTIVITY OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS......................................................................... 31

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Introduction
Page4 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
1 INTRODUCTION
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.
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
Scenario
Description
Scenario
Description
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.

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Introduction
Page5 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Do not exposure 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.
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.

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Product Description
Page6 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Appearance Overview
Figure 1 Module view of TF350
①Cable with male connector, Molex SD-51021-007, 7pin
②Laser window (Receiving)
③Laser window (Emitting)
④3mm diameter hole (6mm deep) for mounting (6x)
Dimensional drawing
Figure 2 Dimensional drawing of TF350 ( ① Front; ② Top; ③ Bottom; Unit: mm)
④
②
①
③
①
②
③

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Product Description
Page7 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Measuring principle
TF350 is a typical Pulse Time of Flight (PToF) sensor. It adopts an incoherent energy
receiving mode, and the measurement is mainly based on Pulse counting.
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)
Technical specification
Table 2 Data sheet 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

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Product Description
Page8 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Parameters
Minimum
Typical
Maximum
Optical parameters
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
Overvoltage protection
300V
Polarity protection
200V
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

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Product Description
Page9 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
NOTICE
Only the frame rate satisfying the following formula is supported.
       󰇝󰇞   󰇝󰇞
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 its maximum frame rate can
reach as much as 7kHz. Please contact us if you need upper frame rate.
The basic technical specifications, like accuracy and repeatability, are measured
with white background board (90% reflectivity) at 0klux condition.
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 0.15° 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.

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Electrical Installation
Page10 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Figure 5 Spot size of TF350 at different ranges
3 ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
Pin and wire color assignment
TF350’s cable has six 26 AWG wires. The connector is Molex SD-51021-007 1.25 W/B-7Pin.
Figure 6 Male connector, Molex SD-51021-007 1.25 W/B-7Pin
0.00
50.00
100.00
150.00
200.00
250.00
050 100 150 200 250 300 350
Spot Size (cm)
Range (m)
Length of the detecting spot.
Divergence 0.35 degree.
Width of the detecing spot.
Divergence 0.15 degree.

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Electrical Installation
Page11 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Table 3 Pin assignment on 7-pin male connector
Pin
Signal
Color
Function
1
VCC
Red
DC 5-24V
2
RS-485-B/RS-232-RXD
White
RS-485-B/RS-232 Receive
3
RS-485-A/RS-232-TXD
Green
RS-485-A/RS-232 Transmit
4
N/A
N/A
N/A
5
UART_RXD
Blue
UART receive (Debug)
6
UART_TXD
Brown
UART Transmit (Debug)
7
GND
Black
Ground
Notice
The UART interface of TF350 RS-485/RS-232, PIN 5 and PIN 6, is a debug
interface. Please do not use it.
Connector
Figure 7 Dimension drawing of connector: Molex SD-51021-007 1.25 W/B-7Pin
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!
A: 7.5mm, B: 9.2mm, C: 10.5mm

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Electrical Installation
Page12 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
➢Use the following wire cross-sections:
⚫supply voltage at least 0.13 mm² (approx. 26 AWG), if local power supply in the immediate
vicinity.
⚫supply voltage at least 0.21 mm² (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 mm² (approx. 26 AWG), maximum cable length 2m
(6.562 ft) with 0.21 mm² (approx. 24AWG).
⚫data interface minimum 0.13mm² (approx. 26AWG).
➢Lay all cables such that there is no risk of tripping and all cables are protected against
damage.
On the usage of a typical power supply with a nominal voltage of 24V DC ±5%, the following
maximum cable lengths are allowed for the supply of the operating voltage:
Table 4 Maximum cable lengths for the supply voltage
Wire cross-section
Cable length
0.13 mm2 (approx. 26AWG)
4 m (13.1 ft)
0.32 mm2 (approx. 22AWG)
10 m (32.81 ft)
0.81 mm2 (approx. 18AWG)
20 m (65.62 ft)
General conditions for data interface
The table below shows the recommended maximum length of cable as a function of the data
transmission rate selected.
Table 5 Maximum cable lengths for the data interfaces
Interface type
Transmission rate
Maximum cable length
RS232
115 200 Bd
10 m (32.81ft)
RS485
115 200 Bd
10 m (32.81ft)
NOTICE
With appropriate cable termination, termination in accordance with related
specification.
⚫Use screened cable(twisted-pair) with at least 26 AWG.

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Communication Protocols
Page13 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Wiring the RS-232 Interface
Pay attention to max. cable length as per section 3.4 “General conditions for the data
interface”.
Figure 8 Wiring of the RS-232 interface
Wiring the RS-485 Interface
Pay attention to max. cable length as per section 3.4 “General conditions for the data
interface”.
Figure 9 Wiring of the RS-485 interface
4 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS
The industrial version of TF350 supports two communication interfaces, RS-232 and RS-
485. The default interface is RS-485. These two interfaces cannot work simultaneously. The
communication interface can be switched by certain command.
NOTICE
The RS-485 interface in industrial TF350 is a debug interface. Please do not use
it.

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Communication Protocols
Page14 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Communication protocol
Table 6 Communication protocol of the RS-232 protocol
Character
Value
Configurability
Baud rate
115200
Configurable
Data bit
8
Non-configurable
Stop bit
1
Non-configurable
Parity
None
Non-configurable
Data frame
A standard data frame consists of 9 bytes of hexadecimal numbers, which contains distance
and signal strength.
Figure 10 Data communication: User protocol frame format of RS-485
Modbus
The RS-485 interface of TF350 supports Modbus protocol.
NOTICE
The TF350 RS485 interface is in half-duplex mode. Based on reliability
considerations, it is not recommended to use a baud rate above 115200 for
communication.
4.3.1 Protocol description
The communication protocol format of Modbus is different from it of the RS-232 and RS-485
interface. Check the following tables for detailed protocols.

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Communication Protocols
Page15 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Table 7 Command format of Modbus
Header
Function
code
Register Addr.
Register value
CRC_low
CRC_high
01 (Default)
03
00
00
00
01
xx
xx
Table 8 Data frame format of Modbus
Header
Function
code
Frame
Length
Dist_high
Dist_low
CRC_low
CRC_high
01 (Default)
03
02
xx
xx
xx
xx
NOTICE
All the data mentioned in the protocol are in hexadecimal.
4.3.2 Function code
The Modbus of TF350 only supports the basic function of reading and writing register. The
function codes are listed in the following table.
Table 9 List of function codes of Modbus
Function code
Description
03
Read register
06
Write register
4.3.3 Accessible register address
Table 10 List of accessible register address of function code (0x03)
Register Addr.
Definition
Description
00 00
Dist
Distance value
00 01
Strength
Signal strength. Not currently supported.
00 03
Upper 16 bits of time stamp
Upper 2 bytes of time stamp. Unit: ms
00 04
Lower 16 bits of time stamp
Lower 2 bytes of time stamp. Unit: ms
00 06
Upper 16 bits of firmware
version
0x00 and main version number
00 07
Lower 16 bits of firmware
version
Sub-version and revised version number

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Communication Protocols
Page16 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Table 11 List of accessible register address of function code (0x06)
Register Addr.
Definition
Description
00 80
Save settings
Perform ‘Save’ operation with any data
being written to the register.
00 81
Shut down / Reboot
0x00: Shut down
0x01: Reboot
00 82
Disable Modbus
0x01: Disable Modbus
00 83
Upper 16 bits of baud rate
Save and reboot to take effect.
00 84
Lower 16 bits of baud rate
Save and reboot to take effect.
00 85
Slave ID
Save and reboot to take effect.
00 86
fps
Save and reboot to take effect.
00 87
Working mode
Save and reboot to take effect.
0x00: Continuous working mode
0x01: Command-trigger mode
00 89
Restore default
Perform ‘Restore default’ operation with
any data being written to the register.
Save and reboot to take effect.
4.3.4 Common commands for Modbus
The default interface of industrial TF350 is general RS-485 protocol. Send commands listed
in Table 12 Command used to enable Modbus protocol in RS-485 interface to enable
Modbus protocol.
Table 12 Command used to enable Modbus protocol in RS-485 interface
Function
Command
Response
Description
Enable Modbus
5A 05 6F 00 CE
Same as
command
Save and reboot to take effect
Set Modbus
Address
5A 05 70 ADDR SU
5A 05 70 00 CF
/

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Communication Protocols
Page17 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
WARNING
TF350 only supports RTU mode to communicate in serial link.
The default address of Modbus is 0x01. The commands listed in the following
table are based on default address. If the address is changed, the commands
need to make corresponding changes. See 4.3.1 for detailed information.
The commands listed in the following table will only take effect under Modbus
protocol. Do not send the command that is not in the list below.
Table 13 List of common commands of Modbus
Function
Command
Response
Description
Obtain distance
01 03 00 00 00 01
84 0A
Data frame:
01 03 02 DH DL
CL CH
DH: Upper 8 bits of distance
DL: Lower 8 bits of distance
CH: Upper 8 bits of CRC
CL: Lower 8 bits of CRC
Obtain distance
and signal
strength
01 03 00 00 00 02
C4 0B
01 03 04 DH DL
SH SL CL CH
DH: Upper 8 bits of distance
DL: Lower 8 bits of distance
SH: Upper 8 bits of signal strength
SL: Lower 8 bits of signal strength
CH: Upper 8 bits of CRC
CL: Lower 8 bits of CRC
Obtain firmware
version
01 03 00 06 00 02
24 0A
01 03 04 00 VM
VS VC CL CH
VM: Main version number
VS: Sub-version number
VC: Revised version number
Set baud rate
01 06 00 83 BH1
BH2 CL CH
01 06 00 84 BL1
BL2 CL CH
01 06 00 83 BH1
BH2 CL CH
01 06 00 84 BL1
BL2 CL CH
Set baud rate to 9600
(0x00002580):
BH1=00 BH2=00 CL=78 CH=22,
BL1=25 BL2=80 CL=D2 CH=D3
Change Slave ID
01 06 00 85 IH IL
CL CH
01 06 00 85 IH IL
CL CH
IH: Upper byte of ID
IL: Lower byte of ID
Change slave ID to 0x0002:
IH=00 IL=02 CL=19 CH=E2
Set frame rate
01 06 00 86 FH FL
CL CH
01 06 00 86 FH
FL CL CH
Set frame rate to 100Hz (0x0064):
FH=00 FL=64 CL=69 CH=C8
Save setting
01 06 00 80 00 00
88 22
01 06 00 80 00
00 88 22
Save and restart to take effect

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Custom configuration
Page18 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
Disable Modbus
01 06 00 82 00 01
E8 22
01 06 00 82 00
01 E8 22
Save and restart to take effect
5 CUSTOM CONFIGURATION
Command protocol
To meet the need of different customers, TF03 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 14 Description of TF03 command protocol
Byte
Definition
Description
Byte 0
Header
Fixed to 0x5A
Byte 1
Len
The length of the command frame (unit: Byte)
Byte 2
ID
Identifies the function of each command
Byte 3~Byte N-2
Payload
Different meanings and lengths in different ID command frames
Byte N-1
Check sum
the lower 8 bits of the sum of the first N-2 bytes
Common commands
Table 15 List of TF03’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

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Custom configuration
Page19 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
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
RS-485: 5A 05 45 01
A5
RS-232: 5A 05 45 02 A6
5A 05 45 00 A4
/
RS-485
Modify RS-232
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 RS-232
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 RS-232
5A 08 52 H1 H2 H3 H4
SU
5A 05 52 00 B1
Baud rate=(H4<<24)
+(H3<<16) +(H2<<8)
+H1
1Mbits/s
WARNING
Do not send the command that is not in the list above.
NOTE
Baud rate of RS-485 can be set to 9600, 14400, 19200, 38400, 56000, 57600,
115200, 128000, 230400, 256000, 460800, 512000, 750000, and 921600. If other
value were set, TF03 will set it to 115200.
Command editing
This section describes the Command Channel of TF03 which is used to read and set TF03’s
working parameters. The command channel is available via all the interfaces.
A standard TF03 command consists of frame header, command length, command ID,
parameters and checksum. Follow these steps to generate a command:

TF350 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Optional Accessories
Page20 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice
⚫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.
Figure 11 Command syntax of TF03
6 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
NOTE
The following accessories are not standard accessories, please contact relevant
sales or technical personnel if necessary.
Self-cleaning module
In some outdoor scenes, dust adhering to the TF350’s window will affect the performance of
the TF350. We’ve designed the following self-cleaning module that can automatically clean
the TF350’s window regularly. The module drives the rocker arm and wiper with the steering
gear to clean the TF350 window regularly.
Checksum
Fixed: 0x5A
Length of the command
(Number of bytes)
ID of the command
Hexadecimal parameters
Little-endian mode
Header
Length
ID
Hexadecimal parameters
Lower 8 bits of the sum of
previous bytes