TFmini-S with Arduino UART / UART / TTL · Arduino Due: integration and configuration guide

Applicable setup

TFmini-S · Arduino · UART, UART / TTL · Arduino Due

Technical instructions and steps

How to connect 3 TFminis on Arduino DUE via UART Version:v1.0

Updated date:2018.8.14

Mincy Zhao

1. Introduction

This is about how to connect 3 TFminis on Arduino DUE via TTL UART. The Arduino DUE comes with four hardware UART

interfaces. We use three of them to connect one TFmini separately. Another connects to the computer for viewing data.

2. Materials

 TFmini × 3；

 Arduino DUE × 1；

 DuPont wire；

 PC（Windows）；

 Arduino IDE；

3. Connection

 Because the 5V output capability on the DUE board is not enough to power three TFminis. So all TFminis use an external 5V power supply.

4. Arduino IDE

5. Coding

/* Multiple TFminis ---- Arduino DUE ----- UART This is a sample code for connecting 3TFminis to Arduino DUE board via UART, each TFmini use one UART. For details, refer to Product Specifications. The Arduino DUE comes with four hardware UART interfaces. We use three of them to connect one TFmini separately. Another connects to the computer for viewing data. This is just to provide testing, not my company's official product. Do not use for commercial purposes In principle, we do not provide technical support for this code. Author:Mincy Zhao Update date:2018.08.14

*/
int dist,dist2,dist3; //actual distance measurements of LiDAR
int strength,strength2,strength3; //signal strength of LiDAR
unsigned char check,check2,check3; //save check value
int i;
unsigned char uart[9],uart2[9],uart3[9]; //save data measured by LiDAR
const int HEADER=0x59; //frame header of data package
int rec_debug_state = 0x01,rec_debug_state2 = 0x01,rec_debug_state3 = 0x01;//receive state for frame
//unsigned char rec_flag = 0,rec_flag2 = 0,rec_flag3 = 0;
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200); //set bit rate of serial port connecting Arduino with computer
Serial1.begin(115200); //set bit rate of serial port connecting LiDAR1 with Arduino
Serial2.begin(115200); //set bit rate of serial port connecting LiDAR2 with Arduino
Serial3.begin(115200); //set bit rate of serial port connecting LiDAR3 with Arduino
}

void loop() { GetLidar1data();//if this channel is not be used, comment out this line GetLidar2data();//if this channel is not be used, comment out this line GetLidar3data();//if this channel is not be used, comment out this line }

void Get_Lidar1_data(){
if (Serial1.available()) {   //check if serial port has data input
if(rec_debug_state == 0x01){//the first byte
uart[0]=Serial1.read();
if(uart[0] == 0x59){
check = uart[0];
rec_debug_state = 0x02;
}
}
else if(rec_debug_state == 0x02){//the second byte
uart[1]=Serial1.read();
if(uart[1] == 0x59){
check += uart[1];
rec_debug_state = 0x03;
}
else{
rec_debug_state = 0x01;
}
}
else if(rec_debug_state == 0x03){
uart[2]=Serial1.read();
check += uart[2];
rec_debug_state = 0x04;
}
else if(rec_debug_state == 0x04){
uart[3]=Serial1.read();
check += uart[3];
rec_debug_state = 0x05;
}
else if(rec_debug_state == 0x05){
uart[4]=Serial1.read();
check += uart[4];
rec_debug_state = 0x06;
}
else if(rec_debug_state == 0x06){
uart[5]=Serial1.read();
check += uart[5];
rec_debug_state = 0x07;
}
else if(rec_debug_state == 0x07){
uart[6]=Serial1.read();
check += uart[6];
rec_debug_state = 0x08;
}
else if(rec_debug_state == 0x08){
uart[7]=Serial1.read();
check += uart[7];
rec_debug_state = 0x09;
}
else if(rec_debug_state == 0x09){
uart[8]=Serial1.read();
if(uart[8] == check){
dist = uart[2] + uart[3]*256;//the distance
strength = uart[4] + uart[5]*256;//the strength
Serial.print("dist = ");
Serial.print(dist); //output measure distance value of LiDAR
Serial.print('\t');
Serial.print("strength = ");
Serial.print(strength); //output signal strength value
Serial.print('\n');
}
rec_debug_state = 0x01;
}
}
}
void Get_Lidar2_data(){
if (Serial2.available()) {   //check if serial port has data input
if(rec_debug_state2 == 0x01){//
uart2[0]=Serial2.read();
if(uart2[0] == 0x59){
check2 = uart2[0];
rec_debug_state2 = 0x02;
}
}
else if(rec_debug_state2 == 0x02){//
uart2[1]=Serial2.read();
if(uart2[1] == 0x59){
check2 += uart2[1];
rec_debug_state2 = 0x03;
}
else{
rec_debug_state2 = 0x01;
}
}
else if(rec_debug_state2 == 0x03){
uart2[2]=Serial2.read();
check2 += uart2[2];
rec_debug_state2 = 0x04;
}
else if(rec_debug_state2 == 0x04){
uart2[3]=Serial2.read();
check2 += uart2[3];
rec_debug_state2 = 0x05;
}
else if(rec_debug_state2 == 0x05){
uart2[4]=Serial2.read();
check2 += uart2[4];
rec_debug_state2 = 0x06;
}
else if(rec_debug_state2 == 0x06){
uart2[5]=Serial2.read();
check2 += uart2[5];
rec_debug_state2 = 0x07;
}
else if(rec_debug_state2 == 0x07){
uart2[6]=Serial2.read();
check2 += uart2[6];
rec_debug_state2 = 0x08;
}
else if(rec_debug_state2 == 0x08){
uart2[7]=Serial2.read();
check2 += uart2[7];
rec_debug_state2 = 0x09;
}
else if(rec_debug_state2 == 0x09){
uart2[8]=Serial2.read();
if(uart2[8] == check2){
dist2 = uart2[2] + uart2[3]*256;//the distance
strength2 = uart2[4] + uart2[5]*256;//the strength
Serial.print("                                       dist2 = ");
Serial.print(dist2); //output measure distance value of LiDAR
Serial.print('\t');
Serial.print("strength2 = ");
Serial.print(strength2); //output signal strength value
Serial.print('\n');
}
rec_debug_state2 = 0x01;
}
}
}
void Get_Lidar3_data(){
if (Serial3.available()) {   //check if serial port has data input
if(rec_debug_state3 == 0x01){//
uart3[0]=Serial3.read();
if(uart3[0] == 0x59){
check3 = uart3[0];
rec_debug_state3 = 0x02;
}
}
else if(rec_debug_state3 == 0x02){//
uart3[1]=Serial3.read();
if(uart3[1] == 0x59){
check3 += uart3[1];
rec_debug_state3 = 0x03;
}
else{
rec_debug_state3 = 0x01;
}
}
else if(rec_debug_state3 == 0x03){
uart3[2]=Serial3.read();
check3 += uart3[2];
rec_debug_state3 = 0x04;
}
else if(rec_debug_state3 == 0x04){
uart[3]=Serial3.read();
check3 += uart3[3];
rec_debug_state3 = 0x05;
}
else if(rec_debug_state3 == 0x05){
uart3[4]=Serial3.read();
check3 += uart3[4];
rec_debug_state3 = 0x06;
}
else if(rec_debug_state3 == 0x06){
uart3[5]=Serial3.read();
check3 += uart3[5];
rec_debug_state3 = 0x07;
}
else if(rec_debug_state3 == 0x07){
uart3[6]=Serial3.read();
check3 += uart3[6];
rec_debug_state3 = 0x08;
}
else if(rec_debug_state3 == 0x08){
uart3[7]=Serial3.read();
check3 += uart3[7];
rec_debug_state3 = 0x09;
}
else if(rec_debug_state3 == 0x09){
uart3[8]=Serial3.read();
if(uart3[8] == check3){
dist3 = uart3[2] + uart3[3]*256;//the distance
strength3 = uart3[4] + uart3[5]*256;//the strength
Serial.print("
dist3 = ");
Serial.print(dist3); //output measure distance value of LiDAR
Serial.print('\t');
Serial.print("strength3 = ");
Serial.print(strength3); //output signal strength value
Serial.print('\n');
}
rec_debug_state3 = 0x01;
}
}
}

6. Verify & upload

7. Viewing

 Use Serial Monitor to view the data.

Use and verification

The technical content follows the readable source material. Confirm the product hardware revision, flight-stack or software version, and field safety boundary against the original material and current platform documentation.