Below is a first revision schematic of the Neato XV-11 LIDAR Piccolo board. It was created by hand and I will post a video later explaining how it was done for the curious. For the seasoned veterans just take a look at the schematic.
Some components were easy to identify and others were not so easy. The transistors are basically a best guess based off of the minimal identifying marks on the SMT package. I am not 100% sure how the laser diode control circuit works at this point so I will take some measurements of a live module to test my assumptions. Based off what I know so far the cathode of the laser module is pulsed to power the laser and it is held slightly above 0V and then lowered closer to 0V momentarily to rapidly turn the laser on and off.
Stay tuned for a video explaining the whole process along with more details. See CAD file at the bottom of page for raw schematic which was done using TinyCAD... FREEWARE!!
Awesome work. Can't wait for more info. Have you been able to work out what the DSP is doing to control the diode?
ReplyDeleteI will try to post more info and findings in the next week or two as I have time to take measurements based on the schematic. Hopefully I can find some time to make a video as well to explain how I created the schematic, and describe how different parts work.
ReplyDeleteHash, I appreciate your work but are you sure putting your identity / picture up there is a good idea ? There are a lot of people who would love to stop you from doing what you are doing.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't anonymity be best until you are wealthy and powerful enough to take on the big corporations , their hired scum and the retired / ex armed forces people turned mercenaries?
I'm not sure this information is THAT valuable, but I will take that as a complement! :)
DeleteI figured it's better to be out there and easy to get in touch with for a few reasons. People experimenting as well can easily email me, and if someone from Neato or elsewhere would like me to not publish further information they can e-mail me as well.
I am just posting info anyone who bought one of these could find out as well, so I'm not too worried. It's probably just interesting to look at because you don't need to actually buy it and spend the time! And it inspires others to buy an XV-11 to experiment with which is really the whole point.
Go on. Your work is excellent. Look forward for more infos. Maybe you must build and sell "micro" lidar for robotic use
ReplyDeleteI think an open source design would be awesome! Then we can ALL have one! :)
DeleteThis may seem like kind of a duh comment, but scanners have linear image sensors & lenses in their scanheads & you can find them on craigslist. seems like a good place to start for diy since linear 2000+ pixel imaging chips run $50 on ebay. The lenses probably won't work for this application, but i'd imagine the imaging chips are pretty good.
ReplyDeleteChristine,
DeleteI would say its a great comment. I have a scanner here I was going to take apart so I will check and see what it has inside!
The only thing I would be concerned about is the read speed of the sensor in the scanner. You can actually get the linear image sensor from Panavision for about $14 in single quantities so it's not too bad. But I always like the scavenging for parts idea!
Maybe I will do a google search to see if anyone has removed the sensor from a scanner and used it.
On a side note, I usually like to stick with parts from a supplier because it can be hard to get a hold of a specific scanner or other device to tear apart after a year or so, and you never know what a manufacturer might change while in production so scavenging for parts is really a crap shoot. But great idea for a one-off build as you can get a lot of stuff for cheap.
-Hash