Benewake TF03 RS-485 User manual

TF03 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Page1 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice · 2021-08-24
TF03 RS-485/RS-232
Long-distance Single-point LiDAR
User Manual

TF03 RS-485/RS-232 User Manual
Page2 ©Benewake · All rights reserved · Subject to change without notice · 2021-08-24
Described product
Long-range single-point LiDAR: TF03 RS-485/RS-232
Manufacturer
Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
NO.28 Xinxi 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).

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................5
1.1 FAILURE SCENARIOS.............................................................................................................................. 5
1.2 SYMBOLS AND DOCUMENT CONVENTIONS............................................................................................6
2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION.......................................................................................................... 7
2.1 APPEARANCE OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................ 7
2.2 DIMENSIONAL DRAWING.........................................................................................................................7
2.3 MEASURING PRINCIPLE.......................................................................................................................... 8
2.4 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION....................................................................................................................8
2.5 FOV....................................................................................................................................................... 10
3 ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION..................................................................................................11
3.1 PIN AND WIRE COLOR ASSIGNMENT....................................................................................................11
3.2 WIRE CROSS-SECTIONS.......................................................................................................................11
3.3 GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR DATA INTERFACE.................................................................................... 12
3.4 WIRING THE RS-232 INTERFACE........................................................................................................12
3.5 WIRING THE RS-485 INTERFACE........................................................................................................13
4 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS...........................................................................................13
4.1 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL..............................................................................................................14
4.2 DATA FRAME.........................................................................................................................................14
4.3 MODBUS............................................................................................................................................... 14
5 CUSTOM CONFIGURATION.................................................................................................... 17
5.1 COMMAND PROTOCOL......................................................................................................................... 17
5.2 COMMON COMMANDS..........................................................................................................................18
5.3 COMMAND EDITING.............................................................................................................................. 19
6 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES...................................................................................................... 20

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6.1 SELF-CLEANING MODULE.................................................................................................................... 20
6.2 AIMING BEAM MODULE........................................................................................................................ 21
6.3 EXTENSION CORD.................................................................................................................................22
7 QUICK START GUIDE................................................................................................................22
7.1 CONNECTION AND BASIC TEST............................................................................................................22
7.2 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE FOR INITIAL TEST.....................................................................................23
7.3 WORKING MODE...................................................................................................................................24
7.4 INFLUENCES OF OBJECT SURFACES ON THE MEASUREMENT............................................................24
8 TROUBLESHOOTING................................................................................................................ 28
ATTACHMENT 1: REFLECTIVITY OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS........................................ 29

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1 INTRODUCTION
The User Manual provide important information on how to use TF03. It contains the basic
information about TF03 and describes how to set up and configure the interfaces.
The User Manual contains detailed information about the interfaces including syntax and
available functionality. It focuses on TF03 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, TF03’s performance is greatly affected by
environment. Certain scenarios will even damage TF03. Each of these failure scenarios
have been tested in real field tests.
Table 1 Failure scenarios of TF03
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.
Do not exposure to
corrosive liquids.
Avoid extreme vibrations.

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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
Warnings and important information in this document are labeled with symbols. The
warnings are introduced by signal words that indicate the extent of the danger. These
warnings must be observed at all times and care must be taken to avoid accidents,
personal injury, and material damage.
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.

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2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
2.1 Appearance overview
②
④
③
①
Figure 1 Module view of TF03
1Cable with male connector, Molex SD-51021-007, 7pin
2Laser window (Receiving)
3Laser window (Emitting)
43mm diameter hole (4mm deep) for mounting (4x)
2.2 Dimensional drawing
Figure 2 Dimensional drawing of TF03 (Left 1: top; Left 2: bottom; Left 3: front; Unit: mm)

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2.3 Measuring principle
TF03 is a typical Pulse Time of Flight (PToF) sensor. TF03 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 TF03 and the measured target
can be calculated through the speed of light.
Figure 3 Pulsed time of flight (PToF)
2.4 Technical specification
NOTICE
TF03 has two different versions, TF03-100 and TF03-180. The only difference
between the two versions is the maximum detecting range, which is 100m and
180m respectively.
Table 2 Technical specifications of TF03
Parameters
Minimum
Typical
Maximum
Performance
Range (@90% reflectivity, 0klux)
0.1m
100m / 180m
Range (@10% reflectivity, 0klux)
0.1m
40m / 70m
Range (@90% reflectivity, 100klux)
0.1m
80m / 130m
Range (@10% reflectivity, 100klux)
0.1m
30m / 50m
Accuracy
±10cm (within 10m), 1% (10m and further)
Distance resolution
1cm
Frame rate
1Hz
100Hz
1000Hz
Repeatability
1σ: <3cm

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Optical
parameters
Light source
LD
Central wavelength
905nm
Photobiological safety
Class1(EN60825)
FoV
0.5°
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
UART/CAN
Others
Dimension
44mm*43mm*32mm(L*W*H)
Housing
Aluminum alloy
Optical window
Infrared transmitting glass (HWB760)
Storage temperature
-40℃
85℃
Weight
86g
89g
92g
Wire length
70cm
NOTICE
Only the frame rate satisfying the following formula is supported.
Frame rate = a × 10
b, 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, TF03 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.

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2.5 FoV
The field-of-view, FoV, is the angle covered by the LiDAR sensor. The horizontal FoV of
TF03 is 0.5° and the vertical FoV of TF03 is 0.15°.
Figure 4 FoV of TF03. Horizontal divergence 0.5°, vertical divergence 0.15°.
NOTICE
0.5° and 0.15° are theoretic values. Because the manufacturing error and the
installing error exist, there is divergence between each TF03’s actual FoV and
its theoretic values.
Figure 5 Spot size of TF03 at different range

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3 ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
3.1 Pin and wire color assignment
TF03’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
Table 3 Pin assignment on 7-pin male connector
Pin
Color
Signal
Function
1
Red
DC 5~24V
Supply voltage
2
White
RS-485-B/RS-232-RXD
RS-485-B/RS-232-RXD
3
Green
RS-485-A/RS-232-TXD
RS-485-A/RS-232-TXD
4
N/A
N/A
N/A
5
Blue
UART_RXD
UART receive (Debug)
6
Brown
UART_TXD
UART Transmit (Debug)
7
Black
GND
Ground
NOTICE
The UART interface of TF03 RS-485/RS-232, PIN 5 and PIN 6, is a debug
interface. Please do not use it.
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 TF03.
Wire all connections with copper cables!
Use the following wire cross-sections:

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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)
3.3 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.
3.4 Wiring the RS-232 Interface
Pay attention to max. cable length as per section 3.3 “General conditions for the data
interface”.

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Figure 7 Wiring of the RS-232 interface
3.5 Wiring the RS-485 Interface
Pay attention to max. cable length as per section 3.3 “General conditions for the data
interface”.
Figure 8 Wiring of the RS-485 interface
4 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS
The industrial version of TF03 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 UART interface in industrial TF03 is a debug interface. Please do not use it.

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4.1 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
4.2 Data frame
A standard data frame consists of 9 bytes of hexadecimal numbers, which contains
distance and signal strength.
Figure 9 Data communication: User protocol frame format of UART
4.3 Modbus
The RS-485 interface of TF03 supports Modbus protocol.
NOTICE
The TF03 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.

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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 TF03 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
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

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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 TF03 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
/
WARNING
TF03 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.

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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
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
5.1 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.

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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
5.2 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: upper 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 06 03 00 00 63
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: upper 8 bits
10000 or
18000

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Switch
communication
interface
RS232: 5A 05 45 01
A5
RS485: 5A 05 45 03
A7
5A 05 45 00 A4
/
UART
Offset setting
5A 06 69 LL HH SU
5A 05 69 00 C8
Unit: cm
LL: lower 8 bits
HH: upper 8 bits
0
Enable Modbus
5A 05 6F 00 CE
Same as
command
Save and reboot to
take effect
Disabled
Set Modbus
Address
5A 05 70 ADDR SU
5A 05 70 00 CF
/
0x01
WARNING
Do not send the command that is not in the list above.
NOTE
Baud rate of UART 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.
5.3 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:
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.

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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
Figure 10 Command syntax of TF03
6 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
6.1 Self-cleaning module
In some outdoor scenes, dust adhering to the TF03’s window will affect the performance of
the TF03. We’ve designed the following self-cleaning module that can automatically clean
the TF03’s window regularly. The module drives the rocker arm and wiper with the steering
gear to clean the TF03 window regularly.
Figure 11 Dimension drawing of self-cleaning module
The self-cleaning module is fixed with TF03 through the metal base, its power supply and
communication are completely independent from TF03.