RPLIDAR S3
Low Cost 360 Degree
Laser Range Scanner
Development Kit User
Manual
Model：S3
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Contents
CONTENTS ...............................................................................................................................................1
OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................... 3
ITEMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT KIT ....................................................................................................... 3
RPLIDAR S3 ................................................................................................................................................4
USB ADAPTER ..............................................................................................................................................4
CONNECTION AND USAGE ....................................................................................................... 5
CONNECTION ................................................................................................................................................5
INSTALL DRIVER FOR THE USB ADAPTER .......................................................................................5
RUN DEMO APPLICATION ...................................................................................................................... 7
TROUBLESHOOTING ................................................................................................................................. 10
MOTOR SPEED ADJUSTMENT ............................................................................................................. 10
SDK INTRODUCTION AND USAGE ....................................................................................12
RPLIDAR S3 PIN DEFINITION AND SPECIFICATION .............................................................. 12
PIN DEFINITION FOR THE USB ADAPTER .....................................................................................13
USB-DC POWER CORD INSTRUCTION ...........................................................................................13
CONFIGURE RPLIDAR S3 SCAN FREQUENCY ...........................................................................13
SDK USAGE ................................................................................................................................................ 13
OPERATION RECOMMENDATION .....................................................................................14
PRE-HEATING FOR BEST PERFORMANCE ......................................................................................14
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE ....................................................................................................................... 14
AMBIENT LIGHT ......................................................................................................................................... 14
REVISION HISTORY ........................................................................................................................15
APPENDIX .............................................................................................................................................. 16
IMAGE AND TABLE INDEX .....................................................................................................................16
Overview
RPLIDAR S3 development kit includes the matched tools used for evaluating
RPLIDAR’s performance and initial development. After connecting the RPLIDAR
S3 with PC via USB cable and connecting the power adapter to the USB cable,
users can observe the cloud map of the environment scanning point collected by
the RPLIDAR in RoboStudio and start development based on the SDK.
Items in the Development Kit
RPLIDAR S3 Development Kit contains:
o RPLIDAR S3（PWM motor driver embedded）
o USB Adapter
o Micro-USB cable
o Power cable
RPLIDAR S3
Power cable
USB adapter
Micro-USB cable
Figure 1-1 Items in the RPLIDAR Development Kit
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
RPLIDAR S3
Figure 1-2 The RPLIDAR S3
The RPLIDAR S3 development kit contains standard RPLIDAR S3 unit. The
RPLIDAR is embedded with logic IO drivable motor controller which can be used
to configure the scan frequency by tuning motor speed. Developers can also
choose to turn off the motor for power saving purpose.
RPLIDAR usage and interface definition will be introduced in the coming sections.
USB Adapter
The USB adapter supports a communication rate of 1M baud.
Figure 1-3 RPLIDAR Adapter
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Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Connection and Usage
Connection
RPLIDAR S3 can be easily connected to PC according to the following steps.
1) Connect RPLIDAR S3 with the USB adapter.
Figure 2-1 Connect RPLIDAR S3 and USB Adapter
2) Connect the USB adapter to your PC via the Micro-USB cable. If the PC is
on, after connecting the USB cable to your PC and connecting the power
adapter to the USB cable, the indicator light of the USB will light up but
the RPLIDAR will not start scanning.
Figure 2-2 Connect the USB Adapter to PC via Micro-USB Cable
Install Driver for the USB Adapter
The USB adapter converts UART to USB by using CP2102 chip. You need to
install the device driver for the chip. The driver can be found in the provided SDK
package or downloaded from Silicon Labs’ official website:
http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/Pages/USBtoUARTBridgeVCPDrivers.aspx
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Here’s the installation steps in Windows: after connecting the RPLIDAR with PC,
please find the driver file “CP210x VCP Windows” and choose correct operating
system version accordingly: x86 for 32-bit OS and x64 for 64-bit OS.
Figure 2-3 Choose USB Adapter Driver for Installation
Figure 2-4 Start Page of USB Adapter Driver Installation
After Installing the driver according to the above installation steps, you will see
corresponding serial port name in the [Control Panel] -> [Device and Printers].
Please refer to the below figure.
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Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Figure 2-5 Recognized Serial Port Name Matched with the USB Adapter
Run Demo Application
SLAMTEC provides a Lidars plugin in RoboStudio for users in test and evaluation.
You can view the scan result directly in the UI and save the scan result to files for
further processing.
This GUI demo can only run under Windows. For Linux and MacOS users, please
refer to the other simple demo provided in the SDK.
Please make sure you have connected RPLIDAR to PC by using USB adapter and
installed the device driver correctly before running the demo application in
RoboStudio. Launch RoboStudio and log in.
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Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Figure 2-6 RoboStudio Login Page
If the connection is ok, you shall see the user interface is shown as below.
1. Click File->Lidars to open the lidar control panel in the left;
2. Click Serial Ports to extend the lidar lists and you’ll find the RPLIDAR S3
previously connected to your PC;
3. Click the RPLIDAR S3 icon to extend the tool buttons below the icon: the left
one is to adjust the motor speed while the right one is to open the tool bar in
the major work area as shown in Figure 2-7.
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Figure 2-7 The Lidar Plugin in RoboStudio
The serial number, version and model of the RPLIDAR S3 will show next with its
icon in the lidar control panel. The supported commands of RPLIDAR are
showed in the tool bar. The descriptions are listed in the bellow table.
Button Function Description
Restart RPLIDAR Restart scan core to clear internal errors
Save Scan Data Save current scan data to the local file
Stop Scan Scan core enter power save mode
Start Scan Scan data will be displayed after scan core starting work
Switch among different work modes to fit in specific
Work Mode Switch
environments
Adjust Motor Speed Adjust the motor speed as required
Figure 2-8 The Supported Commands of RPLIDAR in RoboStudio
Press the Start Scan button , the scan data will be displayed as below (by
default, the motor rotating speed should be about 10Hz.):
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Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Figure 2-9 The Scan Outline by RPLIDAR in RoboStudio
Right click in the major working area to choose a range so as to zoom in or out
the view.
The scan frequency is also showed in the above interface.
Troubleshooting
When the scan core or the laser power works abnormally, the scan core will
enter protection mode. This state can be retrieved via SDK API. If such scenario
happened, please send restart command to reset the scan core.
Motor Speed Adjustment
During the running process, different motor rotating speed can be achieved by
pressing the button, which can fit in different working environments or meet
specific requirements. There will be a speed adjustment dialog box and dash
board popped up for users to enter required speed. After entering a value, the
motor will work as the settled rotating speed automatically. User can also drag
the sliding handle to the required rotating speed.
The current actual rotating speed will show in the upper left corner of the major
work area. For instance, the actual rotating speed in the following screenshot is
10.31Hz.
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Figure 2-10 The Motor Speed Adjustment Dialogue of RPLIDAR in RoboStudio
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
SDK Introduction and Usage
RPLIDAR S3 Pin Definition and Specification
The RPLIDAR S3 uses separate 5V DC power for powering the range scanner
core and the motor system. And the standard RPLIDAR S3 uses XH2.54-5P male
socket. Detailed interface definition is shown in the following
figure:
XH2.54-5P
Figure 3-1 RPLIDAR S3 Pins
Color Signal Name Type Description Min Typical Max
Red VCC Power Total Power 4.9V 5V 5.2V
Serial port input of the
Yellow TX Output 0V / 3.5V
scanner core
Serial port input of the
Green RX Input 0V / 3.5V
scanner core
Black GND Power GND 0V 0V 0V
Figure 3-2 RPLIDAR S3 Pin Definition and Specification
RPLIDAR S3 uses the one 5V DC power supply for powering the scan motor and
the scan core at the same time. No extra power is required.
With build-in and speed-adjustable motor driver, RPLIDAR S3 can control the
start, the stop and the rotating speed of the motor via the MOTOCTL signal.
o Reference Design for RPLIDAR development
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
RPLIDAR
V5.0 Power (5V DC)
GND
TX
UART
RX
MCU/DSP
Figure 3-3 RPLIDAR S3 Pins Reference Design
Pin Definition for the USB Adapter
The USB adapter is also using XH2.54-5P specification socket, and it can be
connected with RPLIDAR S3 directly. The pin definition is the same as the
RPLIDAR S3.
USB-DC power cord instruction
The developer kit provides USB-DC power cord for the user to connect
additional power to the USB adapter for additional power supply. For the output
voltage and current requirements of the power supply, please refer to the
datasheet of the corresponding lidar model.
Configure RPLIDAR S3 Scan Frequency
The RPLIDAR S3’s scan frequency can be modified by invoking the related
functions in the SDK to configure the motor speed.
Please refer to the RPLIDAR protocol and application note for more information
and the SDK for the sample code on RPLIDAR scan frequency.
SDK Usage
SLAMTEC provides RPLIDAR SDK support on both Windows and Linux platform.
And users can embed the SDK source code to other operational system or
embedded system quickly. Please refer to the SDK document for more
information.
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Operation Recommendation
Pre-Heating for Best Performance
The scan core will be heating when start working. We recommend pre-heating
RPLIDAR (Start the scan mode and the scan motor is rotating) for more than 2
minutes to get the best measurement accuracy.
Ambient Temperature
RPLIDAR’s measurement resolution is sensitive to the ambient temperature.
Improper use may even damage the sensor. Please avoid using RPLIDAR in
extreme high temperature (>50℃) and too low temperature (<-10 ℃).
Ambient Light
Compared with RPLIDAR A series, RPLIDAR S3 performs better to resist ambient
light interference, which supports it to work properly in outdoor environment.
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Revision History
Date Version Description
2023-07-21 1.0 RPLIDAR S3 initial version
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
Appendix
Image and Table Index
FIGURE 1-1 ITEMS IN THE RPLIDAR DEVELOPMENT KIT ................................................................... 3
FIGURE 1-2 THE RPLIDAR S3 ................................................................................................................................. 4
FIGURE 1-3 RPLIDAR ADAPTER ............................................................................................................................. 4
FIGURE 2-1 CONNECT RPLIDAR S3 AND USB ADAPTER ................................................................5
FIGURE 2-2 CONNECT THE USB ADAPTER TO PC VIA MICRO-USB CABLE ...................... 5
FIGURE 2-3 CHOOSE USB ADAPTER DRIVER FOR INSTALLATION ............................................... 6
FIGURE 2-4 START PAGE OF USB ADAPTER DRIVER INSTALLATION .........................................6
FIGURE 2-5 RECOGNIZED SERIAL PORT NAME MATCHED WITH THE USB ADAPTER .7
FIGURE 2-6 ROBOSTUDIO LOGIN PAGE .............................................................................................................8
FIGURE 2-7 THE LIDAR PLUGIN IN ROBOSTUDIO ......................................................................................9
FIGURE 2-8 THE SUPPORTED COMMANDS OF RPLIDAR IN ROBOSTUDIO ....................... 9
FIGURE 2-9 THE SCAN OUTLINE BY RPLIDAR IN ROBOSTUDIO ..............................................10
FIGURE 2-10 THE MOTOR SPEED ADJUSTMENT DIALOGUE OF RPLIDAR IN
ROBOSTUDIO ................................................................................................................................................................11
FIGURE 3-1 RPLIDAR S3 PINS ............................................................................................................................. 12
FIGURE 3-2 RPLIDAR S3 PIN DEFINITION AND SPECIFICATION .............................................. 12
FIGURE 3-3 RPLIDAR S3 PINS REFERENCE DESIGN ........................................................................... 13
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Copyright (c) 2009-2017 RoboPeak Team
Copyright (c) 2013-2017 Shanghai Slamtec Co., Ltd.
