Neato XV-11 LIDAR - Simple to run, no dependencies

This code was put together to interface with the Neato XV-11 LIDAR. Please see reference section bellow for resources I used to put this together. When the LIDAR is spinning between 180 and 310 RPM it begins transmitting useful data. That data is collected and upon a keyboard interrupt (CTRL+C) the data will be plotted to a graph and saved to the working directory.

Wiring:

Motor (2 pin):

Black --> Ground
Red --> 22ohm --> 3.3v (or just 3.3v)

Sensor (4 pin JST):

Red --> 3.3v
Brown (RX) --> RX (not a mistake, but may need to be reversed in different setups. See bellow about the serial connection)
Orange (TX) --> TX
Black --> Ground

Serial to Computer:

• com_port = (look up in Arduino IDE)
• baud_rate = 115200
• I used an Arduino UNO with a jumper between the "RESET" and "GND" as my serial adapter. The COM port can then be read from the list on COMs in the Arduino IDE.

Running The Code:

1. CD to the directory downloaded from GIT
2. run "python XV-11_main.py"
3. Wait for data to be collected
4. Press CTRL+C
5. The image "LIDAR_OUT.PNG" will be saved into the current directory

Notes:

1. The motor is not be controlled via PWM, between [3.3v or 22ohm+3.3v] the correct speed is reached.
2. The error checking bits are not used.
3. Data with 0x80/250_10 type errors are discarded.

Dependencies (none that need to be installed):

PySerial

Included

matplotlib

Included in python

#References

• Outline of the communication structure: https://xv11hacking.wikispaces.com/LIDAR+Sensor
• Translate data to real world results: https://github.com/Xevel/NXV11