New LiDAR sensor Benewake TF02-Pro TFmini-S TF-Luna for drones UAV

Alberto_Ds · December 23, 2020, 6:01pm

i connected the TF luna to FTDI. Is there any way to know which FW is installed? I’m afraid of the brick! Thanks

I tried to update firmware but I have this error:

But works well

iter · December 23, 2020, 9:10pm

TF-Luna: http://en.benewake.com/product/detail/5e1c1fd04d839408076b6255.html

I’ve also flown some tests over water. Predictably, the results are marginal. LiDAR cannot deal with water.

The first three approaches over land as a baseline. LiDAR readings look good there. The next three approaches are over water, and the data are less usable. Final approach is over land, naturally.

Alberto_Ds · December 24, 2020, 8:02am

Is there any way to know which FW is installed? With fw files in this thread I have error like above picture. Thanks [
@Siya
@ibrahimqazi

ibrahimqazi · December 25, 2020, 5:47am

For every LiDAR there is a command for check firmware version, the command is mentioned in the manual. Or may be you share your LiDAR serial number I will check in the record.

Alberto_Ds · December 25, 2020, 9:24am

Thanks a lot Ibrahim, I tried to discover fw version with the GUI send command, but nothing happens. My serial number is in this picture. I tried also to update the fw but I get bootloader error (see pictures above this thread).
@ibrahimqazi

VRquaeler · December 25, 2020, 2:00pm

Hi Ari,

Thanks for the response. I really appreciate your ongoing flight tests. It’s always good to understand the possibilities and the limitations in particular of the sensors.

Can you give a note about the light conditions (e.g. cloudy, sunny, dusk etc.) of the test flights?
Why I am asking?
Experimenting with other “time of flight” type LIDAR sensors (like VL53L0X and VL53L1X) I found some of them loose a lot of their usable range in bright outdoor light conditions.

iter · December 25, 2020, 4:51pm

The first set of flights are in sunny conditions. Over-water flight is overcast.

I started out with VL531X. It works extremely well indoors, but provides little usable information outdoors in daylight. With the current setup I’m getting very usable results, as long as I’m over solid ground.

Dave84 · December 25, 2020, 6:08pm

Try update your firmware…for tf luna and tf mini s of im using can bus protocol…

Alberto_Ds · December 26, 2020, 7:28am

I tried also to update (serial communication) the fw but I get bootloader error (see pictures above this thread). Thanks

Dave84 · December 27, 2020, 5:07pm

ok… i will do some test with my tf luna., do you mind tell me how you set it,… i need replicate your settings

Alberto_Ds · December 27, 2020, 5:50pm

Thanks Dave, my settings are simply. Pixhawk 1 arducopter 4.0.5, connect i2c vcc SDA scl gnd pin 5 to gnd, but lidar not detect. Same configuration but serial communication vcc TX RX gnd, works well and value sonar range in mission planner is correct.
TF luna works also with benewake GUI in serial.
TF luna whit unknown fw version and updated with benewake tools for upgrade fw not work (bootloader error 256)

ibrahimqazi · December 28, 2020, 6:00am

Hello Alberto,
You will not able to observe the response of command because the GUI has no feedback window.
You need to use Serial Port Utility. I attach the latest firmware for you 3.0.9. Please download it from the following link:

If you are unable to upgrade the firmware. Try the following method:
1- Connect the converter to PC and open the upgrade tool.
2-Choose the serial port number and click ‘CONNECT’. Then open the bin file
3- Connect the LiDAR to the converter. Note: connect only the GND, RX and TX and leave the VCC unconnected at this stage
4- Click ‘DOWNLOAD’ on the panel of the upgrade tool and connect the VCC of the LiDAR to the converter within 10s.

When it is done, please don’t forget to power off the LiDAR after upgrading firmware.

Alberto_Ds · December 28, 2020, 3:04pm

Well done Ibrahim!!! New FW works well in I2C! Upgrade firmware with connect Vcc on the fly!
Many many thanks!

ibrahimqazi · December 29, 2020, 2:16am

Happy to hear that. Good luck, and I will be waiting for you to share the flight videos with me.

Alberto_Ds · December 29, 2020, 12:18pm

Small quad, big eyes!
Works well indoor with also optical flow, next test outdoor direct sunlight

Dave84 · December 29, 2020, 4:30pm

Take care using all the rangefinder on direct sunlight coz too much light will saturate the reading of the sensors.

Alberto_Ds · January 3, 2021, 10:09am

Hi all,

unfortunately it didn’t perform any better than the VL53L1x. In low light it works well, in direct sunlight the behavior was not good, making the quad unstable and I also had to land in an emergency because I didn’t have good control. On the Yappu telemetry the reading seemed correct. Also, I have mounted TF luna on a piece of copper PCB but the GPS doesn’t work well (didn’t see any satellite in over 10 minutes of flight).
I also used the auxiliary function to switch off the lidar, but it doesn’t seem to work.
CH13 OPT 10

https://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-auxiliary-functions.html

I attach the flight log if anyone has any suggestions, thanks

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WTaUe8nHfsY8835HbvFl-bqd7JW1axjd/view?usp=sharing

Dave84 · January 4, 2021, 2:09pm

Good day, as suggested never use a rangefinder in direct sunlight coz sensor can saturate.
Usually better power all extra peri periph with an ubec.
About gps module, try shield it with an EMI tape coz if you attach it directly to the frame it can suffer metal interferences due the frame

iter · January 4, 2021, 2:26pm

It looks to me like the module is working pretty well. It clearly tracks baro altitude. When a module saturates, it reports nonsensical values, typically 0 or max altitude. You see a lot of flat lines when that happens. Your screenshot looks fine as far as the rangefinder goes.

dkemxr · January 4, 2021, 2:30pm

When the rangefinder disable function is activated it will still read distance it just won’t be used for elevation. The data is still available for Flow and perhaps Landing but not sure about that.