SparkFun

TFMini Plus - Micro LiDAR Module

Name: TFMini Plus - Micro LiDAR Module
Brand: SparkFun
SKU: SF-SEN-15179
Price: 239.85 AUD
Availability: InStock

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The TFMini Plus is a ToF (Time of Flight) LiDAR sensor capable of measuring the distance to an object as close as 10 centimeters (+/- 5cm up to 6m) and as fa...

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The TFMini Plus is a ToF (Time of Flight) LiDAR sensor capable of measuring the distance to an object as close as 10 centimeters (+/- 5cm up to 6m) and as far as 12 meters (+/-1% starting at 6m)! As with all LiDAR sensors, your effective detection distance will vary depending on lighting conditions and the reflectivity of your target object, but what makes this sensor special is its size. Measuring only 35x18.5x21mm, the TFMini Plus allows you to integrate LiDAR into applications traditionally reserved for smaller sensors.

Setting itself apart from the original TFmini, the TFmini Plus has been designed with an IP65 enclosure meaning its "Dust tight & water resistant", and also passed the vibration test of drone level, which will greatly expand its application range. The TFMini Plus is easy to power at only 5V and easy to talk to using common communication interfaces — UART, I/O and I2C.

Important: This product does not use laser light for ranging. Instead it contains an LED and optics. Many such systems are being marketed under the name "LiDAR," although it may be more appropriate to think of this device as a "Time-of-Flight Infrared Rangefinder". It differs significantly from traditional IR rangefinders in that it uses ToF to determine range and not triangulation — as is performed by the Sharp GP-series devices.

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

I2C: I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
LED: A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.
LiDAR: A sensing method that uses laser light to measure distance and build a 3D picture of the surroundings. It matters for robotics and autonomous systems because LiDAR data can help with mapping, navigation and obstacle detection.
UART: UART is a simple asynchronous serial interface that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, usually labelled TX and RX, with both ends set to the same baud rate. It is a common way for microcontrollers and other serial devices to exchange data.