Downward-Facing TFLuna/TFLite-Pro Rangefinder on Quad – “Bad Lidar Health” Issue

ArduCopter
1

I am using a TF02 Pro rangefinder mounted downward-facing on a quadcopter running ArduPilot.
The sensor is detected, but I am getting a “Bad Lidar Health” error.
While checking the ArduPilot documentation, I found a note stating that downward-facing rangefinders are currently supported only for Plane. This made me unsure whether this setup is officially supported for Copter.
My questions:

  • Is it possible to use a downward-facing Rangefinder on a quad (Copter) in ArduPilot?

  • Has anyone successfully integrated a downward-facing TTF02 Pro (or similar) on a quad?

  • Could the “Bad Lidar Health” error be related to orientation or unsupported configuration

2

Hello,

If you have this msg when testing the board at home with only USB from the computer, it’s normal. You need to power the board with external battery in order to have enough power available for TF02. Better is to use a 12V line to TF02.

1 Like
3

Yes, range finders are supported in copter and can be used for terrain following and/or obstacle avoidance.

If you’ve got the setup correct, then it’s probably just a power issue.

4

I recently added a TF02 Pro (serial) to a quad using those instructions, and an outdoor maximum of 13m.
It works perfectly and the copter generally follows terrain when the rangefinder is within range.