MissionPlanner not connecting to RPLidar A2M12 + CubePilot Orange

ArduCopter Copter 4.6
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My setup is PC → MicroUSB → CubePilot Orange → TELEM1 (4 wires to lidar, 5V, RX, TX, GND) → SlamTec RPLidar A2M12

Have read through a bunch of related threads on this forum (this, this, and this), and am curious if ArduPilot actually supports RPLidar A2M12 in ArduCopter V4.6.0 out of the box or if there is more work to be done.

I verified that the RPLidar works with the vendor software + followed the wiring listed in ArduPilot’s docs to connect to CubePilot Orange.

Here is where things start getting weird. With just the Lidar connected to the CubePilot, I can’t connect via MissionPlanner over MavLink or SLCan. However, when I connect my motor + esc via CAN to the CubePilot AND add the Lidar, it connects fine. But, I can’t see the Lidar doing anything via ProximityViewer. If I remove the CAN connection, things still work (with only the Lidar connected). Proximity Viewer still doesn’t update with the fact that there is a lidar present.

My big question now is: why isn’t the RPLidar + CubePilot Orange combo enough for MissionPlanner to establish a connection? What do I need to get things updated in ProximityViewer?

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Update - supplied an external power source to the RPLidar (at 5V o)

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Update: We established a connection + can kinda read values from the RPLidar. But, ProximityUI is still empty. Why/what does this mean?

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I’m not sure where CAN is coming into the picture here.

If your RPLidar is connected via a telem port, you can use serial passthrough and pass the serial port connected to your lidar through the one normally used for slcan, which is the highest numbered serial port that the cube exposes. On both ports, I usually set the protocol to “disabled” or “mavlink2”, I noticed when trying to use passthrough to connect to a ublox that I have to change the protocols in this way (at least on older firmwares). The baud rates don’t need to match between the ports you’ve chosen for passthrough, but they should match the devices you’re connecting to the ports (although the virtual serial port baud doesn’t seem to matter from what I can tell). Then you can then connect the vendor software to the virtual serial port named “SLCAN” that is exposed when you connect via usb.

Maybe you’ve done this and I’m misunderstanding what you’ve tried to do.

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I am using this obstacle sensor.

I connect it via the serial port, but even though the documentation says 115200 baud rate, it worked when I set it to 256000 baud.

I recommend changing the baud rate of the serial port.

I don’t know if there is any support available.