Houston 360 lidar mounting requirements
2023-11-22 draft by Anni
Refer to this document: LightWare Learn SF54/B product guide for all specific information.
General system constraints
We want to maintain a takeoff weight no more than 500g greater than the current weight of houston in a ready-to-fly configuration with ELRS airport, a TBS or ELRS RC link, px5, 1 GPS, 1 PM02, 1 RPi, necessary landing gear and structure, 1 rpi camera.
I don’t have a specific weight of houston right now, but if we put on more weight houston is really going to struggle to maintain control.
This might mean that we have to take some stuff off. It is permissible to take off the following list of items:
RPi
CV Camera
The following list of items must remain (essentially the base flyable configuration, in case I missed something super obvious):
PX + SD card
GPS
Power Module
RC Link
LTE Link
Battery
Motors, ESC’s
wires.
The LIDAR should be plugged into Telem1 port for preliminary tests.
The comm link that we use (ELRS Airport) doesn’t draw that much current, and is safe to run on Telem2 or Telem3 without brownouts.
Spec is for 300-350mA nominal, but having extra room in telem1 for free won’t hurt?
Any mounting system may obstruct ports on the px5 if and only if it is possible to connect the ports and then mount the lidar system.
Otherwise, clearance of at least 5cm from the top surface of any mounting port must be maintained such that is is possible to plug in / insert cables
The mounting system must be rigid, and move as closely as possible with the center frame of Houston.
do not put in any vibration compensation or dampening.
Lidar Specific
Lidar should remain as free as possible of FOD / kickback on takeoff
Lidar should not have obstructions around it in 360 FOV.
This likely means placing the lidar on top of the drone (otherwise it’ll be hit by the landing legs
Use the provided mounting holes (if possible)
Ardupilot can allow the lidar to be mounted both right side up and upside down
Communication cable must be accessible either by removing the lidar or through open area below
Beam width can be assumed to be 3 degrees at absolute worst case. Nominally <0.5 degrees from spec sheet