TFmini-i  User  Manual 
           
 
 
 
 
 
 
PREFACE 
Dear users: 
Thank  you  for  choosing  Benewake  products.  For  the  purpose  of  offering  better 
operation  experience  to  you,  we  hereby  write  this  manual  for  an  easier  and  simpler 
operation of our product, hoping to better solve the common problems you may meet. 
This user manual contains the relevant information on product introduction, usage and 
maintenance  of  TFmini-i,  covers  the  product  operation  introduction  and  common 
problem  solutions.  Please  read  this  manual  carefully  before  using  the  product. 
Remember the precautions to avoid hazards, and please follow the described steps in 
the manual when using it. 
 
If you have any problems in the process of usage, you are welcome to contact Benewake 
at any time for help. 
 
Contact details 
Official website: en.benewake.com 
TEL:+86-10- 57456983 
Technical questions,please contact:support@benewake.com   
Consult sale information or request brochure,please contact:bw@benewake.com 
 
Headquarters Address 
Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd. 
No.3030,  3rd  Floor,  Independent  Innovation  Building,  No.6  Chuangye  Road,  Haidian 
District, Beijing, China 
 
Copyright Statement 
This User Manual is copyright © of Benewake. Please do not modify, delete or 
translate the description of this manual contents without the official written 
permission from Benewake.   
 
Disclaimer 
As our products are constantly improving and updating, the specifications of TFmini-i 
are subject to change. Please refer to the official website for latest version. 
 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 
1  ONEVIEW ......................................................................................................................................... 1 
1.1  Technical Specification .......................................................................................................... 1 
1.2  Maintenance and Cleaning ................................................................................................... 2 
1.3  Appearance and Installation ................................................................................................ 2 
1.4  Storage ..................................................................................................................................... 3 
1.5  Application .............................................................................................................................. 4 
INTERFACE ....................................................................................................................................... 5 
2.1  Description About Wiring Sequence .................................................................................. 5 
2.2  Electrical Characteristics ....................................................................................................... 5 
3  COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL .................................................................................................... 6 
3.1  RS-485 Communication Protocol ........................................................................................ 6 
Communication protocol.................................................................................... 6 
Parameter configuration description of Modbus protocol .......................... 6 
Parameter configuration .................................................................................... 8 
3.2  CAN Communication Protocol .......................................................................................... 10 
Communication Protocol ................................................................................. 10 
CAN Communication Data Frame .................................................................. 10 
CAN Bus Network ............................................................................................. 10 
Parameter Configuration of CAN Communication ..................................... 11 
Other Parameter Configuration ..................................................................... 12 
3.2.1 
3.2.2 
3.2.3 
3.2.4 
3.2.5 
2 
3.1.1 
3.1.2 
3.1.3 
 
 
 
ONEVIEW 
1  ONEVIEW 
TFmini-i  is  an  updated  single-point  ranging  LiDAR  based  on  TFmini-S.  It  has  been 
optimized  in  communication  interface  and  input  voltage,  making  it  satisfy  different 
industrial applications. The product is based on the ToF (Time of Flight) principle and 
provides stable, accurate and reliable ranging performance. 
1.1  Technical Specification 
Table 1-1 Technical Specification of TFmini-i 
Type 
Parameters 
90% reflectivity, 0Klux 
Operating 
10% reflectivity, 0Klux 
range 
90% reflectivity, 70Klux 
10% reflectivity, 70Klux 
Values 
0.1m~12m 
0.1m~7m 
0.1m~12m 
0.1m~7m 
Accuracy① 
±6cm(0.1m~6m),±1%(6m~12m) 
Distance resolution① 
1cm 
Frame rate② 
1Hz~100Hz(adjustable, default100Hz) 
Ambient light immunity 
Enclosure rating 
70Klux 
IP65 
Photobiological safety 
Class1 (IEC60825) 
Product 
performance 
Optical 
parameters 
Electrical 
parameters 
Central wavelength 
Light source 
FoV③ 
Supply voltage 
Average current 
Power consumption 
Peak current 
Dimension 
Housing 
Others 
Operating temperature 
Storage temperature 
Weight 
Cable length④ 
850nm 
VCSEL 
2° 
DC 7V~30V 
≤65mA @12V 
≤0.8W @12V 
100mA 
50mm×34mm×41mm (L×H×W) 
ABS/PC/PMMA 
-20℃~60℃ 
-30℃~75℃ 
52g (with cables) 
70cm/200cm 
 
 
 
 
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ONEVIEW 
Note 
①  The detection is measured with the standard white board (90% reflectivity). 
 
②  The frame rate can be adjusted. The default value is 100Hz and the maximum 
value is 100Hz, the customized frame rate should be calculated by the formula: 
200/n (n is an integer with ≥ 2). 
③  The angle is a theoretical value, the actual angle value has some deviation. 
④  200cm cable without terminals at the end, for the loose wire state. 
1.2  Maintenance and Cleaning 
 
Before switching on, please check if the exposed window mirror is clean, and clean 
it promptly if it is dirty.   
  After  using  the  device,  check  the  optics.  If  it  is  contaminated,  please  clean  it 
promptly. 
 
The  optics  should  be  cleaned  regularly  if  the  device  be  operated  in  a  severe 
environment for a long time. 
 
Before regular cleaning, please disconnect the power. Using a soft cloth to gently 
wipe the window in the same direction when the device is not operating, to avoid 
repeated wiping and damage to the window mirror.   
  When cleaning the window, do not use alcohol to clean, so as not to damage the 
window. 
 
If you require deep cleaning of internal optics, please contact bw@benewake.com 
to offer professional advice. 
1.3  Appearance and Installation 
The appearance and dimensions of TFmini-i are shown in Figure 1-1: 
Figure 1-1 Appearance and dimension of TFmini-i (Unit: mm) 
TFmini-i has four φ1.6 mounting screw holes in the back, hole depth of 5mm, as shown 
in Figure 1-2. The installation is recommended to use four M2 cross round head flat-
 
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tailed  self-tapping  screws,  the  length  of  the  screws  is  related  to  the  thickness  of  the 
installed structural parts, it is recommended that the depth of the screws installed more 
than 3mm, you can choose the screws according to the following table. 
ONEVIEW 
Figure 1-2 The mounting holes of TFmini-i 
 
Table 1-2 TFmini-i mounting screw model recommendation 
The thickness of the installed structural parts 
Recommended screw type 
≤1mm 
1mm~3mm 
3mm~5mm 
M2*4 
M2*6 
M2*8 
 
Warning 
 
①  Two  sizes  of  screws,  M2*6  and  M2*8,  are  included  in  the  package, 
please choose according to the actual situation. 
②  Do  not  use  excessively  long  screws  to  prevent  penetration  of  the 
product housing and compromise the protective characteristics of the 
product. 
③  To  prevent  the  optical  surface  from  being  dirty,  the  product  optical 
window  will  be  pasted  with  dustproof  film,  it  is  recommended  to 
remove the film before use. 
④  Please  do  not  block  the  front  of  the  product  optical  lens,  the  front 
surface  of  the  product  is  recommended  to  be  flush  with  the 
surrounding structural parts to prevent affecting the light path. 
1.4  Storage 
  Device  should  be  stored  at  -30°C  to  80°C  with  a  relative  humidity  ≤  60%  and 
ventilation free from corrosive gases.   
 
Before  storage,  please  make  sure  that  all  connections  are  disconnected  or  dust 
covers are inserted or covered to ensure cleanliness. 
 
If storage time is over three months, please carry out a working test before using, 
to ensure that the device can be used in normal condition. 
 
For ensuring the product performance, do not open the product shell or remove 
the IR-pass filter. 
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ONEVIEW 
1.5  Application                                                                                               
When  using  the  product,  please  read  the  specifications,  user  manual  and  the 
precautions mentioned in the user manual in detail to ensure that the product is used 
within  the  rated  specifications.  The  product  is  designed  for  use  in  the  following 
scenarios: 
 
 
 
Robot 
Intelligent Transportation 
Intelligent Device 
  UAV 
  Other Industrial Products 
If you use the product beyond the above application scope, please carefully evaluate 
whether the reliability requirements of the product to be applied match this product, or 
contact Benewake at any time to assist in solving it. 
 
 
 
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2 
INTERFACE 
INTERFACE 
2.1  Description About Wiring Sequence                                                                                 
Terminal model: MH1.25-7P-W/B, size of single wire is AWG26, diameter of single wire 
is 0.404mm, cross-sectional area is 0.129mm2, which show in Table 2-1. 
 
Figure 2-1 TFmini-i external wiring connector and wiring sequence 
Table 2-1 The Function Description of Each Wire 
Pin 
Wiring color 
Function 
Red 
VCC 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
Comment 
Power supply 
White/Yellow 
RS485-B/CAN_L 
RS485-B/CAN bus 
Green 
N/A 
RS485-A/CAN_H 
RS485-A/CAN bus 
N/A 
N/A 
Blue/Orange 
UART_RXD 
UART receive (Debug) 
Brown 
Black 
UART_TXD 
UART transmit (Debug) 
GND 
Ground 
 
Warning 
 
①  The hardware of RS-485 and CAN is different;   
②  Do not mix UART cable with RS485 or CAN bus, otherwise it will cause 
damage of MCU. 
③  TFmini-i with RS-485 interface does not support UART debugging pins. 
2.2 
Electrical Characteristics 
Table 2-2 Main Electrical Parameters of TFmini-i 
Parameter 
Supply voltage 
Average current 
Peak current 
Values 
DC 7V~30V 
≤65mA@12V 
100mA 
Average power consumption 
≤0.8W@12V 
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