Laser Interface

Overview

The Avionics Anonymous Laser Altimeter Interface is a tiny interface for several common laser rangefinders that allows connection to Pixhawk and other similar autopilots via UAVCAN - A nice robust interface, no sketchy long-distance I2C wiring and no hogged serial ports! These lasers are great for use as laser altimeters which help with nice auto landings. Comes fully assembled, ready to use!

Currently supported Lasers

At time of writing the following rangefinders are supported:

Lightware SF02
Lightware SF10/a
Lightware SF10/b
Lightware SF10/c
Lightware SF11/b
Lightware SF11/c
Lightware SF(LW)20/b
Lightware SF(LW)20/c
Lightware SF30/D

Coming soon:

Lidar Lite
Others - contact us with your needs!

What makes it special?

Robust UAVCAN interface is compatible with most Pixhawks and similar autopilots and makes it safe to install your laser far away from the autopilot, wherever is convenient!
Onboard power filtering for connected laser
Mount with screws through mounting ears or snip them off and foam tape it straight to your laser
Update firmware via CAN interface

Specifications

Weight: 3.2 grams
Size: 1.25in x 0.75in x 0.25in
Power: 4.0V to 5.5V, XXmA

Required Accessories

CAN Harness - connects between the autopilot and a CAN node and between each CAN node on the bus
CAN Terminator - connects to the last device on the CAN bus

Where to Buy

User Guide

Wiring

The rangefinder (laser) is connected to the AvAnon Laser Interface board, which is connected to one of the CAN ports on your autopilot. The wiring is per the pinout below, or the necessary cables can be purchased to connect to your system right out of the box:

CAN Harness - connects between the autopilot and a CAN node and between each CAN node on the bus
CAN Terminator - connects to the last device on the CAN bus

The interface board provides a filtered power output for the laser, but does not provide its own regulation. Therefore, the laser must be compatible with whatever voltage is supplied to the Laser Interface.

Pinouts

CAN Connector

Laser Connector

Configuration

Autopilot Configuration

PX4

Several autopilot parameters must be set using QGC or similar:

UAVCAN must be enabled by setting UAVCAN_ENABLE non zero. Set this to 1 for basic functionality or 2 to allow the device's UAVCAN parameters to be accessed via QGC.
The minimum and maximum valid range for the laser must be set in the parameters UAVCAN_RNG_MIN and UAVCAN_RNG_MAX. These should be set according to the rangefinder manufacturer's datasheet.